The J.HYDE Transformation Podcast
Real clients. Real transformations. Beyond the frames.
Episode 1 · Out now
Emma's Breast Cancer Story: Trust Your Instinct
At 42, Emma found a lump in her breast. For almost two years she was told there was nothing to worry about. She never stopped feeling that something was wrong. In the first episode of The J.HYDE Transformation Podcast, she tells founder Vik Malhi how trusting her instinct led to a breast cancer diagnosis, surgery and radiotherapy, and how she came out of it stronger.
Why we started this podcast
At J.HYDE, a consultation is never just about glasses. Choosing frames means talking about who you are and how you want to feel, and sometimes clients share what they are really going through. Those stories stayed with us, so we started a podcast to give them the space they deserve.
The glasses are how we meet. Transformation is what we talk about.
Emma's breast cancer story
How we met
Emma came to our studio for new reading glasses and left with two pairs. For her, glasses were never just a prescription: "an extension of how I feel and look, an extension of my identity." Two months later she came back for a dry eye check, and mentioned a new medication. That was the first time she told Vik about her breast cancer.
Finding the lump
About 20 months earlier, Emma had found a lump in her left breast. Her GP referred her to hospital the same day, and her NHS app showed the words "possible breast cancer". She was 42, a mother of three, a non-smoker who exercised and ate well. "I'm not the candidate for breast cancer," she remembers thinking.
Inconclusive results and breast implants
Scans suggested a cyst or a fibroadenoma. A lymph node biopsy came back contaminated and had to be repeated. A biopsy of the lump itself was not done, because Emma had breast implants and there was a concern the needle could rupture one. Two private consultations told her there was nothing to worry about, even though the lump had grown slightly. "Go and live your best life," she was told.
She tried. But every morning, for 18 months, she checked the lump in the shower. "I couldn't unsee those big red letters."
Trusting her instinct
Sitting in an airport lounge after a New Year trip, Emma made her decision: the implants would come out, so the lump could finally be tested. A new surgeon examined her, scanned her and biopsied the lump and lymph node straight away, without rupturing the implant. A week later he told her it was breast cancer. "You can replace an implant. You can't replace my life."
Treatment and recovery
Scans showed the cancer had not spread. Emma had a lumpectomy, her implants and capsules removed, and two lymph nodes checked, in a five-and-a-half-hour operation, followed by a second surgery to clear the margins. Because the cancer was not aggressive, she did not need chemotherapy, and had 20 sessions of radiotherapy. During that treatment she ran Race for Life and finished 34th out of more than 300 runners.
Femininity, confidence and who she is now
Emma had her implants at 23, after a painful breakup, wanting to feel more confident and more feminine. Twenty years later she sees it differently. "My self-worth is not external," she says. For her, femininity is grace, confidence, strength and sensitivity, and the life and relationships she has built.
What Emma wants you to know
"Never doubt yourself. If something doesn't feel right, don't settle. Go for your second opinion, your third opinion. Until you have that definitive answer, don't give up."
Watch Emma's full story on YouTube
More episodes coming soon
Every episode, a J.HYDE client shares the bigger change behind the frames. Subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss the next story.
Support and information
This page shares one person's experience and is not medical advice. If you notice a change in your breasts, speak to your GP. For information and support, visit Breast Cancer Now.