The following week was a whirlwind. I had an appointment with the general surgeon, Dr. Hamling, plastic surgeon, Dr. Lekkas, and genetic counselor. I also had a breast MRI to assure there were no concerning areas of the left breast. I remember one day having 2 appointments and a blood draw and thinking, “this is going to be my life from here on out.” It’s amazing how overnight your health can change. You go from seeing your OBGYN for your annual appointment and physical to receiving a diagnosis that will forever haunt your medical history. Thank goodness I had decent life insurance and disability insurance prior to receiving this diagnosis.
I immediately started researching treatment options for DCIS and after meeting with Dr. Hamling, he helped guide me on the best treatment options. There were really 3 options: 1. A lumpectomy, followed by radiation and Tamoxifen for 5 years, 2. Single mastectomy, followed by Tamoxifen for 5 years, or 3. Double mastectomy plus Tamoxifen for 5 years.
Breast cancer has always scared me. I have had too many patients and known acquaintances who have had recurrent breast cancer down the road. I felt a need to be aggressive, yet also understood the risk I was taking by being more aggressive. I wanted to avoid radiation as well for a couple reasons: Reconstruction after radiation is very difficult; you can only have radiation once so wanted to avoid it as long as possible; and d/t concerns about damage to my skin from the process. Once I leaned my breast MRI showed my left breast was healthy and that my genetic testing was negative, I felt a single mastectomy was the way to go. I just wanted to assure I got rid of all the cancer. However, I felt a double mastectomy was overkill and would be even harder to recover from. Surgery date was set for 3/21. We enjoyed a spring break get a way to Nashville and Gatlinburg with friends before the big day. It was the perfect distraction.
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