Ami Salmen isn香蕉视频直播檛 your average 28-year-old. Not only is she currently first in her group in the national 香蕉视频直播業nked香蕉视频直播� competition, but she also just beat a very rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.
Inked Magazine is currently holding its annual online competition to find a tattooed model to appear on its cover. The winner is decided by public online votes. As well as appearing on the cover, the winner will also take home a grand prize of $25,000.
Salmen香蕉视频直播檚 story has struck a chord with the public, and she is in the running for the top 15.
Salmen says her tattoos have helped her to accept her new body, and keep loving herself throughout her breast cancer journey.
香蕉视频直播淚 got my first tattoo at age 16, and since then I香蕉视频直播檝e gotten so many more. I have them all over. My legs, my chest, my arms, the back of my neck, my ribs and sides,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said. 香蕉视频直播淢ost of them are memorial tattoos and a lot of them have different meanings.香蕉视频直播�
She says if she had to choose a favourite tattoo, it would be one on her left leg.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a memorial for an uncle figure of mine who passed away. He lived on the Steeples Ranch, I practically grew up there. The tattoo has the mountains and critters 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 really symbolic of him and my upbringing.香蕉视频直播�
The top 10 will be decided on Feb. 10, the top five on Feb. 17, and voting for the finals takes place from March 11 to 17. You can vote for Salmen
Salmen, originally from Cranbrook, moved to Kelowna in 2013. She didn香蕉视频直播檛 plan on entering the Inked competition 香蕉视频直播� it was her friend香蕉视频直播檚 idea. But she says she香蕉视频直播檚 been surprised by the amount of support she has received.
Salmen says she would donate some of the funds, save some, and use some to take her best friend on a trip.
香蕉视频直播淚 would donate five to seven thousand to the BC Cancer Society. They have helped me so much. There are different fundraising streams through the society, and some cancers don香蕉视频直播檛 receive as much funding as others,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said. 香蕉视频直播淚 also would take my best friend on a trip. She held my hair, so to speak, the hair I didn香蕉视频直播檛 have, through all of my cancer treatments. I don香蕉视频直播檛 have family that lives close by.香蕉视频直播�
Salmen says that entering the Inked competition has allowed her to share her breast cancer story 香蕉视频直播� something she wants to raise more awareness of.
香蕉视频直播淐ancer doesn香蕉视频直播檛 discriminate. It can hit any person at any age, any time,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Salmen has spent the last year and a half going through chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries. She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, a very rare and aggressive form. The type of cancer she was diagnosed with has a 75 per cent recurrence rate within the first five years. If it comes back, the survival rate is just ten per cent.
香蕉视频直播淚 was sitting in bed one day, just watching a show or something, and I went to itch my arm. I felt a hard lump, about the size of a pea,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said of day one of her journey. 香蕉视频直播淚 made an appointment and got in a few days later. My doctor found another lump, and so I went in for an ultrasound.
香蕉视频直播淚 wasn香蕉视频直播檛 even home from the ultrasound appointment when they called back. One week later, November 26th, I was diagnosed.香蕉视频直播�
From then on it was appointment after appointment. Salmen was told she香蕉视频直播檇 have to undergo four to six months of chemo, plus radiation and surgeries.
香蕉视频直播淚 stopped work on December 15th, and started chemo on January 8th. I finished chemo in April. It sucked. It started with this really nasty drug that they call the red devil,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said, shuddering. 香蕉视频直播淟et me tell you 香蕉视频直播� it makes, you, sick.香蕉视频直播�
Three days after her second treatment, her hair began falling out.
香蕉视频直播淚t was traumatic. It香蕉视频直播檚 just like you see in the movies, big chunks falling out at once. Within a few days it was all gone,香蕉视频直播� Salmen recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭he next round of chemo was a lot easier, but I had allergies to it and it made me super itchy. At least I was strong enough to go for walks outside and start to live a little more normally. I also had a full response to that treatment, which is good.香蕉视频直播�
Next came her first surgery 香蕉视频直播� a double bilateral mastectomy.
香蕉视频直播淎fter that process I started radiation. It took five weeks, every day from Monday to Friday. The radiation itself wasn香蕉视频直播檛 so bad, but the healing process was almost unbearable. My skin was peeling and flaking, it香蕉视频直播檚 still really scarred.香蕉视频直播�
Now, almost two years later, Salmen goes for her final reconstructive surgery in March.
香蕉视频直播淚 was 26 when I was diagnosed and I just turned 28 a few weeks ago,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 have the mutated gene, and I香蕉视频直播檓 first in my family to get it. Right now I香蕉视频直播檓 feeling good; I get tired easily. My doctors are very happy with everything and my oncologist is absolutely on it.香蕉视频直播�
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Being so young, Salmen explained that part of the chemo treatment involves induced menopause, with the goal of hopefully saving her uterus and ovaries.
香蕉视频直播淚 had 17 eggs frozen, in case,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said, adding that there is a monthly cost to keep them frozen. 香蕉视频直播淐ancer is expensive. Luckily, for me, my treatments were covered. But not everyone is. It can cost 10 to 15 thousand dollars for each treatment. Anti-nausea pills are $122 for three pills. I had a GoFundMe page, and my friends set up a fundraiser raffle. I was blown away by their support.香蕉视频直播�
Salmen also met a new friend while going through treatments. This friend is the same age with a similar form of cancer. Salmen says her friend香蕉视频直播檚 doctor didn香蕉视频直播檛 take her seriously until her cancerous lump was the size of a lemon.
香蕉视频直播淭he doctors told her she was too young to have breast cancer,香蕉视频直播� Salmen said.
Referencing the fact that her cancer could return within the next five years, Salmen香蕉视频直播檚 advice for herself, and everyone else, is to live life with passion and purpose.
香蕉视频直播淚 try to stay positive in everything I do. Even through all of this, I only cried twice - when I lost my hair and after my first surgery. But your attitude is half the battle. I thought, well, at least I won香蕉视频直播檛 have to buy shampoo for a while,香蕉视频直播� she explained. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 in a mode to get things done. You just don香蕉视频直播檛 know. I can香蕉视频直播檛 wait to get back to work full-time. I have so many goals. I want to travel. I have so many things I want to do香蕉视频直播 want to be open about my story and want to spread awareness.香蕉视频直播�
Inked is a tattoo lifestyle digital media company that bills itself as the 香蕉视频直播榦utsiders香蕉视频直播� insider media. Covering music, fashion, art, sports and the rest of the lifestyle of the tattooed, Inked has made the transition from the newsstand to digital media company, and a brand that sits among magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair, according to Wikipedia.
corey.bullock@cranbrooktownsman.com
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