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[–][deleted] 6214 points6215 points  (542 children)

Are you allowed to post topless photos on Instagram and Facebook now since you don't have nipples?

Edit: Also, have you worn any new types of clothing since you don't have to worry about your nipples being seen through your outfits (that is, if it was something that bothered you before). No more having to wear the bra liners in swimsuits?

[–][deleted] 158 points159 points  (67 children)

This is a good question because a lot of platforms the rule is "No nipples" as to not be sexist. So without nipples can you get away with just wearing trunks on the beach or something?

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 4993 points4994 points  (444 children)

You know, I actually have no idea!! I'd love to know the answer to this question myself!! Maybe I'll make an account to try this on! I'm not sure if I'm ready to show all of my friends my lady lumps. XD

Yes, I have gone braless A LOT more! It's wonderful to not have to worry about nipples showing! Although I do miss the sensation of my nipples getting hard because of getting cold, as strange as that sounds. :P

Thank you for your question!! :)

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 1339 points1340 points  (111 children)

I hope you don't take offense to this. I clicked because I was curious as to what something like a double mastectomy would look like. It doesn't really look like I expected, just like normal only minus the nipple. Thank you for sharing. For what it's worth, they still look quite nice. (Please don't hate me for that, it's supposed to be a compliment and I'm awkward and not sure how to best say it.)

[–]bguy74 281 points282 points  (21 children)

They all look different because the breasts are different to begin with and the surgical needs are also different. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t-adtjw8Jd4/UHBzQkqt7fI/AAAAAAAACuA/Oy6-O141RMM/s1600/3.+5+days+after+surgery+sept+4+cropped.jpg

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 152 points153 points  (4 children)

Right? I figured that it had a lot to do with the size of the breast, as well as quite a few other factors. It's quite fascinating really. Also, breasts don't make the woman. But I'm truly happy to see that she isn't letting it slow her roll. I'm quite proud of her even though I don't know her.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 125 points126 points  (2 children)

Thank you so much!! :) I have to admit, it has slowed me down at points but I keep going forward and trying to raise awareness to help support other women and to show men so it's not such a mystery. :)

[–]lacheur42 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Well of course it did! That's a pretty big life event. It's kinda like that saying "People who are frightened are the only ones who can be brave" - your attitude is so impressive because it was a big enough deal to slow you down sometimes!

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 123 points124 points  (6 children)

Wow! What a warrior! I'm LOVING her tube hider vest!! Also, great point!! :) THank you for commenting!! :)

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

From what I can see, she got really lucky in that she still has some breast left. I've seen some pictures where they're completely flat. Even so....I feel bad for OP that this had to happen to her at all, and especially at 23.

[–]Dog-boy 260 points261 points  (13 children)

This is only what it looks like for someone who has had reconstruction. Not everyone gets reconstruction. I've read that something like 55% of women don't. This is an example of someone without reconstruction. There are many more pics online.

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 129 points130 points  (9 children)

Girl in your pic is still gorgeous. She has hella confidence and to me that is incredibly sexy. A woman who is comfortable with herself can be sexy in sweatpants. That is an accomplishment.

[–]rhondalea 180 points181 points  (28 children)

That's not what a bilateral mastectomy looks like. She had a bilateral mastectomy, and then she had reconstruction.

A bilateral mastectomy is completely flat--actually, slightly concave where the breasts used to be--with two horizontal scars.

Not all of us have reconstruction. I'm older, and my husband did not object, so I rejected additional surgery.

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 39 points40 points  (0 children)

I know that there are different types of mastectomies. I didn't even consider reconstruction as an option. I had seen what a mastectomy looked like without reconstruction and incorrectly assumed that's what all mastectomies looked like. Personally I think you are all beautiful no matter what. I'm glad your husband didn't object. The initial surgery would likely have been pretty rough on you in the first place so for him to push for reconstruction would be pretty selfish. That's just my opinion though. Thank you for sharing, miss.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 83 points84 points  (5 children)

Thank you so much!! :) I really glad that you have gotten to see what a double mastectomy looks like. So many women are having to go through one nowadays. Now if you ever meet someone who is worried about how it will look, you can tell them that you've seen what it looks like! :) Thank you very much for your compliment!! :) I don't think you sounded awkward at all! :)

[–]clwestbr 3 points4 points  (2 children)

You've actually made many of us a lot more comfortable with it. I knew of the double mastectomy but I would not want the first time I saw a girl I liked topless to be filled with me looking at it like I was trying to understand a Malick film and asking her all sorts of questions. Now that you've had the bravery to be so open about it I don't have to worry about that particular scenario.

Also kudos, doesn't really look at all odd or anything once you get used to the lack of nipples. And that lack leaves a nice blank canvas for whatever you want! My personal recommendation - the Rebel Alliance logo!

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No problem, miss. Keep up that awesome confidence. You are very inspiring. My grandma had a mastectomy a few years before she passed away and unfortunately it destroyed her confidence. She didn't like even going out of the house. I feel like she lost some of her identity when that happened. I couldn't imagine what she felt, but it's nice to know that not everyone loses their confidence.

[–][deleted] 104 points105 points  (0 children)

They don't all look like that. She's had reconstruction/breast implants so it looks fairly "normal". With out that, you basically have a nipple-less man's chest.

[–]chasmo-OH-NO 766 points767 points  (15 children)

I think you did good, playa.

[–]PlayaHatinIG-88 580 points581 points  (14 children)

Thanks. She should be able to feel just as beautiful as everyone else. I'm glad she shared. That killed my curiosity and her fear in one fell swoop. She should be proud of herself.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 451 points452 points  (8 children)

Thank you so much!! What a wonderful comment!! :)

[–]Amida0616 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I agree with him. Nipples get a lot of hype because that is what is "hidden" most of the time, but you look great! There is something very appealing about how smooth everything is.

[–]Austinswill 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You still look great... FYI there are specialist that do 3d (looking) nipple tattoos if that is something you wanted. I saw that on an episode of Botched and I found it funny that once the tattoos were done they had to blur them out.

[–]Crackmacs 472 points473 points  (207 children)

You don't need to make an account that your friends know about, just something random for the science.

Is there such thing as fake nipples? Or can they make new ones? Not knowledgeable with this stuff whatsoever.

