A woman who has opted to have a double mastectomy because of a high risk of breast cancer shed six-and-a-half stone following weight-loss surgery.
Sarah McAvinchey, 29, said, “the most important thing I have learned is not to equate weight with happiness”.
Her mother was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer when Sarah was 13 and it was discovered it was caused by a mutation of the BRCA1 gene.
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When Sarah reached 18 she was also tested and found she had the same gene mutation.
Sarah said having the gene means, “there is an 80 to 85% chance of breast cancer so I have opted for a double mastectomy”.
She is having DIEP surgery where breast tissue is removed and at the same time abdominal tissue is used to reconstruct them.
However, Sarah has polycystic ovary syndrome and as a result is prone to putting on weight.
Despite years of trying different diets and exercise options, she did not lose sufficient weight, so in April last year she decided to have a gastric bypass. A year later she has lost six-and-a-half stone.
Sarah said: “The last year has been a rollercoaster. Physically, it was very difficult to manage at times with some pain from surgery and learning how and what to eat and drink.
“Mentally, this last year has been interesting as I do experience a bit of body dysmorphia.
“If someone congratulates me on weight loss or I look at myself in the mirror, I honestly can’t see a change. I only see the difference in photographs.”
She has also been targeted by trolls “who were keen on telling me that I am ‘still overweight, still ugly and took the easy way out by getting gastric surgery’.”
Sarah says she has not been swayed by them and says the last year “has been a positive experience for me”.
She added: “The most important thing I have learned is not to equate weight with happiness. For 27 years I compared myself to others. I worried about going up a dress size.
“I hated my rolls and chubby bits and only felt joy and self-compassion when I stood on the scales and the number was lower than the week before. What a horrible way to live.
“Now I know that my health is the most important thing, no matter what size I am. Once I am healthy and I know I am looking after myself, I can be happy.
“I can lose the guilt I get from food, the pressure from crash diets and the agony of relying on the numbers on the scales.
“For someone who hated her body and let that rule their emotions for their entire life, this is a big step.”
Sarah said after she spoke publicly last year about her journey and opting for gastric surgery to enable her to get the preventative double mastectomy, she was “absolutely overwhelmed with support”.
She said if one person checked their breasts for lumps as a result of her story “then I would do it all again in a heartbeat”.
Sarah added: “We need to look out for ourselves and treat our bodies and minds the way they deserve.”
She is on a waiting list for surgery and expects to get a date near Halloween.
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