While we’re used to seeing plenty of drama while The Bachelor cameras are rolling (and even when they’re turned off, TBH), that doesn’t mean that that the contestants we either like, love, or loathe don’t face challenges when they return to their lives at home (just ask Josh Murray and Amanda Stanton). That includes Lesley Murphy, who has just shared an incredibly brave post-op photo after undergoing a double mastectomy.
When Murphy tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, she knew it meant she had a higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer. After watching her mother battle and beat the disease, Lesley decided to take matters into her own hands when it came to her physical health. The 29-year-old opted for a double mastectomy to try to lessen the likelihood of being diagnosed with cancer herself.
Murphy has now taken to Instagram to not only share a picture of herself post-op, but to also share her story, saying, “My Sunday best, or what I could manage to put on today with limited arm movements.🤷🏼♀️My mom washed and dried my hair today. She dresses me in the mornings. She also measures my drains twice daily which are the tubes you see coming out of my lovely red apron I never take off. She’s the freaking best. She slept in my hospital room and bed at home for the first few nights, helping me in and out of bed and giving me meds at horrid hours to control the pain.”
She continued, “I have to sleep on my back in the exact same position every night. Sometimes when I make the wrong movements it feels like my chest is detaching from my body, but all in all, I think my upper half is healing nicely! Sure, it’s sunken in and lumpy because what you see are deflated expanders that were put in which will gradually get filled every 2-3 weeks as I get ready for reconstructive surgery. Hopefully by then the permanent marker will be off my body😂I feel lucky because my surgeons only made one vertical incision on the lower half of both breasts while saving skin & nipple. So while all breast tissue is (hopefully) gone, I retained some of the old me! Happy Sunday. God is good.🙌🏻💞 #LesleysBreasties #LesNipsBRCAintheBud #BreastCancerAwareness #FightLikeAGirl.”
Fans were touched by her openness and honesty, leaving comments like, “How beautiful & brave of u to share this with us!! I’m sure you are an inspiration to many!! ❤️❤️” and “Thank you for your bravery and strength! My mom and grandmother are both breast cancer survivors and your story has motivated me to have the same testing conducted. 💜”
Thank you, Lesley, for your inspiration, your bravery, and for #fightinglikeagirl!
What do you think about Lesley Murphy sharing a pic of herself post-mastectomy? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Today; photo via Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty)
