Sunday, September 1, 2019

Laughter Lightens the Cancer Load

Losing one's breasts to cancer isn't funny, in fact, it is often a devastating experience, but after a few years of getting used to the loss, sometimes a person learns to poke fun at the situation.


PUBLISHED August 31, 2019

Bonnie Annis is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2014 with stage 2b invasive ductal carcinoma with metastasis to the lymph nodes. She is an avid photographer, freelance writer/blogger, wife, mother and grandmother.
After losing both breasts to cancer, it was a challenge to get used to wearing prostheses. I can still remember the first day I walked into the cute boutique that sold cancer-related apparel. Standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by mastectomy bras, I waited for an associate to come to my rescue. There to receive a fitting for prostheses, I had no idea what was about to take place. Cancer was still very new to me, but with the help of a trained fitter, I left the store that day with a pair of silicone prostheses and several bras.

It was months afterward before I began to feel comfortable wearing the prostheses. Not until the surgical scars healed could I stand the weight of the heavy silicone breasts against my skin. I worked hard at building up the amount of time I could wear them, but never enjoyed wearing them all day long. When home, it was easier to go without them. My family and friends didn't care if I was breastless. But while in the public eye, I was obliged to wear them. For some strange reason, I felt my breastlessness made others uncomfortable.




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