Hi, I'm Lisa - A fighter, Someone's friend, Someone's family member, a reborn optimist and last but not least, a survivor.
I am 34 years young & live in a small town called Airdrie with my best friend (my dad). In 2016 my life changed forever, I'm a great believer in everything happens for a reason and so has therefore taken you to this minute that you sit reading my story today.
I've never had any health concerns and I was always the type to down play symptoms to avoid a doctor visit however sometimes in life you just know things don't feel quite right. I had fluid coming from my nipple which I ignored and allowed to pass for a few weeks until I decided I needed to get it seen to. I went to see my dr and was advised this was somehow 'normal' but I just wasn't going to be happy without a diagnosis that made sense and a solution so I pushed back my concerns and was referred to my local hospital to see a breast specialist.
When I attended this appointment I was informed I would be having an ultrasound, and much to my happiness was told it was a blocked milk duct. I was told to monitor my breast and come back if anything changed in any way, I noticed a difference in colour. I went back to see my dr and was told he wanted to remove the duct. I felt a sense of fear yet ever so slight relief. I went in to day surgery on the 17th of January 2017, everything went well and my follow up appointment was booked in for the 21st of Feb 2017.
The day of my follow up appointment came - I got my dressing removed and I was told to take a seat and wait for the breast surgeon to come, I felt nervous of the outcome, and the news he delivered made my heart sink as I sat alone in front of a stranger telling me that I had Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a form of breast cancer. I was not prepared to be told such news, my whole world was shattered and at that moment in my life was when I felt most alone and needed my mum more than ever, but unfortunately she's already with the angels. It's strange that you can sit in company and feel lonely and almost instantly my life was empty. I looked at this dr with envy almost- why me? Why couldn't things go back to the way they were an hour before when I wasn't aware of such earth shattering news. And how am I now meant to go away from this and deliver such news to my family and my friends.
I was told I would have a lumpectomy followed by six weeks of radiotherapy then was referred for a mammogram. The mammogram results threw a spanner in the works and shocked both the surgeon and myself, I was to have a mastectomy. On the 31st of May 2017 I underwent a right sided DIEP mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
This has been a life changing experience for me and completely changed my outlook and appreciation of life. Prior to this I was forever dieting and working out when to book in for my next hair and nail appointments but all of a sudden none of this mattered - life did, family, strangers, beautiful countryside, and most importantly, time. Beforehand I would sit in work on a Friday 2 hours from finishing time and wish those 2 hours away to get home but not now, countdown to a holiday or event I'm looking forward to - now every minute I have on this planet matters to me and this has taught me to be grateful. People would say I'm unlucky but I'm not, I'm still here to tell the tale so I'd say I'm pretty damn lucky.
LoveRose and everything it lives for and represents is just so amazing in my opinion, when I tried their bra on I felt sexy again and when I looked at my chest in my bra I no longer saw the horrific ordeal and pain. I saw a normal young lady with ample amazing breasts and an amazingly beautiful bra.
Lisa Courtney x