Young woman throws 'goodbye boobs' party ahead of double-mastectomy

Perth psychology student and youth worker Jaimee Watts was just 26-years-old and in a new relationship when she found out that she had the BRCA1 gene - meaning she had an 80 percent chance of developing both breast and ovarian cancer.

“When the genetic counsellor told me I was positive, I felt quite numb [but] when I got off the phone, I looked at my friend and burst into tears,” Jaimee recalled.

She was told that she had just two options: to have regular six-month check-ups, or undergo surgery to remove both her breasts.

Goodbye, boobs!

Jaimee made the heartbreaking decision to have the surgery, which is called a double mastectomy, as she felt it gave her the best chance at avoiding cancer, particularly since it appears to run in the family.

Two years earlier, Jaimee’s mum was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and her aunt lost her breast cancer battle at the young age of 31.

“I have watched so many people in my family get a cancer diagnosis and most of them did not survive; for me comparing that scenario to getting a mastectomy seemed like a no brainer,” she explained.

A month before Jaimee’s procedure in October 2018, her close friends decided to throw her a party to celebrate her breasts.

“I arrived at my friend’s house who was hosting, and all my friends were already there; they had set up all the games and food areas beautifully,” Jaimee said.

The ‘goodbye boobs’ celebration featured a boob-shaped cake and piñata, and a bonfire where Jaimee and her pals burned all of her bras.

“The party made me feel so special, having all of my best friends around me who love me and were helping me celebrate my breasts was so beautiful,” she added.

“For me my boob party was a physical manifestation of my twenty-six-year long relationship with my boobs. It represented celebrating the years that I had with them and journey they have taken with me.”

After the party

As the reality of her upcoming six-hour procedure - and the six-week recovery period - began to sink in, Jaimee went to therapy sessions to come to terms with the many implications involved.

For one, she would never be able to breastfeed, and her chest could be numb from her ribs to her lower neck. Even if she underwent a subsequent breast reconstruction, they may never look the same again.

“Your boobs are a body part like any other and it is as if you are amputating a limb. However, it's a part of you that isn’t sick and currently has no problems,” Jaimee explained.

“That’s the hard part to get your head around. I was choosing to take drastic action and remove a healthy part of my body that represented my femininity and my sexuality,” she added.

Jaimee had the chance to pose in the nude for a photographer before her surgery which she said made her feel empowered.

After the initial surgery, Jaimee underwent several more procedures due to complications with the implants she had inserted. She was left flat-chested for the next three months before having tissue expanders inserted into her chest.

In June 2019, Jaimee had her final surgery to replace the expanders with regular implants which are now healing well.

Jaimee’s message

Jaimee admits that she was not aware of the risk that she was facing, and had checked her own breasts just three times in her life.

“I think breast cancer is something that we as women know about for our whole lives but maintain the mindset that it won’t be us,” she said.

“I would tell women to be your own advocate and do the research. If you know there is a risk in your family of breast or ovarian cancer, investigate it and ask questions,” she added.

“No-one is asking you to have a mastectomy or even to choose to get tested for a gene fault but education is power and the more you know the better.”

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