ICC Birmingham– 19-20 Jan 2026 For the first time this year Flat friends was able to have an exhibitor’s stand at the annual UKIBCS conference, along with a few other charities. These conferences are always a great opportunity to raise our profile with Breast Surgeons and Breast Care Nurses (BCN). Odile Wittemans and Ona Riamah, […]
Flat Friends and UK Interdisciplinary Breast Cancer Conference (UKIBCS) Read More »
Every story shared is a woman somewhere feeling a little less alone. That’s why we’re so proud to introduce Emma, one of our incredible community members, who has written about her experience of living flat after her unilateral mastectomy in 2018 with the kind of honesty, humour and heart that stops you in your tracks.
Living Flat – Emma’s Story Read More »
Flat Friends and The Association of Breast Surgeons (ABS) Conference 2025 ICC Birmingham– 19-20 May 2025 Once again, this year we were able to have an exhibitor’s stand at the annual ABS conference, along with a few other charities. This is a great opportunity to raise our profile with Breast Surgeons and Breast Care Nurses
Flat Friends at ABS 2025: Raising Awareness, Shaping Conversations Read More »
January 1st – happy new year, looking forward to a fun 2023. Holidays booked for June and October, everything to look forward to 6th – neighbour posted on Facebook, purely for awareness, she had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer before Christmas and check for visual signs, not just lumps. This resonated with me as sometime
‘A year in the life’ Read More »
Professor Shelley Potter – Patron and Clinical Advisor We are excited to announce that Shelley Potter, Professor of Surgical Oncology at Bristol Medical School, and Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust is now a Patron and Clinical Advisor for Flat Friends. Find out more Shelley’s research interests focus on improving outcomes for
Professor Shelley Potter Read More »
I was diagnosed in 2018 at the age of 41 with a 2.5cm IDC in my left breast beginning with a trip to the doctors with pain in my breast and what I thought might be a lump. I had three different types of chemo plus the trial drug Olaparib through the Addenbrookes Partner Trial.
My name is Birgit. I was diagnosed with multifocal invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast in March 2021 for which I had a mastectomy and I have been taking tamoxifen since late April 2021. I would like to mention right at the beginning of my blog that each of our stories is unique. We
Autism and a mastectomy in a pandemic Read More »
‘Outcomes of Women undergoing Mastectomy for Unilateral Breast Cancer Who Elect to Undergo Contralateral Mastectomy for Symmetry: A Systematic Review by Griffin C, et al.’ This is the first and very important step to establish national surgical guidelines for contralateral mastectomy (CM); facilitating equitable access, validating contralateral mastectomy as an alternative to reconstruction, and ensuring
Ever wondered what it’s like to start dating after a mastectomy? In this vlog, Sonia (who you may have seen on Channel 4’s Naked Education!) shares her experiences of discovering new body confidence, online dating, and telling prospective dates that she is living flat. Contains strong language which may be considered offensive. https://flatfriends.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/DatingwithNoBoobs-1.mp4
Dating with No Boobs Read More »
Mastectomy Recovery Diary This will give an overview of what my experience was like. It is important to note that we are all different, so my experience may not look the same as yours. Day 1 I came round to a heavy-ish feeling in my chest and feeling very hazy from the anaesthetic. I hadn’t
Mastectomy Recovery Diary Read More »
The choice to have a ‘flat closure’ mastectomy was made after a lot of research to inform and empower myself. During this time, I found the most amazing group of women on the Facebook group @flatfriendsUK. The group is private and it’s a safe place where we can share our mastectomy experiences, support and help
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2020. I was called for my first routine mammogram at age 52; following that a letter arrived which called me back for further tests because they had seen some suspicious things on one side. I hadn’t felt a thing myself. The fact that I was 52 when