An inspirational cancer survivor is spreading a message of hope to others diagnosed with the disease as she shares how humour helped her through her illness.
Mel Watson was just 33 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. To control the disease, she opted for a double mastectomy and to have her ovaries removed.
Ahead of Wear It Pink Day on Friday, October 24, in support of Breast Cancer Now, the accountant at Carlisle-based Saint & Co is sharing how making light of her illness through jokes was crucial for her and her loved ones.
Mel said: “I want people going through what I went through to know that being diagnosed doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your life. The best way to describe it is that cancer is a word, not a sentence.
“The best way to tackle cancer is to face it straight on and with a positive attitude; don’t be scared of it. If you are scared of it, you are accepting that the disease has won.
“You have to believe you are going to beat this horrible disease. I have come out the other side and I’m living my life to the full, working full-time and I recently married my partner, Kieran.
“There were some incredibly rough and dark days during my recovery, and it was very hard to cope with, but I want to spread hope that beating cancer is possible.
“When I was diagnosed, people didn’t know how to talk about it and would refer to it as ‘the c word’. But I approached my illness through humour and openness, and that helped start the conversation and educate more people about the disease.
“This is something I continue to do. I’ve had both my breasts removed and replaced with implants, so I tell everyone I have Barbie Doll breasts because I have no nipples. I find having a laugh and being positive is the best way to get through the tough times.”
When Mel was 18, her mother was diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer and found out that she had been passed the BRCA gene. For Mel, it was a matter of when, not if, she would be diagnosed with cancer.
Watching her mother stoically overcome five surgeries and numerous cancer diagnoses prepared Mel for what was to come. And it was why she turned to humour and a positive mindset when she received the news of her illness.
“I saw my mother fight so bravely and positively that she inspired me to face cancer head on and not to be scared,” she said. “My mum was 47 years old when she had her first surgery, and she’s now 68.
“When I made the decision to have one breast removed, I asked for the other to be removed as well as my ovaries as I know the cancer would return and I would have to go through all the sickness and chemotherapy again. It made sense to act early to prevent that happening.”
Mel’s bravery inspired her Saint & Co colleagues to mark Wear It Pink Day each year with a bake sale and raffle. On October 24, the fundraising event will take place at Saint & Co’s headquarters on Rosehill Industrial Estate in Carlisle.
Wear It Pink Day is about raising awareness and helping women to prevent breast cancer, and Mel is recommending women check themselves regularly, visit their doctor and do cancer tests to make sure they pick up the disease at the earliest opportunity.
She said: “Early detection can be vital to your recovery and the treatment you receive, so this is why I am urging people to do check-ups very regularly.
“When I found out I had cancer, I was one tiny millimetre away from requiring radiotherapy treatment as the tumour was just below 2cm which is the size that prompts radiotherapy, so I count myself very fortunate it was diagnosed just in time.”
