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JustMel

@melssss9555

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Sharing my experiences as an ordinary person searching for meaning in this weird thing called life.

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I was looking for a photo to share for the final day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and took a trip down memory lane.

On September 1st 2017, my Beloved and I were married as I finally felt that 50 was a good age to get married I guess. 🤣 The first 3 photos are from that week.

I had my first ever mammogram the following year and my 1 year anniversary gift was an early breast cancer diagnosis, quickly followed by a double mastectomy without recon in October 2019. Happy Breast Cancer Awareness Month to me.

Chemo was next and the photo of me, with short hair, in hospital with neutropenia was after my first chemo, just before it all fell out.

In 2019 I participated in my first campaign with BreastScreen WA and that poster is still around in some of the clinics. I rocked chemo curls and then a mullet and very proudly wore one of mum's tea cosy's as a hat. I had asked her, before cancer, if I could have it when my Aunty made it for her but she refused. And then on my way to maybe my 2nd chemo, mum silently put her tea cosy in my hands and said I could wear it.

8 years later, I'm a flattie and live with chemo induced peripheral neuropathy, constant pain and nerve issues, memory issues,l and very thin hair due to over 7 years on hormone blockers.

And I'm alive. That first mammogram at BreastScreen WA discovered the tumour deep under my breast tissue as well as cancer cells in my right armpit. The tumour was about the size of a grain of rice.

Women in Australia, you can book a free screening mammogram from age 40. It takes less than half an hour.

Everyone ... anyone with breast tissue can get breast cancer which means you, reading this, right now. Please do regular self-examinations, see your doctor if you notice anything suspicious. If your doctor brushes away your concerns, please see another doctor.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over for another year however this doesn't mean we be complacent until next October.

Thinking of Tanee, my Debs and Kim, 3 of my besties I made while having treatment, Amie - my other partner in crime, everyone who has finished treatment, those on treatment, and those who don't yet know they will be diagnosed.

Mel🩷🩵 by @melssss9555

'Wear a butterfly hat and feathers in your hair!!'

I'm a bit nervous about sharing this. It's my first time using a gorgeous @janedavenport collage paper and a number of her gorgeous art supplies to create a piece of joy for myself. It's very, very out of my comfort/experience/artistic skill zone however it's what I aspire to be able to create. 🙂 I figure the only way I will learn is to do.

The woman's head was already on the collage paper (and lot's of others that I've mostly covered up with medium, an old stamp of JD's and feathers). I (hopefully) enhanced her eyes and lips, and finally figured out how to turn the stencil into a hat. The dark feather on the left is from our garden and I made up the sentiment. I used the art supplies that I received in a mystery box from her.

The untouched collage paper with the stencil on her head had been sitting, untouched in my big art journal for about a week as I didn't know how to complete it. 'Thankfully', last night was a no sleep night so I spent the night finishing her. Yay chronic insomnia I guess.

I love that this collage design has such gorgeous colours and so many beautiful faces. It almost dares us to play with it and make it our own.

Lack of sleep always makes me chatty!!!

I may be adding one final social media post if I can find something. by @melssss9555

One of dad's 'jobs' is to let me know when the zygo's outside his bedroom, flower and today is the first day that we caught them. The first bloom is about the size of my head, I think it's the largest we've had so it's obviously thriving on my lack of attention. It looks like a white one may have flowered last night and it's already finished. And our hoya has a flower too 🙂

The others are our front garden, also thriving on neglect haha. @zagnas can you please show Aunty these photos? Dad has been asking me for a week or so to especially send the wheelbarrow geranium photo for her to see. It's the one at the front, next to the pond. He said she would like it. 💜💜💜💜 It's also proof that I haven't killed all of mum's garden haha. We even have some bulbs I planted that have flowered, which is exciting.

I love that geranium and how it spills out of whatever it's planted in. If you look closely at the final photo of the pink flowers, you can see a bee inside the top flower!! I love that I see quite a few bees near the flowers.

Now, if only my frogs would come back. Its probably close to 2 years since I've seen any, which is sad.

#garden #flowers #gardeners #wheelbarrowgarden #zygocactus by @melssss9555

A bit more of what has been keeping me busy while sleep has been conspicuous by it's absence.

1st 3 photos - making collage papers. I used pink, orange and yellow acrylic paint along with black and white with the goal to make as many different tones/colours as possible.

