I was unfortunate to under go a mastectomy of the left breast at the end of 2009 and I am slowly coming to terms with my disability.
I'm fighting back.
If you are a survivor and need to do something to improve your appearance, I can tell you how, for less than a fraction of the cost of a prosthesis.
After the ordeal with a mastectomy, the Breast Cancer Foundation of Qld.
so generously supplied me with a beautiful Berlie bra, and a bag of soft wadding to simulate the size and shape of the breast I had lost to breast cancer.
I was thrilled with this gift and set to task of making my new breast.
All was going well, till eventually, the soft wadding clumped into hard balls and before I could venture out in public, it took time to tease all the lumps back into fluff again.
This exercise became a part of my daily routine but eventually I had to invest in more soft wadding,as it wasn't looking as good as it did.
I began to hate having to do this ritual every day.
I started to think of other ways that I could look normal and it came to me while washing the car.
The car sponge I was using felt firm yet soft and it kept its shape, so out I went and purchased my first car sponge/ left breast.
With a simple pair of scissors, I quickly fashioned a breast shape, with nipple, that would fit into my bra and be of a comparable shape and size of my existing breast It truly works.
In less than no time at all, I had a breast that looked and even felt normal.
Now I have learnt that with different bras, I need to shape different sponges and I have become so good at it, I have dozens of left breasts to use at will.
I have even found black sponges to wear with my black bras, so I feel completely normal and in fashion.
I must admit, I can't go past a good deal on car sponges and I'm proud to show people what I have achieved.
The only thing to remember is, if it's very hot, I put a panty liner or a hankie between the sponge and me, so as not to get a heat rash.
The other draw back I have experienced is that when I go swimming, I tend to roll to the right as the sponge is more buoyant than my own breast but who cares, I look like every one else at the pool, and I doubt if they would ever know.
Occasionally my little white Maltese terrier pup might find one of my sponges and thinks it great fun throwing it around, or trying to pull it to pieces but at 35c a pop, it doesn't worry me one bit.
So, I am not going to purchase an expensive prosthesis, or at this stage have a reconstruction done, because I feel good about the fact that not only have I beaten cancer, I am a survivor, and inventing new ways to stay on top of my life threatening illness.
If you are looking for advice, then I would tell you to be strong, fight back against all odds, and make some thing good out of something bad.