Sunday Story time : Carlie
Meet Carlie! Carlie rached out to us and wanted to share her journey battling against cancer with all of you.
At 30 years old, Carlie was diagnosed with triple positive Breast cancer on the 12th of March 2020, just before lockdown. Carlie found a lump but due to her age the doctors were reluctant to send her for further tests but did so as a precautionary. When attending her biopsy appointment she was even told by the nurse “you’re too young, but it’s better to know”.
Carlie was scheduled for a lumpectomy but ended up having to have a single mastectomy on the 30th of March that year. In the space of just over two weeks, Carlie went from living her life to having cancer and surgery that would alter not only her physical appearance but also lead to anxiety and having to adapt to a new body.
After surgery, Carlie began chemotherapy. She had 4 sessions which was originally meant to be 6. She then started on injections which she had 18 of over the duration of the year.
Carlie opted for DIEP Reconstruction ( a breast reconstruction technique using a patient’s own skin and fat from the lower abdomen) but due to waiting lists had to wait 3 and a half years. Carlie had a lot of issues with scarring, but got some badass tattoos on her stomach to distract them from the Titty Up Project.
Carlie’s treatment took place throughout Covid, as a result of which she was left isolated at home, facing her battle alone, unable to see her family who lived two hours away.
As a precautionary measure, on the 24th of December 2024, Carlie had her ovaries removed. This was because she is on hormone blockers so they took her ovaries out to bring down her Estrogen.
“I had cancer and a single mastectomy at 30, reconstruction at 33 and ovaries out by 35. Now I’m 6 years clear and learning to adapt to a new body both mentally and physically. It can be really hard navigating my way around this new life.“ – Carlie
