Im 27 and have just finished my 6th and final round of chemo, i am currently going through genetic testing however playing the waiting game to get results. On my last visit to the oncologist she recommended that i strongly consider a double mastectomy due to age and risk factors. Im just not sure what to do i have a 20 month old daughter and i want to see her grow up. There are so many questions though, how long is the recovery after surgery?, will i like my reflection in the mirror? Wil my self esteem and depression get worse? I thought when i finished chemo i would be jumping for joy instead im in a huge debate with myself

Hi JB, at 27 you are so young to be dealing with breast cancer, and it is so unfair. It is a big decision to have to make regarding a double mastectomy, but if it can give you a better chance of living a full life and seeing your daughter grow up, then it sounds like the right thing to do. I'm sure your oncologist wouldn't be recommending this without good reason. You will know, from reading these blogs, that many woman will get breast cancer more than once. I made the decision to have a double mastectomy, last year after completing 4 cycles of chemo. I am older than you, at 53, but I still want to be around to see my 4 adult children marry and have kids. My daughter made a comment that helped with my decision. She said " you don't know what caused your breast cancer, so how will you know what to do to prevent it from coming back". I was supposedly in the low risk category, having had 4 children in my 20's, breast fed all of them, and spent only about 4 years on the contraceptive pill. With no family history, nor being over weight or a smoker or drinker, I copped the short straw and got cancer. My grade 3, and 21mm cancer did not show up on a mammogram either, so I chose to have the second boob off once my chemo was completed. I have absolutely no regrets about my decision, and it has given me peace of mind. I cannot control whether or not I end up with secondaries in my liver or bones, but I could certainly control whether or not it would ever come back to my breasts. Because I did not require radiotherapy, I was able to have tissue expanders put in, and then silicone implants once I was back to my old size. This reconstruction happened at the same time as my second mastectomy, and whilst it is a biggeer operation, it wasn't too bad. The recovery is about the same time frame as the mastectomy, but as I didn't need any nodes removed this time, it was actually not as painful. My decision was mine alone, but my husband and children were very relieved that I chose this route. I am thrilled with the results, and my hubby is happy as well. I now have my cleavage back, and am a size 14B again. I was going to have nipples created later, but now I'm not so sure that I will bother. In clothes I look perfectly normal, and with my new cleavage , T shirts sit very nicely. Good luck with your decision making. It is not easy, but life is pretty special, especially when you have children. Please feel free to ask us any questions you have, as there will be someone here that will be able to help you. Love Chris xx

thankyou for your post Chris, its really helkped me logging on to this site and hearing from amazing strong women who know what im going through x

Hi JB, there are no easy answers and there's no right or wrong answer. 27 is really young to be going through this - and really young to lose what might be a part of your femininity. I'm 39 and have had a left mastectomy. Fortunately (or not), i don't have very big boobs anyway, so not many people notice that I'm missing a boob, but i plan to have reconstructive surgery in June - just to help me feel young, feminine & just like everyone else. Is reconstruction possible if you go ahead??? Speak to all your doctors (I'm up to about 12 now!) and ask them every question you can think of, and then think about what you want. We are fortunate (or not) that it's breast cancer, and can be more easily surgically removed - it's not so easy for people with lung, bone, brain, liver, pancreatic, ovarian cancers. There's lots of questions that you need to answer / need answers for. Write them down - I spent a week before surgery writing 3 pages of questions so I was comfortable with my decision and it was going to give me the best possible outcome. Thinking of you Penny

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8 Replies

louiseg
Member
14 years ago
I had breast cancer for the first time in 2003 at the age of 35 and then again in 2010 at 42. I wish that I had had a double mastectomy at the time that I had my first cancer rather than just having the one side done....but I wasn't ready to make that decision at that time.

It is a really personal choice and you need to make sure that what you do is right for you!

My second mastectomy was a decision that I couldn't make for myself - it was needed and I didn't have a choice. The reconstructions that I have had made a huge difference to my self-esteem.

Good luck with your decision

Louise
louiseg
Member
14 years ago
I had breast cancer for the first time in 2003 at the age of 35 and then again in 2010 at 42. I wish that I had had a double mastectomy at the time that I had my first cancer rather than just having the one side done....but I wasn't ready to make that decision at that time.

It is a really personal choice and you need to make sure that what you do is right for you!

