From Cancer to Canvas: How One Woman Reclaimed Her Body Through Tattoo Art

A breast cancer diagnosis throws a bomb into your life, one with a “just for the ladies” Molotov cocktail chaser. You’re learning you have a potentially life-threatening illness, while also making fast, irreversible decisions about surgical interventions that alter not just your appearance, but your sense of self.

Do you want treatment that conserves the breast but entails radiation? Silicone implants, which have a questionable safety record and may need replacing in a decade? Or reconstructed breasts made from tissue harvested from your thighs, stomach, or hips?

We’re fortunate to live in a world where women have options, but my gut told me none of them were right for me. Online research led me to images of women who had opted for “aesthetic flat closure,” a procedure that removes the cancer and closes the chest flat, without reconstruction.

I only had cancer in one breast. Was I brave enough to just have one removed and walk around with the other? I thought I was. I kept picturing trees on cliffsides, twisted and asymmetrical, but still beautiful and thriving. And then another thought came: Who needs a breast? I’ll get a tattoo.

I was incredibly fortunate that the people who see me naked were unwavering in their support as I contemplated this radical choice.

While researching surgical options, I learned that some implant recipients could preserve their natural nipples. I still didn’t want implants, but I asked my surgical team at UCLA if they could preserve the nipple and still opt for a flat closure. It was an unusual request, but the surgeons agreed to try, warning the results might not be “aesthetically acceptable.” After much discussion, my expectations were managed, and I went under the knife.

The first great news came quickly: I was cancer-free. Then the healing began. Cosmetically, things looked reasonably good, but my nipple was left somewhat deformed. Rather than pursue more plastic surgery, I decided to embrace my new, unusual chest.

After a year of healing, it was time to get the tattoo I’d been dreaming about. I knew I wanted a female artist, I was still self-conscious about my body, but I didn’t want a traditionally “feminine” design. I wanted something bold, striking, and graphic.

That’s when I found ROXX, whose work immediately spoke to me. Her art draws from the natural world, where everything is constantly flowing, changing, and evolving. I went in not knowing exactly what I wanted or what to expect, but I knew I was in the right hands.

Now, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see cancer anymore.
I just see art, and life.