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Author: sara

  • What Reconstruction Really Means – Body, Mind, and Beyond

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    sara

    When we talk about breast reconstruction, it’s easy to think of it as a purely physical process – a series of surgeries, procedures, and eventually, healing that result in a new version of what was once there. For me, it was a way to restore a sense of wholeness after…

  • Part 6 – The Final Pour: Fat Grafting and Everything it Didn’t Fix

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    sara

    This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. Here’s how it works: fat is removed through liposuction—think thighs, hips, flanks, and abdomen in my case—processed, and then injected back into the chest to restore a…

  • Part 5 – Foam, Facts, and WTF Moments

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    sara

    This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. A grab bag of breast cancer fun facts, pro tips, and the beauty of awkward honesty. Sitting on your drain tubes (or dropping them) doesn’t feel awesome.…

  • Part 4 – Cheers to New Curves: Gummy Bears and Grit – Surgery #2

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    sara

    This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. Expanders out, implants in. A shorter surgery, a D-cup decision, and Dr. Pacella’s pursuit of perfection. During my first consult with Dr. Pacella (my plastic surgeon), he…

  • Part 3 – Filling Up: The Inflatable Boob Era

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    sara

    This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. Saline fills, armored falsies, and the one 100cc appointment that nearly broke me. After surgery number one, the next chapter was getting my tissue expanders filled. For…

  • Part 2 – Tap Out: Life with Drains

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    sara

    This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. Drain drama, shower fails, and the grudging appreciation for the tubes that kept me infection-free. I complained about my drains every single day for the three weeks…

  • Part 1 – The First Pour: Bilateral Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy

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    sara

     This is 6 part series about my breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries—some real talk, a bit of education, and most importantly some humor. The first surgery, the shock, the drains, and the moment I met my new body. There’s no way to fully prepare for what to expect. A thousand…

  • The Power of Falling Apart

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    sara

    It started with my heart racing—no, sprinting. My breath turned shallow, my hands shook, my thoughts blurred. I heard words but couldn’t understand them. My mouth moved, but nothing came out. I was trapped inside my own body, unable to make sense of what was happening. No matter how much…

  • The Silver Lining of (the City of) Hope

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    sara

    Moving across the country is stressful under the best of circumstances. Doing it in the midst of a cancer diagnosis and a life-changing genetic discovery? Overwhelming doesn’t even begin to cover it. When my family relocated from North Carolina to San Diego, I had no idea just how much this…

  • Medical Specialist Speed Dating

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    sara

    Being diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome means re-entering the dating world – sort of. My medical tour around San Diego has evolved from a search for an oncology team to specialist speed dating, where finding the one(s) is less about romance and more about survival. It’s a whirlwind of rapid-fire Q&A,…