Boobs, breasts, bosoms, pinky and perky, muchachas, they are even known as life savers.
The most spoken of and nicknamed part of the female body. Some are big, some are small, some are round, pointy, droopy and some are known as flaps.
Let me tell you the story of my flaps.
In 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, a gift and pivotal moment in my life which I treasure.
I went through a series of intensive treatments including a double-sided mastectomy, aggressive radiation and 6 months of chemotherapy. As a result, I adopted a G.I. Jane-esque look. I spent 25 hours under general anaesthesia in the hands of oncologists and plastic surgeons who reconstructed and created new breasts, except now, they are known as FLAPS! What an interesting name, Flaps. Sadly, the right sided Flap decided it didn’t want to live and my whole body was screaming with pain. What happened to my womanhood? The flaps are a symbol of femininity, and now one of them just gave up and died.
This provided an amazing opportunity of spending 120 days in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, gifting time to reflect, process all that was happening and discover the new opportunities that were unfolding in front of me. Just as my blood type is B+, I remained positive and appreciated that my body was under construction, and I have a wonderful opportunity to restore not only my womanhood but the whole of me.
I possessed the emotional courage to journey through my pain. I was full of hope and developed my own strategy of being resilient. Misfortune can happen and can be turned into a fortune. I learned to focus on the positive and accept what I cannot change, and influence what I can. I was grateful for everything that has happened and developed a greater sense of gratitude. I developed my own sense of humour and the ability to acknowledge that everything that is happening is happening for the best.
This profound, challenging time helped me start my journey of healing, self-discovery and reflection. From this I learned to be true to myself, grow through adversity, become resilient, appreciate life and explore new possibilities with no fear.
Life is a beautiful dynamic and unexpected force, we ought to LIVE in the full sense of the word, with love and the privilege to give. Even where there is pain, sorrow, sadness and anger there is beauty that lays within, and that is part of our beautiful life.
We all have scars; some more visible then others. Every scar has its unique and beautiful story. Embrace this imperfect beauty, it is part of the new beautiful you.
Today I am imperfect, scarred, sexy, beautiful and complete. As a cancer coach, I help women reconnect with their womanhood, learning to walk in their new body and accepting their scars. Learning to love themselves in their new self and forgive their body. Ultimately, feel empowered as they transition into their next big “now what”.
