Boob Voyage

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2017, and she chose to have a double mastectomy (surgical removal of both breasts). My mom and I used to watch The Bachelor together, and about a year before she was diagnosed, one of the former contestants on the show discovered she was positive for the BRCA gene. I followed her on Instagram and started reading her blog where she posted her life updates. She decided to have a double mastectomy and documented the whole thing on her blog. Before she had her surgery, she decided to throw a party with family and friends and called it a “Boob Voyage.” When mom made her surgery decision, I told her we should do the same. I thought it would be great to have fun with everyone, and everyone would know what mom would be going through in the future, without her having to say it over and over. 

Mom and Dad at her Boob Voyage

Mom had her double mastectomy scheduled for mid October (breast cancer awareness month 🎀), so we threw the party at the end of September. My dad had just built a garage the year before, and the weather worked out for us to be outside. We invited all our family, mom’s closest friends, and coworkers. There was lots of beer consumed and lots of pictures taken. Everyone had a lot of fun, and the support for mom made us all feel so loved.

We were fortunate that mom not only had an early diagnosis, so we had time to have a party like this, but also that she felt well emotionally to be able to enjoy her party. She always stayed so positive through all her health scares. If you have the opportunity to have a gathering like this, I definitely recommend it. It doesn’t have to be anything big, and it can be a simple as you want. There are so many sad times in life, so look for the good things that can be celebrated. I’m so grateful we were able to gather our loved ones together, and I’m so grateful for all the pictures we have from that night.

BeST,

Brittany