When I was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago, it looked as though I could be treated with a lumpectomy. But when further testing revealed a second lesion in the same breast, that option was off the table. I ended up opting for a double mastectomy, with immediate reconstruction.
It was the right choice — and I was as informed as could be about everything from what the procedure entailed to what the healing would be like. What I didn’t anticipate was the emotional fallout from the procedure, and how the shock waves have continued to this day.
There’s no doubt that a mastectomy, despite its often lifesaving results, embodies loss. The surgery forces women to confront what their breasts meant to them — as women, as sexual beings, and as mothers or potential mothers. The trauma and the grief are real, and no woman’s recovery will look the same as another’s.
Knowing more about what to expect after the procedure, though, may help you better cope with the changes.
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