I am not a very patient patient- lol! Doing the mastectomy with no reconstruction, meant there would be no additional surgeries needed; no future surgeries for implant replacements, and no occasional tweaks to the non-surgical side to keep things symmetrical. It meant I could skip radiation- No radiation (left side) meant no additional risk to the heart (though minimal, our family has a history of heart issues), and my chemo/targeted drugs already had a common side effect of heart damage (enough so that you have to have an echo before starting, and again every three months throughout treatment- which takes a year). My grandson was only 6 months old, and I hated the weight lift restrictions that made it so everyone would have to let me sit, and then hand him to me. And there are too many things I enjoy doing- I volunteer on the trails at the State Arboretum for birds, and trees, etc. I worked full time with a classroom of students who have significant cognitive disabilities. I couldn't imagine having to take additional time away from everything I enjoy for surgeries and recoveries. So my decision fits my personality and lifestyle. You listen to your own quiet voice about what you want- whatever that is, will be the right decision for you! Hugs!

Reconstruction just like lumpectomy vs mastectomy is a personal choice. The reconstruction process is way longer than healing from just mastectomies. With reconstruction, they remove the breast tissue, sometimes lymph nodes, then put in expanders. Then periodically you have to go back in and they inject normal saline into the expanders until it matches the other side. After which time they remove the expanders and insert the implants.
Sometimes people don't know you have to replace those implants every ten years.
After giving all that careful thought and prayer, I decided that at my age 75, single, widow with no male partner or friend, doing a bilateral mastectomy and going flat was the best choice for me.
It's been over a year, I am in remission and have one treatment left, then I am done. I do take one tiny little pill for the rest of my life but that is no big deal. Just add it to the fist-full I already take twice a day.
If, and when I do find a male companion, he'll have to love me the way I am, but I am alive and I beat cancer. Hopefully to live another couple decades before my work is done on earth and I join my forever companion in heaven.

I had a single mastectomy August 12th. I was gonna have reconstructive surgery that same day but my protein levels were too low. Plastic Surgeon wouldn't do it. She did help close me up so I'd be ready for the next step. So we're waiting until early next year. I go back and forth on it. Sometimes I don't think I want it. Other times? I do. Let's just say if something happens and I can't get my protein levels up, I won't be heartbroken.

I also was in my 70's and chose the fastest way to healing--bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction. Played around with catalogues to find the best prothesis for me and that has worked fine. Best choice I could have made.