I found an inner strength I didn’t know I had

Oct 4 2007 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

Body-altering surgery can be a blow to confidence. Laura Davis reports on how the Lady Mayoress dealt with the problem

E.E. orange cardigan, £70, from John Lewis

ALL women have days when their self-esteem hits rock bottom and they are left staring into the mirror in despair.

For those who have undergone major surgery – operations that have saved their lives but may have radically changed their bodies – it can be even more difficult to keep the insecurities at bay.

The relief that comes with learning you have survived breast cancer is accompanied by the knowledge that you now have another battle on your hands – to rebuild your self-confidence and come to accept your body once again.

For Hilary Clark, who appears in this week’s fashion shoot, this, combined with her natural shyness, made becoming Liverpool’s Lady Mayoress last June even more of a challenge.

Just two years after a second mastectomy, she found herself caught up in a whirlwind of civic events alongside her husband, Lord Mayor Paul Clark, but has taken to the role with enthusiasm.

Versace black dress, the Lady Mayoress's own, from Cricket. Yves Saint Laurent black dress, the Lady Mayoress's own

“At the beginning, I felt that the whole world was looking at my breasts but I now feel more comfortable about it,” she says.

“After my second mastectomy, I went out and bought a lot of new clothes because I wanted to be positive but, as I still felt conscious about the breast reconstruction, I chose some things that I never wore and they’re still at the back of my wardrobe.”

In autumn, 2003, as her husband was recovering from major heart surgery, Hilary discovered a lump in her breast while taking a shower. With Paul so sick, two teenage daughters to look after and her own illness to cope with, it was a difficult time, but Hilary was determined to get on and deal with it.

“Paul being ill was the worst thing to have happened in my life, and so my own problems seemed much smaller in comparison to that.

“When you’re a wife and a mother, you have other people to put first and I found an inner strength that I didn’t know I had. I feel very lucky,” explains the 51-year-old, who ran her own pharmacy business before giving birth to her two daughters, Lucy, 17, and 15-year-old Georgina.

Less than a year after undergoing a total mastectomy, just as she felt she was starting to get her life back, Hilary discovered a second lump.

Grey tweed dress, £119, by Hobbs at John Lewis. Paul Costello green coat, £379, from John Lewis

This time, she again opted for breast reconstruction, despite it involving 10 hours in surgery and a 10-day hospital stay.

“Not all women choose to do this, but for me it was important. I wanted my body to still feel feminine after the mastectomies.”

Grateful for all the support she received from the consultants and nursing staff at the Linda McCartney Centre, where she was treated, Hilary has chosen it as one of her official charities for the year she spends as Lady Mayoress.

“The whole place is amazing. The staff know just how to deal with you to make the experience easier and take away the panic.”

* TO MAKE a donation to the Linda McCartney Centre visit www.yourcentre.org or call tel: 0151 706 3153.

Notes

Location: Liverpool Town Hall, 1 High Street, Liverpool

Model: Hilary Clark, Lady Mayoress of Liverpool

Stylist: Laura Davis

Photographer: Gavin Trafford

Hair: David, of Herbert of Liverpool, 69, Hanover St, Liverpool, tel: 0151 709 7834

Make-up: Margaret at the Sisley counter, in John Lewis

Stockists: John Lewis, 20 Basnett Street, Liverpool, tel: 0151 709 7070

lauradavis@dailypost.co.uk