'If in doubt, get it checked out.'

Despite a lack of posts for three months, I've still been working with CoppaFeel! But, this isn't what I'm going to be writing about today (more CoppaFeel! stuff to come in the near future though!).

I am constantly encouraging my friends and family to check themselves regularly, so they can get to know their bodies well enough to recognise if there is something wrong. This encouragement is working - my friends tell me they often copp a feel now, and this makes me feel really happy. It's absolutely fantastic that the message is getting through, and this is what we need to keep doing.

Checking yourself really can save your life. I think there are enough people out there with their own stories that can back that statement up. Looking closer to home, one of my friends discovered something unusual, and went to her doctor. Fortunately, the lump was benign, meaning it wasn't harmful. We all felt relieved for her. Finding a lump is scary.

This brings me on to my personal boob journey.

I'm now very open about this subject. Once you get over the 'embarrassment' or 'shame' of having small or large boobs, and/or you begin to worry less about what people think, they become really easy to talk about - I love talking about them!

I used to be very reserved when it came to talking about boobs and breast cancer, but since discovering CoppaFeel! I find this is no longer the case. We're still not best friends, my boobs and me, but we're getting there.

But whatever the state of our relationship, I have always respected their health and how they could affect me. Which is why I check myself on a regular basis, and I keep an eye on anything unusual. If there is something abnormal, I go to the doctor's, and I have done this in the past.

Recently, however, I started to feel discomfort and pain. Pain is not something you want anywhere in your body, and having pain in your breast can be a symptom of breast cancer. Of course, that's not always the case. There are so many other explanations: you're wearing the wrong size bra, hormones, bruising etc. But it did bother me, so over Christmas I took a trip to see my GP.

Because of past appointments, I had no trouble with the doctor checking me over. I understand this is something some people often have an issue with; they feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. This can put people off getting examined by their GP, but from my personal experience I have never felt ill at ease, and I was always looked after. Doctors are there to help you, to care for your health in the best way they can. Everyone I have seen has been professional and understanding, and I would encourage you to go and see someone if you are at all uneasy about anything. An examination can seem scary, but it's over before you know it, and you'll feel better knowing exactly what's going on.

My GP checked me over, and thought the pain I was experiencing pain in my left breast could possibly be a cyst. Cysts are normally not dangerous, and often are left alone - you can get a cyst drained if it is very large, causing a lot of pain, or if it is disrupting your everyday life. My doctor put me on antibiotics, as cysts can sometimes become infected, which would cause pain. This, perhaps, was what I was suffering from. She referred me to a breast clinic, though, just to make sure everything was okay.

After the two weeks on medication the pain was still present, so I was glad to be going to the clinic. If you are ever referred to the breast clinic, this is a good thing. Either way, you are in the safest hands - if there's nothing to worry about, great, if there is, then you're with the professionals who are there to help you as best they can. Visiting the clinic can sometimes feel stressful or unnerving, but more often than not you get the good outcome you want.

I was examined again, and we pinpointed where I was feeling the pain. Then, I had my first ultrasound. It was a strange experience, not one I'm keen to repeat any time soon, but it wasn't painful and it was over very quickly. They took a few pictures of the inside of my boob (so weird!), and all was fine, so I went back to my nurse to hear the results. From what they could see, there was nothing obvious causing my pain, and no cyst. Armed with a booklet about breast pain, I was happily discharged.

She told me it is often easier to say what the pain ISN'T caused by, over than what IS causing it. Annoying, that I'm feeling discomfort and I don't know why, but I'm happy there isn't anything for me to be concerned about.

But that's the message here - I checked myself, got slightly worried, but went to the Doctors and it turned out to be nothing. That is the case most of the time. 

And I would do it again should I feel the need to.

So if you haven't checked yourself recently, I would really urge you to. It'll put your mind at rest, and get you help quicker if you need it.

Go to coppafeel.org for more information on what to look out for, and visit your local GP if you have any concerns. If in doubt, get it checked out!

