MILTON, Wis.– 2017 was a big year for Lina Owen.
“I was pregnant in 2017, and two weeks before I gave birth to my daughter, I found a lump in the left side of my left breast,” Owen said.
Doctors confirmed her first thought, the lump could be a result of breastfeeding, but a biopsy later showed Owen had breast cancer and needed a double mastectomy and chemotherapy.
“My body was just too weak to get through that massive surgery. Not only did they remove both breasts, but I was also doing the reconstruction process,” Owen said.
On top of an already painful process, Owen said the post-surgery bras didn’t provide any comfort.
“They’re just very clunky. They’re huge. They show through your clothing,” Owen said.
Owen said she realized that any bra she could buy in a store would never be comfortable again.
“The regular fashion designers and retailers are not thinking about (it), because they have not gone through the experience that I’ve been through,” Owen said.
So, Owen designed a bra that would be realistic for her new body.
“After all of that, your chest is just not the same,” Owen said.
Her brand, BlueBelle Underwear, has six bra styles, including two post-surgery bras. The wireless bras don’t fold and are designed to sit comfortably on sensitive chests.
Owen said she knows most women fighting breast cancer can’t afford expensive bras. All of the products on her website are under $60.
Owen said a good bra does more than support physical recovery, but also mental recovery.
“The breast is such an important part of your body that you sometimes take it for granted and you don’t realize that it’s going to be such an impact on you mentally,” Owen said.
Now, Owen looks back on her toughest moment when she’d often wonder why she was chosen to go through this process and it all makes a little more sense.
“Maybe I had to go through this to come up with the idea, to help women through this part that is so unspoken,” Owen said.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
