You have lots of good info from many here. I'll add my experience and hope that you will come to a decision that seems right to you. I remember being in your situation and going back and forth many times! My initial strong response to my diagnosis was to have a total mastectomy, which my medical team did not think was necessary or advisable. It took the surgeon talking to me a long time to help me understand that the mastectomy was not more protective of future recurrences, and that a smaller surgery was more likely to minimize infection/additional side effects. I'm grateful they were so straightforward with me and cited so much research to back their recommendations to help me settle down about it!

I was dx with ILC (4.2 cm), Stage 1, Grade 1, sentinel node plus 3 nodes all negative. I decided to have a lumpectomy using oncoplasty (breast surgeon plus plastic surgeon). My surgical breast tissue was "fluffed up" to fill in the lumpectomy site via a small incision around half of my nipple, and then a breast lift using the same incision was done. The plastic surgeon did a breast lift for symmetry on the opposite breast, using the same type of incision. I am very happy with the outcome and after a year and a half, the scars are barely visible. I received 15 radiation treatments, plus 7 boosts of the tumor bed, which over time did make the radiated breast slightly smaller...

I was treated at MD Anderson in Houston and very happy with my medical team. Sending love and wishes for increased clarity to my ILC sister! Good luck!