Why?

So why am I having a mastectomy?

Short answer: Because cancer sucks.

Long drawn-out answer:
Because cancer sucks.  And I don't ever want to get it.  My mom had ovarian cancer, and it was terrible.  She died way too young.  And had many surgeries and lots of chemo and was in a lot of pain.  And I watched it all.

Have you ever played the party game "what would you rather"?  Where you're given two completely terrible and ridiculous situations, and you're supposed to choose between them?  Like, what would you rather - drink a gallon of bleach or have a dart shot in your eye?

The thing that makes "what would you rather" funny is that it's so outlandish.  First of all, those sorts of things don't usually happen, and second of all, if it did happen, you probably wouldn't have a choice in the matter.  So it's a ridiculous game that's a fun way to pass the time.

My situation is kind of like a big shitty game of "what would you rather".  Would I rather live with an 85% chance of getting breast cancer, with no guarantee that it would be caught early, and no guarantee that I would survive it, always worrying that it could happen at any time, or would I rather undergo drastic surgery to remove a healthy part of my body to prevent the cancer from happening in the first place?  Seriously, when you put it that way, it really does sound like a cruel joke.

The truth is, I don't really have a choice.  Of course I don't want cancer.  Of course I'll do everything I can to prevent it.  So of course, I'm having a double mastectomy.

That's why.