Erica Curless LMT

Good information about chest numbness after mastectomy.

A woman can get a third-degree burn and not know until she takes off her shirt that night.

Not because she was careless. Because after a mastectomy, the nerves that would have screamed at her to pull away are gone, and nothing warns her at all.

Emily Hansen has spent nearly two decades in health care communication, and for the last eight years she has worked with surgeons and breast cancer survivors on a problem almost nobody talks about: what it means to lose feeling in your chest, often for good.

Here is what she found. In a nationwide survey of women who had a mastectomy, 87 percent reported losing sensation. They can't feel the temperature of their shower water. They can't feel the sun. They can't feel pressure. And 1 in 4 reported an injury or a near miss they never felt happen, a curling iron burn, a cut while cooking, an underwire poking through the skin, discovered later when they undress.

The reason is simple and almost nobody explains it before surgery. Nerves are the body's first line of defense. Touch a hot stove and you pull your hand back before you decide to, because sensation is telling you to be careful. When those nerves are cut and not rebuilt, that warning never comes. The breast can look completely normal on the outside and feel nothing at all.

And there is a second cost women carry in silence. Almost 75 percent reported that intimacy and their s*x lives changed afterward. It rarely gets asked about. Most feel guilty even raising it, because the same surgeons saved their lives, and everyone around them expects them to just be grateful and move on.

Emily's point is that survivorship has to mean more than removing the disease.

She calls it what it is:

"An amputation of the breast."

Listen to the full conversation on The Podcast by KevinMD. Link in the comments.

Fun evening a couple weeks ago talking with Mt. Hope 4H kids about equine bodywork and teaching them how to listen with their hands. Thanks for the invite!

Healing feels a little lighter when you're not carrying it alone.
PEER-LED CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
🗓 JUNE 23RD | 5:30–6:30 PM
📍 Spokane Valley Library
Pull up a chair, share what's on your heart, or just listen. There's no agenda here — only genuine connection and people who get it.
We'd love to see you there.
👉 Details + registration here: https://www.cancercant.com/events

Reporter David Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer and soon learned that one of his drugs sold for almost $1,000 per pill — despite the fact it cost just pennies to make.

What he found out helps explain why our healthcare system is the most expensive in the world.

Listen to this episode and subscribe: https://propub.li/4eC0tVD

💙 June is Men’s Health Month 💙

Breast cancer isn’t just a women’s disease.

While male breast cancer is uncommon (1%), it does happen—and awareness matters.

Unfortunately, some men may delay speaking to their healthcare provider because they feel embarrassed, assume a lump is nothing serious, or don’t realize that a family history of breast cancer can increase their risk.

Signs to watch for may include:
🔹 A lump in the breast or chest area
🔹 Changes to the ni**le or surrounding skin
🔹 Ni**le discharge
🔹 Persistent breast or chest pain

This Men’s Health Month, let’s help break the stigma and encourage conversations about breast health for everyone.

Early detection saves lives. 💙

Mammograms save lives! Schedule yours today. It's easy, quick and only slightly uncomfortable.
And remember, men get breast cancer too.

If you’re a woman aged 40 and above, please make it a priority to get a mammogram done.

This simple screening can detect changes in your breast long before symptoms appear.

And that’s the key — early detection saves lives.
Health experts recommend having a mammogram at least every 1–2 years, even if you feel perfectly fine.

Because breast conditions don’t always give warning signs early.

Don’t wait until you feel something.
Don’t assume you’re safe.
Be proactive about your health.

A few minutes of screening could protect years of your life.

Your health is your responsibility schedule your mammogram today.

Loving my new oils made by my dear friend Kel at Become Bodyworks. 🩵✨️🩵