Stephanie Germino, who underwent a double mastectomy and decided against breast reconstruction, is glad she didn’t have implants.
When Stephanie, 29, was told her BRCA1 gene had a mutation, meaning she had an 87% chance of developing breast cancer, she wasn’t shocked – it runs in the family.
To avoid cancer, she made the courageous decision to have a double mastectomy, removing both breasts, but refused reconstruction.
The influencer, who has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok (@theeboblessbabe_), is now taking to social media to share her story and bring attention to the proceedings.
In a YouTube video (@shera_oficl) posted to Shera, Stephanie talks about the snide comments she gets from people online.
She has also revealed the positive aspects of a double mastectomy, including the “freedom” of not having to wear a bra and going topless in public.
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The mother from Florida, USA said: “I now have 100% more confidence in my body than before the surgery because I never liked my breasts when I had them.
“You weren’t my source of femininity and I get stares when I’m topless in public, but no one has ever called me rude – it’s always a positive thing.”
“I love that I never have to wear bras again because there’s something about being naked.
“It took me a minute to finally get rid of my bra, but I threw the underwire bra away right away.
“My sports bra is, I use it pretty much every day.
“It’s cute, faithful and I wasn’t sure I’d keep it – so I did because it’s a positive memory.”
Stephanie, the mother of six-year-old Josiah, claims she knew she was a potential carrier of the mutation since she was 15 because her mother and grandmother both had the same mutation.
Her mother, who also underwent a preventive double mastectomy in her 40s, then underwent breast reconstruction.
But Stephanie, who underwent the procedure in October 2021 at Tampa General Hospital, Florida, was hesitant due to a number of factors.
She said: “There are three reasons why I didn’t choose one.
“One is that breast implant disease is a thing and several people I know have suffered from it, so it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take.
“Second, implant maintenance every 10 years seems unnecessary additional surgeries and [finally]I don’t like how implants look without breast tissue to soften them.”
Stephanie’s friends and family supported the preventive surgery, but they weren’t too happy that she decided not to have reconstruction.
Stephanie said: “I had a backlash when I said I didn’t have reconstruction.
“I also had a surgeon tell me I would regret it, so I would have to have a Goldilocks procedure where they leave extra skin.
“If I later decided to have a reconstruction, the implants could be placed – I was very afraid that my wish would not be respected.
“Even before the surgery, when I was getting ready, I told every nurse to make sure I was completely flat.
“But when I opened my binder, which they put on after surgery to maintain compression, I saw a left breast on my body.”
Stephanie recalls feeling betrayed and her “worst fears” coming true, only to discover it was due to swelling.
Now she’s taken to social media to draw attention to the proceedings and her decision to oppose reconstruction – but not everyone supported her.
She said: “I get a lot of derogatory and mean comments, it’s scary how ignorant and mean people can be.
“It’s crazy that they have no problem showing that to the whole world.
“I was told, ‘You must be a man,’ ‘Where have your breeders gone?’ and “You’re going to hell”.’
Stephanie was also told that “no one wants you now that you mutilated yourself” and that “this generation is screwed, no one wants to see that”.
She added: “Breast cancer knows no boundaries, men and women of all ages can get it. I hope the trolls stop being ignorant before it hits someone they love or themselves.
Stephanie said people consider her transgender, but she has “a lot of confidence” in her decision not to have reconstructive surgery.
“Nobody can convince me to do something I don’t want to do for my body and what I want it to look like,” she said.
The mom hopes to raise awareness by sharing her story on social media, and despite trolls calling her “attention seekers,” she believes the message is being heard.
Stephanie added: “People often say I do this to get attention and I absolutely do, that’s my mission.
“But I’m not looking for attention, I want people to see my story and raise awareness about this disease.
“Unfortunately, we live in a society where we care deeply about how people look. I want women to accept themselves, with or without implants.”
Stephanie wants to encourage women to do what’s right for their bodies and not be influenced by the judgment of others.
She said: “My advice to anyone going through the same situation is that you are not alone.
“Just understand that everything you do for your body is for you and you have to stay strong in that decision.
“You are solid and I can’t imagine a better warrior than a woman who has defied all odds and violated society’s norms.
“Look at your body and love to endure the worst case scenario.”
Source: Subway
Source: Metro
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