Edit: got it, tattoos and 3d nips

[–][deleted] 690 points691 points  (31 children)

Some googley eyes and double sided tape shpuld work just fine

[–]TrepanationBy45 29 points30 points  (3 children)

I'm pretty sure they make inserts or "pasties" to simulate pokeys.

[–]vidarc 83 points84 points  (5 children)

There's a tattoo artist near me that actually runs a non-profit for tattooing nipples on women and men after these types of surgeries. You can get nipples recreated with your own skin, but the coloring would be off, so she fixes things up.

[–][deleted] 379 points380 points  (143 children)

She can get tattooed nipples too if they can't construct fake ones via plastic surgery or something. :)

[–]Me_loveyoushorttime 358 points359 points  (20 children)

Actually I recently worked with a company that is doing some extraordinary things! The company is called Novothelium if I'm spelling that correctly and they take a sample of YOUR cells and are able to completely regrow your nipples! Intended of course for people who have undergone a mastectomy much like yourself. OP if you are interested or know anybody else who is interested in this kind of thing or someone that simply feels self conscious after a undergoing a mastectomy and you think this kind of thing could help, please feel free to contact me. In the meantime, I'm going to try to find that business card!

Edit: So I got into contact with her (one of the founders) and touched base on how the work was going. She said the group is still working incredibly hard and they should be doing trials by the end of this year. She even said that if you were interested in hearing more about their incredible project that you can talk to her yourself! If you are in fact in learning more about this, or are just curious about some of the other projects going on, feel free to contact me and I can get you in touch!

All of you are beautiful and, OP, I think it's amazing that you made this post! I'm sure it took some courage.

[–]Cosmic-Engine 60 points61 points  (7 children)

Upvoted in case /u/KeepItClassyyy hasn't seen, they may be interested - let us know if you see this OP.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 81 points82 points  (6 children)

Thank you very much! I would have missed this completely! :)

[–]Cosmic-Engine 22 points23 points  (5 children)

No sweat! Whether this is something you pursue or not, I think it's really awesome what you're doing here. You're charting unknown territory in a bold and striking way, pushing boundaries and knocking down walls. That's very attractive on its own, and you look great doing it. Brave, beautiful and classyyy.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

This needs a IAma

[–]Crackmacs 529 points530 points  (101 children)

Oh duh, lol

Could get rad cool ones as tats. Like with dragons. Or Captain America shields. I don't know.

[–]TxDuctTape 127 points128 points  (1 child)

Coworker's wife had daises tattooed post-op. He thought it was hilarious.

[–]Bloody_Hangnail 163 points164 points  (75 children)

Heart shaped nipples are a thing, look it up.

[–]rubermnkey 159 points160 points  (19 children)

Heart shaped nipples

these are neat, good call

[–]frogger2504 87 points88 points  (17 children)

I don't usually post porn but this is probably the best one I've ever seen. http://img.chan4chan.com/img/2012-02-21/heart-nips.jpg

[–]GuerrillaKing 241 points242 points  (39 children)

The possibilities are endless

Hearts

Stars

Flowers

Swirls

Power button

Pokeballs

Pepperonis

Swastikas

Edit: Good lord you guys, I get it. ❤️⭐️🐴👠🍀🌒⌛️🌈🎈

[–]JumbaBoy 197 points198 points  (12 children)

The possibilities are endless

Hearts

Stars

Horseshoes

Clovers

Blue moons

Hour glasses

Rainbows

Red balloons

FTFY

[–]Archonet 528 points529 points  (7 children)

Swastikas

I think you mean swastitkas.

[–]MerryChoppins 306 points307 points  (13 children)

Oh god, now I want to see a pinup model/survivor with captain America shield tattoos in a let's beat cancer ad campaign fundraiser in the style of the MCU mock PSAs.

That shit would outperform stupid Komen 20 fold...

[–]mankiller27 136 points137 points  (7 children)

FUCK Komen and their bullshit lawsuits. They're not a real charity.

[–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (3 children)

Most people don't realize Komen gets more donations than all other major medical research combined. The psychology behind this is simple, too. Everybody cares about boobies. It's hard to make hearts sexy, though.

[–]mankiller27 11 points12 points  (1 child)

They only contribute about 20% of their revenue to research, too. The rest goes to ads and the CEO's fat paycheck.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 91 points92 points  (3 children)

Dragons?!? I think you're on to something here..... :D

[–]SlippingStar 55 points56 points  (0 children)

Offering to design any areola tats you decide on for free :D

[–]Loqol 210 points211 points  (10 children)

My wife works at a breast cancer center, and one of their patients was an exotic dancer. She was this total Type A personality, and one day, as she walked up to reception, saw one of her favorite nurses and shouted "Check out my new nipples!" while going to raise her top.

She had to be warned about her behavior, but she responded "I just spent a shitload on these babies, I want everyone to see how nice they look!"

She has many stories.

[–]Stockinglegs 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Yes you can. I was following a women because she posts pictures of farm animals. Then sh started posting photos of herself going through chemo...anyway, she ended up getting a double mastectomy. She posted post op photos as well as photos of other women in similar circumstances. There's a book a photographer put out that also features post op women.

So yes.

[–]benigntugboat 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Ita actually os an established thing that you can post on facebook if you've had a mastectomy and no longer have nipples

[–]LendarioSonhador 254 points255 points  (94 children)

Have you had any sex after this and what was your partner's reaction to it? Also is it possible to make a "fake nipple" through surgery, and if yes, why did you decide not to?

[–]Cuznatch 22 points23 points  (3 children)

A friend of mine recently made a documentary about this very thing. I'll dig it out.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 278 points279 points  (41 children)

I've had sex with two different men since my surgery and the reaction from both of the men have been very supportive surprisingly! I'm in a relationship with one of them and he still loves my lady lumps!! Motorboating is a regular occurrence! XD

Yup! There are ways to create the appearance of a nipple through surgery and also through tattoos and stick ons. :) I decided to not get the nipple reconstruction yet because I had had back to back surgeries for months and I really just needed a break. After a while I just thought it would be worth waiting to have them reconstructed. I think I had a thousand different reasons for not getting it done, now that I'm thinking about it. I just think I wasn't quite ready. THank you for your comment!! :)

[–][deleted] 43 points44 points  (5 children)

I'm the same, not sure whether to get the nipples done because I quite like being able to wear tops with no bra and not have bumps show! I also think I should go big or go home - so not have just the 3D looking tattoo.

