UnBreasted

UnBreasted Living my life and fabulously flat. SMX right breast 2019, age 41. Prophylactic mastectomy left breast to flat in 2020.

Proud advocate and breast cancer survivor - Joanna Atzori. I'm co-administrator of the Sunshine Coast Breast Cancer Friendship Circle, a social group for breast cancer survivors who gather for friendship, support and understanding.

Let’s talk about : It was an honour and a privilege to be part of the organising team for Flatcation, the nation’s larg...
17/08/2026

Let’s talk about : It was an honour and a privilege to be part of the organising team for Flatcation, the nation’s largest in-person support event for people who have undergone mastectomy following a cancer diagnosis or preventative surgery due to inherited cancer risk.

This year’s Flatcation, hosted in my own backyard at the Sunshine Coast, brought together 70+ people from across Australia who have remained flat following mastectomy. The weekend-long event featured social activities and a half-day Education Session with leading cancer care professionals including:

🎗️Jen McKenzie from The McKenzie Clinic - Allied Health Clinic & 24/7 Gym
🎗️Breast care nurse Dr Janine Porter-Steele OAM
🎗️Sexologist and lived experience flattie Richelle Menzies
🎗️Cherie Stanley from Sunshine Coast Gut
🎗️Oncology counsellor Natasha McGrath

I can't even begin to describe how gratifying it was to hear the overwhelming feedback and comments from attendees and see the camaraderie happening between people who arrived as strangers with similar lived experience of mastectomy, but departed the event as allies and friends.

The Education Session was supported by Thuasne, provider of lymphedema compression garments, mastectomy bras, breast forms (prostheses) and lymphatic drainage products. We finished off the weekend with an incredibly restorative meditation session and sound bowl experience hosted by Brenna Kay Heraty from Hands of Soul.

Full credit and utmost respect to my fellow flat advocates Robyn Smith and Pascale Garlinge, founders of the Flat Life Australia support group which has grown organically since 2023 to 1500+ members, some of whom live in regional or remote areas of this vast country and had never met another “flattie” in the wild, until they attended Flatcation.

Thanks to Sarah Howells from ABC Sunshine Coast for chatting with me about the impact of Flatcation and why it's important for all of us to feel seen and heard (scroll to 1:41:00 in the program recording) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sunshine-mornings/mornings/106988536

Every year, around 8,000 Australian women face decisions about how they want their body to look, feel and function after mastectomy. The Flatcation event shouts from the rooftops that choosing to live flat is just as valid as choosing a breast reconstruction and that there is support and information available.

If you or someone you know in Australia have undergone mastectomy with flat surgical outcome, or are considering mastectomy options and want to hear from real-life humans who can discuss the pros and cons, connect with your tribe at Flat Life Australia. Locals can connect at Sunshine Coast Flat Fabulous & Fierce (Private) and join us for the International Flat Day Ocean Dip on Sunday 11 October at Mooloolaba https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ey8wBFDxC/

Today Bron and I walked 5km in the Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival to fundraise for Breast Cancer Network Australia. It...
02/08/2026

Today Bron and I walked 5km in the Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival to fundraise for Breast Cancer Network Australia. It was a far cry from 9 years ago when my husband and I completed the full 42.2km marathon together, but today walking with Bron for 5km was so much more enjoyable.

We represented flatties and breast cancer survivors of the Sunshine Coast, alongside many others we saw running and walking in today's event for breast cancer awareness and recognition of passed loved ones.

If you’re looking for an excuse to throw a few bucks towards a good cause and claim the donation on tax, any and all contributions are welcome >> https://scm26.grassrootz.com/bcna/joanna-atzori

Thanks Bron for joining the Sunshine Coast Breast Cancer Friendship Circle "team" - our numbers may have been small but we were oh so mighty.

If you or someone you know on the Sunshine Coast have lived experience with breast cancer, join the Sunshine Coast Breast Cancer Friendship Circle. If you or someone you know have lived experience of mastectomy with flat closure outcome (prostheses or not), join Flat Life Australia.

This weekend I'll be walking 5km in the Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival alongside my team members from Sunshine Coast B...
27/07/2026

This weekend I'll be walking 5km in the Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival alongside my team members from Sunshine Coast Breast Cancer Friendship Circle.

