Boobs, Babies, and Body Confidence

Just three days after Christmas and six weeks before her wedding, Kimberley Hastings’ life changed forever. She had been training for a marathon when she was told she had breast cancer: “I felt very fit and healthy and didn't have any physical symptoms other than feeling tired, but I mean what adult female doesn't feel tired.”

Kimberley was made aware that she had breast cancer because of the results of her annual MRI scans, which she only receives because of the BRCA gene test. After finding out her father had the BRCA gene mutation, Kimberley pushed for genetic testing and discovered she had the same mutation that made her more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer. She says: “We found the tumour and calcification at the back of the of the chest wall in the centre of the breast so even when I was doing my monthly exams, feeling around, I couldn't feel anything because of where it was and how much tissue was in front of it so the genetic testing really did save my life.”

Around 2,300 women under the age of 39 are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year. However, regular mammograms are only available through the NHS when a woman turns 50. Lynda Wyld, Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Sheffield, says: “Breast cancer in young women is generally more aggressive, more likely to recur and be fatal and is treated more aggressively.” Dr Wyld explained how young women are more likely to have a delayed diagnosis due to their doctors being falsely reassured by their age. 

Body confidence was also something that both Eliza and Kimberley had struggled with throughout their treatments. Certain kinds of chemotherapies can cause hair loss, which for many, can be a distressing side effect. Scars left from surgeries and the removal of breast tissue through mastectomies are all reminders of what a patient has gone through. These major surgeries often have a huge impact on a young person’s self-esteem and can make them more prone to depression.

 To combat her body confidence difficulties, Kimberley turned to dopamine dressing. Dopamine dressing is choosing to wear outfits that spark joy in the wearer and usually includes bright clothing and accessories. When trying to live as normal a life as possible, Kimberley would frequently be stared at in public because of her hair loss. She says: “All of a sudden, I started wearing a lot more colours. I was a lot more playful in my makeup, in my accessories and patterns, and it helped because it changed the narrative of ‘well if you're gonna stare at me, then I'm going to give you something to stare at’. I’m giving main character energy!” Creating outfits and matching accessories helped give Kimberley something to look forward to each morning and provided her with an extra confidence boost.

As a single woman, Eliza found it difficult to rejoin the dating scene: “I was bald. I had no eyelashes. I had no eyebrows and I had gained a lot of weight. There were a lot of questions about how I was going to be out in the world because I didn’t feel 100% like a woman. Having to think about dating was so difficult because, of course, my self-esteem had just plummeted down a mountain.”

While much information concerning breast cancer is still targeted towards older women, the UK charity, CoppaFeel!, is trying to raise awareness of breast cancer specifically among young people. President of the University of Sheffield’s Uni Boob Team, who are a faction of CoppaFeel!, Jessica Robinson, explained how the group are creating an open conversation around breast cancer. Most young people forget to do their self-breast examinations, leading to the team setting up an automatic monthly text reminder to help young people check themselves more regularly. 

She says: “There is not a right or wrong way to check for breast cancer. The most important thing is to know what’s normal for you. So the advice CoppaFeel! and the Uni Boob Team will offer is to check yourself regularly.

“Know your normal and get very friendly with your own boobs!”