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EXCLUSIVE I was a 'one-boobed bride' on my wedding day but I still felt gorgeous walking down the aisle
A woman who had a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer has said she still felt 'beautiful' as a 'one-boobed bride' on her wedding day.
Lynn Siffleet, 67 from the Wirral, was first diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer last June during a routine mammogram, despite having no visible symptoms or lumps.
Just three months ahead of her wedding to 'lovely' husband, Roy, Lynn was completely blindsided by the diagnosis, and was left needing an emergency mastectomy.
She explained that she hadn't felt anything wrong in the run up to her diagnosis and had no idea that she was unwell until the examination.
'My lumps were deep inside the breast, so it shows the importance of still getting your mammograms regularly on top of checking yourself,' she said.
Lynn was referred to hospital and received a mastectomy in August 2024, just two months after receiving the life changing diagnosis.
With the big day just around the corner, she was given a breast reconstruction to help her fill out her wedding gown - only for disaster to strike when she developed a complication.
'I was a 34E, I had my wedding coming up, so I thought "oh yeah I want to look normal, put in the implant"', she said.
Despite feeling hopeful after her reconstruction, soon after Lynn was rushed to hospital after catching necrosis.
She was taken to theatre immediately where she had to have the implant removed and the mastectomy scar reclosed.
'It was a really intense time and with the wedding coming up I was worried how I would feel and look but Roy was there with me through the whole thing, and he still couldn't wait to marry me.'
After two previous marriages, Lynn wasn't convinced she would ever find love again, and was over the moon when she met Roy.
After connecting on the pair met up and hit it off instantly, forging a love they hope will last a lifetime.
'I never thought I'd be able to trust someone with my heart again, but then I met Roy who was just this beautiful, old-school romantic man and I fell in love,' she said.
After a year of dating, Lynn popped the question to Roy on New Years Eve.
'It was a leap year and I thought "Girl power, I'm going to do it and I did!'", she recalled.
The couple tied the knot in September 2024, just three months after Lynn's original diagnosis.
'I felt amazing on my wedding day, truly gorgeous and having been through my recent journey with breast cancer, I felt even more grateful to be marrying this man with all my wonderful friends and family, including my 93-year-old mum Elizabeth watching.'
The new bride said she was immensely grateful for the efforts of those who helped care for her in what was one of the most difficult periods of her life.
'I'd also like to thank the amazing team in the breast cancer unit at the Clatterbridge hospital on the Wirral for their great care and support during this time,' she said.
Lynn is hosting an afternoon tea this August raising funds for Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity, to give back after her experience.
'I'm getting all the gals together for nice cake and sandwiches, there will be bingo, pass the parcel and name that tune not to mention I'll be doing the garden out with bunting and whatnot!'
Every 10 minutes, someone in the UK is told the news 'you have breast cancer'.
Reflecting on her cancer journey, Lynn said: 'It's one year since my diagnosis this June, and thanks to charities like Breast Cancer Now that fund research and awareness, I'm able to be here continuing to live my life.
'I want women to know it's important they know they can still book mammograms over 70.
'The main thing is I have my health, Roy and I have my twin sister Jayne, my family, and despite my experience, I'm so glad I was diagnosed and was able to be treated for this disease.'
Georgie Gibbons, Afternoon Tea manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'I want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to Lynn for hosting an Afternoon Tea and we hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy the chance to get together with friends and family whilst knowing you are raising money to drive forward Breast Cancer Now's life-saving research and provide vital support.
'Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with over 55,000 people diagnosed each year.
'This is why we're calling on people across the UK to host an Afternoon Tea this August to help fund our life-saving breast cancer research and vital support services.
'It's not too late to host your own Afternoon Tea, and it doesn't have to be big or fancy. Whether you bake or buy, just give it a try – because every single Afternoon Tea will help to give support for today and hope for the future to people affected by breast cancer.'
Join Lynn in supporting life-saving breast cancer research and life-changing support by taking part in this year's Breast Cancer Now Afternoon Tea.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
