At The Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction, we want to hear about your breast reconstruction journey! Every Tuesday during October, we posted a question on our Facebook(opens in a new tab) and Instagram(opens in a new tab) pages for our followers to answer. These answers can help women beginning breast reconstruction get advice from those who have already been through this experience. Plus, if they commented on this post, they had the chance to win a gift box!
Week 4: Who was your “Recovery Hero”? That person who was the most helpful while you were healing?
This question was my favorite from October because it allowed women to show their appreciation for the communities who supported them during breast cancer and reconstruction. The outpouring of thanks for those they trusted and depended on was truly beautiful to read. These are the people who stayed with them, cared for them, and put their own lives on pause to be “recovery heroes.” For these women, many people were invaluable during their healing process. They were always by their sides without complaint, supporting them through every stage of their recovery. I could try to summarize their feelings in my own words, but I think these women should tell their stories. So, here are a few of the comments we received. They depended on their significant others:“He drove me from Indiana to South Carolina and back and was there for me every single moment, making sure I always had a smile on my face.”“He just came home from a 7-month deployment when I got diagnosed… [He] took leave during my surgery to help care for our 2 young kids.”“He wheeled me in every single morning, undressed me, and would sit in the cafeteria and wait for my session…while he was in the cafeteria waiting for me, he was helping others…he was there being a blessing to others.”“Not only was he with me every step of the way but also literally physically lifted me because I could not walk or do anything for myself afterward.”“After several surgeries, I was told that I would no longer be able to be self-sufficient due to muscle damage and lack of feeling in my arm resulting from the cancer surgery…Lee built a special pulley system and installed it in our home…I am thankful to say, through many tears and Lee's support, I now have full use of both arms.”“For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, he has stuck by the vows we promised each other 19 years ago.”They relied on their sisters, daughters, moms, and friends:“My second hero is my little sister. She was with me at the hospital when my husband needed sleep. She stayed with me once we got home to make sure I did everything right!”“My Recovery Hero had to be my 12-year-old daughter. I had amazing help from others, but she stepped in and became this invaluable little adult taking care of me and the household while my husband had to work.”“My husband and my mom. They make a great recovery hero team! Wouldn’t want to do it without them.”“My best friend Heather stayed with me, drove me, cared for me, etc. from surgery through the following 3 weeks, she is a superhero!! Friends from my Crossfit gym, my family, and several local and distant friends visited and have supported me through the entire process.”They trusted us during their journeys: I’ve always known that Dr. Kline, Dr. Craigie, and the women who make up our practice are truly special individuals, but it is amazing to see how they have touched the lives of so many women. One woman said she considers everyone in our office a part of her “extended family.” Others said they’re thankful for the “amazing care” they received and the “caring, thoughtful, and patient” nature of our surgeons, medical team, and administrative staff. These kind words mean so much to all of us, and we consider ourselves incredibly lucky to help these incredible women through their breast reconstruction journeys. This experience isn’t something you should have to do alone, and for these women, this was fortunately not a problem. It’s truly powerful to understand the depth of the love these “recovery heroes” have shown. I’ve never read Facebook(opens in a new tab)and Instagram(opens in a new tab) comments that have brought me to tears before, but I guess I can’t say that now. Sadly, there’s just no way I could include all of their beautiful words in one blog post. However, if you would like to learn more about their experiences, you can go to our Facebook(opens in a new tab) and Instagram(opens in a new tab) pages and read the full posts! authored by Emily Lanter, Content Writer
