ASOS x Coppafeel! Breast Cancer Collaboration

Let's talk boobs. Not literally about boobs (other than boobs being boobtastic), but about the risks of us ladies (and men!) having boobs.

Coppafeel! is a London based breast cancer awareness charity that focuses on supporting the awareness and early detection of breast cancer. We should all be aware of breast cancer and how important it is that we check our breasts regularly. So, now there is a handy little way to remind us to check them...

A few Christmases ago, a kick in the face hit me and all of my family and it was the thing we was dreading the most. My Nan was diagnosed with breast cancer. No form of cancer has any history in my family so we wasn't expecting to hear such devastating news. You just don't ever expect these things to happen to you or the people around you that you love.

My Nan had gone for a routine check up with her doctor when they found some abnormal test results. A study was taken out on the results and we had to wait for a few weeks for the doctors to tell us whether it was good or bad news. We all kept positive and I held my fingers and toes crossed for what seemed like an eternity. It didn't matter how much praying we did though. Unfortunately, the results came back positive for breast cancer and it seriously ripped our family apart. I am sure most of you agree that grandparents are usually always the rocks of the family. My Nan and Grandad are two people who I (even to this day), expect to be around forever. Of course, I know it's impossible for anyone to be immortal but when you are about to lose someone;  it really does put everything into proportion and makes you stop and think. I realised I could lose one of my favourite people in the world.

My Nan soon went into hospital and they removed the tumour successfully. Even though that was good news for her and us all; she still had to go through months and months of painful and tiring radiotherapy. For someone who used to have so much life, she was now not the same person and was out of it most days. She grew uninterested in just about everything; even Coronation Street!

Gradually, she came off the chemo and radiotherapies and was on the road to recovery. This was until they did another test to make sure all the cancer had gone when they found more abnormal results but this time in her heart. She was now diagnosed with an aneurysm which is a build up of blood vessels which balloon in size. Too much pressure makes them burst which causes a heart attack.

The wonderful doctors managed to sort this but then the aneurysm ruptured again a few weeks before Christmas last year. However, this was the time we all saw her at her weakest. Forty five years of smoking meant that her lungs were collapsing in on her fast and her heart was failing because of this because the blood vessels had no oxygen. The doctors told us there wasn't much hope and that we needed to prepare ourselves for the worst. I went to visit her once and once was enough for me. My little nan was just a crumpled body of bones with grey skin and she was losing her hair. She couldn't eat, go to the toilet or speak properly. She was even hallucinating during the night.

We all come together as a family and kept strong. A part of me had a little bit of hope left inside of me and I prayed and prayed. The day came when she went into theatre and had open heart surgery. It was torture for us all not knowing whether the operation was successful or not. It was a 50/50 chance and even then; her lungs and heart had pretty much given up on her.

She pulled through the operation and now has a five inch sized scar across her chest. She was bed ridden for months and there was a sadness in her at not being able to do things for herself. She needed help washing, eating and using the toilet. Her hair has only just started growing back and she's only just started feeling like herself again.

If it wasn't for her having the routine check up, we wouldn't have known she had breast cancer. If it wasn't for the checkup results of her breast cancer, we wouldn't have known she had an aneurysm in her heart which could have burst at any point and killed her.

I now feel SO strong towards raising awareness of breast cancer because I know what it's like to see someone I love deteriorate right in front of me.

Coppafeel! have teamed up with one of my favourite fashion brands ever to raise awareness of the importance of checking your boobs for any abnormalities. ASOS always do IT right don't they?

Amazingly, they are now stitching labels into all ASOS (own brand) bras to remind us ladies to check our boobies! I don't know about you, but I think this a fabulous idea. I think we all forget to have a little feel every now and then so a friendly reminder to do so when putting on or removing our bras will certainly make me do it! And I would rather be safe than sorry.

I was sent over some boob (this word is so great) related goodies to help support the campaign with. This included a very cool I love boobs mug and even a boobie stress ball (which I am sure is going to come in handy!)

 I am now off to lather up my boobs with my peach body wash and have a check! There's a nice thought for ya! No but really, please check your boobs!

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