Trina Miyahara – Breast Cancer Thriver

<< Please drag the arrows to see before & after underwater transformation >>

My name is Trina Miyahara. I was born in Seattle, Washington in 1973. I am 51 years old. I have spent the majority of my life in California. During my elementary school years, my family lived in Southern California and then we moved to Northern California for my Jr. High and High School years. I found myself back in Southern California for college and I have lived here ever since.

In 2017, at the age of 43, I was shocked to discover a lump in each breast while getting dressed one morning. The following week, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Within the next 18 months, both my mom and my sister were also diagnosed with breast cancer. We did not have the typical family history that would have alerted doctors that we were high risk in advance. Through genetic testing, we found out that all three of us carry the BRCA2 genetic mutation, which increases our risks for certain cancers, most notably, breast and ovarian.

Over the course of the next year and a half, I completed my cancer treatments including a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery, and underwent preventative surgery to lower my risk of future cancers. In the same year, my mom completed a lumpectomy and radiation to treat her breast cancer. Shortly after my mom and I completed treatments, my sister decided to undergo a preventative bilateral mastectomy, only to find out after surgery that she had early stages of breast cancer. Her decision to take preventative action had saved her life! Today, all three of us are cancer free and we are so grateful we had the knowledge, technology and opportunity to detect our cancers early and take preventative measures.

What inspired you and why did you want to be involved in the Underwater Transformation Project?

My sister, Kelly Miyahara, was lucky enough to participate in this project. Her photos and experience were amazing, so when Erena invited me to participate, I jumped at the chance!

What were your goals for the photo shoot?

Going into the experience, I was overwhelmingly excited just to get into the water! Water is such an amazing place of calm and peace. I was looking forward to playing underwater!

How was the experience with an underwater portrait session?

The whole experience was such a unique way to experience an expression of movement and emotion! From the moment I walked into the warm water, I felt at ease and I could feel my body relax into the movements. I have always loved the way water sounds. I love the gentle and rhythmic sound water makes the moment your head goes beneath the surface and then the silence, with only the faint sound of bubbles or waves. I had some trouble staying down at the bottom at first, but Erena guided my breathwork and from then on, it was effortless!

How was your mood after you finished?

I felt replenished and relaxed when I was finished! Movement in water has a way of helping my body and mind feel its best.

What does WATER mean to you?

Water is special to me in so many ways. Water is life, water is essential and water is healing. But for me and my family, water is also our happy place. It’s a place we all enjoy, we all find therapeutic and find connections to each other and to nature. Whether we are swimming in a pool in Palm Springs, snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii or scuba diving in the Caribbean Sea, we love traveling anywhere that takes us to water!

Do you think this experience could help overcome your trauma?

This experience is therapeutic and I would absolutely go back to the water and do a photo shoot again! I would love to try this in the ocean!

How did you sleep the night of the photo shoot?

I slept really well after the photo shoot! My sleep is sometimes interrupted by stress, anxiety or fear, but on days when I get to be in the water, I rarely have trouble sleeping.

How was Erena working with you?

Erena was amazing! She is magical with the camera and immediately puts you at ease in the water. I never felt self conscious about what she was shooting and trusted her talent!

Would you recommend underwater transformation to other survivors or anyone?

Yes! I would absolutely recommend this experience to anyone who wants a unique way to express your emotions, use water for therapy or simply feel beautiful!

What do you want the world to know about your cancer journey?

My hope is that by sharing our journey with cancer and BRCA, we will increase awareness about the importance of knowing your hereditary cancer risk. Perhaps, more people will educate themselves about their family history and get genetic testing. Perhaps we can help save a life. Early detection saved my life, my mom’s life and my sister’s life. And because we knew our hereditary risk, we were also able to take preventive actions to reduce our future cancer risk. I am forever grateful for that knowledge.

What’s your dream?

Through our journey with cancer, my family and I have often felt that the power of knowing our family’s risks was essential to being proactive about our health and making decisions on how to take the best care of ourselves. We want to tell our story in the hopes it will increase awareness about genetic mutations and hereditary cancers, so that it may help others learn, understand and navigate their own journeys.