Big reality check today - actually started talking about surgery dates with Dr. Keleher. With only 2 treatments left and it's time to plan for the next phase and all that it brings!
I have a decision to make on having a bilateral mastectomy or not. With the cancer only in the right breast, a single mastectomy is what is called for. But we've had several conversations with all different doctors about taking the left breast too. As I've discussed earlier, I'm diagnosed as having dense and cystic breasts. It was the pain I felt in the large cyst in my left breast that caused me to call the doctor to have it checked. If I didn't get it checked then I wouldn't have found the cancer until my next mammo and who knows what my prognosis would be like with 3 months more time to incubate inside of me.
If I take just the right breast, then I'm faced with MRI's, mammo's, and other checks of the left. If I find a lump, and I know I will, then I will immediately suspect it for cancer instead of the cyst that it probably is. It will cause fear and undo stress. Now, as the doctor's tell me, there is no higher chance that I'll get cancer in the left at this point, I just simply don't want to worry about it any more!
What I did find funny was how the doctor's like to point out that if I do both then there will be better symmetry between the two... like I care about that!!! Close enough is all I ask for!
I did go to a geneticist today. We talked about my family history and any other factors that may make be a candidate for the BRACA gene test. She is going to submit it to insurance for pre-approval and then I'll followup with the blood test. If I do test positive, which we all doubt, the bilateral will be a given.
It was Dr. Keleher and her nurse who talked about the length of the recovery, what I'll feel like after, the dreaded drains and much more! But, it was good to talk about all this because it means I'll be done with the chemotherapy treatments and moving onto the next phase.
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