… what a fabulous uplifting and positive post… made me smile !!!
And I bet, it will encourage and help many women on here…
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@SuzyK1 im so very sorry, that you have to go through all this again…
I hope, that you will be strong enough, to fight and defeat this BEAST once more !!
Be brave…
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Hiya, while not invited personally I am going to answer too. I asked for both to be taken off. My argument was ‘what’s to stop the other one betraying me?’. The surgeon said it doesn’t work like that and they will never take away a healthy breast.* I don’t know the reasons behind their thinking, but I did ask them.
*clearly this would be waived in the BRCA situation.
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Yes again apologies for jumping in and responding but my response (I had a single mastectomy) is exactly same as @Jaygo . I was never offered a double and yes, they would never remove a healthy breast. As I understand it, for non- hereditary BC, just because you had cancer in one there’s absolutely no reason why you’d get it in the other one - as opposed to any other part of the body. I’m on annual mammograms for my remaining breast (plus obviously ongoing self- examination). I just have to trust that’ll be enough.
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Hello again 
I think it kind of does makes sense it it does not neither - i find. Of course, why would you take a perfectly healthy breast away- still in cancer terms I think they individually should way up, what and how high the risk factors are for a woman to keep the healthy breast. Does that make some kind of sense ? ( and is purely my personal opinion) of course im not a doctor and have not the slightest knowledge… but i like to thing where the medicine stands today it hopefully would be possible to weigh up individually, if it’s better for a woman to have both breasts removed - and so avoid a returning cancer in the other breast and all the physical and mental trauma what comes with it , or to be in a rather good and strong position, to keep and safe the remaining (healthy) breast…
Is such an incredible delicate and difficult judgment to make… and both decisions hold no entire right or wrong solution…
Many years ago I have to had my left ovary + fallopian tube removed because I had a very large cyst attached to my left ovary. I was well in my 30s then and we had two children and were sure to not want to have more. When I did say to the surgeon , that I would like to have the other ovary +ft also removed, they told me the same thing. I was too young to have a healthy organ removed but I also think it was too early because of being propelled into an early menopause.
The BRCA1 puts me into a different situation- you are entirely right there. As I dont have any breast cancer but are in high( very high percentage) to develop breast and ovarian cancer they go for the whole lot because of preventing that damn BEAST to put its fangs into me ! Obviously I was fully entitled to make my own decision on this. I was in no rush forced , or had a time limit to make my decisions. I just wanted and want all this to be done with ASAP- even if at all scares the **** out of me. Is overwhelming and it genuinely is suffercating me… but then i think of all you women on here and our daughter… HOW strong and brave you all are… you have no option… you have to go along with what is hitting you… and you get on with it, face it, fight it …day in day out…as long as it takes…
All of you are incredible and so damn brave…
I just find it so devastating, when women have to go through all this once more, because a healthy breast was kept…
Highly difficult scenario…
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Hello @sam1204 
It is such a delicate and difficult subject and im sure everyone has its own personal opinion on it. And rightly so.
Would you have liked to have more say in this matter and decide for yourself? And IF- whould you have chosen, to have both breasts removed?
As always. Please do not answer if this are questions, you dont want to answer and discuss ! 
With the BRCA1 result i feel kind of angry. Even if my decision was instant , I still sometimes wonder, if I do something I may dont even have to do… as it dosent mean that I ever would or will develop any of these im at risk of cancers ! That’s the nasty bit of it… but there is nor fair in all this for none of you ladies , nor for me. I decided that for me i could not and want not live with the constant uncertainty of this big ? hanging over me…
T
@templar-1310 I am the same as @Jaygo and @sam1204 they just take the bad boob and leave the healthy one, there’s no more chance of getting BC in that one just because you’ve had it in the other one unless you have the genetic gene.
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It’s a very good and fair question @templar-1310 . I certainly would have thought hard and deeply about having both removed had it been an option. Partly to not have to have another operation, also for certainty ref recurrence (although it can recur anywhere else including the chest wall!). I’m not sure which way I’d have jumped. I found the surgery not to be a problem and got over it very quickly. I guess there’s always more of a risk with a longer operation (twice as long I assume!), two wounds etc. So it’s a difficult one to call. Sorry for fence sitting! I’m mid way through 12 rounds of chemo plus targeted therapy (HER2+ BC) which is obviously all aimed at preventing recurrence. That’s taking up most of my wavelength atm.
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Hello @sam1204
Thank you so much , for replying and being so open about sharing your thoughts and personal experiences!!
I hear you ! And can totally understand your reasoning.
So often when I read through posts on here , or look up answers for the questions I have (only on trusted sides ONLY ) attacking my mind, I often feel worse , as it seems for each solution or positive answer there’s also always a Pandora’s box of nasty other possibilities open up… it’s horrendous!
I wonder so much, how all you women manage to keep it all under control and don’t go mad ??? I admire that so much and wish I could approach all this without my ‘mind issues’…
I say this over and over again, repeating it but fully mean when I write it…
I hope , that you will have the strength and willpower to find your way through all this- as you are right in the midst of it- be kind to yourself and take good care of your body and mind… all the best same, stay resilient
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@loupy hello
What a damn mess all this is ! I just did say to @sam1204 that it seems that for any positive outcome , or hope, there seem to be always a Pandora’s box with nasty curveballs open up… i find it very testing and never wrecking, so i try to imagine how all you women feel , who have so so much more to deal with and to endure…
My heart genuinely goes out to you all !
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Hi Jay how. My right side mastectomy is 7 April. At the moment going for long walks with our whippet. Sigh. Is the bloated belly because of the surgery? Or? Thank you. D
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Hi @olivia1 welcome to the thread. Bloated belly must be part of the surgery as it is just on the op side. If you haven’t had surgery yet, do squats to get strength in your thighs. I wish I’d known that before. It will help in getting up and down if you’re pushing your weight through your legs. Dog walking will surely help this.
My bloating is going down slowly so do not despair. I think it takes a short while but reading up on it the prognosis is that it will disappear completely in time. XXX
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Wish me luck, apparently my drain is being taken out today. Not looking forward to it on one hand, but nurse has promised me it doesn’t hurt. On the plus side it will be great to get rid of this shoulder bag. The bottle is huge and cumbersome.
I will report in later.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me!! Your drains come out today, you made it!! All good news!
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Drain out. Took two minutes. Didn’t feel a thing. I feel FREEEEEE! xxx
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Hi! Glad to hear you are getting on well!
I’m 10wks post left side mastectomy and absolutely love my BOOST prosthesis. I find it comfortable in all my bras, even directly against my chest and I am just back from holiday where I confidently wore it with my swimwear and in the pool and spa. Personally I didn’t want a prosthesis that was trying to look like a breast so opted for a fun looking yet still very practical and comfortable option and no regrets at all!
Good luck with your recovery!
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Only just seen this @Jaygo its such a good feeling getting the drain out isn’t it! I could of come home and burnt the bag to celebrate then my husband reminded me that the surgeon said I might need more surgery 
so just celebrated in my head 
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Thank you sooo much for posting such an inspiring image!
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Did you take that picture? If so, you should sell it to them for their brochure. Ive heard really good reviews about these and they are on my list for sure. x
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Exactly that! xx
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