Norwich charity, Keeping Abreast, held an event in honour of Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day).
UEA Journalism spoke to Mandy Jackson, a volunteer for the charity, who had a double mastectomy.
She said, “Being left without breasts can be very unpleasant and sad.”
Keeping Abreast aims to help women who have had a mastectomy and are looking at their options for reconstruction.
The charity also helps women struggling to adjust to their new breasts and the changes to their bodies, including the scars.
Mandy told UEA Journalism, surgeons are constantly working on new ways for “reconstruction to be as accurate as possible to what they had before”.
Julie Dickson is a bra fitter at John Lewis.
She believes more training is needed to support customers who have had a mastectomy.
She said, “Not all ladies are given the information they need and sometimes it is this unknown that is the most frightening.”
However, there can be light at the end of the tunnel for those who have to face it.
Keeping Abreast works across England encouraging people to keep checking their breasts to catch breast cancer early so that it is simpler to treat, usually with less aggressive surgeries.
According to the charity, Cancer Research, breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide.
Every 10 minutes a woman in the UK is diagnosed with the disease, it said.
If you’re looking for support after breast surgery, the Keeping Abreast website shows resources available near you.
