Lumpectomy vs Mastectomy

After getting the diagnosis there are some decisions to be made. What can I do to fix this situation in my life? that was a question that I immediately asked myself. I prayed and asked God to guide me in the right direction so that whatever decision I came to would be the best for my family. My husband and I talked about it and discussed my options. We had 2 choices:

1.  lumpectomy
2. Mastectomy 

With the lumpectomy you remove the tumor and some surrounding breast tissue so that the margins could be checked to make sure that all of the cancer cells were removed. Click the following link to get more information regarding a lumpectomy. http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Lumpectomy.html With the mastectomy you remove all of the breast tissue and if desired have reconstructive surgery. Click the following link to get more information regarding a mastectomy.http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Mastectomy.html With this information my husband asked me what I wanted and what I felt most comfortable with. I told him that I wanted a mastectomy, actually a bilateral (double) mastectomy because I wanted to lessen my chances of recurrence and it's not like I'm losing my womanhood. He completely agreed with my choice to have a bilateral mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.
So at the moment I am waiting on my surgery date so that we can move forward with getting the tumor out of my body and on the road to recovery. I don't expect that recovery will be a piece of cake but I am prepared for this battle for I intend to win this War. Psalm 140:7

O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

In the meantime I am making preparations for my recovery time. I won't be able to cook for my family so I plan on making some freezer meals that my hubby, mom or mother-in-law can just heat it up and voila homemade goodness to keep us going. Also planning things for my darling daughter to do until I am physically able to interact and play again.
I know that making this type of decision can be a struggle for some and that it's a decision that you don't have months to make. Knowing that whatever your decision is it's the right one for you and your family makes it easier. I did find a few websites that were helpful for giving me a better understanding of what's going on. I'll list them here.

• http://www.breastcancer.org/
• http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003284-pdf.pdf This is a list of questions you should ask your doctor if you are diagnosed with breast cancer.
• http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-diagnosis

I hope this information can help someone or if you know someone that this can help feel free to share. I'll be back when I have a surgery date and to talk about my treatment plan.

Peace, Love and Blessings
Caula