My reflections on being a topless model in Times Square, following my double mastectomy treatment for breast cancer. Yesterday a photo of me went up on a billboard in Times Square, New York, alongside nine photos of other women. It’s going to stay there for two weeks. I think that’s pretty remarkable. But what is … Continue reading #ShowUs more women who look like me
Posts
Horror vs Happiness
Nearly three years ago I had my first mastectomy. My left breast was removed because a seven centimetre tumour had taken up residence in my GG cup. Despite having had a lumpectomy three weeks previously, the tumour was too large and too dispersed and so the whole breast had to go. Being told that I … Continue reading Horror vs Happiness
Weather report
At the weekend, Facebook reminded me that I started this breast cancer blog a year ago. When I wrote the first post, I had no idea what reaction I’d get – if any! I had no idea how blogs worked...and even less about search engine optimisation. I still haven’t worked that out and it did … Continue reading Weather report
No tits and a tat
What to do to commemorate the third anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis? It's today, by the way - 22nd January 2019. I decided to celebrate, rather than commemorate. I celebrated being alive and being one of the lucky 1 in 8. I celebrated life and family and flowers. I celebrated by getting inked. A … Continue reading No tits and a tat
The one about anger
Anger is fuel. We feel it and we want to do something. Hit someone, break something, throw a fit, smash a fist into the wall, tell those bastards. But we are nice people, and what we do with our anger is stuff it, deny it, bury it, block it, hide it, lie about it, medicate … Continue reading The one about anger
What a year
As the end of another year approaches, I've been in reflective mood. It's almost three years since my breast cancer diagnosis which means that, unbeknownst to me, at this moment in 2015 I had a tumour growing in my left breast. I'm a very different person now, both physically and emotionally. As I write I … Continue reading What a year
My year in flowers
I'm aware that most of my posts have about breast cancer - my feelings and recovery, as well as my recent hip replacement surgery. So I thought that it was about time that I featured my flowers as they were originally going to be an equal part of this blog. This is going to be … Continue reading My year in flowers
Hip hip hooray
How my recent hip replacement operation has resulted in pain free living, and has given me a new lease of life. Yes, it’s a happy and positive blog post!! Three months and three weeks ago I had a total right hip replacement due to degenerative osteoarthritis. Today I Nordic walked for 5.5k totally pain free … Continue reading Hip hip hooray
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 30th – nearly the end of Pinktober, thank goodness. All month, I’ve been thinking about whether to write, what to write, when to write about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have conflicting feelings about BCAM and so I’d almost decided not to write anything at all. Then yesterday I heard some very sad news … Continue reading Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Choices, choices, choices
Today I had the amazing, but surreal, experience of being the subject of the number 1, most watched video on the BBC News website. As ever, I was topless and talking about why I'm happy living flat. The video was a follow up to another first for me - broadcasting live on a national radio … Continue reading Choices, choices, choices