Caitlin xxx

Fresher Success and #BreastMates

Hello boob-pals!

Lots has been going on recently, and if you don't follow us on Facebook or Twitter then you won't know about any of it!

I've neglected you all recently - my time has gone into moving to Bristol, starting university and (most boob-related) starting up the Uni Boob Team (UBT) at BIMM Bristol! I have the makings of a social media guru when it comes to updating my life and UBT events, but I'm afraid blogging takes a little more time and effort. Please forgive me - I'll try harder I promise!

Firstly, I'd like to talk about the set up of BIMM's FIRST EVER Uni Boob Team! BIMM, for those of you who don't know, stands for the British and Irish Modern Music institute. They have campuses in Brighton, Manchester, London, Dublin, Berlin and Bristol, which is where I am! When I got my place in the summer of 2013, they didn't have a UBT at all. The following spring I heard about CoppaFeel's UBT campaign, applied, and got the position of leader! You all know how excited I was, as I wrote a blog about it. Read that here.

BIMM Bristol is still currently the only BIMM campus to have a UBT. Hopefully if this year goes well, that'll change, and even more universities up and down the country will get Uni Boob Teams. What we do is so important, no students should be missing out!

Task number one was: FRESHERS FAIR.

Luckily for me, I already had one team member. I met Georgia on my first night in Bristol, and over the week I told her more and more about CoppaFeel! She obviously liked what she heard, and asked to join the team. I was so happy, I remember squealing and giving her a big hug, and we've been good pals since!

Georgia watched Kris's documentary, as I did last year (see this blog), and became even more emotionally invested. We discussed our plan of action for BIMM's Freshers Fair, and at 9am on Friday 2nd October we left our accommodation armed with a giant boob and a suitcase full of CoppaFeel! merchandise.

The Freshers Fair could not have gone better. BIMM is a very small university compared to others in the city, and we couldn't predict the numbers of people who would show up. But, fortunately for us, quite a lot of students did come and we got to have lots of booby-chats with our fellow freshers!

We told them all about CoppaFeel!, our messages and our aim - to end late detection of breast cancer. We got lots of interest, and we were certainly the brightest stall in the room! We took many pictures for our Facebook page, and got people to wear the boob - a strange costume to some, but a great way for us to encourage young people to get copping a feel!

We also educated students on knowing the signs to look out for, as well as making sure to say that normal is different for everybody - if YOU know what normal feels like then you will also know if something is wrong.

At the fair we got some signups for new members to join our team (more on that soon!) and got people to signup to the text reminder service: text 'UBT BIMM' to 70500 for a FREE MONTHLY TEXT to remind you to CHECK your boobs and pecks!

All in all it was a very successful day for me and Georgia, and I'm glad I had her there to run the stall with me and spread the CoppaFeel! message. The balloon pump I bought also broke, so she blew up ALL the balloons! Thanks Georgia! And thanks to BIMM for having us there.

                                                        

Task number two: #BreastMates.

A few days before the Freshers Fair I received a very exciting email from Sinead. Sinead is in charge of the UBTs: she trained us, and helps us out all the time - just a great gal really (we love you, Sinead!). 

In the email, I was informed of a new campaign being launched by CoppaFeel! with the help of ITV, ITVBe and Lorraine. And, to cut a long story short, we got to do some live filming for Lorraine on ITV on Monday 5th October! (Try and spot us in THIS EPISODE, you only have six days to watch!)

#BreastMates is the campaign, encouraging young women to check their breasts and to nominate a friend to do the same. It's about checking and communicating - a friend could save your life by nominating you to copp a feel. It's so easy - why not nominate a friend today?

Find out more about the campaign here: http://www.itv.com/breastmates and take a picture/tweet and use the hashtag #BreastMates on social media, so CoppaFeel! and ITV can keep track of the campaign online.

Me and Georgia were up at 6:30AM and set off for the University of Bristol's Student Union, The Anson Rooms. We met Clare and Grace from UBT Uni of Bristol, Sinead was of course there, and once Kris arrived we got started with ITV!

