Lesley Murphy, a former D.C. lobbyist who once vied for Sean Lowe's heart during season 17 of The Bachelor, is recovering after undergoing a preventative double mastectomy, People reports.
The 29-year-old former reality star announced last month that she'd decided to have both breasts removed after testing positive for a BRCA2 gene mutation. Similar to the BRCA1 testing which prompted Angelina Jolie to also undergo the surgery, the gene increases a person's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
Murphy, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, has updated supporters on her recovery via Instagrams from the hospital at theUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
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"My mom took this photo when I first arrived to my hospital room after surgery," she wrote of a pic that shows her sleeping in her hospital bed. "It was hard to breathe. My chest was super-tight and still is. There are so many tubes hooked up to me and lots of beeping noises. My boobs are gone. Crazy, right? Gone. It's hard to wrap my head around.
" I finally caught a glimpse of my bare chest during a FaceTime call a couple of minutes ago," she continued. "Whoa. It looks like I was in a bear fight and lost. Badly. The human body is truly amazing, though, and I will heal soon enough. I am overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from friends, family, followers, and complete strangers. So, so overwhelmed. You guys know how to make a bruised and weak woman feel on top of the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your prayers, well wishes, and good vibes are working."
According to a more recent post from last night, she's now home, though "walking and breathing still [don't] come easy." While still in pain, Murphy told fans that she's making "baby steps."
You can follow her progress on Instagram.