Article by Maria Weidich

Photos by Mackenzie Scheie 

For the first time in over five years, Amy Godwin was excited to shop for a bathing suit. Ahead of a family trip to Hawaii, the purchase might have seemed insignificant to anyone else. For Amy, it represented something much bigger. After a breast cancer diagnosis, a mastectomy, multiple surgeries, reconstruction, radiation complications, and years of recovery, she could finally look in the mirror and feel whole again. 

Life Before Cancer 

Long before breast cancer became part of her story, Amy's life was centered around family, business, and community. She and her husband, Joey, own and operate Lynnrich, a Billings-based exterior remodeling company. Together, they raised a blended family of four children, three daughters and one son, and are now proud grandparents to four. Most recently, Amy and her oldest daughter, Lindsay, became the new owners of Pure Barre. For years, Amy focused on building a business, raising a family, and staying active, and like many women, never imagined a routine screening would change the course of her life. 

The Phone Call No One Wants 

A few months after a routine mammogram, Amy, then 51, noticed an unusual pain in her left breast. Concerned, she scheduled an appointment with her primary care physician. An ultrasound, a tumor marker test, and a few anxious days later, Amy received the phone call no one wants to get: she had breast cancer. "I was like, okay," Amy recalls. "I didn't cry, I just thought, let's see what this is." 

Further testing revealed the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. Surgeons removed her left breast and the lymph nodes on that side. Just five months later, she began an aggressive regimen of radiation treatments five days a week for nine and a half weeks. 

The Woman in the Mirror 

Even after she was declared cancer-free, Amy struggled for nearly two years with the physical and emotional changes left behind by breast cancer. "It was all smoke and mirrors," she shares, describing how she shielded the fact that she had just one breast. "I didn't want to look at myself; I didn't want my husband to see. I just felt like I was a little bit less of a woman." 

While many women wrestle with the decision, Amy never hesitated about reconstruction. "I wasn't afraid. I wanted to look in the mirror. I wanted to feel like I was put back together," she shares. "I needed this. I needed to feel normal again." 

Once she was cleared for reconstruction, Amy began exploring her options. Her search led her to Yellowstone Plastic Surgery, where she met Dr. Steven Grosso, who has been practicing in Billings since 2002. Dr. Grosso says reconstruction patients often face challenges that extend well beyond surgery, as they navigate cancer treatment and recovery simultaneously. From the start, Amy's outlook stood out. 

“Amy’s positive attitude and beaming smile were always present, reflecting an inner peace, acceptance of the treatment requirements, and optimism regarding the final outcome,” he shares. “She just brings joy to those around her.”   

An Unexpected Setback 

Following reconstruction, Amy gradually returned to her active lifestyle, often taking five Pilates classes a week. But more than a year later, something felt off. "I couldn't do a push-up, and I knew something was not right." 

Doctors determined that lingering effects from radiation had compromised the implant and surrounding tissue, causing the pain Amy had been experiencing. "They say radiation is the gift that keeps on giving," Amy jokes. The complication required a second reconstructive surgery, during which Dr. Grosso and his team removed the damaged implant. Because so much additional tissue needed to be removed, reconstruction this time would involve both breasts. 

Facing another surgery was not what Amy had expected after finally feeling like herself again. "I had no idea what I was going to come out with," she admits. "But at that point, I didn't care; just make me even." 

Care That Made a Difference 

Throughout her reconstructive journey, Amy says she never once felt alone. Even with a strong support system, a cancer diagnosis can feel incredibly isolating. "You're the only one there, the only one fighting," she says. "But I wasn't alone." 

Although she had options for where to have her surgeries, Amy chose Yellowstone Plastic Surgery's surgery center without hesitation. "I chose to be there because of the nurses," she shares. "I knew who was going to take care of me. They took the time to get to know me, and it was so nice to wake up and know who I was looking at." 

That trust extended well beyond the nursing staff. "Dr. Grosso has become a dear friend and he disposed of the fear, you just know it's going to be okay," she says. From the office manager to the surgical team, Amy felt cared for at every step. "They're concerned about your comfort level on every stretch and want you to feel great." 

Dr. Grosso hopes women considering reconstruction understand that the process looks different for everyone. "Breast reconstruction is a process, not a procedure," he says. "We are hopeful that we can understand each patient's goals, successfully navigate the surgical journey, and restore body image and confidence." 

Amy understands why some women hesitate to pursue reconstruction after breast cancer. After multiple surgeries and months, or even years, of treatment, the idea of another procedure can feel overwhelming. For Amy, reconstruction was never about vanity. It was about reclaiming a sense of who she was. "You are still just as much a woman as you were before, but you might not feel it if you don't like what you see in the mirror. There are people that can help you like what you see." 

Feeling Whole Again 

Now, six months past her second reconstruction, Amy is back on the mat with her Pure Barre community. She resumed classes, with modifications, as soon as Dr. Grosso cleared her. Today she is using weights and working her way back toward a full push-up. 

More importantly, she feels like herself again. Her scars make her look like a science experiment, she jokes, but they bother her less and less as time goes on. "I can look in the mirror and feel like myself again," she says. "It just feels like I'm equal, and no longer broken. I feel like I got some pieces of me back." 

Originally printed in the August 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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