Breast Cancer Donation: A Boobtique in a Box
“If you feel something off, be paranoid. Get it checked out. Stay on top of your health because you never know.” – Jess Flores
Jessica Flores was having a routine breast reduction and lift surgery in 2021.
During her final appointment near the end of the process in November 2022, her surgeon pointed out something unusual in her right breast. He took her hand so she could feel it.
It was a pea-sized lump.
Calmly, he took her hands and recommended that she get it checked out by her primary provider. Jess was concerned and nervous, but it wasn’t until she was walking early in the morning that one of her good friends mentioned getting a mammogram soon.
It was at that moment that it just sort of clicked for Jess – she really should follow up on what her surgeon said. It had been a week and a half since her appointment and she was still trying to digest everything her surgeon had told her.
Nonetheless, she scheduled an appointment for a mammogram. During that appointment, just hearing the doctor say, “Hmm,” she knew that something was off.
Any sound that revealed something may be out of the ordinary was slowly confirming any suspicion Jess had.
Jess was told she was going to get an ultrasound, at which point Jess called her husband and asked him to come to the appointment. They ended up finding four spots that they wanted to biopsy – all of them on her right breast.
Right after the biopsy was when Jess’ biggest concern was confirmed – she had breast cancer.
Jess stayed as positive and actionable as possible. She asked what the next steps were and what she had to do, and kept that as her mentality going forward.
Her specific type of cancer was invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), which begins in the milk ducts and becomes invasive once it breaks out of the milk duct and into the surrounding tissue. She was at Stage 2B.
Jess endured more and more testing, and they discovered that her cancer was hormone-based, which spreads a lot faster in women that are pre-menopausal like Jess. They estimated she had these masses for 6 months up to a year, which then spread to the four spots that were discovered during her biopsy. Her next focus was to do genetic testing to make sure that her children were not at a higher risk. Thankfully, it came back negative.
During this stage, Jess developed a support group of friends going through similar treatments and medication regimens. Jess went on a 21-day cycle. She receives two medications via infusion every 21 days for four cycles. In April of 2023, Jess began a new chemotherapy medication, Taxol, that she takes weekly for 12 weeks straight.
After that, Jess can expect more blood work to check her red and white blood cells and platelet counts. This is important to understand Jess’s immune system’s ability to continue chemotherapy.
Jess’s journey is far from over, but she is staying educated, focused, and positive.
Jess's Takeaway
Never think, “not me.”
Jess ate healthy and loved exercising and only drank moderately. Anyone can develop cancer for several reasons. Cancer doesn’t judge or care, it just picks.
If you feel something off, be paranoid. Get it checked out. Stay on top of your health because you never know. Cancer takes so much from you. In Jess’s case, it took her breasts, her hair, and many elements of her daily lifestyle. You must find ways to stay joyful and humorous in life.
Jess also strongly recommends finding a support group. Having a supportive family and establishing a relationship with survivors of the same cancer is crucial.
“This is like a sisterhood. No one fights alone. We are so close and it has been my saving grace.”
Boobtique in a Box
At NurseRegistry, we value caring for one another like family. When Jess got her diagnosis, we knew we had to do something to help spread her message and support her in her everyday life.
In addition to NurseRegistry’s $1,000 donation to Breast Cancer Awareness, we worked with two all-star companies to help provide Jess with a gift of encouragement, and what we like to call the “Boobtique in a Box.”
One of NurseRegistry’s Care Coordinators, Sharman Lorimer, has an extensive background in mastectomy care and fittings. With her expertise, Boobtique in a Box was born – a box containing a few support garments that would help to improve Jess’s day to day.
The Boobtique in a Box contained the following items:
Let’s learn a little bit about the two amazing organizations that provided the garments for Jess.
Lymphedivas
LympheDIVAs was founded in Philadelphia by breast cancer survivors Rachel Troxell and Robin Miller, who both developed lymphedema, a side effect of their treatment causing permanent arm swelling.
Frustrated by the limited, uncomfortable, and unattractive compression sleeve options available, they collaborated with fashion designer Kristin Dudley to create a more elegant and comfortable alternative. In 2007, Robin left the company, and shortly after, Rachel’s cancer returned. Despite her battle, Rachel continued to build LympheDIVAs, which brought her joy amidst hardship.
Rachel passed away at 37 in January 2008, but her compassionate drive to improve the lives of breast cancer survivors continues to shape LympheDIVAs’ ethos. Today, their compression apparel continues to inspire breast cancer survivors to feel beautiful, strong, and confident.
Amoena
Amoena has been committed to restoring women’s self-confidence post-breast cancer, establishing itself as a trusted partner in breast care since 1975.
The company is renowned for its high-quality standards, innovation, and design, as demonstrated by its various patents for materials and manufacturing methods. Amoena’s product portfolio, which is continuously being developed based on feedback from women affected by breast cancer and specialist retailers, caters specifically to the needs of these women.
To date, over 17 million breast forms and 34 million breast care textiles have been sold, with the company proudly supporting women throughout their recovery journey, aiming to restore their natural silhouette in a manner that feels as natural as possible to enhance their quality of life and bolster self-confidence.
Gifting the Boobtique in a Box
With the ongoing cancer treatment, not every day is as easy as it once was for Jess. We’re happy that she was feeling up for a very special visit from Sharman and Kassandra from the NurseRegistry team, who delivered her Boobtique in a Box.
Sharman, who has extensive knowledge regarding breast cancer and the donated products, walked Jess through the unboxing and explained the benefits of each garment.
Jess was stunned and so thankful for the generous gifts and is keeping up her gung-ho attitude as she continues to kick cancer’s butt.
Gifting the Boobtique in a Box
With the ongoing cancer treatment, not every day is as easy as it once was for Jess. We’re happy that she was feeling up for a very special visit from Sharman and Kassandra from the NurseRegistry team, who delivered her Boobtique in a Box.
Sharman, who has extensive knowledge regarding breast cancer and the donated products, walked Jess through the unboxing and explained the benefits of each garment.
Jess was stunned and so thankful for the generous gifts and is keeping up her gung-ho attitude as she continues to kick cancer’s butt.
Our goal is to support breast cancer patients that require exceptional in-home care.
When you need nursing services while receiving treatment for breast cancer, you can count on NurseRegistry to provide exceptional care.
We understand that a breast cancer diagnosis and the subsequent treatment will lead you and your loved ones down a daunting overwhelming road. That’s why we offer a variety of options to meet your loved one’s needs, including:
Post-surgical Care for Mastectomy
Teaching and Nurse Education Visits
In-home Support and Care
Make Your Contribution
From financial contributions to time and energy, there are many ways that your support can be felt in the battle against breast cancer. If you’d like to make a donation for breast cancer awareness, learn more here.