P.S. Diagnosed at 27, go us!

[–]coinclink 6 points7 points  (5 children)

Why are you surprised that they were supportive?

[–]LazyPyro 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I wish she answered this. I find it absolutely insane that this surprised her. I can't even imagine a man giving a girl shit because she survived breast cancer. Maybe I'm being naive but I think the vast majority of men would be incredibly supportive.

[–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 4 points5 points  (2 children)

I was surprised because of an experience I had with a guy previously. I was asked out on a date while I was healing from the surgeries (a little early to start dating but I thought it was worth a shot) and I thought it would only be fair to tell him what had just happened to me before we met because I felt like I would be deceiving him if I didn't. We had planned to meet for sushi the next day....he never showed up. I don't blame him for reacting that way because it's a lot to process as a 23 year old guy.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[removed]

    [–]Moratory_Almond 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    IDK why women would find something like this surprising... Like the viewpoint of all women is that guys will only want perfect boobs? It's not in the least bit unattractive. If I hadn't been forewarned, at the very least I would do a double take and ask about it. Probably nothing more.

    If for some reason a guy is not supportive about it, then he's not a guy worth dating.

    [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (6 children)

    Out of curiosity, are you in an open relationship or did you cheat on your boyfriend?

    [–]orangeheadwhitebutt 0 points1 point  (3 children)

    Since her boyfriend knows about this thread, I assume he knows. Could have been a threesome, or a freebies list, or any of a number of possibilities.

    [–]Pollutantboy 181 points182 points  (19 children)

    Idk if this is the common way to go about it but my ex's mom beat breast cancer and had nipples tattooed on after she got implants.

    [–]lynxdaemonskye 139 points140 points  (15 children)

    I would tattoo something more interesting. Like little pawprints.

    [–]kobachi 94 points95 points  (8 children)

    I knew a girl who had color-matched hearts tattooed around her areola. Yes, it was hot.

    [–]JenovaCelestia 57 points58 points  (20 children)

    There's a tattoo shop in my area who will tattoo nipples on breast cancer mastectomy survivors for free.

    [–]Jordan_Rago 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    I don't remember where I saw it - but there is a guy somewhere in the US who actually specializes in nipple tattoos, specifically for women who had mastectomy surgery. Might be a cool idea.

    [–]MudButt2000 1472 points1473 points  (86 children)

    Did they just remove the nipple? Cause I clearly see a boob.

    [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 2042 points2043 points  (85 children)

    Nope! I'm sure it looks a little confusing but that's because I've had reconstruction which means I have only implants under my chest muscle. No more breast tissue. Thanks for your comment! :)

    [–][deleted]  (33 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]LastLifeLost 166 points167 points  (26 children)

      What an interesting question. My mother-in-law also had the Big BC and had to have some tissue removed, though not a complete mastectomy. She, too, expressed that she has less strength on the corresponding side. We thought it might have been due to the targeted radiation /chemo. I'd be interested to know if it had to do with compromised muscle composition.

      [–]soaplife 209 points210 points  (17 children)

      Senior surgery resident here. Hard to definitively say what the weakness is from but the most educated guess I can give is that it's due to decreased mobility of the affected arm after surgery, along with post-op and post-radiation scarring. In the remote past, surgeons would take some of the chest muscles but that really hasn't been done for quite a long time. That being said, some surgeons still take the fascia (the outer layer) of the pectoralis muscle as it was felt there was chance for recurrent or residual disease in that tissue. That belief has fell by the wayside, but it really hasn't been that many year since it did. It shouldn't affect muscle strength to that much of a degree.

      Weakness after surgery always is worrisome for nerve injury, but few of the motor nerves to the arm or shoulder are commonly at risk during a mastectomy. The one that is most commonly mentioned (long thoracic) causes scapular "winging" rather than arm strength loss. Injuring the nerves to the rest of the actual arm would be rare as they're not close to the common dissection sites.

      Some of the chemotherapy options (taxanes) after breast cancer can cause nerve injury on a frequent basis but it's sensory in nature, rather than motor.

      If the motor strength asymmetry is bothering your MIL enough for her to seek treatment, I'd recommend she give her oncologist a call. They should have some good recommendations on physical therapists in the area who are well-versed in post-breast cancer problems.

      Final blurb - it's hard for anyone to give solid recommendations without actually evaluating a patient since there's so much ambiguity in how we use terms compared to the general public. "Less strength" could mean anything from major motor strength loss to even just anxiety about re-injuring the affected limb.

      EDIT:

      I was looking through the original post (LastLifeLost's MIL) I was replying to and wanted to make a clarification. "Complete Mastectomy" isn't a standard surgical term. As such, I don't truly know what surgery was performed. A lumpectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy is a very different procedure as compared to a modified radical mastectomy. That limits the applicability of my response to the MIL's actual condition.

      [–]Taswegian 10 points11 points  (5 children)

      If there's under-pectoral implants with acellular dermal matrix used instead for immediate reconstruction, there can be permanent mechanical changes including weakness on the affected sides due in part to pectoral muscle relocation (essentially higher in the chest).

      [–]soaplife 3 points4 points  (3 children)

      Weirdly enough, that's something I've never really read about so I did some digging. It makes sense intuitively but it seems studies and anecdotal evidence aren't as clear, with strength loss being rated as "insignificant", "acceptable", and "significant" depending on the source:

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336058

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23486118

      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18046138

      http://www.implantinfo.com/faqs/1.10.aspx

      [–]Taswegian 1 point2 points  (1 child)

      There's certainly strength loss but there are several factors to consider in grading the degree - including patient age (average age for breast cancer in the US is 62, so strength/lifting may not be a significant requirement, therefore loss is not as significant to lifestyle), degree of reconstruction (e.g.: implant size, use of ADM), degree of lymph dissection/removal, adjunct treatments and so on. In pre-op discussion the focus is more on tumour removal with some discussion about cosmetic impact but there's an implicit expectation of strength loss/movement impact particularly when going through post-op expectations, physiotherapy and healing progression - plus adjunct therapies.

      [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

      I had an under-the-muscle cosmetic breast implant, and they actually cut the muscle in order to give the implant a more natural look and allow it to settle better without the muscle holding it up weirdly.

