I always thought If I got breast cancer I would just get a mastectomy.

When I was diagnosed in January of 2009 with Invasive Lobular breast cancer I did what I had always said I would. I had a double mastectomy. I was very naive and thought that would be the end of breast cancer risk for me.  It was a tall price to pay but the peace of mind it gave me was worth it. I did not do chemo or radiation as my tumor was only 1 centimeter in size. I improved my diet, my life and joined a forum that focused on natural means of cancer prevention. I was a good student and had very good self discipline. I felt lucky, and also a bit smug, like I had dodged a bullet. Recurrence rates were said to be about 1% after a double mastectomy. I knew it would not happen to me.

Much to my shock, 11 months later I found a lump in my near arm pit. A biopsy revealed that it was indeed a local recurrence. I was told that as much as they try, the surgeons never get 100% of the breast tissue during a mastectomy. It was a hard pill to swallow, looking at my chest which was now concave with huge scars. This time the cancer was less than one centimeter. I had it surgically removed and did 4 courses of Chemo. I opted out of radiation as I thought with this tiny tumor, radiation might be over kill. I was trying to take care of the cancer with as little damage to the rest of me as possible.

8 months later my worst nightmare came true when I found another lump hiding in my arm pit.

The reason I decided to write about this is because I don't want anyone else to be as naive as I was when first diagnosed. A mastectomy certainly does not guarantee that you will not have a recurrence. You must stay diligent and do exams on yourself daily. I have two doctors who did not find my lumps during examinations. Neither did they show up on mammogram or thermagram.

The best way to tell if your breasts have a problem? Check um!



Tomorrow: There are several types of chemo for breast cancer. How I made my decisions.