The Double Mastectomy: My Experience and Why I Would Do It Again
- Jul 15, 2024
- 4 min read
On the social media app Threads, I've been seeing a lot of posts about women either getting ready to do breast surgery or asking for input or advice on what to expect. Generally, people share their experiences of having to move forward with surgery. So I thought I would share my experience, why I would choose to do it again, and products I would recommend for a friend who is going through the same experience to make it more comfortable.
Let's start off with what breast surgery actually is. While it may seem like a silly place to start, I do think that it's important to share some knowledge in the blog! When talking about surgical options and breast cancer, there are 2 primary choices.
Lumpectomy - This is the removal of the tumor or abnormal tissue from the breast. This procedure is often called a breast-conserving surgery because it leaves most of the breast intact.
Mastectomy - This is the removal of the entire breast tissue in either one or both breasts. During the surgery, the entire breast is removed and while sometimes it is possible to save the natural nipple, often that is removed as well. It is also possible that lymph nodes will be removed at the same time because the doctors will want to check for cancer spread.
With a mastectomy, you're often given the choice of reconstruction or if you want to remain flat. This is a deeply personal choice and it depends on the person. I opted for reconstruction, which I'll write about it another time. I have a friend who also went through breast cancer at the same time as me, and she chose to stay flat, and she's pleased with her decision.
So why did I choose the double mastectomy over a single mastectomy or the lumpectomy? Well, for one thing, I wasn't really a candidate for the lumpectomy. The type of cancer that I had, triple-negative breast cancer, is fast-growing, more likely to spread quickly, and is more likely to come back after treatment. A lumpectomy is not a good option as it only focuses on the tumor and the surrounding tissue.
I could have done a single mastectomy on my right side, but there was a pretty significant risk that the cancer could spread to the left breast. So it would have been possible that I would have had to do two surgeries - one on the right and one on the left. Rather than doing two surgeries, I opted to have the double mastectomy. Since I was also planning to have reconstruction later, I also had spacers put in for later surgery. Here's a photo of me right after my mastectomy surgery.
When you go home from the hospital, you go home with several drains. These drains are attached to your body and can be quite cumbersome... I got them stuck on my clothes at least once during recovery. I was off of work for about two weeks and I needed every day of those two weeks. The first week I spent most of my time sleeping or resting in a recliner because I couldn't lay down flat. It was so uncomfortable to lay down for most of the time. Additionally, I couldn't put my arms up over my shoulders - no pulling things down from high cabinets or doing anything that would require me to put my hands over my head. The second week was mostly about taking it easy and I read a lot of books - which was relaxing.
Overall, I would say that my double mastectomy experience was overall good. When I went home, I struggled with some pain and issues dealing with the drains. But I will say that I don't remember much about the first week other than I slept a lot.
If I had to do it over again, I think I would make the same choice to do a double mastectomy, especially because my cancer came back. I only want to go through this surgery once.
A big part of my experience was a lot of the feelings I had about my mastectomy. I remember telling my husband before surgery "I feel ready...I feel like this won't be too bad" - I was so wrong. Physically, of course, there was a struggle and the soreness. But mentally, it was super difficult. Seeing yourself in the mirror after just a drastic change was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever dealt with in my life. It was a shock and I cried so much to my parents and my husband. It was a difficult few months during the adjustment to the way my new body looked and felt. Once I got used to the scars, they became part of me and now I have grown to love them.
If you have a loved one who is going to be going through a mastectomy or lumpectomy, I would recommend the following products as MUST haves:
Mastectomy Pillow with a strap to hold it in place across the back
Wedge Pillow to sit up in bed and help with sleeping
Drain Pouch & Shower Pouch to hold the drains up, to keep them from pulling, and to keep them out of the way when showering
Each of these items was huge in making me more comfortable while I was healing from my mastectomy and when I was recovering from my reconstruction surgery. If anyone asks me what I recommend for someone who is just starting this journey, these are my top items.
Talk again soon!
OLIVIA
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