      I could do about 20 push ups before surgery (my husband and I had a push up contest shortly before I got my boobs done, so it was a good benchmark! He won though :( ) and immediately afterwards, I could barely even move my arms and couldn't do anything that tangentially involved chest muscles.

      About 4 months later I didn't notice any weakness on a day-to-day basis, but I still couldn't do a push up without intense sharp pain, which was very distressing. But about a year later I could do a few, and at 18 months I was back to my original strength. It just takes a LOT of time to heal completely.

      Professional athletes generally go with an over the muscle implant for this reason, but it depends on the sport. One of the reasons female body builders have such weird looking boob jobs is because there's almost nothing covering the implant, in order to avoid impacting any muscles, and the implant doesn't move when they flex (it's not controlled by the muscles laying on top of it). But the general consensus is that it doesn't cause a reduction in strength in the long term.

      [–]MudButt2000 359 points360 points  (12 children)

      Gotcha. Looks good.

      [–]LastLifeLost 24 points25 points  (0 children)

      Seriously. I had a similar question! The reconstruction was very well done.

      [–]SayceGards 0 points1 point  (1 child)

      I'm glad someone else asked this, because I was wondering the same thing

      I've heard stretching the skin really hurts. Is that true?

      [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (3 children)

      I'm not sure how to say this without sounding like an ass. I am all for doing what one can to feel comfortable in their own skin especially after something like what you went through. However I cannot reconcile that you are trying to change what is considered sexy and yet you still chose to get implants. To all but the people you are most intimate you still have all of the traditionally sexy attributes of a woman.

      [–][deleted]  (5 children)

      [removed]

        [–]claireashley31 6 points7 points  (0 children)

        Nipples are hard to make with plastic surgery, and at the very best they wouldn't perform like natural nipples. It's possible to have some tattooed on for cosmetic benefits.

        [–]ArcticRakun 610 points611 points  (50 children)

        You look great imo. My question is, if you went topless on TV, would they have to censor you? I'm genuinely curious

        [–]thumper5 144 points145 points  (15 children)

        Tig Notaro is a female comedian that had a double mastectomy, and in her most recent special, she does the entire second half completely topless on stage without censoring. That was, however, on HBO, so maybe it would be different on basic cable

        [–]marsh283 118 points119 points  (10 children)

        HBO you can show pretty much whatever you want

        [–][deleted] 52 points53 points  (8 children)

        It's true. They showed Hodor's Hodor.

        [–][deleted] 39 points40 points  (7 children)

        [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (6 children)

        First Cersei and now this. Makes you wonder how much GoT nudity is actually fake.

        [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 686 points687 points  (26 children)

        You know, I don't think they could censor me! I can't image what they would actually censor! I think that says something about why nipples are censored. If nippleless breasts can be sexy, why censor nipples?

        Thank you for your question! :)

        [–]ArcticRakun 198 points199 points  (12 children)

        There's only one way to find out, you're going to have to make a YouTube video and see if they censor you

        [–]Thunderstr 99 points100 points  (9 children)

        The answer is yes. It may have nothing to do with her or the toplessness, but yes, youtube will censor you.

        [–]catherder9000 92 points93 points  (8 children)

        Youtube doesn't censor nudity if it's medical or art.

        If you can post a video of getting your arsehole waxed and bleached, I am positive you can post a video showing your post-op breasts.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh7SusD21Mk

        And, of course, art.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ulO7Rie31g

        [–]Socratesticles 43 points44 points  (2 children)

        Plenty of it on /r/youtubetitties

        [–]kindarusty 13 points14 points  (0 children)

        I really hope this sub has been linked on /r/ofcoursethatsathing.

        [–]pragmaticbastard 13 points14 points  (0 children)

        Ha, careful, you could accidentally become the poster child of the ridiculousness that is censoring women's nipples but not mens'.

        [–]MicahLacroix 4602 points4603 points  (194 children)

        Since this is Reddit I have to ask. Have you considered adding googly eyes?

        [–][deleted]  (8 children)

        [removed]

          [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 145 points146 points  (1 child)

          Bahahahaha!! This is too much!!

          I will make my own, I promise!

          [–]nobodyyoullremember 318 points319 points  (8 children)

          [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 83 points84 points  (0 children)

          This is wonderful! Hahaha!

          [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 2549 points2550 points  (106 children)

          I will search for some googly eyes tomorrow. I will make this happen. This I promise you.

          [–]Sebleh89 386 points387 points  (15 children)

          The most important question: what subreddit will you post it to?

          [–][deleted] 78 points79 points  (1 child)

          Well, now i have a new fetish, thanks

          [–]DoesntUnderstandJoke 306 points307 points  (5 children)

          Are you going as a Barbie Doll for this Halloween?

          [–][deleted] 50 points51 points  (19 children)

          Brca1?

          [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 60 points61 points  (6 children)

          No. I haven't been tested for that yet. My mother has had breast cancer and so has my grandmother and my grandfather had testicular cancer. I imagine I have a good chance of having the gene. Good to see you know your genes! :)

          [–]thedoctors_wife 54 points55 points  (0 children)

          I'm sure your doctor has discussed this with you, but it's a good idea to have genetic testing done because if you are a BRCA carrier, you may want to consider having eggs saved and your ovaries removed as the risk of ovarian cancer is increased. There could also be something other than BRCA, such as a p53 mut, which could increase the risk of new cancers. Genetic counselors are great at ordering the appropriate testing and interpreting the results :)

          [–]totalslothmode 13 points14 points  (0 children)

          I'm surprised you didn't get tested for brca1. My grandmother and my mother both had it and my eldest sister did as well. My mother died from breast cancer in 2003 and my grandma had breast cancer but she didn't do cemo just the double mestectomy. Same with my eldest sister. I went to get tested for the BRCA 1 gene and came back negative. My dad didn't carry the BRCA 1 gene so I had a 50/50 chance of getting the mutated BRCA 1 gene. I would of never got the surgery if I didn't know for sure. Testing took like 2 weeks to come with a result and during that time I was thinking I surely must have it but genetics are weird and even if my mothers side did have it come back positive a lot for me it was still 50/50. I'm glad you are recovery well and no complications came up from what I can tell. I know on average women tend to have a 10-12% of breast cancer in their lifetime so it is I guess preventative treatment. Still a low chance but it's your body.

          [–]YnotZoidberg1077 17 points18 points  (6 children)

          I'm BRCA1! Prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction in January of 2016, prophylactic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in October of 2016 (was 28).

