Going through a life-changing event like having breast cancer can bring on many unexpected challenges. On top of trying to stay positive about your breast cancer diagnosis and undergoing breast cancer treatment, you may also look in the mirror and not recognize yourself. You may feel like a new person — and not in a way that you’d expect.
Dana Donofree was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27. After her bilateral mastectomy — a surgical operation to remove both breasts — she struggled to accept her new body and feel good in her own skin. “I was still seeing the body that was torn apart and put back together. I wasn’t seeing me,” says Donofree.
References
American Cancer Society. (2023). Mastectomy.
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Written by:
Brittany DoohanBrittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.
Reviewed by:
Sanjai Sinha, MDSanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.
