The first surgeon I met with was the breast surgeon. She was very nice and explained all the options available to me. I could choose lumpectomy, single mastectomy, or double mastectomy.
Wait? I thought this was a minor cancer, pre-cancer even. I can elect for a double mastectomy? The choice was completely up to me and it was presented as just a matter of preference. I thought that a mastectomy seemed a bit extreme, so I initially planned on a lumpectomy. Since my cancer was non-invasive, there was not any real rush. Even though it was February, it wouldn’t be a problem to wait to have the surgery in May after the busyness of the school year was done.
Next, I visited a plastic surgeon. Even though I wasn’t planning on a mastectomy, plastic surgery might be needed after a lumpectomy. My hope was to have a slight reduction so that I would “match” after the lumpectomy. I only wanted to have 1 surgery.
Unfortunately, the plastic surgeon I was assigned was not one that I felt at all comfortable with. He made me feel extremely insecure about my body. He wasn’t afraid to give his opinion and he stated that from his perspective, the double mastectomy was the best option. I remember thinking that was about the dumbest idea I’d ever heard. He also said that with a lumpectomy he could not do the surgery at the same time as the lumpectomy because I would have radiation and it would change the shape of my breast. I would need to wait until after that before having a second surgery.
I was feeling pretty discouraged by this point. I did not want to have radiation. I even began to seriously consider the single mastectomy in order to avoid radiation and so that I could have only 1 surgery. I just wanted this whole thing to be over.
My next appointment was with the radiation oncologist. She gave me information about radiation therapy and how it works. I really did not want radiation, but everywhere I turned, it seemed that would be the only option with a lumpectomy. However, when I met with doctor she said that there was no reason for radiation with DCIS. It did nothing to increase life expectancy in the case of DCIS (since it’s not a cancer that anyone dies from). I was shocked. And so very happy.
I went home so relieved and thankful. I saw God’s hand in the assignment of the radiation oncologist. I felt a clear path forward. Since I wouldn’t need radiation either way, I opted for the lumpectomy. I tried to get the plastic surgeon to operate at the same time, but he still insisted he wouldn’t know what to do at that time. Either way, I had a plan. Surgery was scheduled for May 6. Soon, this whole ordeal would be over!