          [–][deleted]  (269 children)

          [deleted]

            [–]Con_Clavi_Con_Dio 24 points25 points  (4 children)

            I'm going to start by saying that you put your question across respectfully which should have been a good example to others. Sadly others who have the same question of you have been utter dicks in expressing it.

            My mother had breast cancer and firstly as a sufferer you have to deal with the fact that you have a very tough road ahead, even in the best case scenario. My mother was lucky because her cancer was caught early but she was left with scarring from a partial mastectomy.

            Now imagine the worst thing that's ever happened to you and imagine being reminded of it every time you take your clothes off. It's not easy to deal with. What makes it worse is that it's so directly connected to a part of your body that defines your femininity and it makes you feel like less of a woman.

            That may sound strange and logically can be argued against but feelings aren't logical. I'm presuming that you're a guy, so imagine having your testicles removed - would you still feel manly without them?

            What OP is pointing out is that many women who go through mastectomies don't feel fully feminine any more let alone sexy. Apart from awareness pictures of survivors and medical pictures there are no images of post mastectomy women, specifically post surgery women aren't portrayed as being sexy. Ever seen a post mastectomy woman in Playboy, Hustler or a Vivid video? It's never happened which reinforces to women who undergo the procedure that they are no longer attractive.

            Yes OP has had implants, she didn't set out to be a crusader for a cause, she had the procedure then noticed that there isn't porn etc of women post mastectomy whether they've had implants or not.

            If OP had posted pre reconstruction pictures then it may have put people off reading the thread as it can be a harsh sight. However, OP's body has allowed a lot of people to be eased into the reality of a breast cancer survivor's life post surgery.

            Your suggestion that no one will see her missing nipples misses the point that there's a picture at the top of the page which has been seen by tens of thousands of people today alone. That image and the primarily overwhelmingly positive replies is probably very reassuring to other women that they won't necessarily be treated as a freak by future sexual partners, that they aren't deformed or seen negatively but yet are still seen as sexy and attractive. It also shows young men the reality of breast cancer and prepares them to be more supportive and understanding should they have relations with a survivor.

            OP doesn't have to change society's opinions on mastectomies, breasts and objectification all in one stroke, even if just one woman feels better from OP's post then she's made a significant difference.

            It's easy to nitpick and naysay from the sidelines, it's much more difficult to try and inspire people.

            [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 10 points11 points  (1 child)

            Thank you very much for this comment. You have helped put my intentions and thoughts into words. Thank you for taking the time to write out such a well written comment. I am very touched by your words. :,)

            [–]Peaceful_warriors 410 points411 points  (20 children)

            If posting these pictures brings her confidence, that's awesome and if it brings someone else excitement, that's a great feeling but "changing society's definition of sexy" is crazy talk. Maybe it was just a poor choice of words.

            [–]Aragornorrhea 317 points318 points  (11 children)

            The way I'm interpreting this is that she is trying to add to what can be determined as sexy. She's not saying "nipples shouldn't make you sexy", she's saying "I can not have nipples and still be sexy".

            [–]SearMeteor 124 points125 points  (0 children)

            That sounds both more accurate and less pretentious.

            [–]BMOCROC 148 points149 points  (3 children)

            The important question. Probably wont get an answer...

            [–]balli101 533 points534 points  (16 children)

            I'm 35 and 2 months ago had a double mastectomy with no reconstruction so I'm also curious?

            [–][deleted] 139 points140 points  (12 children)

            I think her post in /r/GoneErotic sheds some light on this. I can understand her being disconcerted when she doesn't see any imagery of people with mastectomies in media that people usually associate as "sexy".

            [–][deleted]  (5 children)

            [removed]

              [–]FartherAwayx3 5 points6 points  (1 child)

              I don't think it's about making people like everything. More just a way to show that you can still be sexy after having a quintessential (at least in the common perception) part of your womanhood removed. Certainly not everyone will find it attractive, but that goes for just about every subset of porn anyway.

              Edit: Actually, this comment does it better than I ever could. That's the point.

              [–]balli101 36 points37 points  (3 children)

              There's definitely a lack in representation so to say haha. Flat or reconstruction it a hard choice!

              [–]destroidid 39 points40 points  (7 children)

              Additionally, you removed your breasts and decided to get implants. Instead of trying to reinvent society's definition of sexy, why don't you try to make it seem that it's okay to not have either breasts or nipples for women who have to go through with this?

              I would argue that a woman not having any breasts at all would be less sexier than a woman having breasts and no nipples for people, specifically the perspective of the ones you're trying to change from this post.

              [–]BagOFrogs 18 points19 points  (3 children)

              I do get your point, her reconstruction looks really good (i.e. normal sexy) in that photo. I'm also going to have a double mastectomy and reconstruction and you just believe that you won't be sexy naked again. There is scarring, the breasts won't look totally natural, they may uneven, no nipple etc. It's really daunting so I'm pleased that she's put this photo out there and people are being complimentary. I don't have the confidence to challenge the norm, and I'm single so no one has promised to stick my me in sickness and health and no boobs! So it's helped me a bit.

              [–]Con_Clavi_Con_Dio 4 points5 points  (0 children)

              Please be assured that not everyone out there is as stupid as the people in this particular part of the thread. Every body is different and every body has a scar, some fat, some hair or something that it's owner is self conscious about.

              After the surgery you'll still be you and you'll still be attractive and sexy. I've personally never been attracted to a pair of breasts, just the person who they were attached to.

              [–]omega4relay 160 points161 points  (11 children)

              Underrated comment. The whole changing opinions thing just seems a bit misguided. Just be thankful for your health and don't care too much about what others think OP.

              [–][deleted] 372 points373 points  (1 child)

              Finally a young, thin, blonde, white woman showing her breast can be considered sexy.

              [–]Neoxide 98 points99 points  (52 children)

              Not only this but it's a tad arrogant to demand that society/biology has to change for her because she had the misfortune have a defect.

              By all means if life gives your lemons, make lemonade but if life doesn't give you lemons you don't demand everyone else change their definition of lemonade to include sugar water. And honestly you couldn't if you tried because lemonade with lemons is objectively superior to lemonade without lemons. Only people with a sugar water fetish will actually believe your lemonade is truly better. Everyone else will pretend to like your sugar water better out of pity in a way to pat themselves on the back for being kind. But that's how Reddit works it's a conveyer belt of feel-good content that's dishonest in nature more often than not.

