The Cherry Blossoms Tattoo Where My Breast Cancer Scar Was

By Catherine Gigante-Brown

When Instagram recently banned photos showing the post-mastectomy tattoos of breast cancer survivors, the world justifiably responded with incredulity and outrage. The controversy surfaced, yet again, how society is keen to assign sexuality and shame to breasts, even when — as this case powerfully demonstrates — they are something so much more.

The controversy resonated with me in a very personal way, because I am one of the survivors who’s used post-mastectomy tattoos to heal following breast cancer. More than that, far from being the selfish act I initially thought it would be, my decision has helped embolden other women to make peace with their own bodies.

Instagram would likely ban the photos of my tattoos — but they can’t stop me from sharing them, or my story, here.

***

More than a year after I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, after the reconstructive surgery failed and the tissue expander had to be removed, I was left with an angry-looking, concave incision mark. And I knew, in that moment, two things:

• I was happy to be alive; and
• I was tired of looking at the blank space where my left breast used to be.