My entire family is in the dental field and my mom is a nurse. So early on, I knew that I wanted to be in the medical field somehow. When I was a student in college I had a physical therapy tech job and I fell in love with it.
After seeing people come out of surgery at their absolute weakest and most vulnerable point, being able to walk them through that stage and help them get back home and to their maximum capacity was absolutely the most rewarding feeling. Being a part of that transformation felt so gratifying because I got to see patients through their entire recovery process and help make them the absolute best that they could be. After my physical therapy tech job as an undergraduate, I decided to pursue my career as a physical therapist and earned my doctorate in 2007.
A few years later when I had my surgery, I lived five hours away from family. I was new to this city and didn’t have the kind of friends I felt like I could confide in over a personal surgery such as a breast augmentation. The fact that I didn’t have family or friends here to talk to or to even help me physically after I had the surgery, made it very, very challenging.
Being alongside my grandmother, mother-in-law, and most recently my sister-in-law who’ve all have had breast cancer and battled the recovery period for different reasons instilled an even deeper passion for wanting to help women recover from breast surgeries. There is a tremendous amount of support groups available for women with breast cancer, but Chrysalis provides more than support.
Learning about BII and meeting women who are suffering from this disease and needing explant surgery has added even more validation for my program. These women have suffered terrible side effects. Chrysalis is customized to aid in the detox period and help these women regain strength.
All of these experiences and relationships along with my medical background of being a doctor of physical therapy have helped me develop the program now known as Chrysalis.
During my recovery period, I completely underestimated the emotional rollercoaster that I experienced. My goal is to help every woman going through any type of breast surgery by preparing them for the recovery period and making sure they have all their questions answered. It’s essential that women get the tools needed for recovery no matter what type of breast surgery they have. Everyone deserve structure, clarity and support.