Breast Cancer Survivor Shares Experience With Double Mastectomy

I met Nikki Carlson when she joined the New England Pinball League this summer at Arcadia National Bar.  She was working in Maine for several months and looking for a place to play while she was here. She quickly fit right in with our group of "pinball nerds" and she's a really good player too.

Soon after she joined up and we became friends on Facebook, I learned that she was a breast cancer survivor. Her experience with treatment, like many people diagnosed with breast cancer, left her with wishing she knew more about so many things.

On the one year anniversary of her "going flat" on one side of her chest, she posted her experience to her Facebook page, hoping to help others understand their options when faced with a breast cancer diagnosis.

I asked Nikki If I could share her post and she was happy to allow it. It contains pictures that some may find unsettling, but this is the harsh reality of what breast cancer and its treatment can do to a woman's body.

Nikki says that she is "more than happy to help anyone out to understand options and how to navigate the new journey after diagnosis." If you're one of those people who could benefit from talking with someone who has been through the ups and downs of breast cancer treatment, feel free to send her a message on her Facebook page.