Hi. I guess what I went through five years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer isn’t at all remarkable. What’s unusual is that it led to me posing nude for a photo project about the disease.
My tumour was detected very late and there was evidence of cancer in my lymph nodes, so I feared that I may not be around long enough for my two young sons. Recording my thoughts in a daily journal helped me through the aftermath of diagnosis as I had a lumpectomy and started chemotherapy. By the time I’d undergone more surgery and radiotherapy almost a year had elapsed. I was left very tired but pleased to be in remission. However I did feel unfeminine and worried that this would become a permanent state. Fortunately this changed a year later when I had a reduction of my other breast to even things up.
This restored my self-esteem and I started to enjoy wearing nice clothes again. I was so confident about my body that I offered to expose my scars for On the Bright Side, a photo project by Amanda Crowther that aimed to create positive images of women who’d had breast cancer. My penchant for Paul Smith’s Swirl fashion range led to Amanda’s idea of capturing me naked in a multi-coloured pattern of light. Posing in the studio wearing nothing but a smile was exhilarating and I was delighted with the results. It’s no exaggeration to say that this was a cathartic experience that finally put my cancer to bed.
You can read a tongue in cheek account of my part in On the Bright Side with photos and my journal of the first three months online at Nicki’s Breast Cancer Diary: A Five-Year Journey - there’s a link and more details in my profile. My husband, John, created this beautiful website solely because we hope that my story may be entertaining and helpful for others affected by breast cancer.
Best wishes and regards, Nicki x