Q&A: Mastectomy fitter gives back to those who have lost
Photo | Courtesy of Mary Walsh-Aframe
Mary Walsh-Aframe, owner and founder of The Women’s Image Center in Worcester and Leominster
Mary Walsh-Aframe is a certified mastectomy fitter by the American Board of Orthotics and Prosthetics, and the owner and founder of The Women’s Image Center located in Worcester and Leominster. When she opened her first women’s healthcare boutique more than 20 years ago, Walsh-Aframe’s goal was to support women going through one of the most physically and emotionally challenging times in their lives as they navigated the trauma of being breast cancer survivors, many of whom were recovering from mastectomies. The store provides a comforting environment for women to purchase a variety of products that allow women to cope with changes related to their cancer diagnosis and treatment. Their products include: custom-breast prosthesis, standard breast prosthesis and shapers, post-mastectomy bras, wigs, and compression garments.
What compelled you to pursue a career working in medical prosthetics?
I was compelled to pursue a career specializing in medical prosthetics because I was always interested in the medical arena and patient care.
At what point in your career did you know working with breast cancer survivors was your calling?
I was dropping my children off to school one day, and I noticed that UMass Memorial Medical Center was building its Simonds-Sinon Regional Cancer for cancer patients in Fitchburg. Something just clicked. I realized that I could open women’s healthcare boutiques and help women look and feel their best while pursuing my dream of entrepreneurship.
What drove you to start your business 20 years ago, what keeps you going when you feel overwhelmed, or frustrated by the politics of healthcare you witness?
My initial driving force was that I always wanted to be the captain of my own ship, to be my own boss. This has been reinforced over time, especially when I became a grandmother.
How has your work changed since your business first started, have there been shifts in how society views the importance of breast prosthetics, and wigs for women dealing with cancer?
Over the past 23 years there have been changes regarding technology and CAD (computer aided design) software programs, this allows us to create all types of custom-made breast prosthetics. Regarding how society views the importance of breast prosthetics and wigs, there are now more products available for women to choose from. It is widely understood that women don’t just lose their breast(s), but their hair as well. In our society, women’s breasts and hair are considered pillars of beauty, and that’s understood as well.
When you first began, was the fitting process different than it is now?
No, it wasn’t different. What’s different now with custom work is I’m using a scanner to make custom pieces. Before I was using plaster and making body casts. I would set up a DVD player and give the women snacks so I could make it as pleasant as possible. I would have to do two body casts, one of the woman with the bra and the prosthesis, and another without.
How do you feel the pandemic impacted your business? Was it challenging needing to do fittings for clients virtually instead of in person?
The pandemic has made running a business extremely challenging, in its initial stages it was stressful and overwhelming. I was forced to alter operations at The Women’s Image Center, including how I conducted pre-fitting consultations and CAD prosthesis fittings.
The biggest challenge when conducting fittings with clients during quarantine and isolation was finding a way to conduct fittings with our clients. I ended up mailing women fitting kits, and we would get on Facetime and Zoom. During these Zoom and Facetime calls I would teach clients how to measure themselves properly, ensuring the best fit given the system we were working with.
How are women referred to you?
Women will share their experiences with each other through support groups, or pass my information along to a friend or family member who may need my services. We do have doctors that provide patients with referrals as well, but it’s mostly through patients sharing their positive experiences.
What type of conversations do you have with a client before planning their fitting?
I usually get a medical history, when they had their surgery – find out what the chest wall is like to be able to gauge if it’s an appropriate time to have a fitting. You need to be able to ensure the chest wall is stable and has healed appropriately in order to support a prosthesis. You also need to consider the state of the skin and its sensitivity as it heals.
If a woman is planning to have surgery, is there a specific piece of clothing she needs to wear during her recovery process?
Yes! That is a good question, there is a post-surgical camisole, and the surgeon will give the woman the referral – or the oncologist will. They then can pick up the camisole and have it with them in the hospital. If you can believe it, Medicare won’t cover this undergarment until the day after a woman has been operated on.
This requires her to have someone pick up her camisole at our shop and bring it to her at the hospital, which can be challenging. Medicare will cover all the prosthesis, except for the CAD.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by HEALTH correspondent Victoriahope McAuliffe.
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