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amazing poem, I loved it! This video should have more views :D

If anything, I'd think an autistic person would be more prone to Disassociation. If you live in a world where you often have to mask your differences, this means having to take on different personas in different situations. And having to work a lot harder at it. Left unchecked , this can lead you to take on these personas in a more extreme way, ranging from DID all the way to multiple personality disorder. Any added trauma just seems to compound it. I could be way off, but it seems like I've done this to some degree, just to cope with the demands of life. I'm sure plenty of non-autistic people have developed DID, but it seems like the more analytical/emotional autistic mind is more vulnerable to this.

I love your honesty about and awareness of your body and your courage. I haven't looked for your current health status but I pray it's good.

I love your honesty about and awareness of your body and your courage. I haven't looked for your current health status but I pray it's good.

Yours is the first time I've discovered someone who feels about reconstruction the way I do. It's also the first that talks about the concavity which was a surprise for me, too. Thank you so much for the validation and for feeling like there is another member of my tribe out there.

lovely to hear from you, say hi to your mum, tell her we are overdue for having a cuppa together ;) can you email me?

Hi Donna it's Emily Stephens Deanna Brodie's daughter, de

Thank you, I definitely will. Truth is, your life story is inspirational enough that I now feel one can overcome anything (not just cancer) and I smiled through the whole video, I love your humour and your attitude and your down-to-earth, encouraging advice. I tend to measure the specialness of people by whether I'd like to sit in front of a cup of coffee/tea and chat with them, and you definitely fit the criteria. It's a shame I'm not worthy enough (yet), but I'll hopefully get there :)

I found mine on self examination... it felt like an almond under the skin... it moved around so I presumed it wasn't cancer... it grew to feeling like the size of two almonds, then like three... the gp thought it may not be cancer as it wasn't 'attached to the main breast tissue... that was wrong, it was cancer and it was growing fast... get to the GP, don't delay

Hello Donna, I don't mean to ask too much from you, but... From your words I gather that your carcinoma developed in such a rapid progression that it was found out from periodic revision rather than you performing a self-exam yourself. After you did know you had it, could you feel it by touching around your breast? I've got what appears to be just an 'angry' Montgomery gland, but I'm a bit scared because it feels like a hard cord connected to the main breast tissue. Was your tumour similar?

thank you Donna, for sharing. You are in our hearts and prayers.

may your journey bring you to a safer space

Loved it, thank you. I am just now going through this.

Thank you Donna...now I can share your wonderful inspiring music and art which gave me inspiration and an insight to my daughter's world back in 1997 ü

Very Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I just finished watching the first season because I like toni collette. The show could not possibly be a realistic portrayal of someone with DID, but it made me seek further info and I found your video. Thank you for taking the time to provide more information.

That was a very lovely poem, Donna!

always had vivid memories, and didn't surpress the emotional or physical abuse, although depersonalised from it, compartmentalised it. It was the sexual abuse that I had only fragments of, which I completely dissociated from.

Did you always have such vivid memories or did it happen after integration?...and how long did it take to gain the memories?

hi Daisy, I should make more flatsy fashion videos :-)

tDonna, thank you for sharing your journey and your courage. And, the fasion advice. I had my mastectomy in July 2012 and am having the second mastectomy for prophylactic reasons in May. As you have found, the symmatry and freedom of flatchestedness is fine. Thanks. Lynn

all the bet in your new life as a flatsy if you need any tips adjusting let me know. Warmly, Donna

thank you Donna for sharing this, your story.while I do not have the same breast cancer (I have DCIS..suctal carcinoma in situ.stage 0 grade 2) but I have chosen to have a bilateral mastecomy..also do nto reconstruction and will go flat. while the surgeon said I am a good candidate for a lumpectomy followed by radiatio and oral meds (tamoxefin) I simply want piece of mind...do not want to worry about either a recurrence OR a new cancer on the other side. thank you again for this supportive video

hi Crazyanneca, thanks for dropping by and telling your story as we flatsies have to let women know they have alternatives. They also need to hear it straight that recon can come with infections, that it commonly means taking belly fat (and more scarring on the belly), butt fat (and scarring on the butt), back muscles (and scarring on the back) and that any lumps and bumps may be harder to self discover in a recon breast than a flat chest.

I am now 1 month past a double mastectomy and chose to stay flat. This was my second cancer in the same breast; I don't want to have to do this again. I'm not into cutting other parts of my body to make fake ones; lopsided - no thanks. Thanks for the fashion show - I'm much bigger than you, tall and wear unisex clothes most of the time but there are times I'd like to look like a girl. I've just seen your latest video - you are an incredibly awesome, well adjusted person. Bravo.

if you want to skype with me, I'm donnawilliamsonskype ... maybe a chat may help you with all the angles on this choice.

but there are some women who want children who want to keep one for breast feeding, but it is one they may always worry may develop cancer... so its a breast that comes with worry, future mammograms etc... and some men can't cope with single mastectomy, others adjust well and don't mind at all a one breasted woman... breastlessness takes both partners time to adjust and develop a different sensuality... its really not that far from being like a woman who is an AA cup... so I feel normal about it

if you have a choice to have a double, many women in Europe are not given that choice, can only be covered for the single and are petitioning for the right to have the second done so they can feel freer, more symmetrical with their bodies because they either have both recons done at once... so can be more symmetrical, one single op all done at the same time as removal, or some like me choose to go breastfree... which is very freeing, no bra, ever, run with no bounce, never fuss about symmetry.

