'I wanted to get it all over in the one go': Cork Cllr Fiona Ryan on her double mastectomy

When Cork councillor Fiona Ryan discovered she was carrying the BRCA1 gene, putting her at a high risk of developing breast cancer, she decided to undergo a pre-emptive double mastectomy. Helen O'Callaghan reports

Councillor Fiona Ryan at Blackpool in Cork. Pic: Denis Minihane.

Five months on from double mastectomy plus breast reconstruction, Cork City councillor Fiona Ryan is in good form.

Having heard stories of women who struggled a lot with pain and mobility for up to six weeks after surgery, she feels very lucky that two weeks post-op her pain levels were manageable.