Scheduled

After several months of research, doctor visits and tests, and "soul" searching, I've scheduled a Prophylactic Double Skin Sparing Mastectomy with immediate partial reconstruction. They'll cut around my areola, remove my nipple and breast tissue along with a sentinal node from each armpit. My pectoral muscles will be cut and an expander placed under each muscle. The expanders will have a small amount of saline in them, and a patch of Aloderm will be used to stitch to each side of the pectoral muscle, closing the muscle back up over the expander. Over the following 3-4 months, saline will be added to the expanders via a port somewhere by my armpit. Once the expanders have successfully stretched out the muscle and filled out the skin left on my chest, I will have the expanders surgically removed and implants put in. I've read that this is a pretty easy second surgery.

I've decided to document this for others who may be facing a similar choice, experience, etc. I hope to do a thurough and honest job of explaining what is happening, and provide progress photos to "fill in" some of the gaps there are in the way of visuals available on the net.

Background:
I have the BRCA 1 genetic mutation and my mom passed away on March 23, 2009 at 55 after a five year fight with breast cancer. My maternal Grandmonther also died of Breast Cancer. My maternal Aunt and all tested females on my mom's side have the genetic mutation as well.
I'm 32. My Dad has Prostate cancer (very early stages, we think), and I live with my cat in an apartment, but plan on moving in with my boyfriend after surgery. I do have a daughter who lives out of the country and just turned 13. We are in regular contact.

After watching my mother struggle with this disease and finding out about my BRACA1 status, I started looking into my options. At first I thought I'd get a historectomy, but it soon became clear that the risks could easily outweigh the benifits due to my age. I was initially very uncomfortable with the idea of loosing my breasts, and had ruled it out as an option. As I continued to research reconstruction techniques, I became more comfortable with the idea of trading my dangerous boobies for some safer, replacement models. This will reduce my risk from 90% to <2% of getting breast cancer. I'll loose a lot of breast sensation, but I've become aware that my breasts provide me with more discomfort than pleasure, so the idea of not feeling them isn't so bad. I doubt I'll have any more children, so I'm not concerned with being able to breastfeed. My boyfriend promises willingly to give the new girls lots of attention. I expect they'll recieve a nice weclome-to-the-neighborhood party when the doctor gives me the go ahead.

I'll have a lot of things to ramble on about as the surgery draws near, but I thought this would be a good start for now. I have a recuperation plan, places to stay, friends who'll watch the cat, a bag of books I plan to take (I've been meaning to read those!), and a list of things a lady from the FORCE website suggested be brought to the hospital and to wherever one plans to recuperate. I have many things on the list already.

Deep breath...here we go!