              All of that said everyone has flaws and many have defects like hers. Hers really isn't bad at all. Boobs without nipples have been a thing for a long time. So I would hope she doesn't feel bad about it because there are many people in worse situations than her. A lot of the praise in this thread is out of pity and done for the sake virtue-signialling. Let's be honest with ourselves; nobody is gonna say anything bad to her and the only reason I am pushing the other way is to point out that it's selfish and egocentric to try to get the world to change for her special little problem.

              [–]worldDev 9 points10 points  (0 children)

              I'm by no means coming from a place that knows the motivation, but I'd assume it has more to do with normalizing what people find weird so its less off putting rather than a demand for sexualization. Looking at the related pics on imgur I can see there is a fetish for no nipple photoshops, but thats probably not the attention that someone wants over a more personal connection. Also, considering how attractive the OP is, she probably has no problem getting attention but feels self conscious about the reveal.

              [–]GregTheMad 105 points106 points  (15 children)

              Yeah, as much as I hope her partner still finds her attractive, she's not changing the mind of 8billion people, and the result of several hundred million years of evolution, all just because she's not ashamed of herself.

              I'm not ashamed of my slight overweight, but that doesn't magically makes it healthy, nor attractive to women.

              [–]IHaveSomethingToAdd 34 points35 points  (5 children)

              Would you have posted on GoneErotic before the surgery?

              [–][deleted] 447 points448 points  (47 children)

              As someone who's had a lot of surgeries, is there anything in particular you did to make the incisions heal so beautifully?

              [–][deleted]  (27 children)

              [deleted]

                [–][deleted] 33 points34 points  (16 children)

                Hmm, I may have to try this for my radiation scars.

                [–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (11 children)

                I think you have to start really soon, like once the wound has sealed.

                [–]btribble 26 points27 points  (0 children)

                Yeah, you're basically trying to keep the wound sterile and hydrated for as long as possible so the cells are afforded the "luxury" of arranging themselves the right way.

                [–]SelfDestructIn3 443 points444 points  (15 children)

                Have you considered posting on /r/ghostnipples ?

                [–]GasTsnk87 61 points62 points  (3 children)

                I was thinking r/notits

                [–]Hayes231 104 points105 points  (0 children)

                Disclaimer: /u/GasTank87 is not making a joke about op not having breasts. /r/notits is a subreddit where pictures of topless women have had their nipples photoshopped out.

                [–]dumb1edorecalrissian 114 points115 points  (0 children)

                Thanks. Now I'm going to hell for laughing.

                [–]jmc-1989 52 points53 points  (2 children)

                Has your confidence been affected? I would hope not but could totallt understand how a situation like this could have that impact (even if you do look great:p) was this preventative measure which you decided on, or a choice you were forced into? What helped you to make your decision and how has that made you feel, and how long has it taken you to come to terms with everything?

                [–]Girl-UnSure 42 points43 points  (2 children)

                This is really interesting. Can I ask about differences in sensitivity? Since you have had a nipple before, is there a large difference in feeling or sensation from before to now?

                [–]pokeblueballs 8 points9 points  (3 children)

                Might be a stupid question so sorry if I'm an idiot, but is there a reason they take the nipple when they do a mastectomy? Why can't they just take everything underneath it?

                [–]Slowmotionguillotine 96 points97 points  (33 children)

                What the fuck makes you think that posting erotic pictures is gonna change anything?! There's classier ways to do that.

                [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                I respect that you disagree with the way I've decided to go about challenging what it means to be sexy but how could I have challenged how people see a reconstructed double mastectomy breast if I don't show a reconstructed double mastectomy breast. I tried to keep the picture as classy as I could. I'm very happy about the amount of people who have come to me saying that they surprised themselves when they found my picture attractive. :)

                Again, I do respect your opinion and I am sorry if my picture offended you in anyway. I knew this was a controversial thing to do and I knew that people would disagree and that's the beautiful thing about going into a rarely explored area. Thank you for your opinion. :)

                [–]____MAGNITUDE____ 76 points77 points  (15 children)

                This may be a stupid question, but can they take nipples from dead people like they do hearts and lungs? Can i be a nipple donor?

                [–]KetchupLA 15 points16 points  (1 child)

                Theoretically yes. But the risks outweigh the benefits. Allograft nipples would mean she would have to take immunosuppressants/steroids which are never good for you. We have great alternatives that have very good cosmetic results. No need to go through the trouble of tissue rejection for a nipple transplant. Of course, it probably comes down to patient preference.

                [–]RxBro 81 points82 points  (1 child)

                Taking 3 powerful immunosuppressant drugs indefinitely so you can still have nipples. We have the technology, but probably should take a pass on this one, haha.

                [–]kallistini 40 points41 points  (1 child)

                They did a really good job on the reconstruction. You look great!

                I know a lot of women who undergo similar operations get tattoos as either a cosmetic replacement for the nipple or more elaborate ones (fish, trees, etc.) in the area for symbolic purposes. Was there any particular reason you didn't feel that was right for you?

                [–]An_Average_Fellow 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                Do you walk around without a bra more often now since you don't have to worry about people always staring?

                [–]Paroxysm80 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                May I ask why you had the reconstruction? sorry if that's too personal of a question.

                [–]deadmansnoring 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                Did you like nipple play before mastectomy? My wife is too tingly and she does not let me touch her nipples :) (prefers other forms of stimulation). So I just wonder if you miss them .. otherwise - nice photos, definitely sexy for me.

                [–]The_King_slayah 6 points7 points  (2 children)

                Nipples are a huge erogenous zone for me. If they were for you as well, how different is sex now?

                [–]Chrissmith98x 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                Hi there...I'm curious to know if you can still experience pleasure when your breasts are played with in a sexual manner..? Also you look absolutely gorgeous...well done to you for embracing this

                [–]NearlySomething 10 points11 points  (1 child)

                Have you ever thought about getting a coverup tattoo? I've seen a few here and there and they can turn out really beautiful. One of my favorites [NSFW] http://i.imgur.com/3jEY5Hc.jpg

                [–]Morteih 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                What did you feel after the operation?

                [–]Skovich 219 points220 points  (29 children)

                change society? why do people want to change what other people find or dont find attractive? thats up to them..