We're fundraising for Breast Cancer Network Australia and would love to see your support, either cheering us on from the sidelines or financial donation >> https://scm26.grassrootz.com/bcna/joanna-atzori

If you want to come cheer us on, we'll be starting at Alexandra Parade at 10.15am. We will walk 2.5km to Cotton Tree along the Esplanade and then we'll turn around and return to the finish line (Alex Heads Surf Club).

If you or someone you know resides on the Sunshine Coast and has lived experience of breast cancer, tell them to come and connect with others for friendship, support and understanding >> Sunshine Coast Breast Cancer Friendship Circle.

Put your hand up if you’re a flat woman who has ever been judged or probed about her ‘flatness’? Hopefully there’s not m...
20/07/2026

Put your hand up if you’re a flat woman who has ever been judged or probed about her ‘flatness’? Hopefully there’s not many raised hands out there.

Last year I was questioned by another flattie who asked me “So, what makes you flat?”

I’m guessing that because I choose to wear prostheses, perhaps she assumed I didn’t identify as ‘flat’.

It’s possible she believed I wasn’t the same ‘flatness’ as her or other flatties, due to my personal choice to wear breast forms and present externally as though I have breasts.

I think somewhere along the line she had decided that women who had undergone double mastectomy and choose to wear prostheses are somehow ‘less flat’ than women who choose not to wear prostheses.

The question, asked directly to my face, absolutely floored me at the time. Over the coming days and months, it took a lot of self reflection and talking to others to reconcile with how much this comment hurt and shocked me.

If you were having a conversation with a person who used prosthetic limbs after losing an arm or leg to meningococcal, you wouldn’t dare to ask that person “Hey, how you can call yourself an amputee if you use prostheses to appear as though you still have limbs?” I feel it's the same premise.

It wasn’t until much later that I realised the question posed to me said more about the other person’s ideologies than it said about the hurt I felt afterwards. I had control over my reaction, but I couldn’t control how this person viewed me or judged me for my personal choices. Upon reflection that’s probably the hardest part to swallow. I felt my decisions were being undermined or devalued.

Naively, I wasn’t aware that some people think there’s a flatness rating scale from 1 to 10, or that there’s an invisible benchmark that makes some double mastectomy patients flatter than others.

I am proud of the advocacy work in which I’ve been involved since becoming a flattie in 2019. When I first started advocating, I didn’t even know it was advocacy work - I simply wanted to share what life was like for women who were unib**bers and those who became flat through prophylactic mastectomy without reconstruction.

I've met the most incredible people through this advocacy work and my life is all the more richer for it. Thanks to breast cancer, I have a tribe of people around me who continue to inspire and amaze me every day.

I advocate for personal choice, whether or not that involves prostheses. I will always stand up for being respectful and not judging other people’s beliefs, whether or not they align with my own.

I want to be part of creating a world where surgeons and medical professionals feel obligated to give their patients unbiased information about their mastectomy choices, and allow the patient to decide how they want their body to look, function and feel in their life after mastectomy or cancer treatment.

Does it matter to anyone else that I choose to wear prostheses? Have I still earned the right to call myself a flattie if I want to appear breasted, even though I’m flat underneath my clothes and mastectomy bra?

Last time I checked, I still had two scars on my chest wall from two different mastectomy surgeries - one scar that was created five days after meeting with my surgeon, and the other created a year later when I chose to voluntarily have my remaining breast removed. Other daily visible reminders from my breast cancer experience include a port-a-cath scar on my upper left chest, radiation burn scars on my chest wall, three radiation tattoos which will be with me until my final day, and the usual mental scars that impact most cancer survivors and I fear will also live rent free in my mind forever.

The reason I’m sharing this experience is to encourage curiosity rather than judgement.

Whether or not women choose to present as visibly flat after undergoing double mastectomy is their own business.

Peace and flat love x

P.S There’s only a matter of days for Australian flatties to register for Flatcation 2026, a weekend featuring events for support, education, nourishment and connection. Join Flat Life Australia for details or see comments for links to register.

📷Professional photos by fellow breast cancer survivor Jaya Mc Intyre at Empire Art Photography.

