I’m Dawn, and Wonky Warriors was conceived in a busy online chat room whilst waiting for one of my breast cancer treatments. We were ‘chatting’ and laughing about being newly lopsided or flat chested with typical British stoicism and humour. But of course all of us beautiful strong lumpy bumpy ladies knew deep down that we would eventually need to find a new 'normal' and somehow embrace the change
s that we were going through. You can laugh about not needing to buy a bra anymore, or not having to hold your chest whilst running for the bus, liking the idea of newer perkier b***s, or deciding on the coolest tattoos to cover scarring. Ultimately though, rebuilding self esteem can be a real struggle once you have lost some of, one, or both of your breasts. My personal choice for post lumpectomy life was to leave it 'au naturale', no prosthesis, no ni**le reconstruction, no tattoo. That left me with style choices to make to disguise and camouflage my new wonkiness. I have to say... I did sulk a bit. I loved my long necklaces. I was diagnosed in 2018 at 42 years old, so I knew myself pretty well. I was at a stage in my life where I was happy with who I was and what I looked like barring wanting a couple of centimetres off my backside. My diagnosis had left me feeling a little lost in my own skin. Sound familiar? Then I discovered ASYMMETRY. And it was perfect. It just ‘fit’. It fit my ‘new me’ and it worked like magic. Try it! Pop on an asymmetric print top and look in the mirror. If you’re wonky, I bet you can hardly tell. I am not ashamed by my wonkiness, but it’s nice not to have people keep glancing at my chest wondering what’s going on. Next I made an asymmetric necklace to match one of my new tops. Then another. And then another. And I eventually realised – I wasn’t just making it to match my outfit, I was making to match me. But I’m not the only wonky lady out there. So now I’m making it for you too. Each jewellery collection tells its own story and is a symbol of recognition and acceptance of these events that have changed our lives. Everyone’s path may be different but each one holds the same fundamental truth. You are still you. Just a little bit different. You can shop happy in the knowledge that 20% of all proceeds will go to a cancer charity. I also have a blog page if you want to hear more about my story. Here on Facebook, my page is positive, understanding, inspirational and yes - often funny - so it is a nice place for you to visit even if you don’t want to buy anything. When I found out I had breast cancer, that is what I needed. Distraction, positivity and compassion. Whether you are flat chested, asymmetric, or reconstructed. Whether you have had cancer or fought alongside a loved one. Whether you are one of the amazing nurses and doctors who fight cancer daily. We are all Wonky Warriors. I hope you are well. I hope you are coming to terms with your 'new normal', whatever that may be. Love and virtual hugs to you all. Thanks for reading,
Dawn XOXO
