A Gift Upon a Gift | The Beauty of a Natural Restoration
This picture was the day we celebrated because we found out I did not have to do chemo or radiation because my oncotype score was low and there was no cancer in my lymph nodes. If you saw me today, you’d see a woman who is finally coming home to herself. For the first time since I was 16 years old, I am living in a body that isn't fighting me. The constant "war" for medical validation is finally in my rearview mirror.
Now, I am in the phase of my journey I call The Restoration.
100% Me: No Implants, Just Restoration
There is a common misconception that breast reconstruction after cancer always involves foreign objects. For me, that wasn't the path. I wanted to be made whole using only what was already mine.
My reconstruction was done using 100% my own natural tissue. There are no implants, no silicone, and no saline. Through the 8-hour DIEP flap microsurgery in New Orleans, my surgeons took the tissue and fat from my abdomen and meticulously reattached the blood vessels to my chest. It is living, breathing tissue. It is entirely me.
The Art of Phase 2
While the first surgery was about survival, "Phase 2" was about the art of healing. In this stage, my surgeons performed fat grafting to refine my shape and symmetry. But the most impactful part for me was the repair of my Diastasis Recti.
After six pregnancies and fibroids my abdominal muscles had worked incredibly hard to bring life into the world, but they were left separated and weakened. In Phase 2, those muscles were finally stitched back together. My core, the literal center of my strength, was reinforced.
The Choice for Quality of Life
Being a survivor means facing a lifetime of "what’s next?" Because we caught the cancer so early, thanks to my persistence and the right doctors who finally matched my energy, I was able to skip chemo and radiation.
However, I still had a choice to make regarding hormone suppressants like Tamoxifen. After my oncologist consulted with experts at a national conference, we looked at the data for my specific case. Given the low percentage of recurrence prevention weighed against the significant side effects, I made an empowered choice: I am choosing quality of life. I am choosing to be present, energetic, and healthy for my amazing husband, my four children and my clients, rather than medicating a "what if."
The Provision is Complete
I look at my scars now, stretching from my hip to my back, under both arms, across my chest, and I don’t see a "medical history." I see a miracle.
The Skin: The skin that stretched for my four children in my arms and my three babies in heaven was the exact "fabric" needed to rebuild me.
The Weight: The extra weight I uncomfortably forced myself to gain provided the "raw material" to make this natural reconstruction possible.
The War: The 20-year battle for validation was the training ground that made me a fierce enough advocate to find the cancer before it destroyed me.
It is a gift upon a gift. Every trial I went through, every extra pound, and every stretch mark was secretly preparing a provision for my cure. My babies didn't just give me life; their physical legacy quite literally helped save mine.
Strength for the Sanctuary
Today, my focus is solely on regaining my physical strength. I am back to work full-time as your Realtor, and I’ve realized that the "no-quit" energy I used to save my life is the exact same energy I bring to your closing table.
I’ve always been an open book, and I’m sharing this because I want you to know exactly who is standing in your corner. I am a negotiator by nature. I fought a broken medical system and won; I fought insurance companies and won. I bring that same tenacity to every contract and every closing.
I’m not looking for pity, I’ve already won the battle. I’m looking to put my strength to work for you. I’m healthy, I’m cancer-free, and I’m ready to fight for your home.
Thank you for following my journey to restoration. If you're ready to find your way home, I'm ready to get us there.
