I found that many “friends” didn’t reach out at all during my surgery and subsequent chemo and radiation therapies. Many don’t know what to say and many just get caught up in their own lives and/or maybe find our situations too difficult to fathom.
I looked to groups like these and made some of the best friends I’ve ever had and we are still in touch regularly (daily!).
Not sure you’ll ever be “prepared” for your dbl mastectomy but the closer it gets you’ll be glad to get it over with and get it behind you. Then on to the next hard thing; seeing yourself post surgery for the first time. After that then it’s the next hard thing. One thing at a time and before you know it, you’re 6 months post op.
Allow yourself to feel every feeling, sadness, fear, anger, doubt the doctors got it right, even self pity. Allow yourself to wallow in your self pity for a while but pitch a tent, don’t build a house. After a time of wallowing and feeling the feels, pack up your tent, and keep moving forward.
Step by step you’ll see this part getting farther and farther behind you in the tiny rear view mirror.