I AM OFFICIALLY HAVING A REVISION SURGERY!!!

While doing research on the three different breast implants available in the US, I realized that a lot of companies and surgeons aren’t as transparent as you may think they are.

[WATCH THE IMPLANT COMPARISON VIDEO HERE]

When it comes to making surgery decisions, it can be very difficult to find information online and patients are rarely told that THEY have a choice when it comes to which implants are going to be placed in their bodies.

I experienced this first hand with my double mastectomy.

I wasn't given much information.

My doctor just told me, this is what you are going to get.

While I trusted my doctor to do what was best for me, I didn’t realize that oftentimes doctors do what they are best at, versus what may be best for your body.

I didn't realize that I had a choice.

Because of this, I have been living in pain and discomfort for the past three years due to my implant placement and how my mastectomy was done.

I have nothing against implant manufacturers or surgeons - what upsets me is the lack of transparency and the lack of power I feel like, I as a patient, had over choices that impacted my life and my body.

I want to change this experience for all of us.

I don't think the process of undergoing a mastectomy, a reconstruction or revision surgery, or choosing a brand of implants should be so overwhelming or complicated for us to navigate.

I think all of us should know what our options are. I think all of us should know that we HAVE options.

When I was working on the breakdown of the three implant manufacturers in the US, I fell in love with Mentor and their entire team. I have gotten to know them over the past few months and they have been so transparent and open with me. They always hopped on the phone or jumped on a skype with me when I had questions. They made me feel so seen and so heard. They didn't try to put me into a box. They treated me like you would treat a dear friend, with love and kindness and support.

So after this positive and empowering experience and learning about how much care and concern goes into the manufacturing of their implants, I realized that I was FINALLY ready to undergo a revision surgery and swap my current implants for Mentor Breast Implants.

I reached out to their team and asked if they would like to officially partner with me while I navigate my revision surgery.

I realized that when you partner with a brand in this way you are able to get to know them and create a relationship with them. It also gives you access to information that we typically wouldn't be privy to.

I am so grateful that I have worked so hard to become an advocate in the breast cancer community over these past three years. I get access to so much information that so many people don't get access to and I want to change that. I want to share everything I know with my community. I want all of you to get a better understanding of this process so you can go to your doctor to ask the right questions and feel empowered when making these huge decisions.

If we have been friends on Instagram for awhile, then you know I have been debating over the past couple of years whether or not I want to have a revision surgery. Now that I am FINALLY ready, I want to bring you along with me.

I was really nervous about reaching out to Mentor about this opportunity because I thought they wouldn't want to partner with me in this way or that it would be similar to other medical device companies I have worked with in the past who try to control the information and control what you say and post. This is absolutely not what I was looking for and something I would never agree to.

When Mentor told me they were so excited to bring me on as part of their Mentor family as a #MentorAmbassador and that they wanted to hear MY ideas and how I wanted this partnership to go, I couldn't have been happier.

I think they are excited because the onus has always been on our doctors to tell us about our implant options. Mentor doesn't have the capability to be in every single doctor's office to present their implants and answer all of the questions we as patients have. So it made sense for me to help them bridge that gap for all of us!

I am so excited and can’t wait to share more with you. If you have any questions or if there is anything you want to see in particular, please let me know!!!

As I share this experience, I want you to know that you have a choice. You have options. When it comes to your body, you know what is best.

**This post was created in partnership with Mentor. This is a demo implant**