‘Cancer I could deal with. Losing my breast I could not’

When Joanna Moorhead found out she had breast cancer, a mastectomy seemed the best option. So why did she pull out of the operation at the last minute?

The taxi arrived at dawn but it could have come earlier. I’d been awake all night: terrified about the day that lay ahead and what it would mean for the rest of my life.

At the hospital I changed into a high-tech gown that would keep me warm during the long hours I’d be unconscious, and my surgeon arrived to do a quick pre-operative check. It wasn’t until she was at the door, about to leave the room, that my fear finally found its voice. “Please,” I said. “I need your help. Will you tell me one more time: why do I need this mastectomy?”

I chose to listen to my instincts, as well as to the medics

I knew the operation was going to get rid of the cancer, but how would I feel about my new body

My breasts seemed such an important part of me. I’d breastfed each of my four children for three years

You believe you are doing the safest and best thing to protect yourself, but the truth is not nearly so clear-cut

The trend has been that more and more women who have cancer in one breast are opting for a double mastectomy

I went back to hospital for a lumpectomy. I was in the operating theatre for under two hours

My four daughters were shocked when they heard I hadn’t gone through with the operation

Continue reading... February 04, 2018 at 01:30PM