Countryfile’s Julia Bradbury strips topless to ‘say goodbye to boob’ ahead of mastectomy after breast cancer diagnosis
COUNTRYFILE'S Julia Bradbury bravely shared a topless photo ahead of her mastectomy following her devastating breast cancer diagnosis.
The 51-year-old TV favourite penned a poignant "goodbye" message to her "left boob" as she prepared for the surgery.
Taking to her Instagram page, the star snapped the mirror selfie, posing in just a pair of gym leggings as she smiled broadly for the camera.
She has covered her breasts with her hands, and showing off her six-pack and toned figure in the inspiring photo.
Julia wrote: "I'm going for my last walk in this body. I'm going for my last walk with these boobs. One of the the best bits of advice I've received in the weeks of my breast cancer diagnosis (thank you) .. is to say goodbye to my breast and to thank my body for all the sustenance, joy & life it has given me.
"Goodbye left boob.. I've breastfed my children with you, I've jumped into the sea with you, I've walked thousands of miles with you. And you've given me (and some others 😅) pleasure along the way. Now it's time to make way for something new."
The presenter added: "Thank you ALL for your love & support. See you on the other side. Check yourselves! And take care of your bodies."
The mother-of-three opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis last month, and is having her left breast, along with the six centimetre tumour, removed in a mastectomy.
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Surgeons will also take tissue from her lymph nodes to establish whether the disease has spread or not.
Last year, Julia had found a lump in her breast which proved to be a cluster of benign micro-cysts, and she had to have another mammogram this year.
The scan, which included an ultra sound and a physical examination, hadn't returned anything alarming, so she almost didn't go to her follow up appointment in September.
However, her sister encouraged her to keep the appointment, and so she did, only for her doctor to find a small shadow on her breast.
Julia told the : "Suddenly I was lying down on my side with my back braced against a pillow having a machine like a hole punch taking lumps out of my breast."
DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS
It was the first of many biopsies under her private health care, and decided she wanted to get news of her results in her own home with her partner Gerard by her side.
The Countryfile star said: "I am glad I scheduled it for home, because he spoke the words no one wants to hear, ever. 'High grade. Sizeable tumour. Six centimetres [just over 2in]. Could be trouble to treat in terms of the area.'"
Julia, who has children Zeph, 10, and twins Zena and Xanthe, six, said: "I have to hope I have caught mine early enough.
"A mastectomy is a shattering thing to go through but it means that I am going to live and be here for my children."
She continued: "Cancer has so many points, the diagnosis seems like everything, but it isn't. It puts you on a pathway and you have to navigate that while holding back your emotions so you are not overwhelmed all the time.
"Right now I'm simply focused on having surgery because I don't know how I am going to be, if I will have more cancer to deal with, how I will cope with recovery, how life will feel afterwards."
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