Cheri Matthews was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent bilateral mastectomies in 2001. Like most women, Cheri was sent home with surgical drains. Not quite sure how to manage the drains, Cheri asked the hospital nurse for guidance. The only solution she was offered was pinning the drains to one of her husband’s old button-down shirts with safety pins.
“I found it incredibly unfair that a sprained elbow would get a sling, so the patient can recover; and here my body had just been butchered and I was handed a pair of safety pins,” Cheri shares about her experience. “In the hospital, when I woke up and was told to wear my husband’s used dress shirt, it didn’t occur to me how truly atrocious that would be until you look down, and you no longer have your breasts.”
This experience motivated Cheri to create the Heal in Comfort recovery shirts! With the goal of providing women the ability to recover from breast cancer with dignity, Cheri designed a recovery shirt with internal pockets to discreetly conceal post-surgical drains and Velcro-like fasteners to make self-dressing easy and stress free!
PRMA Plastic Surgery is proud to spread the word about the Heal in Comfort recovery shirts to patients preparing for breast cancer surgery, radiation or breast reconstruction. In fact, we have teamed up with this amazing organization with the goal of giving back!
If you are interested in purchasing a recovery shirt for yourself or a loved one, please consider purchasing the product HERE to also give back to the Male Breast Cancer Coalition!
Author: Courtney Floyd
I found it incredibly unfair that a sprained elbow would get a sling, so the patient can recover; and here my body had just been butchered and I was handed a pair of safety pins.
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Cherie B. Mathews
Well, no words can expressed how honored I am to read this article! Courtney you are amazing and all that you do to help us reach more patients is truly a labor of love and dedication. I’m blessed to have personally met Dr.C he’s not only a brilliant surgeon but also an entrepreneur so it’s really fun coming up with ideas to help breast cancer patients even more. PRMA doctors are a rare group of highly skilled surgeons who care for the whole patient. I’ve put @BreastAdvocate App in my new technology I’m gifting each of our patients with because it will truly help the patient navigate through this battle with more knowledge. Thank you Courtney smile Cherie B Mathews 19 year breast cancer survivor and Founder of Healincomfort from Austin TX