I had bc 11 years ago (& at the time there was no known family history). In the last few years 2 cousins have had bc & my sister has tested positive for brca 1. So it is almost certain (now waiting to get a test) I have it too.
I now have annual mri scans & my surgeon has told me that were I to have a recurrence it’s likely to be caught early (my previous tumour was stage 1). Up until quite recently I thought I’d just carry on being screened at high level. But, partly cos I hate having the actual mri & the whole process of going to get the results stresses me out, and also because I really don’t want to ever have to go through chemo again if I can help it (plus I feel my luck’s going to run out on me one of these days) I’m coming to the conclusion that having a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is the way forward.
My surgeon has said he can save my nipples, and that I can be back to normal within a month. He has showed me pictures of his work and the after pictures look, in some cases, actually better than before.
Maybe I’m not seeing the full picture, but at the moment I can’t really see any major disadvantages to having the op, given my situation (apart from loss of sensation, which I think I can live with). I quite like my breasts but they are small and have never been a major part of my identity.
I would love to hear from people who’ve had the op and find out more - both positive and negative experiences - before I make my final decision.
Thanks so much,
Bel