The Anson Rooms was set up with a giant pink teepee and had a festival vibe. Kris produced some CoppaFeel! coloured bunting to finish off the decor and then we went live.

Lots of waving, smiling, and then we got down to the serious stuff. Dr Hilary was our anchor, and he spoke back to Lorraine in the studio and out the audience about the importance of checking your boobs. Kris told the viewers her story and what the campaign was about, and there was also word and a video from two Boobettes. 
Boobettes are women who have had breast cancer themselves, and they now work for CoppaFeel! by educating young women on the importance of checking and knowing what to look out for. You can book a Boobette to come to your school/work; if you're interested in doing that, go here.

Filming for live TV is not as glamorous as you'd think, and it includes a lot of waiting about and not getting enough sleep, but it was extremely fun. It was great to meet Kris again, and to be a part of such a wonderful charity. 

My friends and family watched to see me on their TV screens, not only nice to hear, but also good to know that people did actually tune in and will have heard about the campaign.

I am loving this boob-journey already, I'll be back soon with another booby-bloggy.

Caitlin xxx


*LINKS BELOW*

CoppaFeel!:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Kris's Twitter
Kris's Blog

ITV #BreastMates:
Campaign
News

UBT BIMM Bristol:
Facebook
Twitter

Uni Boob Team:
Website
Twitter

Learning the #artofboob

Hello wonderful people! 

Well, I'm guessing you're all wonderful, you did find your way onto my blog after all!

Just over a week ago I travelled to Farringdon in London to complete my Uni Boob Team Leader training. A wonderful day, full of boob-chat and it was completely inspiring. 
I even got to meet the founder of CoppaFeel! herself, Kris Hallenga, which for me was slightly surreal, as I'd only ever seen Kris on TV or in the media. So, although I know she's a totally normal, lovely person, I found myself fangirling a little inside. 

Being an outsider and seeing what Kris has achieved in such a short time with CoppaFeel! leaves me almost in awe, and meeting her was a complete surprise. It was great to hear her story straight from her own mouth, and it made the work I'll be doing with CoppaFeel! feel even more special and meaningful; to see first hand why their message is so important.

The training was held in the offices of one of their partners, Karmarama, in London. After getting a little lost (I was stood directly outside and didn't realise I was there!), I made my way past the llama and giant rainbow-coloured tunnel (yes, you read that correctly!) into our room for the day.

A rounded room with a table full of notebooks and biscuits, with a wall of TVs opposite brandishing the CoppaFeel! logo. I just felt so comfortable, and a table with stationary and food? That's all you need in life, right?! I wish I'd taken my own picture of the set-up - it was definitely the most awesome meeting room I've ever had the pleasure to be in, but luckily Sinead (who's in charge of us awesome UBTs!) took a picture on Snapchat. So, I shamelessly stole it. Below is a couple of pictures, to help you try and envisage where we were!

I met some other lovely UBT Leaders, from Glasgow, Sheffield and Leeds to name a few, and we chatted boob all day! We learnt how to approach people who may not know CoppaFeel!, and how to communicate the importance of boob-checking. Ideas were flying all over the room about how to do this, and how to raise awareness and money in fun and educational ways. I won't say anymore than that, but it's safe to say us UBTs have plenty up our sleeves this year!

One important thing to get across to young people is that, just because the chance of getting cancer at our age is a lot less likely, it's not impossible. We're not here to scaremonger people - quite the opposite! We just want you to be aware and we want you to know your own body, as it could save your life one day.

Something to point out is, just because it may not affect you now, doesn't mean it never will. We all know the horrifying statistics, but knowing your boobs and body now could very well save you later on in life. If you don't know what's normal or not, you may catch something in a later stage when it's far less treatable. Copping a feel doesn't take long, and it can make such a difference!

This year there are 66 Uni Boob Teams up and down the UK - we will be at your Freshers Fairs, and we will be at the big events as well as running our own. Look out for the boobs and come say hi to us!

