Sunday, April 26, 2009

I am so thankful...

Well, I missed writing yesterday, mostly because I was so tired from the day that I went right to bed. The day started out early, a dear friend and I drove to Smokey Point for me to visit Virginia's Feminine Boutique virginiaboutiqueaol.com . I had heard a couple of survivors say that is where they got their prosthetic and bra fitting done. Since I had such a hard time at Nordstrom, I thought that I would try this place. The drive took about 30 minutes and that wasn't bad at all. The store opened at 10:00 and I had the first appointment there. But when we arrived early, I was shocked that by a quarter till, there were 3 other cars there.

What a great experience it was to go there, the store is run by 2 sisters (identical twins) and their grandmother. They just renovated a home into their shop and Vanessa was the sister who did most of the fittings. She has been in many hours, 2 1/2 years exact to be qualified to do this job. The not only do mastectomies but for all other types of bra fittings. The spirit of that place was great, Vanessa knew her stuff, she didn't rush, she was compassionate and kind. She worked with me for almost 2 hours and made sure that the prosthetic and bras that I had were the perfect one for me. So now I am the proud owner of a new prosthetic and I have to say it feels great to look normal again. It will take a while for me to get comfortable with a bra again, since it has been so long, but Vanessa said to just wear it a couple hours a day to get used to it.

Anyway, what a treat it was to have someone so kind, so sensitive and knowledgeable to work with me. It was totally a place that I would recommend for anyone (ESPECIALLY) a survivor to go. I can't wait to share with my friends at Evergreen Hospital my experience there. Plus, I was able to share while I was at Virginia's the cancer gifts that my friend and I have designed and made. They liked them and bought two items. They are going to show them to their grandmother and see if she would like to start carrying them. That was exciting too!

Once I came home from that trip though I was wiped out and I knew that I couldn't do anything else that day. I had hoped to check out PRINTING places to have our tags made, but that is going to have to wait till next week.

So I am just grateful that someone suggested that place to me, grateful that I was able to get my new prosthetic (which I have lovingly named Mandy) remember I named the last one Sally, but she had to be returned. And I am grateful that I feel more normal and confident in my clothes. That may not seem like a bit deal to others, but it is to a survivor. Even though I am extremely tired, I am extremely grateful.  Good night dear friends!

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings."          ~ Henry Ward Beecher

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

2 comments:

Carolyn Cox said...

Who said that last quote on this post? I liked it a lot. I love ya, and I am always thinking of you.

Karma said...

Hope you and Mandy get along better! So good to hear that it was a better experience!