Two busy weekends for Debra

 

Weekend #1.

Breast Cancer practicum in Longreach

Brisbane to Longreach is a journey of around 1,179 kilometres by road — roughly the same distance as driving from Munich to London! So, rather than spending a day or more behind the wheel, Debra sensibly travelled by air, flying with QANTAS.

Her reason for visiting Longreach was a particularly worthwhile one. She had been invited to participate in two breast care practicums: one designed for breast care nurses and the other for members of the general public. Both provided an opportunity for Debra to share her knowledge, experience and insights gained from many years working in the field of breast care and post-breast-surgery support.

The reception she received was wonderful, and her presentations were so well received that she was invited to give an additional presentation as well. Three presentations instead of two — an unexpected bonus!

Below are a few photographs from her visit, including some of the people she met along the way.

Longreach is right in the heart of Queensland's beef cattle country, where the landscape is vast and the distances between towns can be enormous. One of the sights associated with this region is the road train — a powerful prime mover pulling multiple trailers, sometimes two, three or even four, carrying cattle to market and processing facilities, with major transport routes connecting the region to centres such as Rockhampton and Brisbane.

It's a very different world from Brisbane, and a reminder of just how much ground people in regional Queensland cover to access services, share knowledge and support their communities.

All in all, it sounds as though Debra's trip was both productive and rewarding — and the extra presentation was a lovely acknowledgement of the value of the experience she was able to share.

Weekend 2

International Breast Cancer Congress in Brisbane

This was an amazing conference to attend. Debra met breast health care specialists from around the globe and learnt so much. She attended multiple workshops and forums and learnt the latest in quality health care for breast cancer patients. She came away very impressed with the global efforts in the field of Breast Health Care.

THE PROSTHESIS HEALTH CHECK

Has it been two years since your last fitting?

Your breast prosthesis is designed to restore balance and shape after breast surgery. But your body doesn't stay exactly the same.
Weight changes, changes to your chest wall and the natural ageing of the prosthesis can all affect the way it fits and feels.
So ask yourself:
✓ Does it still sit naturally?
✓ Does it still feel comfortable?
✓ Does your bra still fit properly around it?
✓ Are you adjusting it more often than you used to?
✓ Has your body shape changed?
✓ Do you feel as confident in your clothes as you once did?
If you answered "no" or even "I'm not sure" to any of these, it's worth having your prosthesis checked.

And if it's been two years since your last purchase, you may be eligible for up to $400 reimbursement from Medicare towards a replacement 

Book your complimentary Prosthesis Health Check with me or the girls here at the boutique.

If your current prosthesis is still right for you, we'll tell you.

If it's time for a change, we'll help you find the prosthesis that's right for your body, your surgery and your lifestyle.

Spirit of Life Boutique

The Gold Standard in Post-Breast Surgery Care.

Some thoughts on a winter's night

 I had a friend from childhood contact me today and she told me that some of her friends were customers of  Spirit of Life. Happily for me, their feedback on us was pretty good. Being a former journalist, she went on to ask me to sit down and write about why we are different. 

Just what is the Spirit of Life difference?

I thought hard about what we do every day and it came out like this....

The Spirit of Life Difference

Because after breast surgery, you deserve more than a product. You deserve someone who understands.

There are plenty of places where you can buy a bra.

There are plenty of places where you can buy a breast prosthesis.

But there are very few places where you can find the combination of experience, expertise, compassion and personal care that makes the whole experience different.

That is the Spirit of Life difference.

For more than 22 years, Spirit of Life Boutique has been dedicated exclusively to women who have experienced breast cancer, breast surgery or other breast-related procedures. We don't simply sell breast care products — this is what we do, every day.

And that experience matters.

As the owner and lead fitter, I am humbled to be recognised as one of Australia's most experienced breast prosthesis specialists, both here in Austrlia and overseas. Over my career I have personally fitted more than 10,000+  breast prostheses and helped thousands of women find the right combination of fit, balance, comfort and confidence.

I guess I do have a great depth of experience and that means I understand something a catalogue or an online store simply cannot.

Every woman is different. Every surgery is different. Every body is different.

The right prosthesis isn't necessarily the one that looks best on a shelf. The right bra isn't simply the prettiest one in the catalogue. What matters is finding what is right for you. And we only sell mastectomy related products, We're not a fashion lingerie shop.

That's why our boutique experience is so important.

You can take your time. You can try things on. You can see how they look beneath your clothes. You can feel the difference between different styles and materials. And, most importantly, you can talk to people who understand what you've been through. My amazing staff members, both Helen and Ann have walked the breast cancer path themselves.

There is no embarrassment.

No awkwardness.

No judgement.

Just knowledgeable women helping women.

More than a shop

Our reputation has been built over many years, and our professionalism is recognised within the healthcare community. Breast care nurses, surgeons, oncologists and others regularly refer women to Spirit of Life. It's why the medical profession call us the "Gold Standard in post breast surgery care."

And our customers tell the story even more powerfully.

Women don't just come to us from Brisbane and Queensland. Some travel from interstate. Some travel from overseas.

They come because they know that experience matters.

They come because they want choices.

They come because they want to get it right.

And they come because they know that when you've been through breast cancer, the last thing you need is to be treated like just another customer.

A choice you can feel confident about

At Spirit of Life, we offer one of Australia's largest selections of breast prostheses, partial prostheses, mastectomy bras, swimwear, leisurewear and post-operative products.

But our greatest strength isn't the size of our range.

It's knowing which product is right for which woman.

That's the difference between selling a product and providing genuine specialist care.

We believe every woman should have the opportunity to look in the mirror and see herself again — balanced, comfortable, feminine and confident.

Breast surgery may have changed your body.

It doesn't have to change the way you feel about yourself.

That's why we do what we do. I, Helen and Ann are always on the same wavelength.

That's the Spirit of Life Difference.

Experience. Expertise. Choice. Compassion.

And above all…

A genuine commitment to helping women get their confidence back.

Well it's been a while..

 Life gets busy, lots of things to do.

Just recently we were visited by Sarah and Ian from South Australia. They travel to Brisbane regularly so Sarah can shop at our boutique.

Ian noticed we were missing our clock on the wall. (It fell down during the cyclone and that was that) When we told him the clock was gone, he kindly smiled.. a few weeks later a new clock arrived from him. 

Very kind thoughts and action. Thank you so much Ian.

Debra and her new clock. Thanks Ian :-)