Lauren (Lolli) Mahon is a British blogger whose writing took a different turn than she was expecting. She created her blog, Girl Stole London, in order to document randomness and adventures around her beloved native city of London. I would highly suggest reading this. It may just be my personal obsession with Europe, but I think it is fantastic.
In May of 2016, she found a lump on her breast that had not been present before. She went for testing and was told that she had a 2.3 centimeter, Grade 3 tumor. For those of you who are not familiar with tumor grading, it can be used to estimate the speed and strength of the tumor’s likeliness to grow. The scale ranges from 1 being the lowest, to 3 being the highest. Something important to note is that a cancer stage is not the same as a tumor grade. Her Grade 3 meant that her tumor was likely to grow rapidly and spread through her body quickly. Luckily, because of her attention to her own body, they were able to catch this snotty tumor early, giving her an advantage.
Lolli’s blog follows her daily life as well as her #GirlvsCancer blog. #GirlvsCancer tracks her cancer journey from diagnosis, to change in relationships, to chemotherapy. She states in her blog that she wants to change the way society sees cancer and breasts so people who are going through similar things, are free to have an open conversation about their struggles. The most amazing thing about her and her blog, is the heart she continues to show and the humor she uses along with her strength to fight this soul-sucking disease. As Lolli would say, she is going to kick the C bomb’s (insert another word for rear end here).
Cancer runs in my family just as it does in many others. I have spent my life checking my body for abnormal freckles and lumps where they should not be. I have a generous amount of genetic predispositions that put me at an even greater risk of skin cancer and breast cancer. I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to find Lolli’s blog. I realized through her, you can fight with humor, kindness, and love, but also with strength and determination.
LADIES! Monitor your body. Check yourself regularly. Nowadays, we are never too young to have the cancer bomb thrown into the chaos of our everyday lives. Early detection is key. I have seen more people fight cancer than any one ever should; even one is one too many. I have seen too many lose their battle. Get to know your body. Take care of your body with proper nutrition and exercise, as even the smallest of things can help fight against cancer. Love and support the ones you know who are fighting.
Follow Lolli’s social media accounts @GIRLSTOLELONDON and her blog at https://www.girlstolelondon.co.uk/!
Also, check out her great tit-tees on her website! You can sport one too!
For tips on how to give yourself a breast examination go to www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-self-exam.
For my fighters.