Holding It Together in Paradise

Main| Emotions
July 06, 2025•1 min read

6th July 2025

Today we arrived in Mauritius for our family holiday. 

We are here for 11 nights and when I get home I have just over a week until my surgery.

I am really looking forward to my holiday and am very much in need of some relaxation time. 

The concern I have is that since my diagnosis up to now I’ve been really busy, and I’ve not really had time to stop and think about everything that is happening. I’m scared that when I allow myself to stop and relax on holiday it’s all going to hit me like a ton of bricks. 

I sat on a wall at the airport waiting for our transfer to the hotel, Amber had gone to find somewhere more comfortable to sit and Mark was standing in the sun on the other side of the road. 

I had received some text messages while we were travelling wishing me a lovely holiday, in replying to these I started to worry some more about the risk of me falling apart and ruining my holiday.

When Mark returned I said as much to him and got a little upset as I told him to be prepared for me having a bit of a breakdown - he gave me a hug and said if I did it would be ok.

As often happens when I have these low moments, something else happens to distract me and I get to carry on as normal. In this instance it was the taxi arriving to take us to our hotel. 

breast cancer before surgeryholiday before mastectomyemotional overwhelm cancerfamily holiday Mauritiusbreast cancer blog UKfear of breaking downcancer and mental healthpreparing for cancer surgerypartner support during illnesstravelling before breast cancer treatment
I’m Emma Lovelock - mum, partner, Pilates teacher, business owner… and now, for the second time in my life, a woman navigating breast cancer. This blog is my way of making sense of it all - from the first lump to whatever comes next. It’s honest, occasionally sweary, often emotional, and sometimes funny (because if you can’t laugh at your boobs, what can you laugh at?). Whether you’re here for solidarity, support, or sheer curiosity, thank you for walking this road with me.

Emma Lovelock

I’m Emma Lovelock - mum, partner, Pilates teacher, business owner… and now, for the second time in my life, a woman navigating breast cancer. This blog is my way of making sense of it all - from the first lump to whatever comes next. It’s honest, occasionally sweary, often emotional, and sometimes funny (because if you can’t laugh at your boobs, what can you laugh at?). Whether you’re here for solidarity, support, or sheer curiosity, thank you for walking this road with me.

Back to Blog