Next 3 - playing with stencils on book pages, painted backgrounds in my art journals and having a go at using a gorgeous collage paper as a base for a design. I'm still working on it so you can only see a bit of it. In the photos with 2 copies of the stencil, one is using it the regular way and the other is pressing the paint covered back of it onto a page.

And the last 2 photos are what I spent hours and hours making for one of my fb craft group advent calendar events (25 little notebooks with a range of papers and a beaded clasp), only to realise, just before the deadline to post them, that they were too thick. Yesterday and last night, I hurriedly made other things and posted them all off today. I covered used envelopes with pretty papers to put them in. I do question when I will learn to read instructions in full AND to remember said instructions ... I suspect never 😅🙄

On the weekend I will start making an advent calendar for a different fb craft group, but instead of making 25 of the same thing that will be put into 25 individual calendars, I'll be making a 12 day calendar for one person. It can be half bought items and half hand made though I'll hopefully have most of it hand made. I also have a secret project I started tonight and another idea for some of my newer friends I've made in the crafting groups.

I need/want to share my feelings about the Stormie Mills exhibition at the Art Gallery of WA. I'm still finding it difficult to find the words as it touched me so deeply. People in Perth or coming to Perth, if you can, please make time and go as it is such a special collection of art. I'm tempted to go again and take a notebook with me so I can do some writing while there.

#art #creativity #junkjournal #crafting by @melssss9555

Guess who knocked over one of her inks while swatching her stash?

Hint, she has CIPN and likes to drop things or trip when walking on flat ground 🤣🤣

I'm finally getting to use my @janedavenport colour catalogue and gorgeous variety of swatch papers.

On the bright side, I was able to dab some of the paint onto some pages in my art journals.

Now to try that sleep thing that I've heard people talk about.

#createart #colour #paintswatch by @melssss9555

It was so wonderful to go to the @breastscreen_wa #PinkRibbonBreakfast2026 yesterday @frasersrestaurant at the stunning @kingsparkandbotanicgarden .

I apologise that this is basically a lot of photos of me haha, I was so captivated by the 3 speakers, @fionacampbellmusic @danielavecchio53 and of course, the wonderful @trinie.bt who shared her experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 31, that I didn't take any photos during the event.

The first 3 photos were taken by my Beloved, hence the weird angles 🤣

Some photos of Kings Park and the round building is Fraser's Restaurant. Their breakfast is always beautiful and their wait staff are superb.

I bought a copy of Petrina's book, 'It's not (just) about the breast' and I'm looking forward to reading this.

As I was leaving, I thought I was having an auditory hallucination as I could hear bagpipes so I went back to Fraser's and saw Petrina's husband, Lee, playing Amazing Grace. I was outside the restaurant watching and listening and I could hear a number of the guests, inside, singing along. It was a beautiful and completely unexpected moment for me and I'm sure, most of the others.

I've added 3 photos from the 2026 BreastScreen WA campaign 'Dont' miss your most important photo' with myself, Leanne and Jodie. On the website, you can also see interviews with Leanne and Jodie for the campaign.

The final 3 photos are from the 2025 breakfast, again, because I was too busy yesterday listening to everyone who spoke, or catching up with friends, new and old. I was so honoured to be invited to share my story with everyone last year, including how my very first mammogram at BSWA found my cancer when it was the size of a grain of rice. The last 3 photos include a number of the BSWA staff including Matt, Hayley and Lauren, who work incredibly hard to organise this event, Director A/Professor Emmeline Lee and also the Minister for Health - @meredithhammat . This year, the always beautifully dressed Dr Eric Khong shared his MC duties with the also very dapper Matt and they did an incredible job, dad jokes aside! Eric even impressed us with his Italian language skills in honour of Dr Vecchio.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ by @melssss9555

Oh no, after years of admiring their stunning shoe designs, I finally was able to place an order a few weeks ago and they will be delivered this week. It's always so sad when a company that openly celebrates diversity, the lgbtiqap+ community, Indigenous artists who make some of their show designs and generally brings colourful, vibrant and unique shoe designs to us closes It's business.

I had emailed them, maybe a year ago, asking questions about suitable, safe shoes for dad and the person who replied not only provided lots of information and was very kind, they also didn't do the hard sell to me and was very honest and said the water shoes may not be safe for dad (96) unless someone was with him in the pool. I don't know many companies that would be this ethical.

Please look at their website and if you can, give them support and treat yourself to a couple pairs of shoes. I'll share photos and my thoughts about mine when they arrive.

