beub journeys

 

Beub Mastectomy has been created to help build confidence post-surgery, to encourage others who may not be as far along in their own journeys and show that with an open mind, life goes on and new chapters begin. 

It’s not easy adjusting to a new body shape, recovery from surgery and possibly an anus horriblis brush with breast cancer, so let’s aim to build each other up and be as fabulous as ever.

Would you like to share your story to help others in the same boat? you may enjoy rocking true flatness, have some great tips to share, high/low lights, or just some good humour that might just make some ones day!  Please email us if you would like to appear on this page – [email protected], we would love to hear from you.

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(Tammy Subkhi, founder of Beub Mastectomy)

Here I am alive and kicking 7 years after my own brush with BC (the joy of three surgeries, bastard chemo and radiotherapy – 52 hospital appointments to be exact!), it now all seems like a lifetime ago and it feels like it wasn’t me and it sometimes gives me a jolt when I realise it was.  In 2018, I elected to have both my breasts removed, although my BC was in remission at the time, I could not run the risk of it coming back again, and with that I kissed my jiggly, saggy old friends goodbye.   

The beginning of my post mastectomy journey sucked, a few weeks passed, I felt dazed and very confused, I missed my boobs and I didn’t know what to wear. In addition, people don’t understand unless they have experienced it themselves, it’s such a very personal thing where do you find others in the same club?  – no one is shouting from the roof tops “hey, I’ve had my tits removed” …… it was a very lonely time.  Yet life ticks on and you adapt, things return almost to normal and you muddle through.

I have always been quite glamorous; I need to feel good when I step out the door, I want to feel and look the best version of myself, get my slap on, wear great clothes, trends and feel great.  However, my confidence was at an all-time low, and I subsequently went out and bought three ‘high neck’ tops (in different colours I might add!) and I thought this was what my wardrobe would consist of now.  In time, I realised I was subconsciously trying to hide my new chest, but what for and who from?

I wanted to wear the styles I had before, and I wasn’t about to let my new shape stop me.  With that in mind I started experimenting at home, how was I going to wear strapless clothes, how was I going to feel confident when it had all just about disappeared?, I was determined to find a way to feel like me again.  Through the video’s on the website, I am sharing with you my tried and tested tricks, they may not be for everyone, but I want to show you it is possible to wear types of clothes that even I thought were off the table at the beginning of my mastectomy journey.  Here’s to trying new things out and feeling fabulous x

Haley Miedema, USA

I have known that I was BRCA1 positive since I was in college. I watched my mom walk through breast cancer at 38 and choose to get a mastectomy way back when it was considered extremely radical. She walked through it with such faith and grace and grit that knowing I had this genetic predisposition never scared me. I have always been thankful that I know so I could do something about it. I had my initial mastectomy and reconstruction surgery back in the beginning of 2018. I had the privilege of choosing when I had surgery, before any kind of cancer diagnosis.  I was 4 weeks out when I showed signs of infection. I went back into the OR and got the right expander taken out to clear the infection. 6 weeks later I had the expander back in, only to find out 2 weeks later that the infection didn’t fully clear out. My plastic surgeon threw everything he had at the infection and was, thankfully, successful. 4 surgeries and 8 drains later, I finally got my implants. I am a proud breast and ovarian cancer previvor. I love to share my story, that it might encourage and help others that are considering genetic testing and preventative surgery. This experience has taught me so much about the faithful God I serve, myself and my amazing community.

Gill Annan, UK

Here I am stuck at home isolating for two weeks. Time to contemplate. Breast cancer, or any cancer catches you by surprise and makes you re-evaluate your life. You are surprised at your friends and acquaintances. Some are wonderful and others not so. At the time I was so glad I was older and only had myself to look after. How would I have coped as many have to, with a young family? What do I regret now, seven years later?  I regret trying so hard to get back to normal as quickly as possible, maybe that caused my lymphedema. Perhaps not going back and having a double mastectomy instead of being lop sided.   But too late for that – get on and live life.