Hi everyone!
I am soooooo confused and upset and tearful! I had a left mastectomy following extensive DCIS ten years ago. No radiotherapy or chemo required, but a series of failed reconstructions (lat dorsi flap) - 4 in total, with the last one still in situ and giving me grief every day despite extensive work at the gym and full mobility. In March of this year, I was diagnosed with DCIS in my right side - albeit ‘small and caught early’ it was 3mm but grade 3. I had a wide area excision and although being adamant that I wouldn’t tolerate any doubt or ‘messing around’ i.e. I felt very strongly that another mastectomy was the only way forward, I now find myself being offered radiotherapy and almost backtracking. I’m so very, very confused and upset at the dialogue being used in the consultations with my surgeon and my oncologist. Both have referred to it as being pre-cancerous, rather than early cancer, which is the term my breast care nurse uses. I have sought counselling and am seeing a clinical physcologist next week, so hopefully she will help clarify things in my own mind.
Has anyone else had this dilemma? I just don’t know where to turn to be true to myself? Sounds daft, I know, but I’ve never felt so lost and so isolated. I hate this!