Stephanie Germino who underwent a double mastectomy says she’s more confident in her body now (photos)
A 29-year-old woman who underwent a double mastectomy has revealed she is now more confident than she used to be.
Stephanie Germino, from Florida, was left shocked when she was told there was a mutation in her BRCA1 gene, which meant she had an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer.
In a bid to avoid getting the deadly illness, the mom decided to undergo a double mastectomy, where both breasts were removed, and refused a reconstruction.
Now, the influencer, who boasts more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok as @theebooblessbabe_, is using social media to share her story, raise awareness of the procedure, and detail her newfound ‘freedom.’
Stephanie revealed the positive aspects of having a double mastectomy, including the ‘freedom’ of not having to wear a bra and going topless in public.
‘I’m 100 percent more confident in my body now than I was pre-surgery, as I never loved my breasts when I had them,’ the mom told Shera.
‘They weren’t my source of femininity and I do get stares when I’m out topless in public, but nobody has ever come up to me being rude – it’s always positive.’
She explained that she was overjoyed to finally throw out her bras, although it took her some time to get adjusted to her new body.
‘I absolutely love the fact that I don’t have to wear bras ever again, as there’s something about being bare. It did take me a minute to finally get rid of my bra, but I threw the wire bra out immediately,’ Stephanie said.
‘My sports bra though, that’s more or less what I used on a day-to-day basis. It’s cute, faithful and I questioned whether I should keep it – so I did, as it’s a reminder of the bright side.’
Stephanie, who is mom to six-year-old Josiah, claimed she knew from the age of 15 that she was a potential carrier of the mutation due to both her mom and grandmother having the same gene.
Her mom, who also got a preventative double mastectomy in her 40s, had a breast reconstruction afterwards.
But for Stephanie, who underwent the procedure in October 2021 at Tampa General Hospital, Florida, she opted against having breast reconstruction due to a range of factors.
‘There are three reasons why I chose not to get one. One being that breast implant illness is a thing and several people I know have suffered from it, so this wasn’t a risk I wanted to take,’ she said.
‘Secondly, implant maintenance every 10 years seems like unnecessary additional surgeries and [finally], I don’t like the way implants look without breast tissue to soften them up.’
Stephanie credited her ability to make the decision without any regrets to her friends and family.
However, she revealed she did receive hate when she decided not to have a reconstruction.
‘My family and friends were really supportive about the preventative surgery, but I did face pushback when I said I wasn’t having a reconstruction,’ Stephanie said.
‘[Just like them], I also had a surgeon tell me that I would regret it, so I should have a Goldilocks procedure, where they leave extra skin.
‘If I decided later on to get a reconstruction, then the implants could be inserted – this made me very worried that my wishes weren’t going to be respected. Even before surgery, when I was getting prepped, I kept telling every nurse to make sure I was completely flat.
‘But when I opened my binder, which is what they put on after surgery to keep the compression running, I saw a left breast on my body.’