The front porch of Personally Yours has the homey charm of a local beauty parlor-the lazily dancing wind chimes and pink flowers suggesting that, inside, facials and manicures await. But as a boutique for women coping with the often-demoralizing aftereffects of mastectomies, this small business helps bring back confidence and self-esteem in ways a shade of nail polish never could.
Kellie O'Steen, co-owner of the Broad Street shop, once worked in the medical supply field that offered prosthetic pieces for survivors of breast cancer. Dissatisfied with the limited selection and small fitting rooms provided for these survivors, O'Steen and co-owner Diane Cooper decided to take their business experience elsewhere.
The result? A store with two fitters, comfortable waiting areas, bathing suits, an array of prosthetic pieces to match even the most active lifestyle and literature about breast cancer support programs.
Although there are mastectomy shops in Cary and Raleigh, not to mention medical supply stores near the Medical Center, O'Steen said the 17-month-old Personally Yours is the only place in Durham that gives such personalized attention. "Some women come in here and they'll get really emotional and cry-you're a part of that," O'Steen said.
Dr. Kelly Marcom, an associate in the Division of Medical Oncology, stressed that, whenever possible, doctors avoid doing mastectomies. For women who [need] them, however, he said, "It's certainly a much more difficult thing to adjust to psychologically."
Surviving breast cancer then, involves not only beating the disease, but also conquering the self-esteem problems that come with a mastectomy.
"Certainly when a woman does lose her breast, it's a big deal-it's part of your body that you valued," said Rachel Schanberg, who serves as the director of the Duke Cancer Patients Support Program. "There's adjustment to intimacy and sexuality issues-can you be beautiful and attractive and sexy? All these issues are there."
Although some women opt to have reconstructive surgery, either with breast implants or the insertion of a muscle flap from the abdominal area into the chest, Marcom said many others do not do so for personal reasons. And for those women, there are many ways to regain a sense of beauty and body image.
Betty Hirschauer, a frequent customer at Personally Yours, attempted to do just that following her mastectomy nine years ago. "I found that I started to take better care of my skin, makeup and hair, and do things to give myself a boost," she said.
Schanberg, one of four Medical Center counselors available for breast cancer survivors, said there are many programs that help boost the self-esteem of all survivors-both those who have and have not had mastectomies.
A breast cancer support group at the Medical Center enables women to discuss common issues and concerns. "One of the things that's very outstanding is that the women seem to be very supportive of each other, more so than other groups I have been [involved in]," Schanberg said.
Breast cancer patients treated at the Medical Center also receive support from Richard Schoonover, a Duke graduate and owner of a wig business in Florida called Alan Thomas Designs. Schoonover initially became connected to the hospital when his father was diagnosed with cancer.
In the process, he began to sell wigs to Medical Center patients and to give them free to those who could not afford to buy them. His business has been linked to the Medical Center ever since.
"These women are grasping at things to make them feel normal," he said. "All of a sudden there's a profit [for me] of happiness and of helping people."
Two hairdressers come to the Medical Center two times a month to help patients style their wigs, while the American Cancer Society's national Look Good, Feel Better program provides free makeovers and makeup to patients once a month.
Although it has been some time since her bout with breast cancer, Hirschauer said, "No matter how many years go by, it's a very sensitive subject. [But] I really feel like my whole experience was miraculous."
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