Women We Have Helped – Janet

Grant Recipient: Janet

I wore the breast forms for the first time today, and I felt prettier and more hopeful than I’ve felt in months, and they can be worn in a swimming pool. Yea!

Diagnosis: Breast cancer, (diagnosed 11/13); Lymphedema in right hand, right arm, left arm

Treatment: Janet underwent a mastectomy of her left breast in January of 2013 and developed lymphedema in her right hand and arm. In July, 2014, she had a second mastectomy and developed lymphedema in her left arm.

Grant to be used for: Compression garments and breast forms

Janet’s story: Janet was a self-employed singing and accent reduction coach before her breast cancer diagnosis in November of 2013. As a result of her treatment, she struggled to maintain her business. As Janet tells it, “Between exhaustion from stress, multiple surgeries (another one tomorrow), and too many doctor’s visits to count (and still more to come) my student numbers have dropped rather dramatically.” As Janet’s income fell, she began relying on a combination of her social security payments and credit cards to cover all of her bills.

In January of 2014, Janet underwent a mastectomy of her left breast and soon developed lymphedema in her right hand and arm. Lymphedema is a condition where excess fluid collects in tissues (usually in the arm or leg), causing uncomfortable, sometimes painful, swelling. Lymphedema commonly results from breast cancer treatments. There is no cure for lymphedema. It can be managed with treatment, which Janet has received, and compression garments that can help limit swelling.

In July of 2014, Janet underwent her second mastectomy and developed lymphedema in her left side. Her reconstructive surgery was scheduled for the end of 2014, leaving her without breasts for several months.

Janet reached out to us to ask for compression gloves and a compression sleeve to help manage her lymphedema, and breast forms that she could wear with her clothes to help her feel better about her appearance until her reconstructive surgery. None of these items were covered under Medicare or Medi-Cal, which Janet has been relying on to cover her medical costs.

We were very happy to be able to present Janet with a grant. She wrote us back, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!…I love to swim and have been too embarrassed to wear a bathing suit because of the appearance (or lack of appearance) of my breasts. Thanks to you, I will have breast forms that will work in a bathing suit and with my clothes. I am so excited and grateful for your help.”

Janet also had a special message for all the donors who made her grant possible. “Please let the donors know how very much I appreciate their help. I hope when this whole process is concluded, I’ll be in a position to become a donor myself and to help someone else in their ‘journey’.”