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Debra · 04-12-2007, 06:04 PM

Caroline -

I did not want to spend the rest of my life "feeling" for a lump with my healthy breast. I know I would wake up every morning and feel for something to be there and convince myself there was. I just didn't want to live with the fear of finding another lump. My decision was easy for me. Do I miss my breasts---sometimes although I am not sure why but nothing compared to the stress I believe I would have experienced. The other gals are correct; cancer in the other breast would be a new cancer, however we are at greater risk for cancer in the other breast having had one already. My surgeon told me that I could reduce my chances of CA in the other breast by 90% if removed. Some docs may contradict that but I took that statement and ran with it!! His wife had bc when she was 41 and she too had both removed. This came from one of the top surgeons in Minneapolis that does many mastectomies. I thought if he recommended his wife to remove both, it was good enough for me!
Good luck to you with this difficult decision.

04-12-2007, 06:04 PM	#10
Debra Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 136	Caroline - I did not want to spend the rest of my life "feeling" for a lump with my healthy breast. I know I would wake up every morning and feel for something to be there and convince myself there was. I just didn't want to live with the fear of finding another lump. My decision was easy for me. Do I miss my breasts---sometimes although I am not sure why but nothing compared to the stress I believe I would have experienced. The other gals are correct; cancer in the other breast would be a new cancer, however we are at greater risk for cancer in the other breast having had one already. My surgeon told me that I could reduce my chances of CA in the other breast by 90% if removed. Some docs may contradict that but I took that statement and ran with it!! His wife had bc when she was 41 and she too had both removed. This came from one of the top surgeons in Minneapolis that does many mastectomies. I thought if he recommended his wife to remove both, it was good enough for me! Good luck to you with this difficult decision. __________________ Debra Diag. 11/05 at age 40 triple positive 3.8 cm tumor and 9 mm tumor Stage IIb/SN positive(no other nodes)Grade 3 Bilat. mastect. 12/05 (Rt.prophylactic) followed with AC/taxol/Herceptin/tamoxifen then switched to arimidex after hysterectomy in 12/06. August 07 switched to Aromasin due to severe jt. pain from Arimidex. Nov. 2011 No more meds and NED!