2. The Breast Cancer Experience: Frequently Asked Questions
How was it discovered? Screening mammogram and ultrasound.
Did you feel a lump? No.
Did you do self-breast exams regularly? Yes.
Which side? Left breast. Right breast was normal, no cancer there.
What stage was it? Based on imaging – 1A. Based on final pathology – 2A. The mass was actually bigger than what was visible on imaging, because it was growing toward the chest wall and underlying muscle. Having dense breasts can obscure the true dimensions.
Did cancer have spread to the lymph nodes? No, thank goodness. Whew!
What was the pathology/type of tumor? Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
Do you have a family history of breast cancer? Yes, my mother had right breast cancer in 2005, invasive ductal carcinoma (a different type from mine). She underwent a mastectomy and is currently a 17-year survivor. I also have an aunt on my father’s side who also had breast cancer. As of May 2023: both of my dad’s sisters now have breast cancer… two out of two. My genetics suck!
What is pre-hab? How did you do prepare for surgery? Pre-hab is short for pre-habilitation, the “opposite” of rehabilitation. I wanted my body to be in the best shape possible before surgery, to give me a better baseline from which I could start my recovery from surgery. To do this, I did strengthening exercises for my shoulders (because a lot of people lose strength and range of motion in their shoulders after surgery, due to the pain and discomfort), and walked about 30 minutes daily (to get my heart and lungs as good as they could be). In hindsight, I also should have done core strengthening exercises, but I realized this only 2 days prior to surgery and of course 2 days isn’t enough time to get your core muscles stronger.
What type of surgery did you choose, and why? Bilateral (double) mastectomy. The left breast with the cancerous tumor was removed, and the right breast – which was normal – was removed during the same operation (this is called a prophylactic mastectomy). Invasive lobular cancer has a reputation of being “sneaky” with recurrence. Detecting a tumor in the opposite breast can be difficult because I have dense breasts. I would need some sort of imaging every 6 months to monitor for this – an MRI or mammogram + ultrasound. I decided to get both breasts removed so I won’t need the monitoring, and for relative peace of mind. Bonus: symmetrical flat chest. My breasts were already small-ish to begin with (A cup) and they weren’t a major part of my identity or body image. I didn’t mind saying goodbye to them.
Did you have reconstruction? I chose NOT to get reconstruction because I wanted to recover as quick as possible. Not getting reconstruction also meant: (1) shorter time on the operating room table, (2) fewer post-operative drains to worry about, and (3) fewer potential post-operative complications.
Will you have reconstruction in the future? I could. But I don’t want to. I am managing pretty well with foobs (fake boobs).
How do I contact you if I have more questions or need more information? Head over to the “contact me” page and send me a message.
