Living with breast cancer in my twenties

I finally had my appointment with my surgeon to discuss my implant options and it didn't go quite how I expected. Leading up to the appointment I had decided I wanted safer implants put in for the time being as I didn't feel quite ready to go flat yet. I figured I'd get on the waiting list and have surgery in about 6-9 months. I'd come home in the new year, work, save, have the surgery and head off again. My surgeon went through my options and it wasn't as simple as I'd hoped. One common problem with breast implants is the development of capsular contracture, a condition in which the scar tissue that forms around the implant becomes hard. Scar tissue is the body's natural response to the presence of any foreign body. With breast implants, the body creates a barrier of scar tissue around the implant to wall it off and protect it from the rest of the body. This is called a capsule. What I didn't realise is that this capsule makes the surgery far more c...

So after a hellish few weeks of waiting I finally got my MRI results back. They showed no sign of rupture or cancer! This was great news, just what I needed the hear. Slightly baffled as to why Miss Shah thought there was a leak though. I could now relax a little and not panic. The last 5 weeks have been so hard, and after too much time to think I managed to talk myself out of going flat, (for now at least). After talking to more ladies about going flat, I felt so confused as to how I thought I might cope. The older ladies who were married, were very comfortable in their own skin, and had very supportive, loving partners. I met a younger girl who had just had breast cancer and gone flat on one side, but was thinking of reconstruction, she also had a partner. I felt like this was a journey I was going to have to take alone, and that scared me. I was starting to wish I had a loving partner to go through all of this with. Since all this has happened, its brought back a lot of horrible me...

I honestly didn’t think I’d be writing another post in my cancer blog. Seems I spoke to soon by ending my last post with "This will be my last cancer blog post. This is what has been happening so far. Three weeks ago I accidentally came across a Dispatches program on channel four about Breast implants being highly toxic and causing all sorts of illnesses. I thought, oh god what the hell is this!! I didn't want to watch it, but left it on and carried on doing listing vintage clothing on my phone, half listening to the program. I was thinking this better not be anything to do with my implants. I’m going away soon and don't need anything to get in the way of that. I kept hearing the words "cancer", "toxic implants", breast implant illness", "banned implants". It finished and I ignored it. Quite typical of me which is really bad I know! I just thought I’m sure it’s not related to me and I will be ok. The week after, I was speaking to a f...

An exciting new chapter in my life is about to begin. But first I will start from where I left off. Since I last wrote back in October, I’ve been concentrating on my health and my business. I’ve been resting my knees, had lots of acupuncture, given up binge drinking, and worked hard on building up my online vintage clothing business. Autumn last year was the most beautiful I can ever remember. The weather was perfect - blue skies and lovely warm temperatures. The colours of the trees were so vivid, so many shades of oranges and reds, all popping out like I’d never seen before. I didn’t do much walking to begin with, but I did venture out to explore different parts of East Sussex and Kent. I always seemed to discover places that reminded me of North West America. (America was so much on my mind, I’d come across these places like they were manifestations). Even friends thought I was back over there after posting photos on Instagram. This time of year had always been my favourite. It ...

Wow it's been over two years since I wrote my last blog post. So much has happened! Theres been two moves, three trips abroad, weddings, big birthdays, good news, bad news! I guess I will start where I left off. After Thailand, my accident and recovery I moved into a friends amazing seafront apartment which was in a building called Palace Court. It was a hotel in the 1800's and has appeared in the vampire movie Byzantium. Anyone that knows me well knows I'm a huge horror and vampire movie fan so I loved the idea of living here. I was lucky enough to be paying cheap rent so I decided to quit my bar job as I'd had enough and I wanted to concentrate on my business as it had been a while since I had really done anything with it. Before I moved I had found a space up for rent in an antiques yard. Id always wanted a little shop again and this was perfect so I asked my friend who was a vintage collector if she'd be up for sharing. I was very excited about this and the ti...