[BonnieR]

I opted for a bilateral mastectomy although the second "suspicious" side proved not to be malignant. But I do not regret it. I feel the peace of mind was worth it, rather than watching that side for possible developments over the years. Waiting for the other shoe to drop, as it were. I did not do reconstruction. But then I am in my early 60s. I don't know how I would have felt if I were younger. I just know I wanted surgery over with and to get on with my life. I also had sentinal node dissection so there was minimal compromise to my arms, range of motion , etc... I have heard from a few people that reconstruction is not without problems and discomfort and recovery is prolonged.
Regarding the mastectomies, the biggest problem, looking back, was that I had a total of 4 drains that had to be dealt with. Drained and measured. My husband was a saint about that. There was some pain, of course, but I also recall that I was up and about and "overdoing" things early on. Because I felt pretty good. So I needed reminding to take it easy.