Inverness woman reclaims her body after mastectomy with tattoos, kayaking and a new career

In our next chapter of the Life After Cancer series, we meet Anna Robertson who has faced significant challenges but has emerged with resilience, a new perspective and a desire to make a difference.

Anna (43) was working as a quantity surveyor in construction when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018.

A genetic test later confirmed she carried the BRCA2 gene, increasing her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, which meant she had to undergo a double mastectomy.

Before her diagnosis, the mum-of-one had always been comfortable in her body.

“One of the things I hadn’t realised at the time was how much of myself was wrapped up in my body image,” she said.

“What I couldn’t wrap my head around was having my breasts removed and what they would look like after.”

While undergoing chemotherapy she had time to consider reconstruction options.

She was reluctant to have silicone implants but found the alternatives problematic: using back muscle to create new breasts would have affected her upper body strength while another option involving fat from her hips risked potential nerve damage, either of which could have impacted on her ability to enjoy kayaking,

“There are women who have to think about this and process it in a two- or three-week window, which I can’t imagine,” she said.

“It’s such a massive thing to go through, and my heart goes out to anyone who has to make that decision overnight.”

Eventually opting for silicone implants she said: “I remember waking up and looking at the breast mounds they had created and being so upset, as they looked so alien.”

Complications arose and by mid-2019 an infection meant one of the implants had to be removed.

“It was devastating,” she recalled. “I thought at least I’d have these, and then I lost one.”

Mastectomy bras and prosthetics felt uncomfortable, she said, and she eventually stopped wearing them.

Struggling with her body image, it was a moment at work that provided a turning point.

“I forgot my prosthesis one day, and a colleague handed me a woolly hat and said, ‘Here, stuff that in’,” she said.

“It made me realise I didn’t need it. From that day forward, I just went flat. I was strong enough as I was.”

Throughout the process of considering surgery options Anna came across an Instagram page that showed people getting tattoos entwined with their cancer scars and decided this was the kind of mark she did want to make on her body.

“It was such a positive thing,” she said.

“I had no nipples, just silicone implants, so the tattoo felt like a way to reclaim my body.”

In 2021, she travelled to London for a custom phoenix tattoo across her chest.

“I love my tattoo. It brought back a huge amount of body positivity and strength, reminding me where I had been and where I was,” she said.

Kayaking also helped her recovery, becoming a way to reconnect with her body.

“It gave me back a sense of control,” she said.

She now volunteers with the Scottish Women’s Paddle Consortium, supporting others in finding strength through the sport.

“Cancer recovery isn’t just physical, it’s mental too. I want to help others push through those barriers.

“Right before my diagnosis, I was supposed to do my leader certification, and it was cancelled because it was too much for my brain. So once I had undergone the surgeries, I got the leader qualification.

“Cancer and surgery made me realise how hard it is for people to deal with changes and recovery.

“People can get frustrated, and having to restart with a skill set every time is a challenge. It’s harder to keep getting stronger, and it’s twice as hard in my 40s as it was in my 20s.

The Covid pandemic gave her time to reflect, and by the second lockdown she knew she wanted something different.

“After an experience like that, you start looking for meaning,” she said. “I wanted to do something that mattered.”

She now works as a data manager for cancer trials at Raigmore Hospital.

“Most people want to move away from cancer after surviving it, but I felt drawn to it,” she said. “I haven’t had a recurrence, and I feel like I’m in the right place, helping improve treatments for others.”

Having future goals also helped throughout her cancer journey, Anna said.

“To begin with, these goals were short-term - for example, in a week’s time.

“The further away from treatment I got, the longer they became, extending into months and years.

“I’m now hoping to go to Chile kayaking with my friends, Cara and Ellie, as I have never kayaked abroad.

“It’s been a long-term goal and interrupted so many times by my treatments and my fitness, but I finally feel like it’s an achievable goal now.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is patience - with myself, my body, and life’s challenges. I’ve accepted my body for what it is, and I feel stronger than ever.”

She lives by the phrase “living between swims”, a kayaking term that resonates with her post-cancer journey.

“It means you’re always paddling along, but sometimes, you capsize. You just have to get back up and keep going.”

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