Fitness, Beauty, and Relationships in the BRCA World

Sarah Messali tested positive for a mutation in the BRCA2 gene when she was 18 years old. By her early 20s, she was getting regular breast screenings. Watching her mother go through a diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer solidified her decision to pursue a prophylactic mastectomy with reconstruction. Sarah has written extensively about how her surgeries and long recoveries have impacted her life and her young children. Her writing includes a deeply personal look at how she feels about her breasts and how this has impacted her self-esteem, her dating life, and her passion for weightlifting, health, and physical fitness. Story Reference Points: Sarah’s BRCA2 positive result at age 18 @ 1:42 Sarah’s decision to pursue a prophylactic mastectomy @ 5:46 Breast reconstruction outcomes @ 13:45 Breast reconstruction, fitness, and 2nd opinions @ 17:44 Sarah loses her aunt to breast cancer in 2nd grade @ 24:53 Dating in a new chapter of life @ 27:10 Sarah’s boudoir photo shoot @ 31:25 Connect with Sarah on Social Media: Sarah on Instagram: @SarahNMessali Sarah on Twitter: @SarahMessali Links and Resources “I Love my Body More, Since Having a Mastectomy.”Worthy.October 14, 2018. BRCA Fitness and Nutrition Facebook Group Check out other Patient Stories podcast episodes. Read one of Sarah’s blog posts as well as other Patient Stories on the Grey Genetics Patient Stories Page Do you want to support Patient Stories? You can now make a donation online! Want to support Patient Stories in a non-monetary way? Leave us a review on iTunes, or share your favorite episodes on Social Media. Patient Stories on Twitter: @GreyGeneticsPod Patient Stories on Instagram: @patientstoriespodcast Are you looking for genetic counseling? Patient Stories is sponsored by Grey Genetics, an independent telehealth genetic counseling and consulting company. Book an appointment with a genetic counselor specialized in your area of concern. Choose from our growing Network of Genetic Counselors. All genetic counseling appointments take place over secure, HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing or by phone. Use this link to book with one of our growing number of genetic counselors who specialize in cancer genetics!