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Breast Cancer Free Mastectomy Pillows from The Bosom Buddies

November 9, 2017 Kim Harms 16Comment

The Bosom Buddies: Connie, Jan, Becky and Judy 525. That’s the number of mastectomy pillows the Bosom Buddies have made since August 2016. Women in 29 states have received their pillows. 4 cancer centers currently keep their pillows on hand to give to mastectomy patients. And new pillow requests come in through this website regularly. Cancer is a taker. Breast cancer sometimes takes one or both breasts. It often takes hair. It always has financial cost. And it always steals away sweet time. One woman who went through a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, intensive chemo and radiation…

Breast Cancer Krystal Ruby – Bilateral Mastectomy with DEIP Flap Reconstruction

November 7, 2017 Kim Harms

Krystal and her husband Mike. Krystal and I live in the same community and have mutual friends, but have only met in person once in passing at a school event. (Maybe someday we can find the time to grab a coffee and talk about our shared experience.) She has graciously taken the time to tell her story, and you will not regret taking a few minutes to read it. Name: Krystal Ruby Family: Husband Mike, Three Children – Tanner -9, Sadie-7, Dayton-5 Occupation: Industrial Hygienist for the State of Iowa Hobbies/Interests: My number one hobby is…

Life Body Parts I Never Imagined Discussing with My Kids (and it has nothing to do with breast cancer)

November 2, 2017 Kim Harms

I wrote the following little story several years ago as a guest blogger at Leanne Shirtliffe’s website. I recently started receiving spam comments with advertisements for Cial@s and Viag@a and realized this post was the culprit. I guess if you mention male anatomy multiple times in a post, crazy drug companies will find you eventually. (You’ll notice I added an @ symbol to certain words in the hopes of avoiding more comments from prescription drug companies) 🙂 Reading through the story again made me giggle. I’m reposting it today in the hopes of making you giggle too. My Lewis was five…

Breast Cancer Breast Reconstruction Thoughts – Amber Schoenauer – Single Mastectomy

October 31, 2017 Kim Harms 1Comment

Welcome to Breast Reconstruction Thoughts where I feature women who have undergone a single or bilateral mastectomy. Most have also had breast reconstruction, but some have not. Some entered this world through cancer, others due to testing positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation which highly increases their chances of a future cancer diagnosis. I hope their words bring insight and encouragement. Amber and I had a sleepover when I was in Chicago for a writer’s conference this summer. 🙂 Amber and I grew up together. She’s my cousin and lived just two blocks away…

Breast Cancer Metastatic Breast Cancer Research

October 26, 2017 Kim Harms

Pink is everywhere this month. From the flags the refs throw at my 4th grader’s football games to the shoes NBA players wear to super cool basketball’s like the one Owen’s friends gave him after my diagnosis. I am thankful for Nancy Brinker, who started the Susan G. Komen Foundation after her only sister died of breast cancer. It’s because of her that we see pink all over the place in October. Also because of her, a lot of money has made its way to breast cancer research. I have peace in knowing that 99% of women who find their…