South African woman celebrates being cancer free

Zoleka Mandela apparently has beaten breast cancer and is not holding back to share her joy. She was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago and had a double mastectomy. Shared her inspiring story on Instagram yesterday.

“Can you believe that this year marks 4yrs since I was diagnosed with breast cancer? I had both my breasts removed (bilateral mastectomy) with immediate reconstruction. I had just had my breast tissue expanders replaced with breast implants in this picture and the, “Louis Vuitton,” bag I’m carrying as the nurses call it –

…is where the drainage happens, the tubes were stitched into my incisions. Don’t get me started on how painful it was when they had to removed them, I cried bucket loads but that’s okay because no plant grows without water! �� to be honest, I’ve always wanted bigger breasts but not this way! I didn’t even get the size I wanted, it was tough trying to explain my, “Boob to Booty Ratio,” to my plastic surgeon – the breasts must match my BIG booty so I resemble the letter, “S,” when I stand at a angle �� Anyway, I still haven’t gotten my nipples as yet even 4yrs later … I don’t miss them but maybe I should buy fake ones I’ll wear for a week to see if it really makes a difference in my life? �� I’m cancer free and I’m celebrating that by trying to play a more positive role in the lives of those living with cancer, that matters more to me than nipples and bigger breasts! #BreastCancerSurvivor #BilateralMastectomy