269. Beyond One and Done: The Realities of Surgery and Reconstruction with Veronica Novy

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Six years ago, Veronica shared her powerful story about preparing for surgery—a conversation that quickly became one of the most-downloaded episodes in SBC history. Today, she returns to reflect on her journey, her many surgeries, and the lessons she’s learned along the way. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: The early days of diagnosis: how a mobile mammogram outside her job led to a life-changing discovery. The ups and downs: from a cold doctor delivering the news without compassion to the challenges of medical transport gone wrong. Surgical decisions: why she chose a single mastectomy, her experience with implants, and ultimately her deep flap reconstruction. The realities of reconstruction: expanders, drains, scars, revisions, and what no one tells you about the process. The emotional toll: navigating fear, shame, and the weight of making decisions as a single woman with limited support. Wisdom gained: why asking the right questions, putting yourself first, and letting go of blame are critical parts of survivorship. Welcome to the conversation. Veronica's first podcast, Mastectomy Recovery Tips:https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/podcast/episode/c112012f/60-mastectomy-recovery-tips-what-i-wish-i-had-known-or-interview-with-veronica Attend a free virtual SurvivingBreastCancer.org program (support groups, yoga, medication, expressive writing, art expression, and more!): https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/events Subscribe to our weekly newsletter https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/subscribe Follow us on Instagram SurvivingBreastCancer.org: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/ Breast Cancer Conversations: https://www.instagram.com/breastcancerconversations/ Support our Podcast, every dollar counts! https://givebutter.com/0fCiEU Support the show Listener Feedback If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also click the link in the show notes that says "Love this episode? Send us a text" to share feedback. Messages are completely anonymous. If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address in your message so we can respond. Latest News: Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday! Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources from SurvivingBReastCancer.org! Become a Breast Cancer Conversations+ Member! Sign Up Now. Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our work.