Hospital lingerie and swimwear fayre empowering women affected by breast cancer surgery

29.11.2024

A hospital lingerie and swimwear fayre will show women affected by breast cancer surgery they don’t have to settle for dowdy underwear and swimwear.

The event, taking place on December 12 at Glan Clwyd Hospital, is bringing in well-known suppliers of lingerie and swimwear, designed to show style doesn’t have to be sacrificed when choosing post-surgery underwear and beachwear.

It may not seem like an important issue to those who have never experienced breast cancer surgery. However, to many who have, looking and feeling good in comfortable, feminine garments is a part of regaining a sense of self after such life-changing treatment.

One woman supporting the fayre is 37-year-old Danielle Robinson. She was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She initially thought she had mastitis but was later diagnosed with stage four, triple-positive breast cancer which had spread to her liver.

She underwent six rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, a full left mastectomy and her prognosis gave her two to three more years. Despite this, Danielle remains positive and has thrown herself headlong into helping others through charity work with Make2ndscount and Breast Cancer Now. She also hosts a tea and chat group in Rhyl, for women with secondary breast cancer (breast cancer which has spread to other parts of the body).

Danielle also takes every opportunity she can to get away on holiday abroad with her husband Dean and her seven-year-old son Theo, in their campervan. She said she refuses to let her cancer define her.

However, she did emphasise the psychological impact of her treatment, including associated body image and intimacy issues, and the lack of suitable post-surgery underwear and swimwear options.

“I didn't realise the impact until after the surgery,” said Danielle. “I do think with the psychological side of how much it actually affects you - with regards to intimacy, how you look, how clothes fit you, how underwear fits you, the change in the styles that you have to wear - your general confidence just plummets.”

Danielle explained why she was getting behind the fayre. After her mastectomy, she remembered trying on one bra in a retail outlet and described how it made her feel.

“I just didn't feel womanly or feminine at all,” she revealed. “It was just this white thing. I asked, ‘Is that all you've got?’ The lady said, ’Yeah, I haven't got anything else’. I thought, ‘Oh my God’.

“I understand you need certain types of bra immediately after the surgery but, six weeks after surgery, I booked a fitting at the hospital. The styles the lady brought out - I didn't realize they existed. She brought out things that were really nice but generally it's just horrendous, the choice that's available to women after surgery.”

Danielle said she will be going to the fayre and is spreading the word about it as much as she can. She believes it will appeal to a lot of women who have been through breast cancer surgery, plus chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

She added: “Chemo can strip women’s hair, their eyebrows, their eyelashes. Women can have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy, or a double mastectomy. You can feel literally like there's nothing left of you.

“It strips you completely of your confidence and you just to have that support afterwards, to find that there are things available afterwards, that there is nice underwear that we can wear. There is good swimwear at affordable prices.

“I found the options the lady who fitted me at Glan Clwyd gave me were absolutely fantastic.”

Breast care assistant practitioner Lindsey Williams is the event’s organiser and explained her reasons for arranging the fayre. She said: “Breast cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers in the UK. Many women affected by the disease need surgery, be it a mastectomy or lumpectomy.

“It’s really important, post-operatively, to help women not only recover from the physical but also the psychological effects of these surgeries. As the visible scars heal, being able to look and feel nice and retain their sense of femininity can help that psychological healing process.

“We want to celebrate these women and show them there are choices out there in what they can wear. More and more companies are realising these ladies want choice and appropriate garments designed for their bodies.

“While we advise and help them post-operatively, we want all women who’ve been through breast cancer surgery to understand there is lingerie and swimwear out there which caters specifically for them.”

The Glan Clwyd Lingerie and Swimwear Fayre takes place on Thursday, December 12, between 6-8pm, in corridor E of the hospital.

Anyone who has been affected by breast cancer is welcome to attend. To book, contact Lindsey on 03000 846008 as space is limited.

Stockists will include Nicola Jane, Anita, Trulife and Womanzone.

Additional information:

In the last 12-month period assessed the Health Board has treated 772 breast cancers, of which 571 had surgery as their first treatment
There are around 56,000 new cases of breast cancer in women in the UK every year: that’s more than 150 cases every day
In men, there are around 400 new cases of breast cancer annually
Breast cancer represents 15% of all new cancer cases in the UK and 30% of new cancer cases in females
You can find more statistics around breast cancer here: compendium-executive-summary-2024.pdf

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