Jen's Story...

"On the 15th October 2001 life as I knew it changed forever..."

I had been diagnosed with locally advanced breast cancer at the age of 34. Chemotherapy began in the November, then in the April of 2002 a bi-lateral mastectomy and auxiliary clearance of 11 lymph nodes, 5 of which were cancerous. Radiotherapy for 5 weeks after everything had healed.

By the July of 2002 the whirlwind of treatment was all over, all but the hormone treatment Tamoxifen, which I have to take everyday. Breast cancer has a large impact on your life. We find that we have changed by our experience - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am a woman with no breasts, but I'm still all woman.

To get to this self-acceptance of the new me has taken time, it didn't happen over night. I felt that I had to gain some control over what was happening to me. I sought out as much information as I possibly could and found support from other women in the same situation. We have all suffered the blows breast cancer brings; I found it particularly hard at one time. I felt like I had reached old age well before my time, mainly due to the mastectomies and chemo-induced menopause. I have since learned this is very common in younger woman with breast cancer. So I actively challenged myself to sort it out. I visited the hairdresser and beauticians went shopping for new clothes, (even the little treats can give you a boost).

My motto now is, why be a wallflower? When you can be a sunflower. Yes, we're all different now, in many different ways, but wow, we are all so very special. I wish everyone wherever they are along the journey of breast cancer, warmth, acceptance and time.