My second mastectomy was a decision that I couldn't make for myself - it was needed and I didn't have a choice. The reconstructions that I have had made a huge difference to my self-esteem.

Good luck with your decision

Louise
pennyy
Member
14 years ago
Hi JB,

there are no easy answers and there's no right or wrong answer. 27 is really young to be going through this - and really young to lose what might be a part of your femininity. I'm 39 and have had a left mastectomy. Fortunately (or not), i don't have very big boobs anyway, so not many people notice that I'm missing a boob, but i plan to have reconstructive surgery in June - just to help me feel young, feminine & just like everyone else. Is reconstruction possible if you go ahead??? Speak to all your doctors (I'm up to about 12 now!) and ask them every question you can think of, and then think about what you want. We are fortunate (or not) that it's breast cancer, and can be more easily surgically removed - it's not so easy for people with lung, bone, brain, liver, pancreatic, ovarian cancers.

There's lots of questions that you need to answer / need answers for. Write them down - I spent a week before surgery writing 3 pages of questions so I was comfortable with my decision and it was going to give me the best possible outcome.

Thinking of you

Penny
pennyy
Member
14 years ago
Hi JB,

there are no easy answers and there's no right or wrong answer. 27 is really young to be going through this - and really young to lose what might be a part of your femininity. I'm 39 and have had a left mastectomy. Fortunately (or not), i don't have very big boobs anyway, so not many people notice that I'm missing a boob, but i plan to have reconstructive surgery in June - just to help me feel young, feminine & just like everyone else. Is reconstruction possible if you go ahead??? Speak to all your doctors (I'm up to about 12 now!) and ask them every question you can think of, and then think about what you want. We are fortunate (or not) that it's breast cancer, and can be more easily surgically removed - it's not so easy for people with lung, bone, brain, liver, pancreatic, ovarian cancers.

There's lots of questions that you need to answer / need answers for. Write them down - I spent a week before surgery writing 3 pages of questions so I was comfortable with my decision and it was going to give me the best possible outcome.

Thinking of you

Penny
Melg
Member
14 years ago
:)
Melg
Member
14 years ago
:)
jbpalmer
Member
14 years ago
thankyou for your post Chris, its really helkped me logging on to this site and hearing from amazing strong women who know what im going through x
Chris
Member
14 years ago
Hi JB, at 27 you are so young to be dealing with breast cancer, and it is so unfair. It is a big decision to have to make regarding a double mastectomy, but if it can give you a better chance of living a full life and seeing your daughter grow up, then it sounds like the right thing to do. I'm sure your oncologist wouldn't be recommending this without good reason. You will know, from reading these blogs, that many woman will get breast cancer more than once. I made the decision to have a double mastectomy, last year after completing 4 cycles of chemo. I am older than you, at 53, but I still want to be around to see my 4 adult children marry and have kids. My daughter made a comment that helped with my decision. She said " you don't know what caused your breast cancer, so how will you know what to do to prevent it from coming back". I was supposedly in the low risk category, having had 4 children in my 20's, breast fed all of them, and spent only about 4 years on the contraceptive pill. With no family history, nor being over weight or a smoker or drinker, I copped the short straw and got cancer. My grade 3, and 21mm cancer did not show up on a mammogram either, so I chose to have the second boob off once my chemo was completed. I have absolutely no regrets about my decision, and it has given me peace of mind. I cannot control whether or not I end up with secondaries in my liver or bones, but I could certainly control whether or not it would ever come back to my breasts. Because I did not require radiotherapy, I was able to have tissue expanders put in, and then silicone implants once I was back to my old size. This reconstruction happened at the same time as my second mastectomy, and whilst it is a biggeer operation, it wasn't too bad. The recovery is about the same time frame as the mastectomy, but as I didn't need any nodes removed this time, it was actually not as painful. My decision was mine alone, but my husband and children were very relieved that I chose this route. I am thrilled with the results, and my hubby is happy as well. I now have my cleavage back, and am a size 14B again. I was going to have nipples created later, but now I'm not so sure that I will bother. In clothes I look perfectly normal, and with my new cleavage , T shirts sit very nicely. Good luck with your decision making. It is not easy, but life is pretty special, especially when you have children. Please feel free to ask us any questions you have, as there will be someone here that will be able to help you. Love Chris xx

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