Breast loss, lingerie, swimwear and Painting my Town Pink

In June 2017, aged 46, Macclesfield based Heather Glover found a lump in her breast. After getting the lump checked, it was confirmed to be triple-negative breast cancer. Heather then underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, a wide local excision to clear her lymph nodes, followed by radiotherapy. About eight months after finishing her treatment, she was faced with the devastating news that her breast cancer had sadly returned.

Fast forward to present day, and Heather is not only healthy, but a passionate ambassador for Prevent Breast Cancer.

In today’s blog, she tells us about her support for the charity, and how after choosing not to have reconstructive surgery, she set up her own business in post mastectomy lingerie with a friend.

To be honest, I was relieved to have my first mastectomy, as my breast cancer had returned so quickly after finishing my treatment. I wanted the pain gone. I wanted the cancer gone. I wanted the worry gone (only that never happens once you’ve had a cancer diagnosis).

Due to the location and type of my second tumour, and as I’d received previous radiotherapy to the area, a large amount of tissue and skin needed removing. There was no conversation or information about aesthetic flat closure being an option, but I was fortunate to receive this anyway, as reconstruction was not possible at the time. I’d never heard of Aesthetic Flat Closure, and it is now a passion of mine to raise awareness of this surgical result for mastectomy.

I did struggle to look down at my dressings and I grieved that part of me which had been taken. Time, love and support helped me to overcome this. I couldn’t get used to my lopsided shape though, although when I was dressed and wearing my prosthetic, I could ignore how I felt. I tried to adjust to life again after the shell shock of my second breast cancer diagnosis, and this is when I became very involved with the charity Prevent Breast Cancer which helped my mental and emotional healing very much.

Having the comradery of women who walked the same path when I joined the Boobee Campaign was a turning point for me. Having a purpose so vital as to raise awareness of breast cancer and the importance of the work that the charity do, as well as raising money, became engrained in me in 2019.

Talking to fellow breast cancer sufferers gives you so much more knowledge and knowledge is power. It enabled me to take the driving seat at the beginning of 2020 and have a preventative mastectomy on my left side. Terror stalks you once you’ve had cancer and I knew my risk was high for it coming back again and I wanted to reduce that.

Having been so unhappy with the asymmetry of my chest, I now felt relieved. Wow, the liberation felt incredible. I was proud of my scars. Yes, I felt different, and I felt self-conscious, and I knew this would take time – I just needed to learn to love and embrace my flat chested body, as I didn’t want more surgery and didn’t like false breast forms – I felt like I was changing my persona every time I dressed or undressed.

Slowly, my confidence grew, and I began searching for pretty lingerie for women with a flat chest. I’d grown up putting my bra on ever since I grew boobs, so it felt as though I’d forgotten to put something on sometimes. I wanted something lacy and dainty, and bra shaped. I was disappointed and saddened to discover that none existed, and that’s what led to the brand Skarlette – designed by flat women, for flat women. It makes me and many women around the world feel empowered, beautiful, feminine and confident.

Skarlette is about choice, a decision made for yourself, and it feels incredible to soon be launching our very first swimwear range. Swimwear has been one of the hardest things to find for a flat chest, swimwear which flatters and is comfortable. Well not for much longer!

We have so much more to our journey on our website The Skarlette and we have much more than just lingerie. Do please join our journey and community and follow our social media on Facebook and Instagram because they’re all a supportive and inspiring space.

It’s a space where we can share the important messages from Prevent Breast Cancer and we can offer support and information. You’ll also be able to keep up with my PBC ambassador project to Paint Macclesfield Pink in April this year.

Paint Your Town Pink is a Prevent Breast Cancer awareness and fundraising campaign that involves individuals, schools and businesses in local communities coming together to arrange pink related activities, such as pink shop windows or pink dishes and drinks at restaurants and cafes.

Breast cancer affects people every day of every week, of every year and this is the reason my project will take place outside of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Paint the town pink was first founded in Macclesfield so it feels good to be resurrecting it and the plans we are putting into motion are very exciting. Keeping conversations going and helping people to be more breast aware all year round, will help to save lives. Painting Macclesfield Pink in 2023 will be putting us back on the map and helping to make our community more aware and more proactive with their own health.

Massive thanks to Heather for taking the time to share her breast cancer experience and explain why she’s now so passionate about the work we do at Prevent Breast Cancer.

More information will follow with regards Paint Macclesfield Pink, so please keep an eye on the charity’s social media pages if you’re local to the area. You can also join the Paint Macc Pink Facebook group for all the updates as and when they happen. An official Paint Macc Pink website is also currently under construction.

If Heather has inspired you and you’d like to paint your local area pink, please do get in touch by emailing info@preventbreastcancer.org.uk. Make sure to take a look on our website of towns we’ve painted previously.