By Bassam Sabbagh - Montréal Portrait and Boudoir Photographer

This is a story about facing fear, embracing change, and falling in love with your body all over again. From genetic testing and multiple surgeries to the emotional landscape of healing, Lianne shares how choosing to live flat helped her rediscover her femininity, her power, and her joy. Her voice in the POWER in PINK campaign is a celebration of courage and self-defined beauty.

A Preventative Journey Rooted in Family History

In 2003, I learned I carried the BRCA2 genetic mutation - something I inherited from my paternal grandmother, who had been diagnosed with both breast and ovarian cancer. This discovery didn’t just bring fear; it brought clarity and choices. Knowing I was at high risk, I enrolled in screening programs and began to plan a path that would allow me to take control of my future.

At the age of 29, I made the difficult but empowering decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy. I initially chose to have implants and reconstructive surgery, a decision that felt right at the time. Years later, in 2020, I opted for an explant and an aesthetic flat closure, choosing to live flat and embrace my body in its new form.

In 2019, just before the explant, I also had a full hysterectomy, including the removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes, virtually eliminating my risk of ovarian cancer. That surgery, while protective, ushered me into menopause at just 39 years old. It was a lot. But it was mine to choose, and that changed everything.

The Waiting Was the Hardest Part

What many people don't realize is that the most difficult part of this journey wasn’t necessarily the surgeries or the recovery. It was the waiting. Waiting for surgery dates. Waiting for test results. Waiting for healing. Once I had decided to move forward, I wanted to act quickly. I didn’t want to live under the cloud of “what if.” Taking decisive steps gave me a sense of power over my circumstances. That, and the unwavering support of my family, is what helped me through.

Redefining Femininity and Falling in Love With My Body Again

Before my diagnosis, and even after my first surgeries, I didn’t anticipate how profoundly my relationship with my body would shift. I now hold deep gratitude for my body, not just for what it looks like, but for what it has carried me through.

It’s a strange and beautiful truth: I’ve never felt more feminine, more like myself, than I do now, without many of the so-called “female” parts. Removing the implants changed everything. I wrote this in an online support group shortly after my explant:

“I explanted after 11 years with implants and I LOVE my scarred, concave, sternum-showing, breastless body! One of the best surprises post-explant is that I’ve regained feeling in my chest. I can feel touch again - my own and my husband’s. I didn’t know that would mean so much to me. I am so comfortable in my own skin now. My body is my own again, and I love it.”

There are so many things I don’t miss about removing my implants: the constant cold of the implants, the need for tank tops to insulate them, the lack of sensation, the strange muscle pulling, the hard, immobile feeling of them. What do I miss about going flat? Nothing!

Redefining Strength

Strength, to me, isn’t loud. It doesn’t always roar. It’s quiet, resilient, and often discovered in the most trying moments. We don’t know what we’re capable of until life tests us, and I’ve come to see that strength was always there, waiting for me to need it.

Every Journey Is Different… and That’s Okay

One thing I wish people better understood about breast cancer is how emotionally varied each journey can be. Some grieve their bodies. Others feel relief. Some experience trauma. Some, like me, feel empowered. All of it is valid.

There’s no “right” way to feel. The best thing we can do is honor those feelings, whatever they may be. For me, knowledge was power. The more I researched and learned about each procedure, the more confident I became in my choices.

Support That Carried Me

I am so grateful for the circle of love that surrounded me through every step. My husband, my parents, my brother, and especially my sister, who slept on my couch after my mastectomy, waking every four hours to give me medication. They were all pillars of support. Their belief in me reinforced my own.

Reclaiming My Identity

The turning point for me came after my explant. I didn’t expect it to be as life-changing as it was, but it felt like coming home to myself. I no longer wear prosthetics - not even once since the surgery. I don’t need them to feel whole or beautiful. I am whole. I am beautiful. Flat is not a loss. For me, it’s freedom.

Why I Joined the POWER in PINK Campaign

Participating in this experience felt like a natural step in continuing to own and share my truth. I want people to see that flat is a valid and beautiful choice. I am still me. Still strong. Still whole.

This campaign is about representation, about breaking molds and showing others, especially women, that beauty doesn’t have a single definition. I hope my story helps others feel seen and supported.

Processing Through Storytelling

One of the most healing practices for me was writing. Putting my feelings into words helped me make sense of everything I was going through. If you’re in this space yourself, I invite you to read more of my reflections on my blog:

lianne-brca2.livejournal.com

Final Words

To anyone just starting this journey, you can do this. Even in the moments when it feels like you can’t, especially then, you are still moving forward. And that is power.

Here I am, 45 years old, loving my scarred, concave, breastless body. I feel more feminine, more powerful, and more myself than ever. My body is not broken. It is mine and it tells the story of courage, choice, and healing.

If I could leave you with one message, it would be this:

Flat is beautiful. I am beautiful. And so are you.