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BODY AT HEART

Giving voices
to Maëlle

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 Maëlle, 37, who has chosen to tell her story for Ysé, opening her heart and baring her body.

What is your story with breast cancer?

The surgery (mastectomy) was clearly liberating for me because they were removing the part of me that was sick, and I really wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible. The first time I saw myself after the operation, to my surprise, I wasn't shocked but relieved. I had to adapt my clothes, but as I've always loved fashion, I was able to find ways to dress and remain feminine.

During and after treatment, I threw myself into sport, which really helped me to regain control over my body, which had been battered by treatment and surgery, and to clear my mind. The post-cancer period is not an easy one, particularly from a psychological point of view. People don't talk about it much, but it's still a trauma that remains very much present.

In January 2024, I began a reconstruction process that took about a year and a half. Since then, I have been more daring in my choice of clothing and have come to accept my physical differences. Even before my illness, there were certain clothes I would not allow myself to wear.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

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

Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to talk with other women who are undergoing reconstruction or treatment. It is not easy to give advice or find the words to comfort them, as each woman's situation and experience is different. However, if I had to say one thing, it would be that since this ordeal, I thank my body every day for being strong during this stage of my life, and to show my gratitude, I take care of it through sport, I've changed my diet and I treat myself to nice clothes.

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

Instinctively, I don't have any advice to give because when I found out about my cancer, I wanted to move forward on my own, surrounded by my friends and family. I put everything related to cancer aside. I really wanted to let myself go with the flow and take each day as it came. I told myself that reading up on it would constantly remind me of the disease, and I wasn't ready for that.