Meet Kat James - you can follow her @kat_hardie_james

We are stronger than we know ladies. Stronger than we know 💪🏻
Meet @kat_hardie_james. She is a total girl boss, has the biggest heart, is a global health researcher and one of the best people I know. This is her story

A year ago, I got the call that no one wants to get - my father had a rare form of terminal cancer.

Knowing about my own BRCA status, about a month after my dad passed away, I went in for my routine breast MRI. I was in complete and utter shock when I received the call telling me that the doctors had discovered a large suspicious mass in my right breast. After further testing and a core needle biopsy, the doctors determined that the mass was benign, but it served as a major wake-up call. I realized that even though I was still grieving, I couldn't ignore my own BRCA+ status. I might not be so lucky next time around.

After attending a Breastie retreat in January, I decided to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy at the beginning of April. And even though I developed a hematoma I must say, it is the BEST DECISION I have ever made.

My mastectomy advice:
1) All mastectomies are not the same. Do your research! I went the Direct-to-Implant route because emotionally I just needed the process to be behind me as quickly as possible.
2) Be your own advocate. I had to see 3 plastic surgeons before I found one that would do the surgery the way I wanted.
3) Take photos and have a tatas party! It’s a huge experience that deserves to be celebrated!
4) REACH OUT. It’s a bizarre life experience and you need your breasties to process it with. Who else is going to tell you that your nipples completely scabbing over is TOTALLY NORMAL?!?!

While the process has been extremely mentally and physically challenging, I have been blown away by my body’s ability to heal. Only four months out, I have already gone to Africa twice for work and I’m planning on spending the fall backpacking through South America (yolo)

As one Breastie told me before my mastectomy, ‘It’s going to hurt. You’re going to cry. But, it will be so, so worth it.’ Now having gone through the experience myself, I couldn’t have said it better 💕