The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

My double mastectomy made me reevaluate: What do my breasts mean to me?

The decision had been weighing on me since I tested positive for the BRCA2 gene

Perspective by
October 17, 2021 at 11:40 a.m. EDT
(Susannah Hainley for The Washington Post)

The question of whether to opt for a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy has been weighing on me ever since I tested positive for the BRCA2 gene six years ago. Last November, the pressure surrounding this life decision became more immediate after I was diagnosed with DCIS (a pre-invasive cancer).