When guest blogger SARAH NORRIL was diagnosed with breast cancer she expected people to find the subject awkward –what she wasn’t ready for was the foot-in-mouth comments…

I pride myself on being quite a quirky, funny girl who has, like many of us, had to put up with my fair share of rubbish.

Rubbish from men, bosses, life in general. It throws stuff at me and I just bat it off, because that, my friends, is how I roll and how I have always dealt with things.

I am also quite nice to people. I would never KNOWINGLY upset someone unless I was feeling particularly hormonal. Instead I have Shirley Valentine tendencies where I talk to a wall and get my frustrations out that way. Or I tweet, I like to tweet, I am a serial tweeter.

However, my recent dalliance with breast cancer has shown me that not everyone is quite so polite. Over some red wine with Charlotte recently I shared some of the things people have said to me through my ‘journey’.

I thought our Charlotte was shock proof, but alas this left her open mouthed – this is when she asked me to blog about it on here. So here we go. Below are the top things NOT to say to someone who has breast cancer…

· ‘I thought cancer made you skinny’ (NOTE, some cancer treatment makes you gain WEIGHT. LOTS OF WEIGHT)

· ‘Is radiotherapy like being on a sunbed?’ – to which I replied ‘Yep it’s just like a spa’ whilst secretly wishing I could spit in their face.

· ‘So, at the end of all this, you get a boob job right? WOW it almost makes it worth it’.

· ‘If you are gonna get any cancer, breast is best’ Hellooo? I am having a tumour removed, not discussing options on how to feed a child.

· In reaction to my hair falling out post chemo: ‘Oh, mine does that when I don’t wash it for a few days…’

· And the best: ‘WOW, you are having a vasectomy? Does that mean you won’t be able to have children!’ Yes, I was stunned as well.

The way I see it, sometimes if you have nothing nice to say, just say NOTHING.

To shine a positive light on it all, when I am better and reminded of all this, I will secretly gloat that the stupidity of some people gave me great blog material.

Now that my friends really does almost makes it worth it!

PS No idiots were harmed in the writing of this blog!