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Whole Again

Eighteen months after double mastectomy surgery, Debbie continues to feel more and more like the woman she was before cancer. Getting comfortable with her new body was far from an overnight process; even after the saline implants and nipple tattooing were completed, there were moments when she longed for her old self. "After my wedding, even though I looked OK, psychologically, I still wasn't OK with myself yet," Debbie said.

This was because of some important differences between real and reconstructed breasts, which can take many women by surprise no matter how prepared they are for the reality they've been told to expect. Debbie had very little feeling in her breasts and very little movement.

Today, she feels whole again. "I've accepted it," she says. "I've grown into the body that I have now, and no matter how difficult the process was to get here, it was worth it to feel complete."