After much worry, I decided to go flat and it was the best decision for me. The surgery was easy and the recovery was so much faster than the mastectomy. Best of all, I can so easily self-examine for reoccurrence for the rest of my life (I was 65 at the time). I did have to change surgeons because mine wanted me to get an implant. My second surgeon provided a clean, smooth result. She also made a point to remove all the mastectomy scar tissue which is a common location for tumor reoccurrence (per my oncologist). This was the right path for me however only you can say what's right for you. There are plenty of women who are happy with reconstruction or implants.