I remember crying in my doctor’s office when I was talking with him about a mastectomy. There was no choice in my case. I thought, “Why me?” and I remembered seeing a picture of a woman with one breast removed in a magazine. I thought I would be a lonely, shriveled up woman with no friends. I didn’t feel desirable physically or emotionally.
After my mastectomy, I joined a group of women who had been through similar experiences. Some had understanding doctors; some did not.
Some women had reconstructive surgery with a plastic surgeon; some did not. But we all shared a common bond and I met some really nice women.
As far as how I felt about myself, I didn’t feel physically attractive for a long time. But then I started reading about other women who underwent a mastectomy and I saw pictures of beautiful women on the internet.
Eventually, I met a very caring man who likes me just the way I am with all my mental and physical scars. I am a different person now. One who is very compassionate and caring, and maybe that is what I project to the outside world.
I have met wonderful women and men who are different people than those whom I would have connected with had I not had a mastectomy. My confidence and compassion make me attractive.
I know several women who have had breast cancer and nowadays people talk about it more. There are a lot of pictures of women who have had a mastectomy on the internet. Also, there are a lot of celebrities who are very open about it so that helps to make it more public. Angelina Jolie, Christina Applegate, and Sharon Osbourne have all undergone a mastectomy and they are all beautiful.