NPOAS sat down with “Bye Bye Boobs” author Holly K. Thrasher to learn more about her and her memoir.
“Bye-Bye Boobs is both devastating and uplifting and she never loses her sense of humor as she truthfully shares her experience with BII. Holly has found her voice to educate and support both breast cancer survivors and breast implant illness sufferers. Speaking, writing, and supporting women has given Holly the confidence to live her life FLAT, fabulous, and unapologetic.”
Tell us why you decided to write a book about your experience.
I wrote “Bye Bye Boobs: My Real Ones Tried To Kill Me & My Fake Ones Made My Sick” in 2021 as a sequel to my first book, “Bittersweet: A Vulnerable Photographic Breast Cancer Journey” that was published in 2019. Bittersweet left the impression that my fully reconstructed breasts with implants were the silver lining of my breast cancer journey, but in reality, they were a nightmare!
What was it like for you writing the book? Cathartic? Traumatic? Both?
Writing the book was really cathartic for me because I felt so angry and betrayed by the medical community. I was never warned about breast implant illness or the dangers of implants and it was really traumatic losing my breasts a second time.
What do you hope people take away from reading your book?
I wanted to make sure that other breast cancer survivors knew the truth and had all of the information they needed to make the right decision for themselves with regard to breast reconstruction and breast implants.
Can you share your favorite part of the book with us?
My favorite part of Bye Bye Boobs is the final chapter where I share how empowering having Aesthetic Flat Closure was and how happy I am without the breast implants. I have come along way from being the woman that thought she had to have breasts to be whole, to the AFC advocate that I am today. I hope that Bye Bye Boobs empowers other breast cancer survivors to choose AFC and to feel proud of their decision and their body. You don’t need breasts to beautiful and I had to learn that the hard way, but I am so grateful for the experience.
Any parting thoughts?
I am also extremely grateful for the FLAT community and all of the women that support and lift each other up. It’s inspiring and so healing to know that I am not alone and that there are FLAT women all over the world that share my journey.
Curious what publishing process you used?