Vendela Lindqvist discovered the lump in her breast at the age of 30 when she was breastfeeding her second child.
It turned out to be aggressive breast cancer and both breasts were surgically removed.
– I had to nag to avoid breast reconstruction. The doctor thought I would feel mentally ill without breasts and feel unfeminine, she says, she says.
Vendala Lindqvist was supported by the association Plattnormen, which today consists of nearly 800 women from all over the country who have undergone breast cancer surgery. They are fighting for flat symmetry to be accepted, for healthcare to be better at informing about the alternatives and for the right to operate on even a healthy breast.
Today, it is usually only done if you have a gene mutation, as in Vendela’s case. In some places the situation has improved, but far from good.
The Doctor: “Losing your femininity”
– The doctor told me that I will lose my femininity without the breasts. I don’t agree with that at all. It’s not there, but in my personality. I wanted to avoid the worry and discomfort, says Vendela Lindqvist.
She had also been told that she would in all likelihood feel mentally ill if she chose not to reconstruct her breasts. Something she doesn’t agree with either.
– I have never once regretted choosing to be flat-chested. And for those who want to remove their healthy breast to get symmetry, it should be the same right and paid for by healthcare in a similar way as if you want to have a breast reconstruction.
“A controversial issue”
Professor Emma Hansson, who is a senior physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, researches reconstruction methods after breast cancer.
– The information is different in different parts of the country. We know that from the surveys that have been carried out. Of course, we should not persuade anyone to do breast reconstruction, it is up to each individual. When it comes to removing a healthy breast, however, it is a controversial issue. The approach of healthcare is not to cut into healthy tissue, says Emma Hansson.