101 Uses For An Empty Bra

Hi Ladies,

A few weeks ago the was a segment on the Today Show... My ultimate FAV in morning television... which highlighted a book called "101 Uses For An Empty Bra". Of course that grabs anyone's attention immediately, especially anyone who has had a loved one go through breast cancer and struggle with the turmoil of a mastectomy. You can check out the Today Show segment here. After watching it I thought to myself "Wow, how shocking that this book hasn't found a home to be published on a national level." I searched high and low and was able to order through the books website. Which was great! I was really excited when it arrived in the mail yesterday. I think the books purpose and presence was something special to share with you ladies!

Many times I have written about my family's experience with the battle of breast cancer. So we know all too well the difficulties, the strain, and the process that this disease entails. I think that's why this book touched me so much. I love the idea of mourning the loss of something you can't change or control through humor. After all it is the best medicine out there. That truly is what Sara and her family did with these "uses". The process of a mastectomy is very much one which requires a mourning period.

As little girls we are taught that part of our femininity comes from the shape of our body and specifically the curves of our breasts. Past that, as a mother, our breasts our part of a life giving process to nurture our children while still trying to balance a part of sexuality with said motherhood. (Now add high heals, a job, house work, social interactions, love and a million other things and you've got a pretty busy schedule.) So as you can imagine, and I'm sure each of you deeply relate to the thought, loosing your breasts to a disease you can't stop or control changes your perception on everything. How you look, how you are seen by others, where your feminine wiles come from, your sexuality, your comfort, overall it impacts your life in every facet. While I wish this were not the case because it is the loss of something physical, I do not believe it is vain in any capacity for a woman to feel sad or to mourn this loss. Its natural, its part of the process, and its absolutely necessary. I can't claim to understand the mourning process on a personal level because I am only 25 and haven't, luckily, faced breast cancer myself. With that said I will share with you my personal stance and approach to this disease.

I will not be shocked if one day I am told I have breast cancer. It has run through most of the women in my family, leaving my mom as the only survivor. I think because of her I am more able to take a proactive, perhaps drastic to some, approach to my control of this horrific disease. I will likely have a mastectomy after we have children as a preventative measure and then have a reconstructive surgery. My aunt did this when we were younger, after her mother and both sisters fought the battle. Its a big decision and not one that I take lightly in the least, so I hope that it does not read that way. To me its feels better to mourn the loss at my own decision to have the procedure verses coming to a point where a doctor tells me the procedure has to happen in order for me to live healthily. Like I said, having a proactive approach is important to me. I want to be able to live without worry and I think that this decision is an important part of having that security. This is years down the road for me and I have plenty of time to think about it and come to feel confident in my decision. Books like 101 Uses For An Empty Bra help in the decision making and in the solace of that decision. I hope there are more books like this to come. Below are a few of the images from the book compliments of the website. I hope you enjoy them... don't be afraid to chuckle!

Cheers,