Thank you @MBall
So after one year, do you still think about the trauma of the bilateral mastectomy even though it was the absolute right thing for you to do? Certainly there are times I feel glad mine was caught early and a mastectomy was something I had to do to secure my future. One of those times was recently when I heard about the passing of Kelly Preston. I felt really sad. You can have some of the best doctors in the world and the best care in the world but still die within 2 years! How can this happen in 2020?
I am a private person, I am not on any social media and definitely not one to make announcements. I work at a large company, considered as a big family and there’s a Facebook page with almost 300 members. I wrote a message to share my news and asked a friend to post it for me after my mastectomy when I was off work because I’d be an emotional wreck if people were to come up to me. Why did I do that? The real reason was to publicly thank a friend who had been and continue to be there for me every step of the way. She deserves to be acknowledged. Of course, she doesn’t know this was the real reason. I didn’t say much about myself, just that I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I’m taking time off work to get better. The response was amazing and filled my heart. When it was time for me to go back to work I questioned myself if I had done the right thing by sharing because I was extremely anxious about seeing all my friends and colleagues again. I felt exposed. Everyone was really respectful and I found out some of my female colleagues had their first mammogram as the Breast Screen van was at our workplace and they said it’s because they heard about my diagnosis. What I’m trying to say is, it really is scary to share something so personal so only do it when you’re ready and do it for yourself or someone you love like I did. You may feel unsure afterwards but I can guarantee someone will hear about your story and consider having their breast checked.
