FLAT is where it's at

Shay's steamy video can be found here.

Shay Sharpe, 41, was born and raised in Baltimore Maryland. Shay is a 2 time breast cancer survivor and Madame President of Shay Sharpe's Pink Wishes (SSPW), a National 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advocates, befriends cancer patients, educates, restores hope, provides scholarships and grants final & Christmas wishes to young women and children who have been affected by breast cancer. Shay Sharpe's Pink Wishes even has their very own Maryland license plate! Shay founded SSPW in 2011, after seeing firsthand the void in services for young women. Even though Shay had no family history of breast cancer, she was diagnosed with Stage III ER/PR+ breast cancer at age 26. Needless to say, Shay was often the youngest person in the waiting room, during her oncology visits. One week before her 27th birthday, Shay had her cancer tumors, lymph nodes and both breasts removed. Over the years, Shay has endured multiple cancer scares, surgeries, complications, broken bones, scans, hundreds of doctor appointments, thousands of pills, and every side effect under the sun, only to be told exactly 10 years later, at age 36, her breast cancer had returned. (Keep in mind that she already had her breasts removed, so that ends the argument that women can't get breast cancer again, after a bilateral mastectomy.) In the media, we often hear them pushing the age 40 when it comes to breast cancer, but if Shay hadn't found her own lump on both occasions, chances are she wouldn't have lived to see age 40. Shay, Shay's photos and her selfless philanthropic contributions, have been featured on/in countless publications around the world, including The Today Show, Huffington Post, UK's Barcroft Media, Allure Magazine and People.com to name a few. Shay also sits on the board for the Young Womens Breast Cancer Initiative at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Be sure to follow Shay Sharpe's Pink Wishes on Instagram and visit their website via www.ShaySharpesPinkWishes.org , to donate, read about past wish recipients, volunteer or catch up on upcoming events. And here are some great pics of Shay:

Sara is a happy uni who believes in the healing power of selfies. Sara wants all people facing a breast cancer diagnosis to have the option of flat closure and unbiased access to info about all surgical outcomes. You can find her on Instagram @sunshine.autonomy More about her work: The National Network of Abortion Funds builds power with members to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access by centering people who have abortions and organizing at the intersections of racial, economic, and reproductive justice. You can learn more here: https://abortionfunds.org/ You can find a Fund-a-Thon event to support your local abortion fund here: https://fundathon.nnaf.org/ Here are some pics of Sara:

Kim talked about the private group on FB, Mepitel Film For Mastectomy- Support.

You simply need to ask to join. She just wants to make sure you are not a provider. All folks interested in learning more about it are welcome. Much of what else Kim talked about can be found at her site Not Putting On A Shirt.

She also specifically named Flat and Fabulous, Breastless and Beautiful, Fabulously Flat, and Fierce, Flat, Forward (for explanters). I'd also add Flatties Unite and My Flat Friends.

Now, here are some lovely pics of Kim. Here's one from the Cosmo article taken by Stephanie Strasburg.

And here's one taken by Charise Isis for the Grace Project.

Melanie Testa is an amazing artist, activist, and flat advocate. Here is a link to her website where you can see some of her beautiful art, buy her book, and get to know more about her.

This is from a Play Out underwear ad. Photo credit: Nomi Ellenson

This is the Grace Project nude Melly spoke about. Photo credit: Charise Isis

Here's an article from the NY Post. Credit: Bethany Kandel

This is from a high fashion photo shoot called PerfektUNPerfekt that they did in Berlin Germany. Uta Melle and Esther Haase created the shoot. Photo credit: Esther Haase

Mimi founded Linkage Beauty Movment which you can explore here

Born in Nigeria, living in Germany, investigative journalist Ruona Meyer chose to keep her cancer a secret while under-going treatment. Listen to the reasons for her secrecy and the joyous freedom that came after.

Here is a collection of pics from the event. Before that, though, here is a little video tour of the event space. People were scurrying around, finishing up all the last minute details. C'mon, take a tour.

Also, in the podcast I interview Ernie, the lady who makes the candles. Well, after we finished the recording, THEN she tells me she's Ms. Rosewater's Mama!

First event of the day was Yoga with Steph.

Then yours truly played 7 different characters. Here are 3 of them:

Next, Mars Rodriguez knocked us out with her passion and flair.

Meanwhile....

Crystal Rapture offered beautiful gem stones and minerals.

And folks from the Flat Retreat were there with t-shirts for sale.

And Ms. Rosewater presented a lot of her art.

You can see more of her art in the "tour" video above. She also made a jenga of positive support words.

Back inside, Speed of Light was playing....

And after Speed of Light played, Ms. Rosewater took the stage and moved us all with her power and honesty.

And many, many friends met for the first time and shared a multitude of hugs. Thank you again for all your work, Ms. Rosewater.

Amy has gone through her cancer journey as a single mom, facing chemo and tribulations alone. She adopted two children and has been there for them as she faced her many trials. Here are some pics of her and her family. Below is a link to Regina Rosewater's Fuck Cancer Kickback and Jam.

Here is Amy.

Here she is with her daughter, Libby, and her son, Christian, at his 8th grade graduation.

Here is Libby with doggies Bella, Noel Marie, and Milk.

And here is the link to the performance in LA on November 10th. Event will run from 1:00 to 6:00.

Ellen and her husband travel the world. Her excellent Croatian surgeon was Prof. Dr. Zdenko Stanec in Zagreb. One thing we didn't discuss, but Ellen mentioned later, was that her drains were taken out the next day. Dr. Stanec believes Americans leave the drains in way too long and risk infection.

Here she is in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.

And in Pai, Thailand, hanging with the elephants

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In Pai Canyon, Pai, Thailand

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And here she is in Hanoi,Vietnam on Train Street

Davina had a gut feeling that guided her along her path and it's a good thing she listened. She is healthy and flat today and is a buyer for a scanner company. (Link to Fuck Cancer is below)

And here's the link to Regina's Fuck Cancer Kick Back and Jam