10/29/2025
Day 29 – Let’s talk honestly about breast reconstruction after mastectomy — specifically breast implants.
For many women, choosing reconstruction feels like the “next step” toward moving on after breast cancer. Lets be honest, it’s typically the only option presented by the surgeon, but what isn’t often shared are the realities and risks that come with it.
Over the years, I’ve walked alongside many women who bravely chose reconstruction. I’ve seen the physical and emotional toll it can take when the results don’t match the expectations — when the body doesn’t feel like their body anymore. Many have faced multiple surgeries, complications, and revisions, trying to “make it right.”
Common challenges include:
▪ Capsular contracture (scar tissue tightening around the implant)
▪ Rupture or leakage
▪ Breast Implant Illness (BII) - early symptoms include fatigue, cognitive problems, headaches, joint and muscle pain, hair loss, recurring infections, swollen lymph nodes, rashes, IBS, problems with thyroid and adrenals and autoimmune symptoms
▪ Emotional exhaustion from repeated surgeries and recovery cycles
Some women hoped implants would help them feel whole again — instead, many have told me they felt disfigured, disconnected, and frustrated by the process. Ultimately choosing to explant and remove the implants.
After witnessing these experiences firsthand, I made the choice to stay flat — and it was the right one for me. My recovery was easier, and I’ve grown to love my new body just as it is. I don’t regret a thing.
Every woman deserves to make an informed choice — one based on truth, compassion, and self-acceptance.
➡️ Tomorrow in Part 2, we’ll talk about flap reconstruction — the pros, cons, and what I’ve learned from those who’ve gone through it.
