Thanks for stopping by...
So, who is Nic?
Nicole McLean, known to friends and family as Nic... is a smiley-faced breast cancer survivor, writer, health advocate and entrepreneur. All at the same time.
My Fabulous Boobies is a blog that began with my diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in the summer of 2008. Because I was under 40 when diagnosed, I am considered a young adult survivor of breast cancer. Young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have different needs and life concerns than the average woman diagnosed in her 50's or later. This blog addresses topics of fertility, dating/romance with or after cancer, body image issues, career concerns and long-term financial impact and more.
My Fabulous Boobies is a blog that began with my diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in the summer of 2008. Because I was under 40 when diagnosed, I am considered a young adult survivor of breast cancer. Young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have different needs and life concerns than the average woman diagnosed in her 50's or later. This blog addresses topics of fertility, dating/romance with or after cancer, body image issues, career concerns and long-term financial impact and more.
Not many women in my cancer center looked like me... so I looked online
Young, African-American, childless, never married... but still hoping... when I was diagnosed I found that there were not a lot of other patients who looked like me or had a similar lifestyle. Most of the stories I saw online were older women, married women, grandmothers in many cases and very, very few (meaning almost none) were women of color. I didn't see many other black women at my cancer center either -- not my age group, nor older. To be honest, I felt pretty lonely dealing with all of this and there didn't seem to be many women that I felt comfortable enough to share all of my fears and concerns with.
I'm sure that the other women in the cancer center could understand my concerns about medications or treatment procedures... but who could I talk to about my hair issues? Or concerns about dating and sex? I shared with my friends but since they had not been through cancer... they could empathize but they didn't always understand and I felt badly for burdening them with my stuff. So... I started writing about it here on this blog. I became the voice that I wanted to find.
The blog began as a way to keep friends and family updated on my progress. It is now transitioning into a resource for survivors to learn more about what other survivors have gone through, to connect with other people who may be more like them (younger, woman of color, childless, unmarried, etc.). My goal is to provide a resource for newly diagnosed young women, women of color and women looking to find their way through new normal.
Why is this blog called My Fabulous Boobies??
The short answer is because I'm silly... but also because body image and self-esteem are two things that I struggled with along my journey with breast cancer. Before breast cancer, I would have never dared to say out loud that my breasts were fabulous. That would have been far too overt for me. However, after going through chemotherapy, a mastectomy, radiation treatment, breast reconstruction and a breast reductions... I've had more people looking at my naked boobs than should be allowed (for free...LOL).
The thought of losing my breast was so frightening and overwhelming that I had to hold on to the idea that when it was all over that I would still be fabulous. So... My Fabulous Boobies is my acknowledgment that despite the appearance of my breasts today, they are fabulous. Because I am Fabulous.
Things that we deem fabulous, we hold in high regard. We take care of them. We protect them. We value them. Well... I feel that way about my breasts. And while I know that a lot of survivors do not opt for reconstruction, I feel that all of us (survivors and supporters) have to accept that our boobies are valuable. That they are precious. They are worth protecting and treating carefully. My boobies are fabulous... and so are yours.
Loving yourself, loving your body (scars, amputations and all) is a mantra of my life and is reflected in my writing and my outlook about coping with breast cancer.
I am shifting from solely writing about my personal issues with breast cancer, to creating products that will help other survivors to navigate this period in their life. Look forward to seeing digital products (ebooks, ecourses), physical products (tshirts, pillows, posters, a subscription box service for survivors and more) and events (online and live). So much!!
Life after breast cancer is difficult. It is not what it was before. For some of us, figuring out which way to go after we're told our treatment is over is a huge challenge. I'm here to help survivors find a new normal that works for them.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to get to know me. I really appreciate your visit. If you would like to contact me, please use the form at the bottom of this page. Or check the "Contact Nicole" page for more information.
The thought of losing my breast was so frightening and overwhelming that I had to hold on to the idea that when it was all over that I would still be fabulous. So... My Fabulous Boobies is my acknowledgment that despite the appearance of my breasts today, they are fabulous. Because I am Fabulous.
Things that we deem fabulous, we hold in high regard. We take care of them. We protect them. We value them. Well... I feel that way about my breasts. And while I know that a lot of survivors do not opt for reconstruction, I feel that all of us (survivors and supporters) have to accept that our boobies are valuable. That they are precious. They are worth protecting and treating carefully. My boobies are fabulous... and so are yours.
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| Nic after 3 months of chemotherapy |
Loving yourself, loving your body (scars, amputations and all) is a mantra of my life and is reflected in my writing and my outlook about coping with breast cancer.
Blogger, speaker, author and entrepreneur...my life after breast cancer
Choosing to blog about my journey with breast cancer has been life-changing for me. The blog has become my business and I travel around the country (and sometimes outside of the country) to give speeches and to consult on issues concern social advocacy for breast cancer.I am shifting from solely writing about my personal issues with breast cancer, to creating products that will help other survivors to navigate this period in their life. Look forward to seeing digital products (ebooks, ecourses), physical products (tshirts, pillows, posters, a subscription box service for survivors and more) and events (online and live). So much!!
Life after breast cancer is difficult. It is not what it was before. For some of us, figuring out which way to go after we're told our treatment is over is a huge challenge. I'm here to help survivors find a new normal that works for them.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to get to know me. I really appreciate your visit. If you would like to contact me, please use the form at the bottom of this page. Or check the "Contact Nicole" page for more information.