We want you to sign up to a text reminder service, where CoppaFeel! will text you once a month COMPLETELY FREE to remind you to check your boobies! What's not to love? Almost everyone has a phone practically glued to their hands, so you can't possibly miss their text. And, thanks to the witty Sinead who is CoppaFeel!'s social media guru, the texts are rather entertaining. They certainly give me a little giggle when they come through!

If you're interested in signing up to the text reminder service, go to coppafeel.org OR text 'UBT BIMM' to 70500. It won't cost a thing - promise, hand on heart! Your university may have their own code, so it might be worth checking that out. But if you truly can't find it, sign up anyway! As long as you're getting the monthly reminder text, that's all that matters!

Overall, my day with CoppaFeel! was a truly great experience, and I can't wait for the boob-filled year ahead.

Check out these social media links below - irregular posts are thing of the past, and we've got plenty of cool things lined up, so keep a lookout!

CoppaFeel!
Website: http://coppafeel.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coppafeel.org?fref=ts
Twitter: @CoppaFeelPeople
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/khallenga
Snapchat: coppafeelpeople

UBT BIMM Bristol
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UBTBIMM?fref=ts
Twitter: @UBTBIMMBristol

Kris Hallenga
Twitter: @KrisPoB
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxuRna_Vn1AV5SQmKPChCcw

Until next time,

Caitlin xxx

A New American Dream

Hello boob friends! It's me again!

Sorry for the delay on this blog - I've been moving into university! Yes, you heard me, moving. I've moved all my stuff in, and then I leave on Saturday - not what normally happens, but hey ho, I'm looking forward to it! (Also there's lots of exciting CoppaFeel! things happening, so I'll update you on that soon!)

As you might have read in a previous blog post, I was in America working at a summer camp. For eight weeks I lived and taught music in the state of Maryland, and I loved it! (Tweet me @Cakey_Cait for more info, I'm a campus manager for AmeriCamp and I could help you work the American dream too!) BUT ANYWAY. This blog is boob related, promise!

Whilst I was there, I was lucky enough to make lots of friends, both American and international (Scottish, Israeli, Irish!), and I learnt a lot about their cultures and what they were taught in school. In turn, they learnt a lot about me, including my passion and future involvement with the charity CoppaFeel!

A few of the British councillors had heard of CoppaFeel! and the work they do, but none of the Americans had. This is, of course, completely understandable - CoppaFeel! was set up in Britain by British people (Kris and Maren Hallenga) in 2009, and as of yet their work has not travelled over the pond.

When I explained to my new American friends what CoppaFeel! was all about, and why I liked the charity, I realised that I hadn't heard of any American organisations or charities that were similar - none were suggested to me by my friends, and from the research I did afterwards, I didn't find anything quite like CoppaFeel! 

Of course, America is a big place. There may very well be charities that do work just like CoppaFeel!, who get young women to check their boobs on a regular basis. But, so far, I haven't found any. This got me thinking about how much my American friends knew about breast cancer. Knowledge on the subject is patchy amongst people my age, some know far more than others, and it is the same in America as it is over here. We are not overly educated on cancer in school, and for me personally I was not told at school that I should check myself or what I should be looking out for. My mum did a good job of teaching me about that, but not everyone is so lucky. There are still young women all over the world who don't know their boobs or bodies - so how can they know if the changes they are going through are normal or not?

What I would like to see in the future, a new dream if you will, would be:

 

1) the education system incorporating more boob and body chat into the curriculum (blogs on this in the future) 

and

2) CoppaFeel!'s messages being spread in other countries! This is a big ask, I know. I don't expect it to be any time soon - America is a huge place, and CoppaFeel! isn't the largest charity out there. But, what they do is so important, and one day it'd be great to know my American friends have the same access to their info/advice as I do.

As I said earlier, there are lots of CoppaFeel! things happening really soon - still so excited and happy to be a Uni Boob Team Leader! Find out more about those here: http://uniboobteam.com

Ta ta for now, speak to you soon!

