Life without boobs: Meet the women staying flat after breast cancer

We’re told boobs are sexy! Bouncy! Nutritious food banks even! But what happens when they betray you? Every year in Australia, around 20,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Forty per cent of those will need a mastectomy, surgery to have the breast tissue removed. Some of those women will choose not reconstruct, to stay "flat."Yumi Stynes speaks to "flatties" about their relationship with their new bodies. You'll hear from women who've had one or both breasts removed about how their decision has reshaped their sex lives and body image and how they've found hope in new forms.If you've got boobs, or know someone who does, this episode will make you question how you think about them. Featured in this episode: Dr Charlotte Tottman, psycho-oncologist  Useful links:Upfront About Breast Cancer – What You Don't Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte TottmanBreast Cancer Network AustraliaSo Brave Breast Cancer CharityMastectomy: Breast Surgery and RecoveryWhat to listen to next: Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s successGetting to the bottom of IBSYou can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  What to read next:  How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhoodWhat loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look likeThe dark side of being a perfectionistWhy genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex lifeThis episode contains references to breast cancer, going flat, staying flat, flatties, reconstruction, surgery, chemotherapy, body image, femininity, boobs, psychology, mental health, gender.