Myself: Together Again: One Young Woman's Story of Breast Cancer Recovery and Reconstruction

The Myself: Together Again story of delayed breast reconstruction following double mastectomy surgery that appears on these pages was inspired by Debbie*, who agreed to have the process photographed so that other women like her could get an idea of what to expect.

But there is more involved in the decision to have plastic surgery than meets the eye.

The M:TA project team hopes some of your questions are answered within these pages. But remember, your own medical team knows your unique situation best. This is just one woman's story and it is important to know that reconstruction results will vary for each woman. The Myself: Together Again booklets are available on this website through Paypal or on amazon.com. (Available in Spanish)

Myself: Together Again began in 2006 as a Susan G. Komen North Carolina Affiliate grant funded project. As of December 26, 2007 Myself: Together Again became a public charity.

*(Name was changed earlier in the project to protect her privacy; today patients, survivors, friends and family have encouraged Debbie to use her real name to promote the project.)

 

Online Donations

Myself: Together Again is a 501 (c)(3) public charity. For a copy of M:TA's IRS determination letter, click here. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. With your donations, the M:TA project focuses on maintaining our website, educating and exhibiting at conferences around the country, and sharing booklets. Thank You for visiting our site and showing interest in this project - it means a lot to us. Myself: Together Again (M:TA) has been able to help thousands of women in all parts of the world by offering them a visual guide to reconstruction. It is important to note that in remote areas, M:TA booklets are given out free of charge. Also, when an agency/group/patient cannot afford a booklet, one or several copies are provided to them. In 2009 alone, 250 booklets were distributed to women around the country, free of charge.

 

Myself: Together Again - Vision For 2011

Project Creator and Cancer Survivor, Debbie Horwitz, and the Myself: Together Again team are excited about our new goals, partnerships, and upcoming speaking opportunities in 2011. M:TA has partnered with NATRELLE® products, produced by Allergan, the leader in implant manufacturing. Aligning ourselves with Allergan is a great opportunity for M:TA to expand its reach to more women around the world. With its own marketing division dedicated to patient advocacy, Allergan is equally dedicated to M:TA's mission of empowering and educating women about breast reconstruction surgery. Our primary goals in 2011 are to print a second M:TA booklet and produce an online video series that will illustrate the journeys of many different women. It is our hope that these tools can address a wide range of topics and serve as an updated, comprehensive visual guide to breast reconstruction.

Read more...
 

Coming Soon: Booklet II with our new subject/patient, Sherri

In this second booklet and video series, we discuss Sherri's choice to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy with tissue expander reconstruction. Breast reconstruction has changed a lot over the years, especially since our first booklet came out in 2006 so we are bringing you the latest. Check out our Videos page on the website and follow along with Sherri's journey.
 

The M:TA project is made possible by:

NatrelleWake RadiologyBlueCross BlueShield of North CarolinaHarris Legacy Foundation

Cancer Centers of North Carolina

And all the individual tax deductible donations received. View a list of those who made donations in 2010.