Name: TracieProfession: President, Pink Ribbon GirlsReconstructive Procedure: Breast Reconstruction
At 30 years old, Tracie Metzger, blessed with a devoted husband and two young children, found a lump in her breast. At her young age and with no family history of breast cancer, Tracie had to push her doctor to perform tests. She had an ultra-sound which indicated no cancer.
But Tracie’s instincts told her to pursue removal of the tumor, and once again she had to push her doctors to perform the procedure. She woke up from anesthesia to the news that she had Stage 1 breast cancer.
“Be your own advocate,” says Tracie. “If there is something inside you that doesn’t feel right, push your doctors for answers.”
After discussing her options with her general surgeon and an ASPS Member Surgeon, she chose to have a double mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction with saline implants, followed by aggressive chemotherapy.
“When I decided to have the mastectomy, I thought I would never wear a bathing suit again,” said Tracie. “When I talked with my plastic surgeon, he explained all of my options and showed me photos of other patients. I thought how natural and otherwise normal their reconstruction looked.”
Waking up from surgery with her breasts reconstructed was both physically and emotionally reassuring for Tracie. “Knowing ahead of time was a big comfort, to know that right away I would look like my old self. I didn’t need a second surgery and within two months I looked fabulous. That gave me a lot of peace of mind.”
Her six month journey left her asking ‘how do I go back to living again?’ She found her answer when she and two other young recovering breast cancer patients founded ‘Pink Ribbon Girls,’ a support and educational group for young women with breast cancer.
“Pink Ribbon Girls promotes normalcy through the entire process,” said Tracie. “We focus on the special needs of young women. Eight women came to our first meeting, twelve at the next, then thirty and fifty. We realized we were filling a huge need that wasn’t being met in Ohio.”
Pink Ribbon Girls now has a membership of over 200 and an affiliate chapter in Kentucky.
“Less than five percent of cancer patients are under forty,” according to Tracie. “Self-exams are important and women should start them at age 20. I’m fine now, but five years ago I had breast cancer. We’re here to help other women get through it.”
Tracie and her husband now have four children and added a puppy to the family earlier this year. Visit Pink Ribbon Girls Learn more about Breast Reconstruction |
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“Self-exams are important and women should start them at age 20. I’m fine now, but five years ago I had breast cancer. We’re here to help other women get through it.” |
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