SURVIVING MASTECTOMY... Everyday Solutions for Breast Cancer Survivors

Our aging Pekingese fur-baby that we've loved for about 13 1/2 years, passed away on Thursday.  It was my husband and my 36th wedding anniversary, another anniversary we'll never forget...  We'd so hoped she'd recover from her latest health issues, as she'd suddenly taken a turn for the worse early in the week.  She had then improved after an injection Tuesday, but it only gave her another full day with us on Wednesday.  At least it was a good day.  We were then up trying to comfort our littl...
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I've been looking long and hard for a dependable future supplier of the fabric I need when making microbead breast forms for those of you who order from me here, as I've had problems finding someone with the right weight of fabric lately, and... guess what... I'VE FOUND THE PERFECT ONE!  So excited, just got the perfect sample and made my first larger order, can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Whew.

Those of you who don't sew, may not get how great this is, but it is a really difficult to fi...
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For those of you who are like me, you may not have kept up with the latest changes at the post office.  I just today shipped a pair of microbead breast forms to someone in Canada, where it's usually hardly any higher than shipping within the United States, and the price for First Class Mail International had jumped to more than THREE TIMES the price it was only a few weeks ago when I'd shipped a pair!  Oh...my....goodness!  Since I barely make expenses as it is to make the forms and ship them...
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A website reader just suggested a YouTube video called "The Scar Project".  There's several, but the one by David Jay is something I'd suggest for anyone who has been, or is about to go through breast cancer surgery.  It will give you an idea of what typical scars look like, whether reconstruction is done or not... and some of the women had lumpectomy or partial mastectomy. 

I'm appreciative of the brave breast cancer survivors who allowed their photos to be put on the video  It's very inform...
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Well, despite feeling great and being really healthy, I STILL caught the cold virus that seems to never go away this year, lol... Am over it but still feeling a little off my game.  Instead of designing new things, have spent most of this month de-cluttering my home.

Like most of you, I find a new year to be a good place to start fresh.  With so many wonderful organizational tips on the internet, it's hard to go organize and not just READ about it, lol... but things are really taking shape ag...
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What if I told you that you could lose weight and improve over a dozen aspects of your health by making ONE change this year??  AND, it won’t cost you a thing, not a cent more than you normally spend, and quite possibly, you’ll spend LESS?  I’ve debated for a long time whether to put this tip here, because normally I don’t try to dispense health advice.  I SEW.  It’s what I do.  However, this one thing has made such a drastic change in my own life for the better, in only a few mon...

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About a week ago, I had a really bad fall while going into a pharmacy.  As you can imagine, I haven't felt just the best since then, so I've not updated the story about my frustration with the new bra and forms, but I will in just a moment.  To first answer your question about the 'trip', lol... because that's what everyone asks...I'm fine, ended up alright.  I fell forward, eyeglasses came halfway off and twisted upward before my face arrived at the concrete, so a screw cover tore the skin u...
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Bet you thought I had all the answers after over 5 years of dealing with mastectomy, right?  Nope, still studying, still inventing, and once everything finally works, things change and I have to start over.  Though, for the last few years, I had it down pat with my bra size and style, form size, etc... UNTIL deciding that I'm finally ready to go back to the larger bust size I had before mastectomy.  Easy, right?  Not so much.

Right after the bilateral mastectomy surgery, I chose to be a smalle...
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It took me years to decide to invest in the sewing and embroidery machine I told you about recently here, on the 'Can you believe it's almost summer?' post.  It's the one I bought on Amazon with my yard sale money, and paid significantly more than I just now saw it on sale for.  If anyone is even THINKING about wanting an embroidery machine that also sews really great, go check it out on Amazon.  I just now saw it for $339 with FREE SHIPPING... I've seen this same machine at Walmart in our to...
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Have you ever had one of those "Lucille Ball in the Chocolate Factory" type days when you just feel overwhelmed?  Well, I felt too stupid for words after my episode in the sewing room today, lol... but it's better to tell you about it than for it to happen to you, so here goes:

Microbeads are kind of pricey, so I don't waste them on things like...oh...making pillows for myself.  I have a really old favorite squishy little microbead filled pillow that's sized just right, and another one that's ...
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