Twenty three years ago had breast cancer, had lumpectomy x 2 (not clean margins), radiation, 10 lymph nodes removed and on Arimdex for 5 yrs. Now I've had a reoccurrence and had a single mastectomy on that side. My skin was so badly damaged by the radiation 23 yrs. ago that the thought of reconstruction at the time of surgery was out of the question. Surgery scars are hard and ugly. Also left with nodules on my lungs. It's a tossup-23 years cancer free was pretty good, issues with everything else not the absolute worse. I wish I never had breast cancer in the first place but looking back, it was probably the right way to go. Good luck with your decision. What ever you decide will be right for you. Believe that.