- D
I was hesitant about doing this. I’m not typically the person to ask for help like this... but with the persuasion of my friends and family here I am....
A lot of you know a bit about my story.
In 2014 I had a horribly botched breast surgery. I’ve had to undergo 15 surgeries in total over the past 5 years. With each surgery and each complication I felt more and more heartbroken and more hopeless. I’ve gone through a whirlwind of emotional and physical pain (something I’m continually dealing with) I’ve Missed out on a lot of opportunities, work,
competitions & spent money I didn’t have, All trying to correct what that first doctor did to my body. I ended up having to have everything removed including much of my breast tissue.
About a year ago I had a mass suddenly develop in my left breast as a result of a fibrous capsule that was left in my chest & that had to be removed and tested (thank God I was ok there). I had this surgery just two weeks before I started the fire academy. It left me in a lot of pain. With that mass having been in there so long, it started to form scar tissue and basically adhering to my muscles pulling everything forward from my back/shoulders... pulling my ribs out of place. My shoulders were crooked... it was affecting my breathing. I had to see a chiropractor weekly to try and work out the issues and manage the pain in order to be able to make it through and graduate fire recruit school( thank you Dr. Chad)
I still see him almost weekly.
I have indentions in my chest where my breasts should be & horrible scarring. I’ve gotten very good at hiding it from the world. But the truth is... it is something that affects me everyday... Heavily padding my bras/swimsuits... avoiding a lot of clothing altogether, hating my own reflection. I feel like I lost a part of my femininity, which only adds to the fact that I’m a female in the military and firefighter.
Although reopening this is bringing back all of the painful memories, I know that in the long run, having this fixed will bring so much happiness and confidence back into my life.
I had to put this all on hold for a while to focus on my life & career & just allow myself to heal emotionally from it all, But, I have now found a Dr who I trust will be able to fix this and relieve me of the emotional and physical pain I’ve been enduring.
Unfortunately, these surgeries (2 surgeries, 8 months apart) are expensive due to the fact that many of the necessary surgical materials are what would typically be used for mastectomy patients.
These procedures are no longer cosmetic, they’re reconstructive and deemed necessary by a Dr, which a lot of insurance companies will cover. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this is ultimately the result of an elective surgery, Tricare will not cover it.
If you could find it in your heart to contribute and help me to finally move on from this nightmare...
I will Be forever grateful.
Mahalo & Much love to all of you❤️
A lot of you know a bit about my story.
In 2014 I had a horribly botched breast surgery. I’ve had to undergo 15 surgeries in total over the past 5 years. With each surgery and each complication I felt more and more heartbroken and more hopeless. I’ve gone through a whirlwind of emotional and physical pain (something I’m continually dealing with) I’ve Missed out on a lot of opportunities, work,
competitions & spent money I didn’t have, All trying to correct what that first doctor did to my body. I ended up having to have everything removed including much of my breast tissue.
About a year ago I had a mass suddenly develop in my left breast as a result of a fibrous capsule that was left in my chest & that had to be removed and tested (thank God I was ok there). I had this surgery just two weeks before I started the fire academy. It left me in a lot of pain. With that mass having been in there so long, it started to form scar tissue and basically adhering to my muscles pulling everything forward from my back/shoulders... pulling my ribs out of place. My shoulders were crooked... it was affecting my breathing. I had to see a chiropractor weekly to try and work out the issues and manage the pain in order to be able to make it through and graduate fire recruit school( thank you Dr. Chad)
I still see him almost weekly.
I have indentions in my chest where my breasts should be & horrible scarring. I’ve gotten very good at hiding it from the world. But the truth is... it is something that affects me everyday... Heavily padding my bras/swimsuits... avoiding a lot of clothing altogether, hating my own reflection. I feel like I lost a part of my femininity, which only adds to the fact that I’m a female in the military and firefighter.
Although reopening this is bringing back all of the painful memories, I know that in the long run, having this fixed will bring so much happiness and confidence back into my life.
I had to put this all on hold for a while to focus on my life & career & just allow myself to heal emotionally from it all, But, I have now found a Dr who I trust will be able to fix this and relieve me of the emotional and physical pain I’ve been enduring.
Unfortunately, these surgeries (2 surgeries, 8 months apart) are expensive due to the fact that many of the necessary surgical materials are what would typically be used for mastectomy patients.
These procedures are no longer cosmetic, they’re reconstructive and deemed necessary by a Dr, which a lot of insurance companies will cover. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this is ultimately the result of an elective surgery, Tricare will not cover it.
If you could find it in your heart to contribute and help me to finally move on from this nightmare...
I will Be forever grateful.
Mahalo & Much love to all of you❤️