Not taking any chances. Bachelor alum Lesley Murphy has undergone a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA2 genetic mutation, which put her at a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The former political consultant shared a post-op photo from her hospital bed as she began her recovery on Wednesday, April 12.
“Day 1 post op. Oouuuchh,” wrote Murphy, who was on Sean Lowe’s season of the ABC reality dating show. “My mom took this photo when I first arrived to my hospital room after surgery. It was hard to breathe. My chest was super tight and still is. There are so many tubes hooked up to me and lots of beeping noises. My boobs are gone. Crazy, right? Gone. It’s hard to wrap my head around.”
The 29-year-old praised staff at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital in Little Rock for her care and thanked fans for their support. But she added that it was still a shock to see her new body after having both breasts removed.
“I
finally caught a glimpse of my bare chest during a FaceTime call a couple of
minutes ago. Whoa. It looks like I was in a bear fight and lost. Badly,” Murphy
wrote. “The human body is truly amazing, though, and I will heal soon enough.”
Murphy, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, revealed last month that she had decided to undergo the operation after learning she tested positive for BRCA2. Actress Angelina Jolie famously also tested positive for BRCA2, which prompted her decision to undergo a double mastectomy in 2013.