"My Battle with Breast Cancer"

"I Was So Scared of the Surgery"

That summer Kristin and Andrew tried to enjoy family barbecues and the beach house they'd rented. But Kristin couldn't help but be preoccupied by what was to come. "I'd never had surgery before, and this was huge," she says. "I was so scared." She also worried about Andrew. While most young couples were saving for a house, having fun, and planning a family, "my poor husband and I were dealing with this. I felt guilty," she says. Kristin feared that the surgery would affect their relationship. "I was like, you're not going to think I'm attractive anymore," she recalls. "He said, 'I just want you here. I didn't marry you for your breasts.'"

To distract herself, Kristin worked late most nights and then headed to the gym. She also went for three-mile runs several times a week. "I worked out until the day before my surgery," she says. "It helped so much, especially running. I could let my mind go when I ran. That got me through."

In October, Dr. Port performed Kristin's first surgery, and the procedure went well. Because she was so fit, Kristin was able to get up and walk around the next day, but she was in serious pain. The toughest part was when the bandages came off; they had to be changed twice daily. "I was petrified to see myself," Kristin says. "At the hospital, the nurse made me take a good look. It was so hard to see scars where my breasts used to be. But I also felt a sense of relief. I knew that was the worst it would be and that in time I'd look normal again."