Reconstructed: A Breast Cancer Selfie and Documentation Project Redux
By: Monica Taylor Haro
I have been a lifelong photography fan and documenter. I‘ve enjoyed photography classes over the years, spent hours in darkrooms and worked in photo labs. I am a visual person foremost; I never tire of looking at photographic images. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had lost my desire to take pictures, especially with my “real camera”. However, I always had my iPhone around me. I found myself taking quick shots of my face, body, surroundings, and my son as I navigated through Cancer Land. I often took these little iPhone pictures in astonishment. Did I really look like this? Am I really sitting in a medical facility for the fourth time in one week? Another surgery? Another needle poke… After all, a picture is worth a thousand words the saying goes… I could better express what was happening with a selfie than I could articulate with words during this time. I felt sad and a constant desire to disconnect from feeling broken apart piece by piece mentally and physically by my cancer experience. Additionally, my decades-long relationship with my husband ended during cancer. I just wanted to hurry up and live some other life. This documentation project of photos and items that “collage” the wall of the gallery is a small diary of my life as it unraveled and raveled into these different moments as my life took a big detour from what it once was. Along the way, I was fortunate to take on a tattoo apprenticeship to learn to make realistic areola tattoos while I was finishing treatment. It was so very healing to be under the tutelage of my tattoo mentor Tee Jay Hernandez as I worked on that chapter of my life. I loved the tattooing very much, but have closed that door for now. Presently I am excited to work as a Community Guide for a breast cancer support app. I feel like I can understand what my fellow survivors have experienced with chemo, radiation, breast reconstruction, and post-cancer life. The incredible survivors I have met always inspire me to be a better person, each in their own way. If you experienced my exhibit last year, thank you. There have been a few more things added to my cancer narrative since. The post-cancer life doesn’t end. And it’s been both good and bad, and that’s okay. It’s good to have life. I appreciate people coming to view this exhibit. Everyone is aware of breast cancer, but the intention of my exhibit it to make people aware on another level. There are so many women like me, diagnosed at age 45 or under, who are now marked with a breast cancer life and all the complicated physiological, physical, and sexual things that come with that life.
By: Monica Taylor Haro
I have been a lifelong photography fan and documenter. I‘ve enjoyed photography classes over the years, spent hours in darkrooms and worked in photo labs. I am a visual person foremost; I never tire of looking at photographic images. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had lost my desire to take pictures, especially with my “real camera”. However, I always had my iPhone around me. I found myself taking quick shots of my face, body, surroundings, and my son as I navigated through Cancer Land. I often took these little iPhone pictures in astonishment. Did I really look like this? Am I really sitting in a medical facility for the fourth time in one week? Another surgery? Another needle poke… After all, a picture is worth a thousand words the saying goes… I could better express what was happening with a selfie than I could articulate with words during this time. I felt sad and a constant desire to disconnect from feeling broken apart piece by piece mentally and physically by my cancer experience. Additionally, my decades-long relationship with my husband ended during cancer. I just wanted to hurry up and live some other life. This documentation project of photos and items that “collage” the wall of the gallery is a small diary of my life as it unraveled and raveled into these different moments as my life took a big detour from what it once was. Along the way, I was fortunate to take on a tattoo apprenticeship to learn to make realistic areola tattoos while I was finishing treatment. It was so very healing to be under the tutelage of my tattoo mentor Tee Jay Hernandez as I worked on that chapter of my life. I loved the tattooing very much, but have closed that door for now. Presently I am excited to work as a Community Guide for a breast cancer support app. I feel like I can understand what my fellow survivors have experienced with chemo, radiation, breast reconstruction, and post-cancer life. The incredible survivors I have met always inspire me to be a better person, each in their own way. If you experienced my exhibit last year, thank you. There have been a few more things added to my cancer narrative since. The post-cancer life doesn’t end. And it’s been both good and bad, and that’s okay. It’s good to have life. I appreciate people coming to view this exhibit. Everyone is aware of breast cancer, but the intention of my exhibit it to make people aware on another level. There are so many women like me, diagnosed at age 45 or under, who are now marked with a breast cancer life and all the complicated physiological, physical, and sexual things that come with that life.
Bio: Monica Taylor Haro
Monica was born and raised in the Bay Area where she is currently raising her young son, Christian. Monica worked in the corporate world for 17 years before being a stay at home mom, during which time she was diagnosed with Stage 3C in September of 2014 at age 42. During cancer treatment, Monica had apprenticed to learn to make realistic areola tattoos and did that for a couple years. Presently, she is a Community Guide for Healthline.com’s breast cancer social community support app, Breast Cancer Healthline. She loves staying connected to her community through this work. Monica feels so fortunate to volunteer her time as a Board Member for the non-profit cancer support and social group BAYS (Bay Area Young Survivors) a group formed to support women with breast cancer diagnosed at age 45 or younger. Serving this demographic has been healing to her while reconstructing her post-cancer life. Monica is so honored to be invited back to El Comalito a second time to show her exhibit and share her evolving story. Monica loves to write, take pictures and make collages as her creative outlets. |