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BODY AT HEART

Giving voices
to Marie

This year, for Pinktober, we have chosen to take a step back.
Not to speak, but to give others a voice. To create a space where stories and bodies can be liberated.

We met with four women affected by breast cancer.
Today, it is Marie, aged 36, who has chosen to open up to Ysé, baring her heart and body.

Octobre rose, donner la voix à Marie par Ysé

What is your story with breast cancer?

In early 2022, during a routine visit to my gynaecologist, a slightly dense lump was detected in my right breast. Initially, it was just a matter of having a quick ultrasound scan, which soon turned out to be the start of a whole series of tests and biopsies. For over a month, I didn’t know what was wrong, though I strongly suspected it. Once the cancer diagnosis was confirmed, treatment began very quickly: a mastectomy of the right breast, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

To support the treatments, after the operation, I started dancing, then added yoga, and for the past year, football. I try to stay very active; this also helps me cope with the treatments I’m on today. However, I’m also careful not to push my body too hard, and to listen to it: when I feel tired, I rest.

For the reconstruction, I chose the lipofilling technique (removing fat and injecting it into the breast). I quite liked the idea that my body would have the resources within itself to rebuild itself. And I also wanted a natural result, even if it took five operations to achieve it. Today I bear several marks of my cancer; the most visible are the scars, and that’s fine by me.

What advice has helped you and would you like to share with all women affected by cancer?

I remember that, when I was in the thick of my chemotherapy, I got into the habit of applying very fine glitter to my face almost every day, especially on my cheeks. Once my eyelashes had grown back, I put colour on them as soon as possible – blue or green – even if they were only a millimetre long. It was a way for me to have something that made me happy: I needed it to feel a bit like a party when I looked in the mirror!

Do you have any artistic recommendations that deal with cancer that you particularly like?

When I had cancer, I found it incredibly difficult to read anything on the subject. It was all too raw. Now that it’s mostly behind me, I’m going to read A Cancer Journal by Audre Lorde. During chemo, whether in hospital or at home, I listened to a lot of music, and two tracks in particular on repeat: “Strong” by Romy and “It’s Okay To Cry” by Sophie. I saw these two tracks as invitations to let myself break down and show my vulnerabilities, so that I could cope better.