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Lumpectomy regrets anyone??

jenna2500
jenna2500 Member Posts: 6

hello..... has anyone had a lumpectomy...and wish they had a mastectomy instead?

i have surgery soon....and nervous about that decision.

thanks

Comments

  • alicebastable
    alicebastable Member Posts: 1,953
    edited July 2022

    No, but I wish I'd had my non-cancerous breast reduced to a more-or-less matching size. Bras are a nightmare when you're significantly lopsided. Just another thing for you to consider as you make your decision.

  • parakeetsrule
    parakeetsrule Member Posts: 605
    edited July 2022

    What are you actually worried about? If you have a lumpectomy and then wish you'd had a mastectomy, you can always go back for a mastectomy.

  • lillyishere
    lillyishere Member Posts: 786
    edited July 2022

    Depends on size of the lumpectomy and what is your breast size. In my case, I had a small-average breast, and a lumpectomy would have disfigured the breast. Also, I was so nervous about the radiation that comes with lumpectomy. Also, I was nervous if cancer cells could have been in other breast. Adding the anxiety of future mammograms. But this is me. So I asked for BMX and I am happy with my decision because cancer was found in "the healthy breast" that did not show up in MRI or mammogram or US.

  • quietgirl
    quietgirl Member Posts: 165
    edited July 2022

    I think the hardest part for any of us is the what if’s. So many things come into play, initial diagnosis, insurance coverage and recovery time, the ability to undergo radiation, etc, etc, etc. it’s easy to second guess yourself and worry if you are making the right choice and the right choice for one person is not going to be the right choice for another. For me the major advantage of the lumpectomy was recovery time. I had only started a new job 4 months prior. We had planned for me to be out a week but I was out for less and was able to use more of my sick time during radiation so that kept me on full pay (and I’m very thankful it worked that way) but in a different situation my choices would have been different (ie left breast instead of right I might not have been a candidate for radiation due to a heart condition). That’s my long way of saying even if it seems most people in your situation do one thing it’s still your choice just be open with your surgeon if you feel strongly about making a different choice.