I’m a Mum, wife, project manager, with lots of varied interests outside of work. I’m a busy person, but who isn’t? I was very lucky to find and not ignore my breast cancer. Age 46 I spotted a bruise in a mirror during a bra fitting, then saw a small lump, and noticed my nipple was slightly puckered. Everything was back to normal by the following day, so I could have easily ignored it. In reality, I had 2 large lumps (DCIS).
I was so shocked, especially as there is no history of breast cancer in my family. My first thought was of death, till the surgeon and nurse convinced me this was treatable. In September 2023, the day my then 9-year-old went back to school, I went into hospital for 4 nights. I had a skin sparing, nipple sacrificing mastectomy, sentinel lymph node biopsy with an immediate DIEP flap reconstruction. They rebuilt my breast beautifully using fat from my stomach, reconnected using an artery they harvested from my groin. My belly button was given a new buttonhole higher up my abdomen, to compensate for the flesh they removed. Basically, they rebuilt my front from the groin up. The operation took 7.5 hours, with 3 months off work, recovering slowly, building back up. I couldn’t stand up fully straight for about a week, and could only walk slowly in a straight line when I came home; desperately avoiding catching a cough, cold or tummy bug to not re-open my vast expanses of stitches.
Fortunately, the cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes, or elsewhere so I didn’t need radio or chemotherapy. I’m not on any hormone suppressing drugs either, as it was triple negative. I’m now having annual checks for the next 4 years (am one year clear already!). I still see a physio regularly and am excitedly waiting to get a 3D nipple tattoo. The medical teams were all simply amazing, as were family and friends. I am very grateful.
I however sought support through groups to help me process what I’d been through, but struggled to find a good fit. I helped others, or just felt a fraud as I had had a very different cancer journey.
The Empowered Journeys workshops with the incredible Frankie and Alice, in which we created these art pieces, were just what I needed. Everyone had very different experiences. It was a warm and friendly, safe space, which allowed us to talk, helped us to explore our bodies and minds as they are now, our feelings, emotions and just to reflect on what we’d been through and lost, and to start to look forward. All done indirectly, gently, through a variety of different art forms, which I loved even though I wouldn’t say I had an artistic bone in my body. A very powerful and positive thing.
Empowered Journeys 