reconstructive surgery on both breasts.
Despite all of it Langely kept a positive attitude.
“Even when she was faced with a lot of challenges ahead of her, she maintained the most positive outlook, “plastic and reconstructive surgeon Rebecca Garza, MD says.
For her surgery, Garza had one goal: to make sure Langely felt like her body was restored and complete. It’s the same goal she has for every patient. To accomplish this, Garza put silicone implants over Langley’s pectoral muscles rather than under them as a method to preserve her strength and appearance as a bodybuilder and enhance the physique she needed for competitions.
“These breasts look good! I wanted them to be even bigger than what I got!” Langely says of Garza’s work while laughing. “After everything I went through, they were my consolation prize.”
Day 1: Just Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
Her return to the gym
After successfully completing one obstacle, Langley’s eyes were on the next: returning to her dream of being a bodybuilder.
“I can accept, you know, giving something my all and not quite accomplishing what I set out to do, but I can’t accept not trying,” Langley adds.
In November 2020, she returned to the gym. She would show up and train hard for 90 minutes, four times a week after a long and stressful workday as the manager of a microbiology lab, according to Daniel “Bolo” Young, her trainer at ChiTown Fitness in Chicago’s Melrose Park.
As to be expected after a serious bout with breast cancer, Langely would get tired easily. She could barely do a 55-pound squat. However, in just six months, Langley had worked her way up to a 275-pound squat and was on a strict low-carb, high-protein diet that included eating plain chicken six times a day, which didn’t come without her bargaining with her trainer to change the diet.
“Are you eating for taste, or are you eating for a goal?” Bolo asked Langely who decided to stick the diet out.
Langley also tried taking bodybuilding supplements, but most were ruled out by Hahn after she researched how they’d interact with her