Living with breast cancer in my twenties

If you haven't noticed already its breast cancer awareness month, pink ribbons and products are everywhere but its more then just pink stuff! Its about being aware of breast cancer and remembering to check your boobs! So if you haven't already then do it now!! Do it after you have read this so you do not forget! Even you guys can check your pecks too. Around 300 men are diagnosed with BC every year so get checking. I was involved in the Samsung breast cancer campaign again this year which was called 'Everybody is art' An artist recreated the face of Botticelli's Venus - featuring the faces of 1,096 men and women throughout Europe who are affected by breast cancer, or campaigning for breast cancer awareness. See if you can spot me! The pink ribbon event was another glamorous night at the Royal Exchange in London with some celebs also there to support the campaign. A massive $1.5 million dollars was raised! It was also lovely to see Amanda again, one of the ambassador

Well what a week I have had! I have had my breast reconstruction and am now back home recovering.I was very anxious and excited at the same time about having it done. It was great to think finally I will get my boobs back but I had no idea how they were going to turn out and I had to trust in my surgeon that they would look great! My body was changing again and it was quite a scary feeling. The recon went very well and I am very pleased with the results. It took me a while to look down at my chest, I was worried I was not going to like what I saw. At first glance in hospital I freaked out because not only was the right breast about twice the size of the left one but they were also pointing side ways rather then straight on. I hated being back in hospital, it brought back all the horrible memories of when I was last in to have my mastectomy. Even though I was in for a positive reason it was still hard. Being in pain, coming round from the anesthetics and being on morphine is a massive

Well some of you know that my surgery date changed to June 8th. Slight mix up at the hospital about what operation I was having. A little annoying but hey its not far away now! I saw my surgeon about the decision I had made and he was very pleased and thought it was the right one (the one I had originally decided on!). This Saturday I will be moving into my new pad down near Brighton. I am very excited to be going back down and living with Joe again. It will be a new fresh start with hopefully the worst behind us and lots of good things to come. Where we are moving too is quite interesting and unconventional just the way we like it. In fact, it suits us both right down to the ground. It is a park home, beach house, static home, glorified caravan!, whatever you wana call it. I am going to be trailer trash and I can not wait! It is right by the beach and that is something I have dreamed of. I am going to transform this little home into a 60s/70s bohemian hippy haven! The park is called G

Winter is just about over and spring is on its way! Its been a long winter! I am so much happier that we have longer and warmer days. It was heaven to be able to lay out on the grass and feel the sun on my face last weekend. I have spent a lot of this year trying to decide two important things.... What breast reconstruction to have and whether to stay on tamoxifen or not. I am absolutely terrible at making decisions so this has been so hard for me. Its stressed me out no end and really didn't know how I was to come to a decision. I realised I'd had too much time to think about it, asking for peoples help, hearing their stories. It was so nice that so many people wanted to help but in the end it just confused me even more and I got to the point where I couldn't decide between what I really wanted and what other people thought. So many women are understandably scared of BC returning and have another mastectomy. In the cases of women having the gene then its not a question of

While I am lying in bed with a head cold from over doing it last week, I thought I would write a short post that BC sufferers can reply to and will hopefully help me make up my mind 100%. I saw my surgeon last week in East Grinstead to discuss my breast reconstruction. I went thinking I only had on option which was to have implants. When we spoke my surgeon gave me three choices. This totally threw me and I could not make up my mind. I should be a Libra as I am so indecisive. I went away thinking of all the options and decided on one, then five minutes later I would change my mind! Friends and family that know me well know this is what I am like..... a nightmare!! Its great to have choices in life but it doesn't half make my life less simple. So here are my choices Back (latissimus dorsi) flap (LD flap) and mastopexy - The skin, fat and muscle are removed from the back but the blood vessels of the flap remain attached to the body at the end nearest the armpit. The flap is then tu

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and new year! I have to say mine was miles better then last year! I still can not believe 2009 has gone by that quickly. Thank goodness it did! I thought I would just update you with the last few months. I would also like some advice from previous BC sufferers about my current situation too! As some of you know I deleted my facebook a month ago. Not only is it a distraction but I also wanted to feel more of a sense of privacy. I am a very open person and felt too open to the world on facebook. My blog however I feel is different even though I am being open with my emotions. My breast cancer journey is not quite over yet and think its important for me to carry on with them. Not only for me but for my friends and family, so they can understand what I am still going through and also for anyone going through what I am. I have now been on Tamoxifen for the last 7 months now. At first I didn't seem to have any problems. My periods had stopped