Ever hear the saying when you look good you feel good? Going through breast cancer treatment and looking at myself in the mirror, I did not look good nor did I feel good! Putting on lipstick, makeup, and wigs work for some survivors. I have survivor sisters that were always made up. I did it several times and instead of feeling good it made me feel like shit.
At the end of the day pulling off the wig, washing off the makeup, and looking at myself in the mirror, I saw a sickly unpretty androgynous person staring back at me in utter pain. I would sometimes forget what I looked like (chemo brain) and literally scare myself when I saw my reflection. I remember one day staring at myself asking ‘who are you?’ in disbelief.
While pink was my favorite color before cancer, I found myself constantly wearing pink as a way of signifying I’m a woman and even as a disclaimer of sorts… Like, excuse my appearance; I’m fighting breast cancer.
My bilateral mastectomy and the first phase of reconstruction took me over the top. I was angry, depressed, and disconnected from my body. Even though I had expanders (which feels like hard rocks trying to bust through your chest), the fact that my breast
My self-image was completely shattered to the point of seemingly no return. Talking to other survivors I learned I wasn’t alone.
Watching television was depressing. Sometimes commercials made me cry. Our society has this standard of beauty that most women can’t measure up to because it’s just not real or diverse for that matter. As a breast cancer patient, every advertisement on television was a reminder of how I didn’t meet this bullshit standard. As a Black woman it was even more cutting because beyond not meeting the basic societal standard, years of conditioning made me feel like I wasn’t meeting Black beauty standards either. In the African American community, HAIR is important and is often connected to one’s identity. I was in the midst of a major identity crisis.
There were many assumptions made about me and my bald head. Was I gay or straight? Did I do the big chop? Was I a trendsetter or a trend follower? I got a lot of strange looks as it was growing back. I was pulled over by the police and had guns drawn on me from the driver and passenger side… I didn’t break any laws or do anything wrong. It was clear the officers thought I was a Black Male driving a Mercedes and they were trying to catch me riding dirty. I was afraid to move and of course, they wanted my license and registration while they had guns pointed at me. However, when they realized I was a woman their posture and body language changed. They never gave me a reason why they pulled me over other than my windows were tinted (which isn’t illegal) but I knew. They thought I was a Black Man. For me, this was a sad terrifying glimpse at the day in the life of Black Men while at the same time an indication to me that my sex was unclear.
My job as a Senior Field Representative required me to be in the public eye representing a California State Senator in my assigned cities within the district. My duties involved public speaking, attending events and meetings, presenting certificates of recognition, and working directly with people on a daily basis. I felt self-conscious, completely unconnected and unable to perform my duties the way I had before…not just based on my appearance and loss of self-confidence, but my temperament, patience level, and memory too. I felt completely out of place in every aspect of the life I knew before breast cancer. I was so angry and sad!
The Cancer Support Community became my home away from home as I immersed myself in every type of therapy available. I resigned from my job and focused on healing and recovery. During this time, the Young Survivor Coalition was working with the show SkinWars to do a special episode with breast cancer survivors. I was selected to participate. I’m thankful because it turned out to be a major step in building my confidence, self-image, and healing.
While on the set of SkinWars bonding with my survivor sisters, I was told about a photo shoot for a special line of intimate apparel made specifically for the unique needs of breast cancer survivors that have undergone surgeries. Some women are able to wear regular bras after surgery and for some of
The cutting and removing of my body parts
I connected with Haus of Volta, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help young breast cancer survivors and metastatic warriors with positive body image, self-love, confidence and more. I am a model in the 2019 Survivor Pinup Calendar representing the month of August. When I saw the pictures I was like wow… I look like a woman, a sexy woman! I’m working through my issues publicly and as transparent as I can in hopes of helping other women going through similar struggles get their sexy back and a positive healthy self-image.
My participation in this project is what made me realize what I see in the mirror is not quite what everyone else sees. A friend shared their battle with body dysmorphia with me. However, at the time I didn’t know it was what I was experiencing… “Knowing is half the battle,” according to G.I. Joe. Now I know!
The proceeds from the sale of these calendars go directly to Haus of Volta, the nonprofit organization that helps breast cancer survivors and metastatic warriors. The calendars are $20 (shipping and handling
It’s a 12×18 Wall art pinup calendar featuring 13 breast cancer survivors and metastatic warriors! Full Color, glossy with large squares for writing down all your important dates!