Since being ill, I am quite self-protecting. When you’ve been through something traumatic, you don’t want to add to that pain emotionally as well. It all felt a lot rawer than I’d been used to - and the feeling of being closer to someone after having sex is really scary, cancer or not. But I was relieved that I didn’t break into a million pieces or burst out crying.

In the end, Max and I were seeing each other for about a month – and then he ghosted me.

That was tough, especially where I was emotionally vulnerable at the time. Four months later, he texted me telling me that he’d felt like things were moving too fast and that he really liked me and it had freaked him out – a classic case of ‘man’s feelings scare him’. I’d always made it clear that there was no pressure from my side so, ultimately, it was just him being a coward and I didn’t beat myself up about it. Now, if that kind of thing happens, I’m more like ‘meh’ about it.

Even though things ended on a sour note, what happened was a great re-introduction to the world of dating for me, and, at the time, it was exactly what I needed. Max made me feel special and what happened helped me feel like me again.

Breast Cancer Care is here for anyone who needs support on sex, intimacy and body confidence after breast cancer. Visit breastcancercare.org.uk to find out about face-to-face support or call their expert nurses free on 0808 800 6000.

You can read more of stylist.co.uk’s Breast Cancer Awareness month coverage here.

What it's like to rediscover sex after having chemotherapy for breast cancer