Sonia Couto thought she knew what she was signing up for. At 38, healthy and strong, she decided on a double mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis. The doctors explained the procedure. She signed the forms. She thought she understood what was coming. She had no idea. In today's episode, I sit down with Sonia, now cancer-free and thriving, who's ready to share the brutal truths about double mastectomy that no one discusses in those pre-surgery consultations. This isn't just another mastectomy story. This is the conversation about what happens after the surgery that could save your life but change everything about how you live it. Sonia shares what the medical team told her versus what she experienced. The completely wrong recovery timeline. The physical realities that no pamphlet prepared her for. The emotional aftermath that blindsided her when she thought the hardest part was over. You'll hear about the multiple major operations that followed. The complications nobody mentioned as possibilities. The way her body had to relearn how to function after such massive reconstruction. The identity crisis that comes with losing and rebuilding such an intimate part of yourself. She reveals the questions she wishes she'd asked before surgery. The support systems she needed but didn't know to arrange. The recovery process was nothing like what she'd been told to expect. The long-term effects are still unfolding years later. But here's what makes Sonia's story powerful - she's not sharing this to scare women away from the surgery that may save their lives. She's sharing it so they can make truly informed decisions with their eyes wide open. The truth about what double mastectomy means for your body, your relationships, your daily life, and your future. The reality check that could change how you prepare for and recover from this life-altering decision.