After diagnosis with DCIS, a mastectomy, and becoming a uniboober, I met up with a trans friend who also turned out to be a uniboober. They were taking hormones hoping to grow two breasts, but unexpectedly, just one grew. We helped each other feel good about our atypical bodies.
Although having cancer is completely different from being trans, we found we had a few things in common. For example, our bodies don’t fit with ideas about what is ‘normal’ for our gender. Cancer reducing and gender affirming interventions sometimes involve similar surgeries or hormone treatments. We are all trying work with health care systems that don’t always meet our needs. etc. And of course some people with breast cancer are trans/non-binary.
If you are interested in exploring our commonalities and differences with trans/non-binary people please get in touch on susieupsidedown@yahoo.com and/or come along to a workshop at the Feminist Library London, 20th September, 1pm. Sign up on Eventbrite at: Wonderful Bodies Connected Communities.._gaMzM4MjUxMTIzLjE3ODg4NTU0NDI._ga_TQVES5V6SHczE3ODg4NTU0NDEkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODg4NTU0NDEkajYwJGwwJGgw