Nurse Meg Gaffney is committed to getting the best care as she battles breast cancer, but she does have one fear: pain. And as we found out, even Meg didn't know how bad it would get.

From the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Meg Gaffney was her own advocate. So it's no surprise that she's forging her own way with recovery and reconstruction; including a plan that even her doctor admits he's never seen before.

Fit, feisty and full of life, Meg Gaffney is one more thing -- the face of breast cancer. The path Meg has chosen for treatment is not for everyone; in fact, she's doing something no one has done before. This is the first in a series of exclusive reports.

Meg Gaffney surprised doctors and friends by rejecting chemotherapy, dropping out of radiation therapy after one treatment, and opting for a bilateral mastectomy. As a nurse and a patient, Meg is her own advocate, even moments before surgery.

She's gone under the knife, and now Meg Gaffney is looking forward to the needle! But finding the right tattoo artist to help her end her breast cancer battle has turned out to be tougher than she thought.

Cancer is a disease of moments and months. Follow Meg Gaffney on her journey to finding a tattoo artist for the next step in her journey.

Meg Gaffney goes under the knife for what she hopes is the final time in her recovery from breast cancer. The next step is a nipple tattoo -- the first of its kind!

Meg Gaffney confronted breast cancer head-on, studying up so she wouldn't surprised by anything that might come her way. And she's been a step ahead -- until now. It turns out, her friends and family pulled off what cancer couldn't: the ultimate shocker.

In what would be a medical first, a breast cancer survivor and registered nurse has started her search for a “very special artist” to tattoo realistic nipples on her reconstructed breasts.

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating but beating cancer is becoming commonplace. Check out Growing Bolder's library of interviews with men and women who not only beat cancer but emerged from the battle better than ever.

It's the unofficial playbook for life.

Throughout Meg Gaffney's battle with breast cancer, she's marked milestones. But this may be the most important of them all -- the first look in the mirror after her final reconstruction surgery.

We're meeting people who are finding fun and freedom in smashing stereotypes. This week: a collector of everything; a daring lake swim; a second chance at life and super centenarians.

Cancer is on track to become the No. 1 killer in the world. For anyone who has battled cancer or watched a loved one face the difficult diagnosis, it's crucial to believe that there is life after disease. We've got the proof.

Meg Gaffney