[Joannie]

Liz:
I had my left breast taken off in April 2003 when they found a lump. At the time, my husband really wanted me to take the other breast. I just could not make that decision at the time. After 8 rounds of chemo, I decided to take the other side in Dec 2003. It was a very personal choice. I made it for several reasons. I wanted to do everything I could to keep from going through chemo again! I knew how aggressive HER2 was and I wanted to act aggressively against this disease. Cancer runs in my family, all forms. Lastly, and probably selfishly, my plastic surgeon was going to put an expander in after my first mastectomy. He was going to do a lift on the right side to try to make them match more. In the end, I wanted them to match and be perky! I have never regretted the decision. It was piece of mind for me. I even had the nipple reconstruction and the end product turned out great. They certainly are not the one's I was born with but they are a pretty great subsitute, considering all that I had been through. Good luck on making your decision. I know how difficult it can be getting to that point.