When Natalie Rivas was diagnosed with advanced stage three breast cancer at age 37, she found herself in the hardest battle of her life.
While six aggressive rounds of chemotherapy were hard enough to go through, they were nothing compared to what came next: a double mastectomy that saw the loss of her breasts.
“To look down and see nothing but scars…it’s shocking, and for me it was scary,” Rivas recalled.
Fortunately, the restaurant owner was told about the possibilities of breast reconstruction surgery, and although it took six sessions over two years, she has no regrets about her decision.
“I’m exceptionally happy with them,” Rivas said about her new breasts.
“I think for me, it was to have that sort of normalcy at the end, and feel like a woman again.”
Indeed, several studies show that breast reconstruction can dramatically improve a woman’s mood, feelings of attractiveness, relationships, and even success at work.
But Rivas is among a small minority who are even made aware of the possibilities of reconstruction, and the many options that are available to them, often due to where they live.
WATCH: Dr. Nancy Van Laeken sits down with Global News Morning’s Lynn Colliar to answer questions about breast reconstruction.
That’s a shame, because Van Laeken says the options available to women have increased dramatically since the 1960s and 70s, when breast implants were the only way to go.
Now, in addition to implants, there are other techniques available, including using the patient’s own tissue to form a breast, often taken from the stomach or the buttocks.
With so much information and so many options often going unseen by many women struggling post-mastectomy — and stories like Rivas’ being far too uncommon — events like Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day are more important than ever.
WATCH: Dr. Sheina Macadam & Amanda McNally joined Sophie Lui in 2016 to tell her about Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day and the resources that are available for women.
Vancouver will be holding its own BRA Day event on Wednesday at Vancouver General Hospital, starting at 5 p.m. Cities across Canada are holding their own events Wednesday and throughout the rest of the month, while some have already been held earlier in October.
The free event will bring together several experts on breast reconstruction to answer questions and give details on the options available to women. It will also give attendees a chance to network with women who have gone through surgery and hear their stories.
More information about Vancouver’s BRA Day, including registration info, can be found here.
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