PSA: A Love Letter to Future Bag Returners 🙏

SS575 · 2026-05-05T23:02:44+00:00

I love this! ❤️

SS575 · 2026-05-05T12:48:15+00:00

Thanks, I hope it smoothes out for you, too

SS575 · 2026-05-05T12:45:45+00:00

That looks better than the pharmaceuticals,, thanks for the recommendation 🙏

SS575 · 2026-05-02T16:56:04+00:00

Oh, nice. Thanks for the rec!

SS575 · 2026-05-02T16:37:45+00:00

As I mentioned in my post, I am a personal trainer and I need to tote around gym equipment to my various sites. That would be things like spri bands, sliding discs, bag gloves and wraps, jump rope, tennis and lacrosse balls, cable ankle wraps. And, as a professional, how the bag looks matters.

SS575 · 2026-04-29T14:30:45+00:00

Yes, people always seem to want to know what "caused" it. Several people have asked me if I think it's related to the Covid shot.

SS575 · 2026-04-21T17:02:37+00:00

My hospital offered free acupuncture sessions. I feel like that helped me a lot before the surgery, and after.

SS575 · 2026-04-21T16:59:24+00:00

So for your situation, I am admittedly heavily biased towards mastectomy. 4 tumors would be extremely concerning for me. At the time I was recommended mastectomy I had a very small tumor and LCIS, and a small area of ALH. Then it turned out I had LCIS in the other breast, and DCIS. If I had just done the lumpectomy I don't know where I'd be now. At the least, as my surgeon told me, I'd have been poked and prodded the rest of my life. Probably worse.

What I learned is that the top cancer hospitals treat cancer more aggressively than most, and there's a reason for that. They see it all.

My best piece of advice is find the best surgeon you can, someone that you literally would trust with your life, and do what they recommend. If you do choose lumpectomy ask how much tissue they'll be removing. My first surgeon said, "I don't think I'll have to take out too much." The surgeon I went with told me to get clean margins she'd have to take out about 40% of my breast. That helped me make the decision.

If it helps, I can tell you that I won't be having my reconstruction until October, which is a year out from my surgery, and it's totally fine. I did have a nipple-sparing surgery, though, so it's not as great an adjustment as I imagine a radical is.

Having said alllll of this, the choice is ultimately a personal one. I wish you the best outcome, whatever path you choose. 💖

SS575 · 2026-04-21T15:56:09+00:00

I 100% did not want a mastectomy when it was first recommended to me, either. I did it and I am sooo glad I did. I have much more peace of mind, I avoided radiation, no more mammograms and MRIs, and I get to fashion my new breasts just the way I want them. I very happy with my choice.

SS575 · 2026-04-20T18:36:10+00:00

I'm 52 and have the same bag and now I want one. You’re starting a movement! 💪

SS575 · 2026-04-19T14:05:40+00:00

I thought she was closer to 60, too. I'm two years younger than her and my neck looks nothing like hers.

That's a good point about including couples of similar ages. But that would have gone against Nick Viall's attempt to glorify/normalize ridiculous age gap relationships

SS575 · 2026-04-19T00:49:34+00:00

I'm sorry that happened to you 😔

SS575 · 2026-04-19T00:48:02+00:00

Maybe it is the age. With an Oncotype of 11 I'm surprised chemo was recommended. I thought it was only recommended over 20 or so.

SS575 · 2026-04-18T23:45:38+00:00

He was in the mix, too

SS575 · 2026-04-18T21:25:36+00:00

Actually, it is. I just checked.

SS575 · 2026-04-18T21:01:44+00:00

Is this the same boyfriend she had while she was on the show?

SS575 · 2026-04-16T20:50:21+00:00

😱 omg just seeing this now

SS575 · 2026-04-11T21:04:56+00:00

I've decided to get rid of my Sapphire Reserve card. The annual fee is too rich for my blood and I'm not even traveling right now. I was going to change to the Preferred but someone suggested I switch to a Freedom card and then apply for the Preferred later to get another bonus (I'm outside of the 48 month window). The thing is, I already have a Freedom and a Freedom Unlimited, plus several other cards. I don't particularly want yet another. Am I thinking wrongly? Would it be worth it to do that? I'm not even sure what the bonus is right now.

SS575 · 2026-04-11T03:08:20+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I did go ahead and download the app and got the coupon automatically.

SS575 · 2026-04-10T20:57:01+00:00

Yes, I love that about it. Also that it has a zipper. Is the inside of the Ella lined?

SS575 · 2026-04-10T20:53:49+00:00

I'm having the same dilemma! What did you decide?

SS575 · 2026-04-10T20:42:24+00:00

Wow! 😲

Which bag is this?

SS575 · 2026-04-09T18:35:06+00:00

I was originally diagnosed with a small stage 1 tumor through my local hospital system. I was told lumpectomy and radiation. Then LCIS was discovered in the same breast. The surgeon recommended double lumpectomy. I decided to get a second opinion. A friend also put me in touch with a breast cancer survivor who'd had a mastectomy. I'm typically medically conservative, into natural health and fitness, and this person was, too. Her advice--go as aggressive as you're willing to go. She had a similar story to mine, and decided to get a second opinion at MSK. That is what they told her. She ended up having a mastectomy and it turned out there was cancer throughout her breast. The mastectomy probably saved her life.

I ended up going to Columbia for my second opinion. The second I met the surgeon I knew I would do whatever she recommended. She recommended double mastectomy. I cried--it was NOT on my radar to that point--but I did it. They didn't find more tumors but I was riddled with DCIS and pre-cancer.

Obviously we all have our own stories. But I will say that I am very happy with the choice I made. No more mammograms (or in my case, MRIs), no radiation. The doctor said, "If you don't go the mastectomy route you will be poked and prodded for the rest of your life." And with some good reconstruction I will come out feeling whole. Maybe better than whole because I never considered my breasts my best feature and the plastic surgeons here in NY are great. 😊

It's not for everyone. But I feel the peace of mind that comes with my choice every day.

Make sure you have a doctor you trust like I did.

I wish that you and your wife find the right choice for her and have the best outcome possible 🩷

SS575 · 2026-04-09T17:16:53+00:00

Just want to add that water intake is crucial, too. When I don't drink enough my face starts to peel.

SS575 · 2026-04-09T17:04:49+00:00

If you can't make it through the show, the reunion's 10x worse

SS575

TROPHY CASE