Jelly Nienke (42) was diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago and lost a breast. She chose a silicone implant as a replacement, but decided to have it removed this year. She was able to make this choice in part because of the discovery of the Qups. “The Qups give me back my feminine and free feeling,” she says.

I liked to wear feminine dresses

“I was only 27 when I heard. I immediately had to make a decision: amputate my breast with or without immediate reconstruction with silicone implants. The choice was made easily: implants. I was slim and liked to wear feminine dresses. So I couldn’t imagine going through life with only one breast. Moreover, I was still young and vain. For years I was happy with the silicone in my body. Until I started having symptoms.”

Like I had a chronic hangover

“Before I got breast cancer I was fit, athletic and not to be tired. But about eight years ago I suddenly began to suffer; bowel problems, fatigue and memory problems. I suffered from ‘brain fog’, feeling like I had a chronic hangover. Sometimes I felt as if life was ‘flowing out of me’. So something had to be done. I decided to talk to my plastic surgeon. I could opt for a new reconstruction, but with my own belly fat. Fantastic! But I had to wait a year for it. And I really wanted to get rid of my silicone implant NOW. But then what? To go through life mutilated? I wasn’t really looking forward to that either.”

ProudBreast helped me tie the knot

“One thing I knew for sure was that I did not wanted to walk around with external silicone breast prostheses in my bra. But what then? Not much later, I came across ProudBreast’s Qups on Instagram. As if it was meant to be. Feminine, soft and easy to use. Discovering these Qups suddenly made the choice a lot easier for me. Two weeks later, I called my plastic surgeon to say I wanted to have the silicone prosthesis removed.”

Jelly Nienke, after she had her silicone implant removed and chose a Qup to fill her bra where her lost breast gives a void.
During the ProudBreast photo shoot, Jelly also discovered the feminine lingerie of the Megami brand. A great match with Qups.

My chest now feels warm and soft again

“Since the prosthesis was removed I feel so much better. I was incredibly nervous about the result. Was afraid it would become a ‘pit’. But fortunately it has become a sort of ‘hill’. My partner is also very happy with it. He didn’t like the fake breast at all. Even though it is now a ‘small hill’ without nipple; he still likes this one better. Warm and soft.”

The breast cancer created Jelly 2.0

Jelly worked for years as a nurse on a pulmonary unit. After her mastectomy, she was back on the job within 7 weeks and the hard work continued as usual. “But after a year, it started to gnaw at me. I realized that all I was doing was working, while I was incredibly grateful that I was cured. When you get cancer – or experience any other intense event – you go through processes. I needed time to become myself. Cancer has positively changed my life. I feel more secure, happier and I have also taken a completely different path in terms of work. I now fly around the world as a KLM stewardess. How feminine is that! As if I could spread my wings after all those years. That job was a gift from heaven for me.”

Helping other patients from my own experience

That job was not her only switch. “As an energetic therapist, I also help cancer patients with my practice Mooiimens. I don’t want them to be a patient anymore, but a human being with an experience that can help them grow. I switch coaching with meditation exercises and healing. Together we go to the essence of who you are and who you should be. Every cancer patient goes through a spiritual transformation process in my opinion. I am a down-to-earth Frisian, but I do believe somewhere that this was necessary to change my life.”

I can still wear lingerie that I like

“In Franeker, I found a lingerie store that customizes my bras so that the Qups fit in them. They sew a pouch into the bra, where I can put the Qup in. But I also wear them as loose in bras, regular bras. I think it’s a sport to try and discover nice models. The Qups are comfortable. The material is very fine and ensures that the Qup will not slide around in the bra. I can now continue to wear the lingerie I like, like the bras Megami discovered during the photo shoot with ProudBreast. This gives me back my feminine feeling. I am now wearing the panther print qup, nice and naughty. But actually I want the whole range,” she laughs.