Are you a woman in South East Queensland who has undergone mastectomy with flat surgical outcome, or are you currently c...
15/07/2026

Are you a woman in South East Queensland who has undergone mastectomy with flat surgical outcome, or are you currently considering mastectomy as part of your treatment and survivorship plan?

You're invited to attend an afternoon of free education sessions featuring providers and experts providing evidence-based information relevant to life after mastectomy.

This occasion is part of the Flatcation weekend-long community gathering, organised for Australian women who have undergone mastectomy without reconstruction. Further details are available via Flat Life Australia.

To attend the Mastectomy Education Sessions, visit www.trybooking.com/DNSTI and register before Friday 24 July.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YEzpCdz8q/

05/06/2026

I'm pi**ed off.
Disappointed.
Fearful for others.
Shocked.
Confused.

This week's announcement by AstraZeneca to pull Zoladex (goserelin) from Australian shelves has left me flabbergasted.

In addition to the fact there was no reason given for the decision, this announcement will have thrown many people - who are already dealing with the trauma of breast cancer or inherited cancer genes - into the even more scary world of treatment uncertainty.

I shared my previous Zoladex experience on this page a few years back (photos and video are available for those who want to see the big-ass injection in action). For 2.5 years, I self administered this hormone-suppresant which delivers a rice-sized pellet into the abdomen to suppress the ovaries and keep the patient in a menopausal state. I also shared the ensuing impacts of menopause on my moods, mental and physical health, and the almost end of my marriage....but that's not what this post is about.

This post is for those Australian women affected by this decision, to let you know that myself and others stand with you in anger and frustration. In the year of 2026, when medications and treatment options are varied and widely accessible by most, this decision by AstraZeneca is mindblowing.

If you're affected by this week's announcement, you should speak with your oncologist or healthcare provider about ongoing treatment options.

If you find yourself in need of support, please connect with others and seek out counselling by relevant service providers, such as the Breast Cancer Network Australia Helpline on 1800 500 258.

If you're personally affected, how are you feeling? Have you spoken with your oncologist and if so, what advice did they give? Have you taken steps to seek support? Feel free to comment below and share your frustrations.

Some of my posts end with the hashtag, but maybe on this occasion it's more appropriate to insert something like



More info here from BCNA: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BZGwMGPmF/

📷BOOK THE PHOTO SHOOT 📷These photos were taken in 2019 by my friend and old colleague, Dee Carter. At the time, I had no...
26/05/2026

📷BOOK THE PHOTO SHOOT 📷

These photos were taken in 2019 by my friend and old colleague, Dee Carter. At the time, I had no idea how important these images would become, as we’ve since printed them on canvas and proudly displayed them in our living room.

My mum suggested the photo shoot (before I lost my hair from chemo) and Dee volunteered to capture our family at the beginning of the cancer s**tshow.

In these pics, I’m a three-week old unib**ber wearing a stupid scarf to cover up the port-a-cath scar and wound dressing that was visible on my chest/neck (you can see it in one of the pics on this post).

If I had my time over again, I wouldn’t bother with the scarf, but that’s the difference between 2019 Me (who gave a s**t about appearances and what other people thought), versus 2026 Me (who gives no f***s about what other people think/feel in relation to my body).

Underneath my shirt in these photos, my chest was still tender from where my right breast was amputated during mastectomy. I was wearing a breast prosthesis in one of my new mastectomy bras to give the appearance of E cup symmetry. I’ll forever be grateful to Tracey G-Prosthetics & Lingerie for their guidance and support in the early days of navigating life as a unib**ber.

If you or someone you know have been diagnosed with an illness, have undergone surgery which involved removal or body parts, or if they’re bald from chemotherapy, my advice is to book in the photo shoot and record your history.

Don’t wait until your hair grows back.

Don’t wait until after your next surgery or end of treatment.

Just book the shoot and do it now.

Be yourself and don’t feel pressured to look a certain way for photos and don't cover up your scars or wounds (unless it's what you want).

One day, you and your family will be grateful you took the photos and turned up as your authentic self.

P.S My son was 10 years old at the time of these photos. He's now 17 and is taller than me. A lot can change in the space of seven years!

**ber

Seven years later and this scene still scares the s**t out of me.Annual chest wall ultrasound lived up to expectation th...
17/04/2026

Seven years later and this scene still scares the s**t out of me.

