Optimal reconstructive surgical outcomes are for everyone, and we are the ones to decide and define what reconstruction looks like for us. Kim Bowles with Not Putting on a Shirt joins Tammey to share her story as she chronicles her fight against surgical battery, Kim talks to us about how this strengthened her commitment women’s rights and shares how she used the power of the 1st Amendment to plant the seeds of advocacy for aesthetic flat closure. In this episode, we learn more about aesthetic flat closure as a reconstruction option, obtain tools for self-advocacy, and hear about resources for better clearer communications with your provider.

Topics in this Episode:

• Intro
• A Historical Review of Reconstruction
• Are you wanting breast reconstruction or chest wall reconstruction?
• Always gonna be someone who judges you and your decisions
• Restoration, reclamation, reality
• There is surgery and then there is aesthetic surgery
• Self-advocate! Is there an echo in here??
• Not the puppy dog kind. . .
• Finding a common language for the clearest communication
• We decide how important our breasts are to us.
• Don’t accept assumed knowledge
• I’m still me, damnit!!
• Question integrity... always!
• Sexism in medicine?
• I have autonomy over my plan.
• What is surgical battery?
• An artifact of medical history.
• Make a big deal over it!!
• A systemic problem...
• Constitutional rights.
• How to help yourself and others
• Sign off

Guest Contact Information and Social Links:

• Website: www.notputtingonashirt.org
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/NotPuttingonaShirt
• Facebook: www.www.facebook.com/NotPuttingonaShirt
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC7LS4oToXH_oJMYAKz5JmPA
• Contact Information and Social Links:
• Website: www.yourkillerlife.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourkillerlife
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yourkillerlife
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/yourkillerlife
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/not_shirt

Resources:

• Be a guest on the Your Killer Life Podcast
• Sponsor the Your Killer Life Podcast
• Book Tammey or Griff as a speaker or podcast guest
• Snag Your Killer Life Swag!
• Check out the Your Killer Life blog posts, or the original blog, Killer Left Boob
• This podcast is professionally edited by Roth Media