Page 12 - SD Woman Glace Ziperovich Issue

Women of Distinction

“I WAS HARMED BY

BREAST IMPLANTS”

by Stephanie Lee

Photos Courtesy of Robyn Towt
to have a double mastecto-
my because I really wanted to
eliminate the risk of recurrence
down the road. …having a dou-
ble mastectomy was a very easy
decision and I felt it would give
“Do the best you can until me the peace of mind to move
you know better. Then when you along in life [and] not deal with
know better, do better.” Maya cancer all day every day.”
Angelou “I knew I didn’t want any of
This quote was offered to me the really expensive surgeries
by Robyn Towt while we talked. that had multiple incision sites
In our lives, hopefully, we follow with a 12-20 week recovery. So
Maya Angelou’s advice. We learn, the surgical options that were
we overcome, we improve and presented to me were recon-
we grow. This way of living can’t struction with breast implants.”
be more true for Robyn Towt, When someone is diagnosed
three-time cancer survivor and with cancer it typically means
all around amazing advocate for having a team of doctors as-
women’s medical rights. signed that oversee the care. In
The events in Robyn’s life af- Robyn’s 2017 case there was a
ter her breast cancer diagnosis in Breast Surgeon, an Oncologist,
2017 catapulted her center stage and a Plastic Surgeon. But even
into the women’s rights arena. with this team of experts, Robyn
She did not plan to become so recalls that no one went over, in-
visible yet here she is taking a depth, the risks or problems that
strong stand for women’s right can happen with reconstruction.
to know, Let’s hear her story. “They made it sound easy.
Robyn has been married They told me it would make me
to her high school sweetheart feel whole again. It would make
for 26 years and as a boy mom me feel like a woman again and
had been quite physically active it would let me get my life back
and thriving in her life until she together so I could move on. So
received her breast implants in I did that.”
2017 where her most amazing Another aspect of Robyn’s
and unusual story begins. experience that was unique is
Because she had exposure to One’s life circumstances play Robyn’s boys were 16 and 18 that she didn’t have any other
a cancer diagnosis twice before, a huge role in what kind of care at the time of her breast cancer treatments like chemotherapy
Robyn believes her experience each of us may choose when diagnosis. She felt a sense of ur- or radiation therapy. She only
of the breast cancer diagnosis faced with cancer. If we have two gency to get it over with as soon had the surgery.
may have been a bit different and four-year-olds, for example, as possible and get on with her She had tissue expanders
from someone being diagnosed then we may decide for possibly life. She wanted to enjoy her chil- put in at the same time as the
for the first time where it can be more aggressive treatments, or at dren while they were still home mastectomy. The purpose of
overwhelming. least different treatments than if before going off to college. “So these is to expand the skin to
Robyn received her first can- we’re older and/or childless. This I really just wanted to deal with get ready for the insertion of the
cer diagnosis at age 23. “I was is why Robyn believes it’s import- this cancer journey as quickly as implants. Maybe it’s just me, but
just a kid. I know the roller coast- ant for doctors to have a sense of possible.” this sounds incredibly painful on
er that goes with that. 2017 was each patient’s lifestyle in helping “I was Stage one and had not top of the surgery itself. “So I was
a little different because my kids them decide what course of treat- metastasized. It hadn’t spread struggling through the tissue
were older.” ment might be best for them. to any lymph nodes so I chose expansion stage and in August
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