New Breasts to Go With My Cancer-Free Life
After her diagnosis with breast cancer, artist Jo Beth Ravitz, 58, had lumpectomies, a double mastectomy, and breast reconstruction in short order. During the various surgeries to prepare her body for implants, she couldn't move her arms enough to work on her art. She documented her journey with a diary, excerpted here, and her husband took pictures.
4 of 11
...And after
It's not pretty, but it's real. This is what my breasts looked like two weeks after my double mastectomy—immediately after their first saline fill-up.
I am my own inflatable doll—110 cc’s of saline went into each breast. The pressure is intense and painful. When the doctor removed the stitches, it was amazing that I didn’t burst at the seams. But he said that perhaps I will only need a few more fillings.
Next: I feel graceless
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