100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (78 page)

Perk #78

An Excuse to Buy New Clothes

I
figured that by six to eight weeks post-

mastectomy, I would have been fitted with

a breast prosthesis. Unfortunately, due to

swelling in the incision area and burns from

my radiation, it would be many months

before I got my fake boobie. Being the

resourceful person that I am, I managed to

improvise (let’s just say Ben’s teddy bear lost

a little weight). However the teddy-inspired

boob didn’t always stay in place. Given that

I had few options, it was up to me to make

peace with my new lopsided physique. As far

as I was concerned, there was no better way

to make peace with my bod than by adorn-

ing it with new clothes!

Although my closet was bursting at the

seams with clothing, I could honestly say, “I

have nothing to wear.” You see, all of
those

clothes were bought to fit the body of a

Flo, six months before mastectomy

woman with two matching breasts (what

was the fashion world thinking?). Take for example the little number I am

wearing at the beach in the photo above. I am pretty sure that if I wore that

with my teddy-boob, it would only be a matter of time before someone

noticed. Ya think?

So what did I do? I dusted off the ole VISA and hit the mall in search

of a new style. My old motto, “If you’ve got if, flaunt it,” was just not cut -

ting it. I therefore adopted a new motto: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it. If you

ain’t got it, hide it.” Hence the assortment of black, flowing tops. So there

I am, decked out in my new threads. Whadda ya think? (Stay posted for the

Victoria’s Secret spread after my reconstruction.)

I 328 J

Perk #78: An Excuse to Buy New Clothes

329

Cancer will likely change your body. You may lose or gain weight, lose your

hair, or even lose a breast or two. Make peace with your new body and

dress it in a way that makes you feel both beautiful and comfortable.

HEALTH TIP #78

When Dressing for Comfort, Don’t Forget Your Feet

I
n case you haven’t noticed, Flo and I want you to include exercise in your

daily routine because we believe it brings benefits to so many areas of

your healthy life. The easiest way to get started is simply by using your feet.

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

Walking or running doesn’t require special equipment or a fancy gym. But

it does require that you fit your feet properly to maximize your workout

and prevent injuries. (Injuries equal excuse to sit on the couch.)

Your foot is a wondrous example of perfect construction. The collec-

tion of small bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are able to withstand

constant battering and daily pressure from the entire weight of your body.

You owe it to those metatarsals to provide them with some proper support,

especially when you exercise! If you can, I would suggest visiting a spe-

cialty shoe store that will fit your foot with the right shoe for your needs.

This may seem silly or “over the top,” but even just walking a few miles

a day in poorly fitted shoes can damage not only your feet but your knees,

hips, and back as well. (Remember? The foot bone’s connected to the leg

bone . . . the leg bone’s connected to the hip bone . . . the hip bone . . .

okay, you get the picture.)

Last year I made the decision to get professionally fitted for running

shoes. Part of my decision came from the fact that sev-

eral years earlier I fit myself for walking shoes to

walk in the 60-mile, three-day cancer walk and

ended up losing my big toenail from poorly

fitting walking shoes. (No laughing, please!)

Several years later, I started training for my

first half-marathon . . . in my five-year-old

cross trainers with the ripped soles that also

doubled as my gardening shoes. Wanting to

keep all toenails intact for this race, I knew I

needed help, so I went looking for some. I feel

like the “running fairies” guided me to Joe. Joe owned

three Fleet Feet stores. (Fleet Feet is a nationwide chain of inde-

pendently owned stores that specialize in running and walking apparel and

always gives one-on-one service to meet your needs. I swear I didn’t get

paid to write that.) Joe had been fitting people with the proper athletic

shoes for over twelve years. Joe had a degree in Exercise Physiology. Joe was

nice and patient. I liked Joe.

My professional fitting for running shoes went something like this and

would be the same for someone looking for proper walking shoes as well:

Perk #78: An Excuse to Buy New Clothes

331

●
I had a conversation with Joe about what my goals were and about any

injuries, past or current.

●
Then Joe watched me walk barefoot so he could see my “foot strike,” or

how my foot moved through my footstep. This was important, I was told,

because different shoes are made for different foot strikes, so some brands

work with my own personal stride, and some do not.

●
My foot was measured while I was seated (unweighted) to determine my

correct arch height when my foot was aligned correctly.

●
Then my foot was measured standing, or weighted, to see if the measure-

ment changed. Based on the difference of the two readings (unweighted

and weighted), a determination was made on the flexibility of my foot.

Joe explained that flexibility is great to have in a relationship but is NOT

a good thing to have with your feet. Feet were meant to act like a rigid

level, so your shoes should be designed to assist in achieving that. Some-

times inserts are used to help shore up your sole.

●
Several recommendations were made for shoes and I tried a few on. I was

able to walk around the store, but because I was going to use them for

running, I was also able to take a “test drive” in the parking lot.

●
Then Joe and I had the “socks talk.” Just like shoes, the proper socks can

make or break you. Joe said socks should wick moisture away and keep

your feet dry during workouts. They should also be seam-free and tight

fitting to avoid blisters.

After my extensive evaluation, Joe determined I was a pronator (I wasn’t

insulted, that just means my foot turned out when I ran), and I needed

extra rigidity inside the shoe. Corrections were made, and compared to my

gardening shoes, I felt like I was running on a cloud. Using these running

shoes, I was able to successfully complete training, injury-free, and rocked