A double mastectomy took away my ability to breastfeed—but we still thrived

Way before I dreamed of being a mom, I had to make a decision that would affect a very big aspect of being one—removing my breasts. At age 20, I was tested and found positive for a genetic mutation of the BRCA1 gene, leaving me with an upwards of 85% risk of developing breast cancer in my lifetime. This type of finding and prognosis, as a mid-20s college student who was also dealing with a sick father, was enough to keep me occupied—but also came at a point where I could put it aside. I was young, in school and I could compartmentalize for a while. And then my father lost his battle with cancer, weeks before my college graduation. This type of loss was obviously one that stung, and still does, but in ways that caused more scare and anxiety for my own future than I ever saw coming. I inherited my genetic mutation from my father, and now I had seen him fight and lose a battle at a young age. I was now scared that it would come for me next. So at age 25, and after lots of meetings and conversations and recommendations from genetic counselors, surgeons and family members, I decided to take this risk into my own hands and have a preventative bilateral mastectomy, reducing my risk of breast cancer in my lifetime to less than 5%.

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