I get a lot of people that ask me why I did this.
“Why would you just go and have major surgery when you don’t have breast cancer?”
Well, unfortunately my genes don’t really swing in my favor when it comes to breast cancer. I have been seeing breast cancer ravish those that I love for a long time. In elementary school my very best friend Lindsay lost her mom to breast cancer. What a young age to lose someone as important as your mom. Patty was like my second mom. I have the opportunity to prevent this from ever happening to my future kids (if I ever have them) or to my loved ones. I’d like to think that Patty is proud of me for making this decision. Then there was my Aunt Joyce. She was diagnosed, and eventually went into remission. With breast cancer though, if you opt not to have a mastectomy, the incidence of the recurrence of breast cancer in the next 5 years following the first is high. This is what happened in her case. She lost that battle and we all watched her suffer through the trials and tribulations of trying to balance a life while feeling like you got hit by a truck. My Aunt Patty and my Aunt Marlana, both diagnosed with breast cancer had mastectomies. They are doing wonderfully. So, I guess you can say that I got my strength and drive to have this procedure from my Aunt Patty and Aunt Mar. They set a good example for me. Thank you ladies. I love you both.
“Aren’t you attached to your breasts? Are you still gonna feel like a woman?”
Well technically my boobs are attached to me and no, I don’t feel a special “connection” with my boobs. two fat sacks sitting on my chest…nope no connection. I have never nursed a child so maybe if I had I would feel differently. You can’t miss something you never had. My boobs, to me, are not something that define me as a woman. Last time I checked I still have other woman parts so I’m good to go there. ;).
“Just because you are BRCA1 positive doesn’t mean you will get breast cancer”
This is true. But, for me, it was like a ticking time bomb hanging over my head. It was always in the back of my mind. Sure, there are mammograms and MRI’s and all that happy crap to screen, but in someone my age with dense breasts, mammograms are not a good detector of breast cancer.
“Aren’t you sad that you will never be able to breast feed a child”
Uh, nope. I would much rather be around to have a child than risk the possibility of getting cancer and not being able to have a kid. I know plenty of women with normal breasts that have tried to breast feed and it didn’t work out.
“Aren’t you worried your boobs are gonna look funny after the surgery?”
No. I took a while to research doctors in the area. This was not a quick decision for me. Sure, I could have had the procedure near my house with doctors in the area, but if I was going to do this, I wanted it to be done by doctors that specialize in this area and do these surgeries all day every day. I could not be happier with the doctors that I chose. My boobs are going to look better after all this then they did before.
Hopefully this gives everyone a little bit of insight into why I did what I did. Feel free to ask me questions or give me input, even if you don’t agree with my choice. Hopefully I can help people understand my choice.