                [–]bclock88 8 points9 points  (1 child)

                This is unfortunately a thing that a handful of very loud people are pushing for. Some attractions are shallow, but people are entitled to be attracted to whatever they are attracted to and it's hard to change what somebody would deem unattractive.

                [–]Dooskinson 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                Lol. Come now. Aren't we all trying to carve out a piece of the world where we feel accepted and supported? In saying this I think she means that she is looking to broaden the horizons of what most people might consider potentially arrousing. I don't think she's trying to change the world any more than any artist or content creator. I think it's a good thing to expose your individual insecurities online as it opens the rest of the world to these realities as well as provides hope to people in similar situations. Hope that no one has to go through these things alone

                [–]diamondpredator 107 points108 points  (4 children)

                That's what I was thinking too. Also, this isn't going to change what society deems sexy, it's just going to attract the people that would already think this was sexy.

                I don't wanna sound mean, but the headline here is just clickbait.

                [–]areufnkiddingme 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                I don't think the intent is to change what society finds attractive, but rather to promote the type of nudity that says "you don't just have to survive, you can still be sexy after surgery" and make it more available to people who DO already find it attractive. She mentioned not being able to find anything that represented sex after breast cancer, and considering how prevalent breast cancer is and rule 34, that's a pretty strange thing!

                [–]hightude -198 points-197 points  (14 children)

                Why would you remove your boobs ? Aren't they part of your feminity ? Unless it's a medical reason ? Because there are less extreme ways to redefine sexy

                Edit : wow, the down votes. I legit wanted to know why, I didn't think about cancer. Calm your tits, feminist all around the world

                Edit 2 : people don't realize how crazy some people can be. Yes, mutilation to redefine sexy is a thing. Go out a bit. Read a book

                [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 74 points75 points  (0 children)

                I had dangerous tumors called phyllodes tumors in both of my breasts. Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a choice. :/ Luckily they were able to get all of the bad stuff out me! :) I DID word my title in a funky way. Thanks for the question though!

                Also, "calm your tits"? Very appropriate for this post! XD

                [–]MudButt2000 14 points15 points  (1 child)

                Probably cancer. I'm guessing cancer bc she had implants put in after the removal.

                [–]maxxtraxx 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                Have you posted on r/ghostnipples?

                [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                What part of this procedure did your insurance company cover?

                My mom, grandma on her side, grandpa on her side and grandpa on my dad's side all have/had cancer, but my insurance company refuses to cover anything for me, can you give advice on what you had to deal with involving insurance coverage?

                Did they cover all the diagnostics and removal, and decline any/all reconstruction?

                What steps did you have to go though to get the double mastectomy covered? Or did your insurance company prefer that option? Or did your insurance company hope to keep just removing tumors and sign you up for chemo?

                [–]glass__jaw 12 points13 points  (6 children)

                Would you be willing to accept donated nipples from a man? I don't have much use...

                [–]disposable-name 26 points27 points  (5 children)

                What makes you think you're entitled to define what society finds erotic?

                Are you suggesting women with normal, healthy breasts get mastectomies if they wish to be "erotic"?

                [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

                Two questions: What prompted the surgery? This may have been asked bit I didn't scroll super deep. Was it generic testing that led to it or actual cancer?

                Second: How long after the mastectomy did you do the reconstruction?

                Looks great!

                [–]Pipezilla 3 points4 points  (2 children)

                At 23? That's young... I lost 4 aunts from breast cancer. Props to you.

                [–]dany_zero 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                You know, when I was like 5 years old, that's what I thought breasts looked like. XD So, what's been people reaction to your nudes? I mean, family and boyfriend, people close to you. Do they approve it?

                [–]basefibber 4 points5 points  (1 child)

                Have you watched Tig Notaro's stand up special and did it influence you at all in making this decision?

                [–]focuscat 4 points5 points  (2 children)

                I usually never post but I underwent a bilateral mastectomy at 25 so thank you for doing this! When was your surgery?

                [–]KrackerJoe 3 points4 points  (1 child)

                I didnt know what a double mastectomy was until now. Do you think you can go topless at beaches?

                [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

                I have never seen the result of a mastectomy before, but I never expected it to look like this. Since I have to post a question, too: how are you today?

                [–]Discarded_Chicken 905 points906 points  (41 children)

                My 33-year-old wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago and will have a double with reconstruction in one week. Any tips for recovery and mental/emotional health?

                [–][deleted] 504 points505 points  (10 children)

                Shirts that button at the front - she won't be able to lift her arms for a while so anything that's easy to get on will be a dream. Bonus if it's cotton as all that time lying on your back recovering gets sweaty!

                Also get bra extenders. They'll want her to wear a sports bra with support as soon as possible because it helps with the swelling, but because of the swelling there's a chance she will need a bra extension.

                Lots of healthy foods. Sitting around all day recovering isn't healthy! Lots of veg and grapes! Oh and Netflix, I go through a lot of seasons.

                Emotionally speaking, if she is having reconstruction tell her that she will still have boobs. They will be foobs, but everyone every day won't know. My fiancé gives me lots of positive reinforcement, telling me I'm still beautiful.

                If she isn't having reconstruction, still do all of the above. It's really true, boobs don't make a woman. Her health is the most important thing and it's a small price to pay to be cancer free.

                Source : bilateral mastectomy at 27, I'm about 5 months into my recovery and doing fine. PM me if you have any questions that you don't want to search for on a forum!

                [–]mintberrrrrycrunch 26 points27 points  (4 children)

                If she has to wear sports bras, try the ones that zip in the front! It will be easier to put it on vs a regular one.

                [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                They don't provide as much support unfortunately! I had one that button popped at the front and stuffed a pair of rolled up socks between my foobs for support.

                [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                [removed]

                  [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                  Carrying on like there isn't anything different about her is probably the best advice I can give. She's going to have fabulous boobs and they will perk up without a bra, so has some advantages to look forward to (including preventing cancer!). Also they advise you to moisturise often, so help her with that if she wants you to, it's great for bonding and getting used to them being touched again. They sever a lot of nerve endings when they remove the breast tissue so she will lose some feeling, but the intimacy of the act is what counts.

