And oh how I wish it weren't so. Yet I know that I did all I could to prevent this surgery. Unlike Angelina Jolie, I did not and could not bring myself to choose a prophylactic surgery. My choice was surveillance, in the hopes that if cancer were found, it would be found early.
Despite the encouragement of my breast surgeon and others, never did I wish to undergo a surgery while my breasts were healthy. Even though I am BRCA +1 and a high-risk patient, my breasts are near and dear to me and I couldn't conceive of removing them without evidence of cancer. Instead I opted for surveillance and I underwent any and all necessary procedures to assure that nothing would slip by unnoticed. In the past 3 years I have undergone three invasive procedures, regular 6 month MRIs, ultrasounds and yearly mammograms.
These last two months have been a whirlwind of ups and downs, starting in May when an abnormality showed up on my breast MRI and a biopsy showed evidence of cancer. After two months of conflicting diagnoses, visits to four breast surgeons and a lumpectomy two weeks ago, my cancer diagnosis has finally been confirmed. Now I no longer have a choice.
And so it is that on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, I will undergo bilateral (hopefully) nipple-sparing mastectomy with reconstruction. It is my intent to share my journey here, in the hopes of helping others faced with similar decisions.
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