Woman Posts Lighthearted Double Mastectomy Photos To Show That, Sometimes, Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine

Woman's Lighthearted Mastectomy Photos Show Laughter Is The Best Medicine

A woman's double mastectomy photos are making waves after she chose to look on the bright side ahead of her preventative surgery and prove that she hasn't lost her sense of humour.

Amanda Stewart, 33, organised a before-and-after photo shoot, where she was pictured holding balloons in front of her breasts. Another photo shows her nipples covered with emojis with the caption: "Bye bye boobies!"

She's shared the photos on her Facebook page 'Cancer. You Lose', and - unsurprisingly - they've gone viral.

Following in the footsteps of Claira Hermet, the mother-of-two held a farewell party with family and friends, prior to surgery, to send her boobs off in style.

Stewart was advised by doctors to get a double mastectomy due to her family's history of breast cancer - eight women in her family had been affected by it.

But after searching the web for stories and photos from women in a similar position to give her strength before the surgery, she found there were none.

"I couldn't find any preventative post-surgery photos or stories in the lead up to my operation, only post-cancer ones and they were all very somber and sad," Stewart told the Independent.

So, in a bid to show that this kind of situation doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, she set up a Facebook page in which she documented her mastectomy journey in a less serious way.

According to Stewart, who has dubbed herself a "breast cancer previvor", by fusing the words "preventative" and "survivor" , she has reduced her chances of contracting breast cancer from 97% to 5% by having the double mastectomy.

She says that "fear" played a huge part in making her have the surgery.

"I didn't want to keep living with the fear of knowing that any day a lump could appear," she told the Mail Online. "Whenever I was watching TV I would be checking for lumps all over the place every day and over time that has a huge psychological effect."

After the surgery, she revealed her mastectomy scars to the world, too.

Stewart, who is from Carluke, South Lanarkshire, said that she was nervous to post the photos on social media after surgery. But says that, despite her scars, she is incredibly proud of her body.

She hopes that documenting her journey in a positive light will make other women less apprehensive about going for the surgery, while offering comfort and support to women who are going through a similar experience.

"I wanted to... show that you can should be proud of yourself and your body to reduce the stigma surrounding getting the surgery," she said.

"It's a positive decision. You're given this gift and taking control. I'm a previvor - not a survivor."

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