I dont usually post very much but hope you are all feeling good today and dont mind me posting for some advice on something relatively trivial. I’ve been contacted by Breakthrough Breast Cancer about the possibility of taking part in a photoshoot for the Sun newspaper for Breast Cancer Awareness month and would love your input on whether i should do it. The shoot focuses on women first diagnosed under the age of 30 (I was 28, am now 31, secondaries diagnosed last September) which i feel is a positive thing as i want to help put across that BC affects all ages, and younger women increasingly so. Im also anxious that the article acknowledges the fact i have secondaries but have been told it will be picture led with a brief interview so there is potentially little opportunity to put my story across. I do however feel that we ladies with secondaries are so rarely represented during the usual pinkwash of Breast cancer awareness month that this might be worth doing? I saw DebsinCorwall’s interview for ITN a few days ago and thought you were fantastic if you are reading this! Would love to know your thoughts
If they don’t want to know your story, secondaries, warts and all then why do they want to photograph you. It is all part and parcel of you and what has happened to you and how your life is affected. I feel annoyed that they seem to only want pics … and very little else.
Hi Heather, I’m sorry to hear of your secondary diagnosis. The Sun did a similar article a few years ago and a friend had the same dilema…in the end she didn’t do the photo shoot. I have turned down some newspaper articles myself. I would want to know exactly what was going to be printed…good luck with your decision…xx
If you can get the message across that it affects young people and the risk of secondaries is very real i’de go for it. Do you have any say over the copy?
good luck
cheers
caroline
Hi Heather,
after the week I have had I would be tempted to say yes, but you need to ask lots of questions.
Do all your friends and family know you have secondary bc?
Will the pictures be topless?
When I have done interviews I have tried to keep control so think what is important to you and stick to it.
It breaks my hert when I see such young women getting this awful disease
lots of young women just don’t believe it could happen to them. I have always said it as it is, that is why I get myself in a bit of bother.
Me, I would do but just take time out and think about it.
Good luck and let us know if and when.
Love Debsxxx
…perhaps they want a photoshoot to illustrate to their readers that not all bc sufferers are obese elderly gargoyles (altho on a bad day i think that description suits me!)
Hi. sorry to but in, just wanted to say that i think its great if it highlights the young age that women are getting this disease. I think mammagrams should be done on a regular basis like smears.
Firstly, so sorry to hear about you having secondary breast cancer. I was diagnosed four months ago at the age of 38 and thought that was young. I think anything that raises awareness of this horrible disease, and especially highlights that young, normal, people can get it has got to be a good thing.
I contacted our local paper recently to see if they would run a feature on BC during October, to try and raise awareness. To date, I have not heard anything back from them.
Good luck with your decision, please do let us know how you get on.
Hi everyone, thanks for all your responses. I think i will do it. If there is the chance im the only one at the shoot with secondaries then i think it is important to be there. I had absolutely no idea i could get breast cancer at 28 and i do sometimes struggle with the fact that i didnt go straight to the doctor when i first found a lump…
If anyone is interested in doing this sort of thing,register on the breakthrough breastcancer website and say that you would be happy to share your story with the media. I did it a couple of months ago and got a call from them this afternoon.
Maybe we should get Gok Wan to take us all on LOL. Some body confidence would not go amiss for me .A expert at making women look and feel good.
But look good naked? well he’s good, but not that good eh?
The women on there do seem to get their story across though.
Shame there’s nothing similar for us.
why do they never think of us and our underwear and dressing problems?
Heather you go for it darl. xxxx
hi candide
i think its great if you can do this, though i’m not sure i would have the confidence myself - but if it means raising breast awareness in younger people then it can only be a good thing. I’m sure there will be some negative feedback as we obviously all have different views on how BC is portrayed in the media but if its something you are happy and comfortable in doing for yourself, then go for it.
I’m 35 and randomly found my lump on the back of the jade goody/cancer/media circus and was very lucky to have found it early - anything that publicises the fact that this disease can strike anyone of any age in all walks of life results in saving lives and at that at the end of the day is what really matters.
Good luck
x
i was 37 when i was first diagnosed and got a second primary at 40… but was told at the time how ‘rare’ it was at my age, but have since discovered its much more common with about 1 in 200 women age 40 and 1 in 2000 aged 30 who get it.
i think highlighting it for younger women may help them to seek medical advice sooner and hopefully help them get treated early.
Go for it. Vicky, my wife, was unfortunately diagnosed late with secondaries when she was 29 (now 33). An existing back problem and a naff gp put paid to early diagnosis but she’s still fighting
i think the main page with the touch look check TLC message is great.
i think its something we should be doing in schools along with sex eduation, well woman education like breast awareness and regular smears is just as important if not more so.
Heather you look great and if it gets the message across to just a handfull of women (hopefully a lot more obviously)it’s a job well done.
thanks
caroline
Lovely photo - you look great! I think it gets the message across well and does confound the notion that everyone who gets breast cancer is elderly. I think that getting breast cancer is such a big fear for women (certainly was for me) that anything too hard hitting can turn people right away. Well done.
Elinda x
Hi. Well done…you got your message across really well!..at such a young age statistically it should have been much more likely to have been nothing serious at all.
Good Luck with your treatment. Take Care.x.x.x
