Red dragon tattoo

One of the scary things about having these new bumpers in front of me is that at some point I will be asked by the consultant (Mr J) to book myself in for a nipple reconstruction. I’ve talked about it before when I wrote the piece about Angelina Jolie. Of course Mr J is probably…More

Censoring mastectomy photos? I can’t go for that (No can do)

This year, worldwide, it is estimated that 1.5 million people will hear the news “You have breast cancer”. Breast cancer accounts for 22.9% of all cancer incidence globally and is the most common form of cancer in women under 50. About 5% of breast cancer diagnoses will be in women aged 30-40 years old. When…More

Grief is a Freight Train (a tribute to Jackie Rose)

This weekend was full of joy and laughter, campness and sunshine. This weekend was a celebration of life and an anniversary of sorts. You see, this time last year an amazing lady and a friend who I really only got to know in the last handful of years, lost her long-running battle with cancer. Luckily,…More

Strength, Courage and Wisdom

A couple of people have sent me the link to Angelina Jolie’s piece in the New York Times on 14th May 2013 that talks about her decision to have a double mastectomy, the process of which started in February just like mine did. In her case, she has the BRCA1 gene and is able to…More

Don’t look back in anger

Five weeks ago I found a lump. It happened when I was awoken from my slumbers by a sneeze and realised I had managed to go to sleep with my arm under me. As I shifted around and grumbled about my numb arm, I noticed something else. Lumps aren’t generally bad when they are lumps…More