What to do next?

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