Patients who have suffered or are suffering from breast cancer may have trouble understanding the reluctance of previvors to undergo prophylactic mastectomy (removal of healthy breasts) or oophorectomy (removal of healthy ovaries).
"You are the lucky ones," these breast cancer survivors may be thinking. "I'd give anything to have had the option of doing something to prevent my disease. Surgery would have been an easy decision for me."
Well, maybe. I'm not so sure.
Healthy Previvors are Healthy Survivors whose medical challenge is a risk of developing cancer. To help the previvors in your life get good care and live as fully as possible, you need to understand where they are coming from.
For previvors who feel perfectly healthy, the decisions before them can be wrenching: Am I willing to submit to the risks of anesthesia and surgery? Do I really want to sacrifice my breasts because I might get cancer if I keep them?
Just for a moment, imagine standing at a second-story window. How would you feel about jumping if there were a fire in your room threatening to engulf you and the window was the only way out? Now imagine how you'd feel if everything were the same except the fire had not yet reached your room?
The less imminent the danger and the more uncertain the risk, the more courage needed to take risks and sustain loss. Previvors deserve our respect and support as they find and follow the best choice for them.
You have a very informative blog,keep posting!
sphin
Posted by: dermatology rancho cucamonga | July 14, 2009 at 10:45 PM