Caitlin xxx

This Is My Fight Song

It's been a while... I have my reasons, honest!

For the last 3 months, I've been working and travelling in America. 
Being a music counsellor at Camp Louise in Maryland is definitely one of the best things I have EVER done - if you ever considered summer camp work across the pond, just do it. I can't recommend it enough; it's changed me for the better, and I've made some true life-long friends. And, as for travelling afterwards, it's made me even more independent than I already was, I'm far more adaptable to change, and I feel like a stronger person.

Which is where this blog's message comes into play.

But first, the title of this blog? Well, you might have heard Rachel Platten's number 1 hit song, I know I have - it's all they played at camp! What I love about the song, other than it's catchy tune and feel-good lyrics, is the different ways you can interpret what she says. It's not just about fighting back, not just about taking control of your life again - it's also about being a stronger person despite whatever life has thrown at you.

Which, for me, goes hand-in-hand with CoppaFeel!'s message. 

They want us to know our bodies. They want us to check, feel, understand, and then, we might need to be strong.

Fighting any battle takes courage, but fighting cancer takes an inner strength that I don't think we always know is there until we need it.

But the first step is copping a feel.

In 'Fight Song', Platten sings about having "a lot of fight left in me". This is something I believe we can all relate to in many aspects of life. But as I'm gathering a team at university to unite with CoppaFeel!, I want this to be a slogan we stick by. We're going to continue the fight started by those before us, we're going to continue spreading the message, we're going to use our inner strength but still have "a lot of fight left" in us.

I have another blog to come with some facts which, quite frankly, shocked me about the knowledge of the American ladies I met when it came to knowing the facts and checking themselves on the regular. It's very different to the amount we know here in the UK, and I have some ideas to combat this, so watch out for that blog soon.

Until then, future Uni Boob Team members, I'm so happy you're interested in helping! I can't wait for you to join me, we're going to have so much fun sharing CoppaFeel!'s awesome messages.

And lastly, I received my text message yesterday from CoppaFeel!'s reminder service, so why not give yourself a check before class, before you make that third cup of tea of the day, before you hop in the shower. It doesn't take long - and it could save your life.

Caitlin x x x

'Moobs'

Do you have moobs? Or are you in denial? Guess what - all guys have them!

'Moobs', aka 'man boobs', can be a touchy subject amongst the male community. In fact, probably just as sensitive as the topic of boobs are amongst women!

But, here on this blog, I'm trying to make that topic a little easier to talk about - why be ashamed or embarrassed about what they look like/what size they are/the problems that can come with them? Don't be! We're all in the same booby-boat after all. Lets be each other's boob-friend and boob-adviser.

But guys, I'm addressing you specifically in this blog. I'm not picking on you, but it's time to quit it - you have boobs too! They are, most of the time, significantly smaller and less shapely. And, luckily for you guys, they tend to have less of a life of their own - no sports bra for you whilst on your morning jog! However, you need start being more aware and cautious of what comes with the boob-lifestyle.

I'm sure you're all clued up on the dangers of cancer in general, but specifically testicular cancer in men. You know to check your trouser snakes regularly (trouser snake, what a great term!). Well, it's the same for us ladies - downstairs AND upstairs. Knowing your body means recognising an abnormality, and in turn it can mean saving your life.

So why should your 'man-boobs' be any different?

I think a lot of men don't like to think of themselves with 'boobs', perhaps because they are predominantly a female trait (duh!). So are they protecting their 'masculinity'? Or are they conscious of their weight? Does having 'moobs' make you fat? No no no!

Whatever size you are, it does not rule out the possibility of cancer. Does having a below average penis size mean you can't be affected by testicular cancer? No! Boob size is no different.

Breast cancer campaigns are, quite rightly, mainly aimed at women. Specifically, CoppaFeel! try and encourage young women to learn about self-checking, amongst the other important messages they spread. However, it is slowly coming to the publics attention that it is not just women affected. More and more charities are encouraging men to be aware of what breast cancer is, and what it means. 'Cause guys, you are not immune to this.

