From guest Blogger Jane Bissell

It's high season for golf during the summer. Needless to say they're not playing in the type of clothing you see in our picture, at least I don't think so! 

I had a friend visiting recently. She has experienced breast cancer and we were talking about how our lives have changed as a result of our diagnoses and the surgery we had.

Her cancer was very aggressive and so her treatment was correspondingly hard and lasted for some time.

She had an initial mastectomy, and then when breast cancer was found again, she had the other breast removed. The challenges she has encountered over this time have been considerable but she has always met them with strength, hope, a positive outlook … and no small amount of humour.

She is a an avid golfer, out most weekends playing with friends, and had this to say about the effect breast cancer has had on her golf swing.

“I’ve played with two tits, one tit and no tits and I have to say I’ve never played better than I am playing now.”

She went on to say how, before her breast cancer diagnosis, she would have to position her breasts somehow or other to ‘get a good swing’ to hit the ball and now she watches other women doing the same.

“Some kinda lift their breasts up and sit them on their arms, others sort of tuck them down below and I have to say, before my breast cancer surgery, I used to really envy the men because they never had that kind of problem.”

Getting a better golf swing after breast cancer surgery is something I hadn’t thought of, but my dear friend’s joy of life and enduring sense of humour  is an inspiration and lends some truth to the often heard words that ‘good things can come from adversity.’

Jane Bissell is an Auckland writer  (author of Welcome to the Amazon Club) and regular blogger. www.janebissellwriting.com