Thanks for the helpful info. I am 2 weeks away from surgery and I still am not sure if I should go single or double mastectomy. I can see advantages to double, but I'm afraid I'll miss the one that didn't HAVE to go. Any advice?

Thanks Nellie.

Thank you for sharing your journey with breast cancer. Your wardrobe choices are flattering and your fashion advice is helpful. I've been breast free since mid-August and have opted to remain so, as well.

Your ability to take physical, mental, emotional challenges in stride is truly inspiring. To turn your experiences into art is incredible... Those few you speak of are lucky to have your friendship.

hello lovely little artist... did you keep arting? would love to meet you for a cuppa... email me through my website.

Anth and I definitely both think musically. I think Anth is quite a visual thinker, I'm a kinesthetic, logical, musical thinker (neither visual nor verbal thinker).

this video topic is not usually an aspies fortei.

surely you gota get that what comes off as more sad to you 'i feel sad about it' or someone actually crying (crying's the exaggeration but body language). though to be honest people if it does mean a lot to them should use some words ffs - why not have your body language show it and your words say it. if you don't know each other well then it's strange of her to be wanting to show her sadness to you anyway. that's the problem of labels - everyones somewhat weird on a scale - not entirly discrete

yeah. did you know all diagnosis are made on how someone looks and acts not medically. also eugenics came before the holocaust and was like the first psychiatry of labelling. btw as you're an aspie and it's bad to get good info off experts, what is your thinking style. so whatever it is you complete by understanding how do you think is in words or pictures or what? can you tell me your fruit salad (haven't tried fitting in that question in to real life convos lol)?

you have a right to request no recon. hugs do feel ultra close without breasts ;-) and what I have feels all mine, and I have no butt, stomach or back scars and no silicone... which suits me fine... and you can always go mastectomy tattoos if you wish later... there's some amazing ones

Thank you! I do hope I will always share the joy with other people regardless of who they are. Isn't that what we are here for?

jenny was our daddy's name for us and it bothers us greatly when anyone but him or our husband calls us that. 'little jenny' is 2 of our 3 and 6 year old selfs but they are both 'protected' and VERY rarely out. it is only just now she identified herself as a big part of what we were calling original jen/core jen. it's good when everyone can be called what THEY want to be called!

We used to call Polly 'little Donna' but she didn't like being reinforced as little and declared that if she couldn't be THE Donna (ie the host) that she wanted the name she was most used to - Polly. This was our father's name for her and his side of the family. The other side used Dolly (as in doll) and nobody in our team identifies with that. Carol knew she was called Dolly but she feels icky about it as she's been disturbed by being treated as a narcissists object (ie Dolly)

Da wants to address Original Jen as OJ (sorry Jen) and Polly wants me to send Original Jen a link to the Banana Splits song (la, la, la, la-la-la-la, la, la, la, la-la-la-la-la) which I get the sense is her way of saying 'thank you, you sound like fun and if we knew you you could dance with us to the Banana Splits song'.

Polly had a sistership with Carol when we were around age 4 but Carol (who went to school) moved forward, becoming around 7-8 and Polly became a 'room girl' hidden from much of the world but who'd appear if alone in a field or park. This year Carol rediscovered this little sister and Polly tried to keep up. Then Polly linked up with Esby, who didn't get past 2-3 and took on a 'little teacher' role to Esby as little sister, teaching her language and they chuckle and make songs now.

yes, what you describe there and how you describe it was the same process it was for me... essentially my core self was in a severe state of depersonalisation and dissociation from mind, body, emotions, but still 'around' and once it started thawing out and starting to care about the lives of the alters, it 'woke up' and began 'incarnating' and learning to stay present with a lot of support from the alters who so needed a house parent/navigator.

Original Jen can very relate to this, Polly. Tears in eyes. But they have been very nice with me and i have been growing and figuring out and can do things now and not be as slow. they help me and they dont make me go away no more if i dont want to, ad they let me go sleep if i want to and not go away from me and leeve me to do with life if i am too tired. -little jenny/Original Jen

i felt like i was in back of my alters too, then a shift occurred and i was next to them and holding hands with them, and another shift occurred and I am in front of them now they are supporting me and behind me. except when i get real overwhelmed, now i try to stay in the driver seat and get help from them when i need it. and also let them have time that they need out when they need it. Thanks for your videos.

lovely!!! I enjoy your signing as well - makes it more "alive"...

Delightful. A genre made for you.

I was extremely split, parts of my manic/ADHD and quite sociable in a disorganised, often annoying way, other parts of me highly solitary, serious, other parts playful and surreal but either always only opening up away from other people or in my own world around them and grumpty when approached.... so a mixture of exhuberant/manic, solitary/vigilant and idiosyncratic/schizotypal. So we all have our own personality traits, for me these were more compartmentalised, less integrated so I fluctuated

im also an australian and i went undiagnosed until 22