“I have to say I was NOT mentally prepared for the body dysmorphia that came with implants. I was told that they would help me “feel whole again” after my breasts were amputated for cancer treatment, but instead getting implants and reconstruction couldn’t have looked or felt less “me” - when I looked in the mirror I saw a deformed version of myself. The worse my body felt from the implants, the worse my dysmorphia became. I would stare at these painful little balls strapped to my chest and not understand how anyone could find them comfortable. My side effects and symptoms stacking up like old CD’s, a painful reminder of my age and failing health. Looking in the mirror after my explant surgery felt like a metaphysical weight off of my chest. My body free of the literal weights pulling my health into free fall, I feel more confident than ever when I look in the mirror. My scars may not be beautiful, aesthetically, but they’re signs of the battle fought below and within. My body feels ...