A Path Through

With the chemo portion of this cancer journey hopefully behind me, the next step is surgery and the removal of whatever is remaining after the 16 chemo treatments.

Now, when people think of breast cancer surgery, generally either a mastectomy (full removal of the breast or breasts if it is bilateral) or lumpectomy (removal of the cancerous area and small amounts of surrounding healthy tissue) are top of mind.  However, there is another option that has has now been added to the list, an oncoplastic breast reduction.

This surgical procedure was originally floated out to me the day where I was “formally” advised I had cancer. On that day the world started moving a mile a minute as I was whisked away for bone scans, CT scans, lab work and all of the other bells and whistles that came with a cancer diagnosis. Hearing the doctor speaking of surgical options was akin to drinking water from a fire hose, I was not really ready to hear OR process choices.

However, with the weeks and months that have passed, I have been able to ask the questions and get the answers needed in order to fully understand my surgical options.

So, let’s take a moment to discuss what an oncoplastic breast reduction actually is.  Very simply it is a combination of a lumpectomy that removes the cancerous tumor and surrounding tissue and a breast reduction that allows for the breast tissue to be moved around to the areas left impacted by the lumpectomy in order to support a more aesthetic outcome for the patient.  More importantly, this is all done at the same time so there is no need for additional reconstructive procedures.  Additionally, in British Columbia, the healthy breast is also reduced during the procedure to assure a balance appearance.

This procedure is not “new” to the world of breast cancer. It has been a surgical option in North America since early 2010’s and many other countries were successfully performing the procedure prior to that.

Of course, there are certain criteria that must be met for this surgical option to be considered.  These include the type of cancer, location, size, and the body type of the woman, including breast size.  As this surgical option involves a reduction in breast size, there is the need for the breast to be….well … “reducible”.  If I were to use my fruit analogy from a few blogs ago, it is much easier to make a cantaloupe into an apple than it is to make an orange into a cherry.  Seriously….I don’t think it will be possible to look at fruit salad the same way once I am done with all of this.

Now, given that my genetic testing came back with a positive result, I had the ability to weigh all the surgical options available to me.  My medical team has walked me through the recurrence and survival rates of each choice, which are almost identical regardless of the procedure selected.  Yes, the fact that I have TNBC has its own risk factors, but those risks are not impacted by the surgical option I select.  

So….there you have it.  The decision is mine to make.  Have I had opinions from many directions? Yes I have, and all have been well intentioned and with a desire to help and comfort.  However, this decision is mine alone….well there is another person who was consulted, my husband Sam.  He is my voice of reason and my sounding board, plus he has a stake in the game as he needs me around to remind him to pick up his socks for years to come.

With all of the above said and done, is the decision made? Yes, it is.

On September 7^th, 2022 I will be starting down the surgical path of this journey that I am on.  Yes, in six short days I will be saying goodbye to the hated invader that has changed my life, along with a few lymph nodes that will be biopsied to confirm no rouge cancer cells that have escaped treatment. I will also be saying goodbye to my cantaloupes and welcoming what I hope is a pair of healthy (and cancer free) apples.  Again, this journey has been full of options and this is just another one on the path.  That said, the desired outcome will never change and that is to make it through to the end, healthy and happy.