{"id":43849,"date":"2019-10-25T23:57:05","date_gmt":"2019-10-26T03:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=43849"},"modified":"2019-10-26T00:05:25","modified_gmt":"2019-10-26T04:05:25","slug":"happy-birthday-chiara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/happy-birthday-chiara\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Birthday, Chiara!"},"content":{"rendered":"

A very happy 48th birthday to my new — but already dear — friend Chiara!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Chiara and her cake from Two Little Red Hens.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n

We celebrated during her chemo today, because we’re crazy that way!<\/p>\n

\"\"

Eribulin and cake are delicious together.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n

Chiara has been living large with\u00a0triple negative metastatic breast cancer since 2016, after first being diagnosed with cancer in 2014. I just met her this summer, thanks to\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.\u00a0I can’t remember when I first started following her on the ‘gram, but it was a while back. I definitely was intrigued by her gray hair; I follow quite a lot of gray-haired wimmin, seeing as I have gray-hair goals<\/a>. Anyway, when she needed someone to help her check into a New York hospital a few months ago, I was like, “Hell, my schedule is free,” so off I went. I’ve been hitting most of the chemo appointments ever since. <\/p>\n

\"\"

Nom nom nom.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n

As a result, I’ve also become quite a fan of Chiara’s oncologist, Dr. Kevin Kalinsky of\u00a0NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital\/Columbia University Medical Center.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dr. Kalinksy and Chiara, in a party mood.<\/p><\/div><\/center><\/p>\n

I hope to have Chiara model jewelry for me some day, if I can afford her! She’s very in-demand with photographers. One aspect of herself that Chiara shares in her photos is that she ultimately decided to go flat after suffering numerous infections from breast reconstruction after her bilateral mastectomy. This is one of my favorite photos — I mean, you can see why she’s the right type for one of my “badass women” brand campaigns!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a> <\/p>\n

The very first \u201cInternational FLAT Day\u201d will premier on OCTOBER 7th, 2019! \ud83c\udf89 \u201cInternational FLAT Day" was created to celebrate going flat \u2013 to promote breast reconstruction awareness, to promote flat closure (breastless, chest wall reconstruction after mastectomy), to promote flat reconstruction as a valid choice, and to bring together the flat community in sisterhood! October is breast cancer awareness month, and the 7th is the \u201cDay of Maat\u201d – the Egyptian Goddess who represents TRUTH and JUSTICE. The 7 principles of Maat are: Truth, Justice, Harmony, Balance, Order, Reciprocity, and Propriety. These principles really reflect the \u201cheart\u201d of the shared flat movement! Get ready to CELEBRATE FLAT! \ud83c\udf89 #InternationalFLATDay #BreastCancerAwareness #OneFlatCommunity #BreastReconstructionAwarenes #BreastImplantIllness #bilateralmastectomy #doublemastectomy #flatandstillfabulous #breastcancer #TheFLATRevolutionIsNow #flatfire\ud83d\udd25<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by BeautyThroughTheBeast\u2122\ufe0f<\/a> (@beautythroughthebeast) on