Turning points - August 06

Lynne Gaffney, 46, was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.

After she was forced to sell her successful travel business because of her health issues, she saw a gap in the market for pretty nightwear that would appeal to women who had had breast surgery.

“I was forty-four when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It came out of the blue – I had no history of it in my family. I found a lump in my left breast and was sent to have it checked. That turned out to be a cyst, but they checked both my breasts and found a tumour in the other breast. I was absolutely floored – I was amazed. I didn’t feel sick at all. There’s absolutely no way I would have known I had breast cancer if I hadn’t found that cyst.

“I had the lump removed, but they didn’t get a clear enough margin around it, so I had to go back two weeks later and have my breast removed. I thought it was all over when I had the lump taken out, so I was devastated that I had to have the mastectomy.

“At that point, I owned a travel agency with a partner. Our lease expired at about this time and, because of my health concerns, we decided to sell the business. It was difficult: I had been in the industry for a long time and I loved having my own business. I think I cried more over selling the travel agency than losing my breast. But I don’t regret it now – it was the right thing for me to do at the time.

“After I had the mastectomy, I was a little down and in need of some cheering up. I was reading a magazine and came across a new range of lingerie I wouldn’t be able to wear. I felt frustrated and a little sad that there was this gorgeous lingerie that wasn’t for women like me. We just didn’t have any alternatives to the very, very limited range available to women who had had mastectomies.

“I wanted to change that. I had a chat with a girlfriend who designs her own clothes and we came up with the idea of Secretly Hidden, a sleepwear range that would hold a prosthesis for women who had undergone breast surgery.

“Your skin can become very sensitive after breast cancer treatment, so we make our nightgowns in very soft 100 per cent cotton. Also, the treatment can cause early menopause, with night sweats and hot flushes, so you need to wear something that is absorbent.  

“It’s really important when you go through something like I did that you can still feel and look attractive. Your self-esteem takes a bit of a battering – you’ve had a body part removed and, if you’ve had chemotherapy, your hair might fall out – so you need things that will make you feel pretty and feminine.

“We started selling Secretly Hidden through breast cancer support networks, and it went really well. A lot of women have since bought the nightgowns through our website www.secretlyhidden.com.au and have sent emails and handwritten notes to say how comfortable the nightgowns are and how lovely and practical they are to wear. 

“They are being bought by all types of women now, not just women who have had breast cancer. Because of the design, the nightgowns are very good for breastfeeding mothers, but they’re also being bought by women who simply like pretty cotton nighties.

“I work on Secretly Hidden one day a week and I also work as a consultant in the travel industry. I have a pretty good work-life balance now. I was very stressed before I had the surgery and I believe it was stress that caused my breast cancer. Now I try to manage my stress and make sure I get plenty of rest, enjoy my life and have fun.

“I worked right through my treatment – I didn’t have a choice, financially, as I’m single – but it was fantastic to be able to work because it kept my mind off things. I just had a week off following my mastectomy and I was back at work.

“I didn’t have chemotherapy – it was my choice – and everything is fine. I have check-ups every six months and I go to breast cancer support groups, which really help. I also have a very good support network – my friends and family have been absolutely fantastic. Without their help, it would have been really difficult to have made it through this.”

Support role
Secretly Hidden nightgowns can be bought from www.secretlyhidden.com.au or Crabtree & Evelyn stores. There are plans to add lingerie and swimwear to the range.

 

Words: Karen Spresser and Josephine Brouard. Photography: Andrew Lehmann. Styling: Nicholas Sholl. Hair & make-up: Yolanda Lukowski.