Sharing What We're All About

I am pleased to bits about how many people have been in touch since an article on Chemo Chic appeared in the Times last Saturday. Some have paid me compliments. Those I adore, obviously. Others have told me how helpful it is for them to read Chemo Chic whilst going through their own cancer ordeal. That makes me feel like I’m doing something worthwhile – not a feeling that I’ve experienced often in my life. And many people have told me about their own blogs and websites that they have started after they, or their loved ones, have suffered cancer.

I’m going to try to give you a comprehensive roundup of those because I think they’re all terrific.

First in was Amy. She wrote on the Chemo Chic facebook page about how she had “struggled with the lack of lovely lingerie,” so started her own business called About the Girl. She has some very pretty, feminine styles. Lovely bras are important. Breast cancer batters one’s feminine identity. A mastectomy bra is different to a regular bra. It has no wires and is cut a lot higher to contain the prosthesis. Think about it. I have seen some of the mastectomy bras that are on offer. They look like surgical appliances rather than lingerie. About the Girl stocks a small range of gorgeous lines. The ‘Myosotis’ bra is an elegant item in cream satin trimmed with black lace.

I was very lucky to have been in a position to choose not to have a mastectomy. But I haven’t felt comfortable about wearing an underwired bra since the surgery. I don’t know if I ever will be again. So I will soon be on the lookout for pretty, sexy, non-wired alternatives.

Gill also posted a note on the facebook page. Her business, Butterfly Bras, offers more conservative styles. The ‘Amoena – Carmen’ is a shapely white lace bra. I particularly like the ‘Trulife – Sydney’ for its simple, clean lines. If you live in the West Midlands Gill will come to your house for a proper bra fitting. This seems like a valuable service, after surgery and illness one’s breast size is bound to have changed. I imagine that a bra fitting in the comfort of one’s own home must go a long way towards restoring self-confidence.

Tired now. More tomorrow…