‘The body you inhabited has gone forever’: Breast cancer will change Sarah Ferguson’s life – it did mine

Breast cancer used to be a death sentence, writes Julia Bradbury, who had the same mastectomy operation as the Duchess of York. But today this dreadful illness can be a wake-up call as well as a chance to live a different kind of life

Sarah Ferguson is talking about going to Wales and Scotland to climb mountains after her recent breast cancer diagnosis (AP)

I watched Sarah Ferguson working the room at an awards ceremony a few years ago and was struck by her good humour and gumption. She’ll need both to handle her recent breast cancer diagnosis because – unless you are made of a tougher stuff than the rest of us – the horror and fear is overwhelming. You can’t hear the words “you have cancer” without thinking you might die.

I did.

So I am filled with enormous empathy for the Duchess of York and more than a little sadness. Having lived through the same diagnosis and having had a single mastectomy as she has, I know her life will never be the same again. It’s not just the physical impact but the emotional toll cancer takes, the damage to your sense of self and your place in the world.