6/27/19: I Joined Facebook Support Groups

We haven't met with the breast surgeon yet. I have a long list of questions for him, but as I wait for that appointment, I find myself leaning towards a double mastectomy with no reconstruction. Without breast reconstruction, I could either "go flat" or wear prosthetics.

To get a better idea of what to expect, I joined these Facebook groups:

Double Mastectomy Discussion And Support Group - This page includes women with and without breast reconstruction, so I can get an idea of what both paths entail. There is also a fair amount of talk about breast cancer, which is also helpful.

Fantastic Flat Fashions - Most women's clothing are designed and cut for breasts, so it can be a challenge to find clothes that fit and are flattering.

Flat & Fabulous - This page includes women who went flat immediately after a double mastectomy and also women who previously had reconstruction and then had them removed.

9/8/19 Update: It took a while, but my request to join another group was finally approved. In my experience so far, these groups have been super informative and supportive. It's important, though, to remember that each person's situation is unique, so I'm careful to filter the information for content relevant to myself, and to not compare my experiences with others'.

Flat & Fabulous Breast Cancer - A sister page to Flat & Fabulous that focuses on breast cancer treatment and support.

9/19/19 Update: Now that I've got my treatment plan that includes chemotherapy and hormone therapy, I've joined additional groups in hopes of getting a better idea of what to expect from the drugs I'll be taking (Tamoxifen, Lupron, Herceptin, Taxol).

Triple Positive Breast Cancer HER2 PR+ ER+ - A page dedicated to the type of cancer that is driving my treatment plan.

triple positive breast cancer survivors - If there's more than one group for something, I usually join the biggest one, figuring more members means more frequent posts and comments and a wider range of experiences to learn from. This group has fewer members than the other one, but not by a lot, so I just joined them both.

Tamoxifen support group - Tamoxifen treats ER-positive and PR-positive breast cancers. About 2/3 of 3 breast cancers are positive for at least one of those hormone receptors.

2/27/20 Update: I left the Tamoxifen support group, since I ended up taking exemestane instead.