Tag: friendships

Honoring My Sweet Friend Valerie Hewson Wright

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Today I honor the passing of a life well-lived. Valerie Hewson Wright lived a life a love and vibrancy through a breast cancer diagnosis and most recently, metastatic breast cancer. I am angry, pissed to be quite honest, and deeply saddened at losing a friend to this insidious disease we have yet to find a cure for.  Val and I never met in person, but I feel so very close to her and why I weep today at her passing. Our Nonprofit Connection When I began thinking about opening my own nonprofit Foundation in 2017, I would call Valerie and ask her questions about the logistics of running an organization to help others. She successfully opened VforVictory Foundation to mail drain holders out to breast cancer and breast reconstruction patients after their surgery. She worked tirelessly for these women and why I leaned on her for her advice. Her famous Continue Reading →

Connections through the Breast Reconstruction Community

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Connections through the Breast Reconstruction Community I am always amazed at the connections I have made in the #BreastReconstruction community since beginning my education and outreach through social media.  A woman I met at a Casting for Recovery weekend in October of 2015 was the patient of a well-respected micro-surgeon at Cancer Treatment Centers of American in Chicago, Dr. Daniel Liu.  When I found this out during our fishing weekend and the long conversation we had together, I told my friend how often I Tweeted with Dr. Liu and leaned heavily on his knowledge and information about plastic surgery and breast reconstruction.  We took a picture together that weekend and I Tweeted it to Dr. Liu letting him know Connie and I met and by coincidence found out we both knew him. Here we are again, six months later and these two had a meeting just this week to discuss Continue Reading →

Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo

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Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo Baldness during Breast Cancer & Chemo is not an easy side affect for most women. You could walk around for weeks, months without anyone knowing you have breast cancer unless… wait for it… you’re on CHEMO, especially the type causing hair loss!!! The sight of a women who is bald is a forgone conclusion and truly screams, “I’m on chemo and have cancer!” It’s just not an easy pill to swallow, excuse the tongue in cheek. Many forms of chemo cause hair loss in women. It did for me and the brave women who volunteered to use their photos to be in this blog post. They all willingly shared their pictures for a reason. We did it to support another woman who is going through chemo as I write this blog. But, whether you have been through chemo, are currently going through chemo, or Continue Reading →