Nobody talks about what implants actually feel like after a mastectomy. Not the clinical version, the real version. What's numb, what's hypersensitive, what runs cool, what to ask your doctor, and why an overripe orange is the best metaphor I've got.

The emotional impact of breast surgery doesn't always show up right away. For many women it hits at 6 months, 1 year, even 2 years later. Here's why that happens and where to find affordable, accessible support.