With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we knew that we had to find just the right person to be October’s Cool Girl Of The Month. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for in a blog, but I knew when I found it I would know. We both did weeks worth of research, reading blogs, brainstorming, and scouring the internet for the perfect fit. We tossed around the idea of having multiple Cool Girls this month as there are so many amazing bloggers that are either survivors, or fighting the fight right now. When Sally sent me the link to the Fabulous-Boobies blog, I don’t even know what I was expecting… What I did not expect, was to become so emotionally involved in the blog of a woman I had never met that has been through something I can not even imagine facing with such strength. But that is exactly what I found. I would like to introduce you to Nicole McLean, Breast Cancer Survivor, and Breast Cancer blogger extraordinaire.
After reading the first few recent entries of Nicole’s blog, I was compelled to start reading everything from the very beginning, so that is just what I did. Nicole is a young Breast Cancer survivor that was diagnosed in her late 30′s (39 to be exact), and her blog was started right after her diagnosis (literally). Her diagnosis was on July 30,2008, and her first post was on August 14,2008. I spent over a week reading through her journey. I have felt almost like an intruder into the life of a stranger that left the window open for the world to see her at her most vulnerable and raw state of being. Though I have been fortunate so far in life to have never experienced her struggle, I feel like she let me walk with her (albeit 4 years after the start) through her entire process. Nicole has never spared words or left out a single step of her treatment, her mastectomy, the realities of chemo and radiation, her loves and losses, her trip to the barber to shave her head, her reconstruction, the extreme changes in her body, her worries and fears, her recovery, her emotions through every single step are in black and white to share with the world. It is beautiful, it is poignant, and it is real. I have laughed with her, cried with her, and gotten really, really mad with her… All from my little window seat into this woman’s soul.
Nicole is in remission, but remains an active source of inspiration and information for women going through their own battle with breast cancer or being there for someone else fighting the fight. With all of the pink ribbons and fundraisers being highlighted this month and every month, I felt it was important to share a REAL look at the disease known as breast cancer with you. Nicole is so brave for many reasons, and she has chosen to use her experiences as a platform to help women through a breast cancer diagnosis, step-by-step (she is currently working on a project that will take that to a whole different level). Because 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with cancer, chances are, you have at least one person in your life if not yourself that is affected. I hope this inspires you to be vigilant about your health and the health of the women in your life. Perform your breast self-check monthly, get your mammograms, and be there for each other. If you or someone you love is dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis, I encourage you to read this blog. Even if you are not, I still encourage you to read Nicole’s journey with her “fabulous boobies”. Most importantly I encourage you to find your own way to support and contribute to breast cancer awareness. Until we find a cure, we can not stop fighting. For those we have lost and for those that have survived, please keep fighting.
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