As I'd ask every woman, I'd now ask every man to start checking themselves on a regular basis. If you have routine for your downstairs area, incorporate the upstairs! Remember, you're not looking for anything - you just need to know your body. All the natural lumps and bumps, the shape, the textures. If there's anything unusual, or something that wasn't there before, you should make an appointment with your doctor.

Another stereotype associated with men, is that they don't like going to the doctor. Is it a sign of weakness? I don't think so. I think it's a sign of clear thinking, of level headedness, and of a sensible mind. Why not bother? It could save your life after all. No-one can think of you as weak or stupid for that.

If you're unsure of what to do when checking yourself, check out the links below. Even if they seem aimed towards women, they apply to you too! Of course, it is far more common and far more likely to affect women, but it doesn't mean you should consider yourself unaffected - check yourself and rule yourself out, guys. 
And, if you think you're really rubbish at that sort of thing, get your girlfriend, wife, friend, sister to do it for you! We don't care how you do it, just as long as you do!

Check out these links for tips and info:

http://coppafeel.org/boob-check/

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cancer-of-the-breast-male/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/understanding-cancer/mens-breasts.html

http://www.channel4embarrassingillnesses.com/video/how-to-check-yourself/how-to-check-your-breasts/

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/rare-cancers/rare-cancers-name/breast-cancer-in-men

https://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/breast-cancer-information/about-breast-cancer/men-breast-cancer

Thanks for reading, until next time,

Caitlin xxx

Boobs are back in Blighty

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been absent for a couple of weeks, I've been getting used to being back in the UK! 

For those of you who didn't know, I've been travelling in Australia for two months, and coming back to England shook me up a bit - jet lag is a cruel mistress, and I just miss Australia very much! :(

However, I am extremely happy to see my family and friends, and to be back blogging for you guys!

Now, I can't promise these blogs will be regular over the summer. I am going off on another gap year adventure in the USA! From June 14th I will be a music counsellor for a summer camp in Maryland for two months; I will try and blog on my days off/whilst travelling afterwards, but you might not see me for a while, and I can only apologise in advance for that. Sorry!

But the good news for the blog is, after I return I will be moving to Bristol permanently, where I will be running the Uni Boob Team for CoppaFeel! And (hopefully!), I will get a team of eager and excited BIMM Bristol students together to help raise awareness for this awesome charity.

BIMM's status in the music industry is on the up, after artists like George Ezra (BIMM Bristol) and James Bay (BIMM Brighton) have been smashing the charts with 'Budapest' and 'Hold Back The River'. So I'm hoping to get some music events up and running, all in the aid of CoppaFeel! - but for that we'll have to wait and see!

CoppaFeel! is already using music in a great way to spread their important messages, not least with 'FestiFeel'. I'd been wanting to go to CoppaFeel!'s 'FestiFeel' for a couple of years, and finally this year I am able to! It may be my official first weekend at university, but I've already bought my ticket for the event, and I can't wait to be in London on October 10th to see some awesome acts all in aid of CoppaFeel!

If you're interested in going to the event, or just want to know what it's all about, click here: https://dice.fm/festifeel-10-oct

In preparation for my work as UBT Team Leader at BIMM Bristol next year, I've had to set up a couple of social media accounts. I know every company/group/celebrity has them now, but I promise you ours won't be full of nonsense! Interesting and important events will be announced on there, as well information about how you could get involved with CoppaFeel!. I'll also be posting links to my blog posts on there, so it'll be an easier way to know when I've written something!

If you'd LIKE (!) to 'Like' our Facebook Page, please follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/UBTBIMM

And our newly set up Twitter Page is here: https://twitter.com/UBTBIMMBristol (it will get more lively as the year goes on, I promise!).

I think that's about all I had for you today, sorry it was a short and random one! 

Posts should be more regular whilst I'm in the UK, and I have an interesting topic to discuss very very soon (ooh intriguing!).

Hope you're all well, and remember to always copp a feel!

Caitlin xxx