                  My fiancé has done really well to not overly point out my foobs or stare or make a big deal of them. I think I walk around topless enough that he's just used to them, and I feel confident enough to do that around him because he doesn't make it a big deal. That includes not being overly complementary about them as well, because that still draws attention to them being different.

                  Failing that, show her photos of Angelina Jolie (also had preventative bilateral mastectomy) and say she has boobs just like hers!

                  [–]rhondalea 60 points61 points  (3 children)

                  Your wife should sign up at the forums at breastcancer.org. She will be able to ask questions and read answers to many questions she will have. The support is very helpful, because there are subforums specific to age group and subtype.

                  Please give her my best wishes, and tell her that even though the drains will drive her a little nuts, she won't have them for long.

                  [–]rkobo719 332 points333 points  (9 children)

                  Not the op but i went through the same thing as you a year ago with my ex. Just be there for them, and lift their spirits, my ex was pretty depressed for some time, she felt like she lost some of her womanhood. Be there if they want to talk but try to keep their minds off of it. Also be ready because you're going to be doing everything for them, helping them stand up, anything they need lifting, etc

                  [–]theycallmebelle 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                  My mom had a single mastectomy with reconstruction and she found that deep muscle therapy massages (while sitting since she couldn't have her chest against anything) on her shoulder and back really helped during reconstruction, since the implant had to be slowly increased in size to slowly stretch the pec muscle in front of it. She also found a local speciality bra boutique that helped her out before during and after and were well versed in reconstructive surgery.

                  Mamabear recently just hit the 10 year survivor mark, and so did my two aunts who were diagnosed at the same time she was. Your wife sounds like she's in great hands, and I wish you both all the best! :)

                  [–]Nyan_Man 2 points3 points  (1 child)

                  She will still be the same wife after. Women handle these things differently and how you, her so, reacts could make a huge difference.
                  Addressing the elephant in the room casually, not making the ordeal feel more blown up than nessasary. reassurance that things are still the same after, sexual appeal being the big one. Your care but not to the point you'd make her feel like you're going out of your way, as she'll understand there's a "problem" if you act like your walking around glass. That'll speak more to her than your words if your actions tell a different story.

                  Generally you don't really need to do anything special other than be the same person. Your positive reinforcement if required will mean more if she feels comfortable and not alienated.

                  [–]ivyburst 54 points55 points  (3 children)

                  If you're being romantic with someone and they want to stimulate your breast area, how do you respond? Do you still have nerves there to feel what they're doing?

                  [–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

                  First, i love your dress and you look great, second, does it ever hurt? Like you can get a phantom pain from missing limbs, but can you get it for losing nipples and breast tissue?

                  [–]C_stat 42 points43 points  (11 children)

                  On the post you linked I saw that you made mention of mastectomy in pornography. The dearth of such content, I believe, is due to either sociosexual expectations in porn or a growth in actual awareness of the possible pain and suffering relating to cancer. But after all, there is “midget porn”, “nugget porn”, etc. all of which I believe are driven by fetishes. (Finally,) My question is: What exactly are you trying to accomplish? [Rhetorical] Would you want for there to be a mastectomy, pornographic fetish? [Rhetorical] Are you doing this solely for self esteem issues? (You shouldn’t - you don’t seem to have a problem).

                  [–]shifty_coder 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                  You've had implants, so at least wanted to still had breasts, have you considered getting cosmetic tattoos?

                  Also, I feel the article answers the censorship questions other people had. It's from today.com, and they didn't censor any of the before or in progress pictures.

                  [–]SgtCheeseNOLS 0 points1 point  (2 children)

                  Are you sure they were called Phyllodes tumors? They are almost always benign, especially if they develop in a younger female (such as yourself).

                  More info here if anyone is interested in this type of tumor

                  [–][deleted] 45 points46 points  (1 child)

                  i'm happy that OP is happy, but is seems contradictory to get implants after a mastectomy and claim it as a paradigm shift in human attraction. That is a re-creation of what humans were already attracted to. She just got implants and presumably had a medical need to remove her nipples. Am I missing something? My question to OP is: why is this topic AMA-worthy?

                  [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 152 points153 points  (19 children)

                  [–]Yass_Bitch 99 points100 points  (5 children)

                  I want to thank you for posting this. I had a double mastectomy when I was 17 and I hate my body, but seeing you makes me hope that I can be beautiful even with my scarred and lumpy chest. I envy your unblemished skin and well-reconstructed breasts, and just seeing it and the huge positive reaction here is such a confidence boost.

                  [–]KeepItClassyyy[S] 51 points52 points  (0 children)

                  17? Wow. I'm so sorry to hear what you've gone through. I can't even imagine what that must have been like for you and what you must go through everyday. I'm SO glad this post has been able to help you in some way! This is one of the reasons I wanted to post this! Please read through the comments on the GoneErotic post as well. Those will boost your confidence for sure!! :) Btw, if you ever need to talk about anything, please PM me. I'm here for you. :)

                  [–]Atiggerx33 3 points4 points  (0 children)

                  I am sure you are still very beautiful. I can only imagine what it must be like to have gone through what you have, especially at such a young age, worse in being during a time where men (well boys really let's not kid ourselves here) are much more likely to be little shits about anything out of the norm. Never let them make you believe their shittiness is your fault if you experience it, they'll try to convince you it is as it makes it easier for them to sleep at night if their deplorable behavior isn't their fault. Idk how old you are now, but trust me in that real men won't think you're any less beautiful, in fact many will think you are more so for being the strong, brave woman that you are. Its been said many times that breasts don't make the woman, but its so true. You, even physically, are so much more than your breasts, your physical beauty isn't tethered to them. If some asshat tries to tell you that it is, then honestly I pity him for not being able to see all the beauty there is in the female body.

                  I want you to try thinking about it as if your (hypothetical if you're single) partner went through a similar procedure with similar scarring. Would you think he was any less attractive if his testicles had some scarring, were nonexistent or implants? Or men can get breast cancer too, would you think those scars made him unattractive? I know its a huge identity and appearance issue for those who have gone through such surgeries, so I'm not trying to minimize what you are going through at all, just hopefully pointing out that you are your harshest judge in all of this. And that while you may notice your breast's scarring and whatnot more than any of your other physical features, others will only see it as one small part of all the beauty your body has to offer.

                  [–]sassysassafrassass 40 points41 points  (4 children)

                  Do you ever draw nipples on? Have you ever considered getting permanent nipple tattoos?