Annual chest wall ultrasound lived up to expectation this year - served with a side of scan-xiety.

Thanks to Emily at Sunshine Coast Radiology for looking after me and patiently explaining the waves and blobs on the screen.

For anyone else having annual scans for the rest of their life, hug yourself and take extra care during those anxious weeks.

Some people say how you respond to trauma and adversity shows your true character. For many people, they won’t know thei...
27/02/2026

Some people say how you respond to trauma and adversity shows your true character. For many people, they won’t know their own capabilities or sense of certainty until they're faced with those life-defining moments.

These women are testament to what can happen when trauma, adversity and life-threatening medical conditions arise. When faced with cancer diagnosis or inherited cancer genes, these women chose - some unknowingly - to buck against societal norms and pave the way forward for future generations.

By being themselves and showing up with pride in their post-mastectomy body, these women are living examples of why surgeons and healthcare professionals must provide full and clear information about surgical options available at the time of mastectomy.

The conversations among surgeons, breast care nurses and their patients should be going something like this:

👂🏽“As your healthcare professional, I’m here to listen to you (the patient). I’m here to guide your decision making based on how you want your body to look, function and feel. My personal opinions are irrelevant. You must make the decision that is appropriate for your body.”

👂🏽“You want to go flat and not consider reconstruction? No problem. I’ve got you.”

👂🏽“You’re happy to live with one b**b? Sure thing. We can make that reality.”

👂🏽“Keen to reconstruct breasts with your own tissue or implants? No worries. Let’s talk about your options and here’s a list of pros and cons to consider.”

Our healthcare and medical professionals have an obligation to listen to their patients and ensure they are equipped with a long list of pros and cons about each option before deciding.

As stated by my friend and trailblazing changemaker Robyn Smith from Inherited Cancers Australia: “It doesn't matter what decision you make after a mastectomy (flat or reconstruction - both are valid options), as long as you are given information about ALL your post mastectomy options.”

This article appearing in Marie Claire Australia is a massive step forward for flat advocacy. Congratulations to these amazingly strong women and thank you to the editorial team at Marie Claire for representing all forms of female humanity.

Australian women who have had single or double mastectomy without reconstruction can connect with others at Flat Life Australia

🫶🏼Are you an Australian woman who has made decisions about breast surgery due to cancer diagnosis or prevention reasons?...
18/02/2026

🫶🏼Are you an Australian woman who has made decisions about breast surgery due to cancer diagnosis or prevention reasons?
👏🏽Do you want to be part of influencing improvements to information shared with future generations of Australian women?

If you answered yes, please show your support by promoting this research project among Australian breast surgeons and cancer care nurses.

❓What do we know?
• We know not all women who undergo a mastectomy for breast cancer or risk reduction will choose to have breast reconstruction.
• We know recommendations aim to support women in making informed decisions based on all available options, including the option of flat closure.
• We know many Australian women undergoing breast surgery report receiving limited information about the flat closure option.

🤔What don’t we know?
We want to learn more about the experiences and attitudes of surgeons and cancer care nurses towards ‘going flat’ after mastectomy. So far, we’ve gathered data from patients in Australia’s breast cancer community, and now we want to balance the perspective with input from healthcare professionals.

All survey responses are anonymous and no identifying information will be collected.

📣What can you do to help?
Share this post with your networks, particularly surgeons and cancer care nurses. Ask them to complete the survey via https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_bgyw6ddJVaC9LWC or scan the QR Code on the flyer. A PDF version of the flyer can be downloaded via https://1drv.ms/b/c/429a9720db0ccdd8/IQDR2NWFfA80TJ3jd4-4SWbeAej0CSq2IQAP_TjEpfU9nFc

👩🏽‍🎓Research Team
• Robyn Smith – Consumer advocate, Programs Manager for Inherited Cancers Australia and Co-Founder of Flat Life Australia (https://www.facebook.com/groups/481448050773509)
• Melanie Law – Consumer advocate, Founder of Breastless
• Joanna Atzori – Consumer advocate, Author of UnBreasted
• Dr Fiona Crawford-Williams – Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

The project has been approved by Flinders University’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HEL6305-3).

Thank you in advance to all surgeons and cancer care nurses who share their experiences and attitudes.

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