I'm still all woman

Believe me, I thought long and hard about revealing the scars of my mastectomy. But having fought breast cancer for almost a year, I hope to inspire other victims of the killer disease.

They are my battle scars. It's as simple as that. Why should women shy away from showing themselves after such an operation?

It doesn't make you any less of a woman. There's nothing to be ashamed of. That's why I want to show the effects.

Last June, I discovered a pea-sized lump in my right breast when I was seven months pregnant with my second son, Otis. At the time, I dismissed it as mastitis.

But the day after I gave birth to Otis last August, as I settled down to feed him I realised that the lump had grown to the size of an egg.

I knew straight away that it was serious. So did the doctor on duty at the maternity ward. He immediately sent me for an ultrasound scan, a mammography and a biopsy - where a sample of tissue is taken for testing.

Before the day was out, a consultant had warned me that I would probably need the lump removing - if not my whole breast. It was such a shock that I didn't cry at the time. But as I lay on a trolley in a corridor waiting for the test results, I broke down and wept. I felt so alone.

And then I thought of my new-born son waiting upstairs for me to breastfeed him and I knew I could not afford to wallow in self-pity. I resolved to concentrate on Otis, Milo and my husband.

Ten days later, surgeons performed a mastectomy - removing my right breast completely to give me the best chance of beating the cancer.

In an operation that lasted about an hour, the surgeon removed the breast tissue in front of the chest wall to get rid of the tumour and then cut into the armpit to remove the lymph nodes which filter body fluids for infection. This way they can check whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast. Then they put two 6in drains - small tubes - within the wound to help clear away lymph fluid and reduce the bruising.

We all expected the disease to have spread because the tumour was so big. The glands under my arm were also swollen, and the cancer was the most aggressive type.

After the operation, I took a look at my scar - it resembled a shark bite. But the surgeon came to see me the next day and announced that he was pleased. He had got all the tumour out.

But I was still put on a strict regime of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in case any cancerous cells had been missed.

Before I had my operation, I was totally unaware of what I would look like afterwards. There were no photographs to show what it would be like. The only images I saw were line drawings when I wanted to know so much more.

And I had to fight tooth and nail to actually get any pictures done. But I thought they were important, because so many intelligent women remain quite ignorant about what this operation entails.

I want them to see that there is no shame involved and to show what the results are.

It's not that I don't feel frightened. As I have gone through chemotherapy I've written my own funeral service many times, and cried at night.

I didn't know if I'd see my children go to school, I didn't know if I'd ever see them play football - and it hurt.

More than anything I wanted to be their mummy and be there when they needed me, and I was gaining strength from their love for me. I can't tell you how important that was.

I did feel lonely, though, because I didn't know of anyone like me being affected. I'd always thought breast cancer affected older women.

Then I read an article about Denise McAllister - wife of footballer Gary McAllister - who was the same age as me and had experienced exactly the same thing. It explained how she had fought against the disease - and won.

I found her story inspirational and now we are friends, and I want to help and inspire other sufferers of my age.

Breast cancer can happen to anyone, but there's no need to hide from it. Having a mastectomy is not the end of the world. Women can still have a full and wonderful life. Losing my hair was actually worse than having my breast removed. But I've learned to cope with that.

This has been Year Zero - the chance for a fresh start. I'm a new person, very confident and thankful for everything around me. I don't take things for granted any more.

Now I've been chosen to front the forthcoming Boots Breast Cancer Be Up Front campaign which aims to promote awareness that early diagnosis is the key to recovery.

There are so many myths about breast cancer, but the more you know about it, the more you realise that it can be beaten. And I'm going to do it.

Be Up Front is about helping women to become breast aware with a five-point code. The campaign begins in Boots stores from September 1, with pin badges and leaflets.