@offbeatsweetie by @melssss9555

On my way to the BreastScreen WA Pink Ribbon Breakfast 2026. I had to find my sneakers with the thickest soles so that I won't trip and break my neck because of the length of the pants of my salwar kameez!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

My ever faithful Versace's to the rescue.

Annnnndddddddd ..... I just realised I forgot to put on my jewellery!!!! I chose them all last night so I wouldn't panic this morning. Ugh, dear mum, I love you, please don't come and back and haunt me. I blame my husband for rushing me ... something about being late .. traffic ... something ... hurry up ... mumble. I'm such a failed Indian haha

#shortgirlprobs #salwarkameez #Indian by @melssss9555

October is breast cancer awareness month. In Australia, women with a medicare card, 40 and over can have a free screening mammogram at @breastscreen_wa (or your state branch of BreastScreen). Check their website for when the mobile clinic will be in your area for regional and remote women. In 20 minutes your mammogram is done and dusted and the staff are very gentle and understand that this can be a very scary experience.

My first, and only, mammogram found my tumour when it was about the size of a grain of rice, long before it would have been noticed by me. It had already moved into my lymph nodes so that photo was important because it also saved my life.

Please also remember all of the people living with metastatic breast cancer and all of the amazing people who we have lost to this disease. This month I'm thinking of John - the first man with bc that I met, my Debs, my rainbow Tanee and my very first friend made in person - Kim.

I'm always so proud to be an ambassador for #BreastscreenWA and love their inclusivity and diversity in media campaigns. Some of my favourite photos are shared here. They also educate us about First Nations People and language when they share posts about the seasons here.

I'm looking forward to meeting friends, new and old, at the Breast Screen WA Pink Ribbon Breakfast tomorrow and especially, to hearing Petrina share her story.

And remember, ALL people who have breast tissue can get breast cancer, this includes every one of you. About 8/10 new diagnoses are people who have NO family history (I was shocked by this as I had assumed it would be the opposite).

Let me know when you've had your mammogram. Men, please see your doctor if you notice any changes in your chest area.

#breastcancer #checkyourbreasts #canat40doat45
#flattie by @melssss9555

Yes, I know, more arty crafty stuff from me!

A couple of nights ago, I got out all of my @janedavenport foamies (foam stamps that are easier to hold with my neuropathy), as many different types of papers that I could find, some acrylic paints, some ink pads ... and this was the result.

I like exercises like this as I get to see which medium/paper combinations do and don't work, which colours look great together and to not worry about making the perfect image. Very little thinking was involved in this haha, I literally was just using whichever random colour was near me.

#foamies
#foamstamps
#janedavenport
#stamping
#art by @melssss9555

A set of atc's I made for a swap. 3 for her, 1 for me. The theme was 'breathe/relax'.

🙂

#crafting
#artisttradingcards
#art
#creativity by @melssss9555

It is always such a wonderful experience opening an order from @natalie_may_scrapbooking. It's one of the reasons why I am consciously choosing to buy from small, Australian, artist owned businesses where possible- because I love that they take time to wrap your order in beautiful quality and designed paper, often include a short note plus some freebies. This time, Natalie gave me a lollipop, 2 stickers and a gorgeous piece of collage paper.

I took advantage of their sale and bought a couple of Art By Marlene books that I can use in crafting, an atc deli paper for gel printing (when I teach myself that haha), plus a mystery 10 pack mainly of Natalie's collage papers, a gorgeous 'Just be kind' stamp set, and a stencil designed by Natalie as well.

Because of the sale, I was also able to buy a few of her online art/journal tutorials. I think the 2nd last photo has the different tutorial supply packs and the last photo (I think) is the contents of one of the lessons I purchased. I was originally thinking I wouldn't be able to buy any of them until next year so this was a happy surprise.

I wasn't able to understand something I received so I emailed Natalie on Tuesday evening her time, and she replied very shortly afterwards despite it being night time. She resolved my problem (coughs user error haha) really quickly while also inviting me to contact her again if I had further questions.

Her delivery is always so fast and I can't wait to play with her collage paper.

The items she reduces to clear are often very popular brands eg Art by Marlene, which is wonderful for us fans of ABM. So definitely checkout @NatalieMayScrapbooking and receive wonderful customer service.

❤️ Mel xx

#AustralianArtist #art #creativity #mixed media by @melssss9555