preventive masectomy

tcbangels
tcbangels Member Posts: 111
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
can anybody tell me about preventive masectomy? When I lost my breast in 1995 i had a cyst on my right it is still there today, a lot of my family has read on this surgery that with my history of breast disease because I always have boils & cyst all the time on this breast, one Doctor recommends me to have it .I'm 6yrs cancer -free & I don't know what to do because from the chemeo when I had cancer it mess up my lungs I have asthma along with c.o.p.d. which I'm scared to have surgery unless its a necessity. My family is more scared than I am. I just give it to the Lord & let him make the decision for me , so if anybody out there knows anything about this surgery with the pro's & con's also about it I woulsd love to know thank-you CHERYL

Comments

  • jane38
    jane38 Member Posts: 123
    Cheryl. I am two-years cancer-free. I had a left modified radical mastectomy with the lymph node dissection with 5/10 lymph nodes positive. My main tumor was 5.7 cm and the other two were 3.8 and 3.3 cm. For almost a year I agonized about whether to have the right breast removed. I finally decided that I did not want it anymore. I wanted to remove all possibilities that I could of another cancer. So, when I went for TRAM flap reconstruction I had the right breast removed. I am so glad that I did. I don't have that worry anymore and that is such a weight off my shoulders. I am 63 years old, divorced, and have four children. I discussed this with my kids, with my various doctors and their nurses, and this was the informed decision that I made. It's a personal choice. God will lead you to what is right for you. With the lung problem, I can certainly understand your apprehension. But all the anesthesiologists I know are excellent doctors themselves and take all precautions and are prepared for any event. Why not try to talk to an anesthesiologist and tell him your history and your quandary. Get all the information you can, listen to your heart and your head, because God is in both of them. Jane
  • tcbangels
    tcbangels Member Posts: 111
    jane38 said:

    Cheryl. I am two-years cancer-free. I had a left modified radical mastectomy with the lymph node dissection with 5/10 lymph nodes positive. My main tumor was 5.7 cm and the other two were 3.8 and 3.3 cm. For almost a year I agonized about whether to have the right breast removed. I finally decided that I did not want it anymore. I wanted to remove all possibilities that I could of another cancer. So, when I went for TRAM flap reconstruction I had the right breast removed. I am so glad that I did. I don't have that worry anymore and that is such a weight off my shoulders. I am 63 years old, divorced, and have four children. I discussed this with my kids, with my various doctors and their nurses, and this was the informed decision that I made. It's a personal choice. God will lead you to what is right for you. With the lung problem, I can certainly understand your apprehension. But all the anesthesiologists I know are excellent doctors themselves and take all precautions and are prepared for any event. Why not try to talk to an anesthesiologist and tell him your history and your quandary. Get all the information you can, listen to your heart and your head, because God is in both of them. Jane

    Jane
    thanks for the information, I lived in texas my doctor said that its my decision possible chance insurancs won't pay for it,cancer society sent me informatyion on it & houston texas at md anderson does it,i'm a big breast person i lost left as welli have so much problemns every year with bras & prosetics, & the prosetic is so heavy , i have a disease of my right breast so i want it off but scared of lungs so i'm going to ask lung doctor of my chances i had a gallbladder surgery last year had problemns breathing on my own when was in recovery they did treatment on me than ok so i'm going to check on it because theirs a i'm not going to say its a lump but its right on top of breast it feels like a mass of stuff in it & it hurts a lot , plus the cut off is a lot of pain with fluid in it underrarms & top back as well thank you again
    cheryl