LUMPECTOMY OR MASECTOMY.....what to do????

http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/breast-reconstruction

This is the biggest decision looming ahead of me now. What surgery shall I choose?  At this point I can do either, but my decision weighs heavily on the rest of the test results.  If they all come back negative, I could feel comfortable to choose a lumpectomy and save my breast.  At first I had been leaning toward that if it's possible....who wouldn't?  But, then your mind goes to the "reoccurence thing" and you start to wonder if it would be better to have the masectomy and cut your chances of reoccurence.  If a reoccurence of cancer would happen down the road I would have no choice...it would be an automatic masectomy. 

But now I find myself leaning toward a masectomy when I think of reoccurence.  Reoccurence rate for a lumpectomy would be 8-15% while the masectomy reoccurence rate would be 5-8%.  So, as you can see, it can cut my chance of reoccurence in the future.  But, she did tell me that neither choice is a wrong choice.  It comes down to being a very personal choice and neither is a wrong choice.  The more tests I get back may lean me more toward the masectomy, but I'm asking myself....if they all come back negative, would I still want a masectomy?  I have decided at this point to get with my husband and children and let them help me make this decision.  It will still be MY decision, but I do want their feelings and input.

My reasons for leaning toward a masectomy would be my own medical history, as well as my family history.  I have heard 6 benign reports (combination of breast and ovary) in my life and had pre-cancerous cells (ovary) 6 years ago.  So, as you can see, this is not my first rodeo with waiting for results.....I just got better news the other times.   I've always joked that my body likes to grow stuff...LOL!  So, knowing my own body, I ask myself if the masectomy would be a better choice.  She also told me that I had very "active breasts".  I think she's talking about cell activity (I should have asked her to be sure and will...but I don't think she meant they were dancing...LOL!)  So, knowing that, also gives me a moment of pause when trying to make this very important decision.  I do know this...IF I end up choosing to have a masectomy, I WILL have immediate reconstruction (unless something changes my mind between now and then).  She is going to set me up with an appointnment with Dr. Jackson in Columbus, IN who is the plastic surgeon and I've always heard he's awesome.  So, I feel very comfortable with him as a choice.  I need to meet with him before my surgery so he can do what he needs to do right when I have the surgery...if I choose to go this way.   She said he can go through the whole process with me and show me "finished photos" of how natural they will look.  I think I'd love for my family to go with me so they can also see what the finished result will be.  I think that could calm their nerves and answer any of their questions if I choose to go this route.  Now, the thought of losing my breast doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.  I think they're overrated anyway (well, except for feeding babies and I'm way past that)...LOL!   I have been doing some reading on the subject this weekend and have learned that I am probably not a candidate to have tissue from my abdomen used to reconstruct my breasts because of the 3 abdominal surgeries I've had in the past.  I hadn't even thought of that!  And man, it would have been like getting a bonus tummy tuck, which we all know I could use!  :=)  They can also take tissue and fat from my butt and I have plenty there to spare...LOL!  But, if the butt or abdomen ends up not being an option for me and I choose a masectomy....looks like silicone baby!  Now, keeping with my way of looking at the "bright side", I'm just thinking how nice it would be to have smaller, perky breasts again!  :=)  Hmm....what size should I get?  :=)  Of course I'm just joking around...this is not a deciding factor on what surgery to have!  But, you do have to admit it would be a nice little bonus!  LOL!  Like I've said, humor helps me get through things.

Ok, I go at 2:45 today for the MRI and the genetic testing.  And I hope my HER2 test result is back.  It won't be a hard day today, but I will have to lie perfectly still for 45 minutes- 1 hour inside that MRI machine (and I hate close places like that...that's why I hate elevators!)  She told me to bring headphones and I wondered why, but I've been reading that some breast MRI machines have music piped in to them and you can lisen with headphones.  So, I better go hunt me some up...surely have some around this house somewhere!  I can see where the music would be calming and take your mind away from the very loud clicking sounds I've read about!

Until next time....Winning!  :=)

Cindy