I’m Karen, I’m 47 and I am Mum to Tristan (aged 12) and partner to Alistair.
I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer 3 years ago, at the same time I found out that I also have the mutated BRCA1 gene. Unfortunately, after getting the all clear it has since come back a further 3 times. In September 2018 I found out that it was metastatic and that’s when my world changed, we knew things weren’t going to be ‘normal’ again. I am now on a targeted treatment drug which I pray keeps my cancer at bay for as long as possible and gives me a good remaining quality of life with my family. I am devastated that I am now constantly living with cancer. As a family there was so much we had been looking forward to – the holidays we’d go on and watching my son grow up, all of that now seems uncertain. I am absolutely terrified that my son is likely to have to grow up without his Mummy and that I won’t have the future with Alistair that I thought I would so I want to spend what time I have left enjoying life to the full and trying to look and feel good as I do it.
During the last 3 years I have had various surgeries including a double mastectomy and an LD flap surgery (where they take muscle and skin from your back and ‘swing’ it round to the front to form part of your breast!). I was actually quite pleased with the results of the surgery as it gave me a better shape than I had before but I then found it was difficult to find nice lingerie that both felt good and looked good. I am looking forward to LoveRose launching as it will give me a selection of lingerie designed with women like me in mind. After everything that we have been through we still deserve the right to look good!
Karen xx