FLAT ON PURPOSE™

My Why

Built from lived experience

In July 2022, I heard the words no one wants to hear: You have breast cancer.

After years of biopsies, mammograms, and MRIs, I was faced with decisions that would change my life forever.

I chose a double mastectomy.

I chose aesthetic flat closure.

And I chose to move forward on my own terms.

Tammy Casteel

Becoming Flat On Purpose™

After surgery, I realized something many women discover too late: not everyone knows living flat is an option.

Too many women are never fully informed about their choices. Too many feel alone or question their worth after losing their breasts.

I wanted women to see someone living confidently after mastectomy.

That’s where Flat On Purpose™ began.

First as my story. Then as my book. And eventually as something bigger—a message to other women that there is more than one way to move forward after breast cancer.

Visibility Matters

I began participating in breast cancer walks shirtless as a flat survivor—not because I wanted attention, but because I wanted visibility.

I wanted another woman to see my scars and know that living flat is an option. That she can survive, heal, feel confident in her body, and live fully without reconstruction if that is what she chooses.

Women do not need breasts to be whole.

My experience also led me to create Beyond Pink Ribbons, helping people facing the financial realities of breast cancer treatment.

Why I Continue

I wrote Flat On Purpose™ because I wanted women to know they have options.

I share my story because someone else may need to see what life on the other side can look like.

And I continue advocating because every woman deserves to feel seen, informed, and confident in the choices she makes for her own body.

Flat On Purpose™ is more than the title of my book.

It’s choosing your body, your life, and your way forward—on purpose.

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