Who needs breasts? Not these women, who are embracing a new kind of freedom
IN 2014, WHEN Sarah Brown of Vancouver, Washington, learned she’d tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, she had no qualms about getting a double mastectomy. The idea of reconstruction, however, gave the 37-year-old small-business owner pause. Brown was fond of her 38Cs, primarily because they were hers, not surgically re-created, mostly numb breasts.
Still, Brown met with a plastic surgeon, who recommended a DIEP flap reconstruction, which involves creating new breasts out of skin and fat from the patient’s lower belly. She also talked to her therapist and joined a discussion board for women undergoing mastectomy and DIEP flap—and cringed at the grueling recovery stories. Then Brown discovered Flat & Fabulous, a Facebook page where women who’d had a mastectomy posted pictures of their unreconstructed chests along with stories about how, after just a few weeks of discomfort, they were back to jogging, biking, and playing with their kids. Brown noted that instead of comparing notes about pain control and follow-up surgeries, these women were sharing fashion tips and cheering one another on. She was sold.
This story is from the October 2017 edition of The Oprah Magazine.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of The Oprah Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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