Meet Lili Sohn for Pink October

Continue to love your body, don't feel guilty, don't feel remorseful, dare and follow your dreams

lili sohn

Breast cancer is mostly talked about in October, because it's Pink October. Breast cancer isn't that rosy, and it's not just breast cancer. Getting tested is a year-round habit that can save lives. Pink October (renamed the Pink Ribbon since 2021), is an annual breast cancer awareness campaign, which takes place every year from October 1 to October 31. Every year, many women are affected by breast cancer. Although breast cancer most often develops around the age of 60, 10% of cases occur in women under the age of 35. According to cancerdusein.org, it is estimated that one in eight women is affected. Pink October exists so that screening becomes a reflex. It makes it possible to identify various abnormalities at an early stage, to be able to act quickly and limit the appearance of symptoms. Breast cancer detected early can be cured in 90% of cases, so if you haven't already, check, take this moment for yourself, to confirm that everything is okay. Frequent breast self-examination, regular check-up by a doctor, with palpation possibly supplemented by an ultrasound or mammogram, can be easily performed.

We met Lili Sohn, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago. We can tell you that Lili is a warrior. Breast cancer is a daily battle, it was hers. Today she tells us her story, what she went through with a large dose of humor and self-deprecation, all those things that made her feel good when she needed it, the strength that the disease gave her to achieve her dreams, and the actions necessary to prevent this cancer.

How are you?

I'm doing great, thank you. The back-to-school whirlwind is over and I have some great projects in the pipeline. At the moment, I'm doing a lot of travel to promote my comic book (PARTIR sur les chemins de Compostelle) and I'm meeting a lot of great people. Like every new school year, I've started working out again and for the time being, I'm sticking to it. I'm pretty proud of myself! And if not, I weighed myself (I don't know what took me) and I clearly didn't lose my pregnancy pounds.

"So I'm working to fuck myself up and love this body that made a human. It's not easy, it's a daily task. »

Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself, about the cancer ordeal you went through?

My name is Lili, I am 38 years old and I live in Marseille with my partner, my 2 children and my cat. I am a comic book author and documentary filmmaker. Oh, and also, I had breast cancer a few years ago... Han! Almost 10 years already. I lived in Montreal and was 29 years old when I was diagnosed with cancer in my right breast. I had the tumor removed (+ a nipple) and had chemo. Then I found out it was genetic (yes, you know like Angelina Jolie) so I made the choice to remove both my breasts (and they put prosthetics instead). I summarize it in 2 sentences, but you can imagine that it was quite complicated.

How did you find out you had breast cancer?

I had a retracted nipple and since my mom always told me to watch my breasts, I went to see a doctor. The first time, the doctor didn't detect anything. Neither did the second time, but out of conscience she sent me for an ultrasound. That's when the person doing the exam said to me, "How long have you been feeling this lump?" That I understood that there was a problem.

How is this cancer different from others?

Ha, good question! I haven't had any other cancers so I can't really compare. But maybe breast cancer touches a symbol of femininity. For me, it was the ablation of these attributes that triggered my feminist reflections.

Am I still a woman if my breasts are removed?

Without suspense, I can tell you that I am still a woman. And even if I were stripped of other attributes, I would remain so, as long as I decide that I am. And then it must be said that patriarchy does not put itself on standby when you are a sick woman. The injunctions to beauty, the mental load and infantilization (especially on the part of the medical community) do not disappear and it is a bit of a double punishment.

How did you experience the disease?

I hadn't decided to be sick so I made the decision to try to live it happily. I tried to make it as painless as possible. So I dressed up, invited my friends to come with me to chemo and made a lot of jokes.

So what did you do to recharge your batteries when you felt the need?

To cope with this ordeal, I created a comic book blog just a few days after the diagnosis. I shared with humour and transparency my states of mind according to the episodes of my illness: the announcement of my diagnosis, my treatments, my major operation, my physical changes... It was real therapy! And it was also a way to understand that I wasn't alone, as I received tons of messages from all over the world. By the way, this blog was so successful that I was published (La guerre des tétons, Michel Lafon).

Is there a before and after? If so, which one?

Yes, I understood that I was not immortal. And that changes a lot of things. It allowed me to get into comics. But it also placed a sword of Damocles over my head. I know this disease could come back. And now I know how horrible she is.

Has the disease changed your view of femininity? Has your beauty/wellness routine changed before/during/after?

At first, I learned to look at myself in the mirror, to look at the changes that were happening to me. At first I stopped wearing makeup and got used to my natural face, with all its flaws. And then I learned to draw eyebrows because I really missed them and to give myself a healthy glow because some days I was a little scared. I'm happy to be socially considered as a woman, to be able to use makeup (although gendered boundaries tend to relax on this point). The makeup really lifted my spirits! Today, I hardly wear makeup anymore (except for a little lipstick for occasions) and I am very careful about what I put on my skin. What are the preventive actions? Getting to know your body and noticing the slightest change, trusting yourself, putting your feelings on the same level as medical knowledge, feeling your breasts in the shower.

What advice would you give to people who are around a cancer patient?

I think it's just telling people you love them, with a little message or an emoji. And this, without waiting or asking for a return. And above all, don't say "it's okay, it'll pass". "Today, it's well treated", "hair grows back"...

If you had to say one word to the people who are currently going through the ordeal you went through and overcame, what would it be?

"One day at a time." That's what a nurse said to me when I was diagnosed. She followed me throughout the treatments and helped me a lot.

What are you most proud of?

To have become a comic book author. Yes, because I used to be a graphic designer. I dreamed of doing comics, but I never dared to show what I was doing. This cancer was my trigger. In a way, it made me uninhibited. I showed my drawings without any complexes, anyway, I might die...