This particular blog post is dedicated to an amazing woman, a queen and a fighter Dana Melissa Bellanfonte, who fought the battle against cancer too. I met her shortly after my second diagnosis whilst in lockdown. Despite having not met in person, in her own fight against cancer, she brought nothing but faith, positivity, the hope of healing, love and light into my life.
Thank you for blessing my life Dana, rest in eternal peace. You do not have to fight anymore. Farewell.
Let’s think for a moment about the journey of life, as a little girl, when your body begins to change…
For most young girls, it’s at the tender age of eleven; you might’ve noticed your areola poking forming a second mound. It could have felt as though a seed had been planted inside of you. Weeks, months go by, and this part of you, your areola, continues to slowly expand across your chest as though it had been watered.
Your body communicates with you in a way you’ve never known it. With the glandular breast tissue present, you might feel soreness or tenderness as the tissues enlarge and stretch out your skin.
Here comes mummy, with your first bra. Excitement grips you.
You might not even remember each time you changed in size in that area, but you might just recollect the eagerness to transition from wearing a vest to bras.
You are becoming a WOMAN.
Fast forward to the next 9 years of your life, you have grown and blossomed from being a child to a teenager and then into a young adult, and you transition once again from the cotton (belly top) bras to the underwire range. A whole new journey into womanhood, an exciting one as your body continues to evolve literally right under your nose.
I was that little girl who once found joy in the evolution of her body. My sister and closest female friends would tell you that I LOVED my breast so much that I loved them more than I did any other body part of mine. As much as my body’s evolution excited me, I would be lying if I told you that I loved my body in its entirety.
Only for this beautiful story of evolution to be challenged some 15 years down the line… Now, this is where I am.
A year ago today, on Thursday, 14th May 2020, I received my second cancer diagnosis. Not only did I receive this diagnosis, but it came with an immediate solution, according to the professionals, of how to treat this said diagnosis. Their answer to the saddest news I had just received would only cause further heartbreak and pain. I was broken.
Their solution: A MASTECTOMY!
Definition of mastectomy: It is simply removing all breast tissue to treat or prevent cancer.
To remove my entire left breast in the simplest of terms. This news rocked my world entirely, and it has continued to rock this boat as I journey through life.
The journey continues; stay tuned for my next blog post.
Thank you for reading!
TM