Re: Decision Time - Need Advice
 

I had a lumpectomy chemo, a year of herceptin and radiation and 5 years later still NED. I didn't have any node involvement and I was stage 1 her 2 positive er/pr negative. I often wonder if it would have been easier on my mind to just do a mastectomy but for now I am content. If I have one more scare though, that will make my decision to have a double mastectomy. Had a scare a month ago but all was okay.

Re: Decision Time - Need Advice
 

I had kind of decided that whatever decision I made was the best decision I could make at the time with the information that I had on hand. Whatever decision you make, believe in yourself and no looking back to say "If only" if there is a recurrence in the future. Best wishes to you. You know You...Believe Boldly!

Re: Decision Time - Need Advice
 

I was stage one, grade 2, with a mulitfocal, multicentric IDC that also had a little LCIS in it. less than 1 cm. I chose to have a bmx as my breasts were dense and anything was hard to find. I also couldn't face worrying about the other breast for the rest of my life on a daily basis. (I am 55). I had no problems after bmx, full range of motion is back, etc.

I chose immediate reconstruction which was going great although there was an pseudoma infection two weeks after surgery. We thought we had it eliminated with antibiotics, when it showed up again. PS went in to look at it prepared to insert the implants if it wasn't too bad. Decided to wait. So everything was removed, I did another two weeks of IV anitbiotics along with oral cipro. All seems to be good now and we will be starting over in August.

Pathology of the bmx was excellent, and they found a fibroadenoma on the other breast that did not show up on mammo, mri or ultrasound. Made me feel like I made a sound decision.

good luck! I have done taxol/herceptin after the fact and only have one session of taxol left to go.

Re: Decision Time - Need Advice
 

Just want to thank all of you wonderful ladies for answering my thread and giving me advice! I just met with my onocologist today and she is advising me to go with a lumptectomy. I discussed my concerns of recurrance with her and possibly going the radical route, but she assured my husband and I to stay with a lumptectomy. Although we do not have my breast MRI results back yet, she is confident that the tumor is no longer there after thouroghly pressing around. I meet with my surgeon next Wednesday so the final decision will be made then.

Thank you again - this website and all of you have really been a blessing for me!

Jessica