27F with DCIS grade 3 - struggling with the idea of losing part of my body
I’m 27 and was just diagnosed with DCIS grade 3. Right now I have genetic testing and an MRI coming up, and then surgery after that, either a lumpectomy or mastectomy depending on the MRI results.
I feel like I’m handling things well and I’m pretty positive (or maybe it hasn’t sunk in yet), but the thing I’m most scared about is the emotional aftermath of surgery. I know health is obviously the priority, but I’m struggling with the idea of losing a part of myself physically.
Maybe it sounds superficial, but my boobs are my favourite body part and something that makes me feel feminine physically. I was told reconstruction using my own fat likely won’t be an option because I don’t have enough body fat for it.
For people who’ve been through this, what can I realistically expect emotionally afterward? Was it a huge shock seeing your body after surgery? If you had a lumpectomy, did it feel less emotionally difficult than you expected? I think the uncertainty is the hardest part right now.