Last week I had the pleasure of talking to Janet Cockburn, the owner of Janac (mastectomy wear). As fitness professional, I would not want anyone to avoid exercise due to being uncomfortable. I am now posting some information from her website, http://www.janac.com.
“At Janac we are passionate about helping each woman who has breast and body shape challenges feel comfortable and confident, look good at home and at the gym, and therefore be the woman she wants to be.
My Story
My name is Janet Cockburn. I am a Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother and Grandmother. In 1995 at 43 years of age, I had a lumpectomy then a mastectomy. In 1998, I was an original member of a Dragonboat Team of breast cancer survivors. We call ourselves “Knot-a-Breast”. It was the best thing I could have done to help me heal both physically and emotionally. Being part of the team has made me realize how good it feels to give and receive the help and support of others. It also made me aware that being active is the best therapy on this road called SURVIVAL.
I soon discovered that it was hard to find a good sportsbra for women who have had breast surgery, hence the creation of the janac mastectomy wear sportsbra. I then discovered another problem: my regular prosthesis did not look right in a sportsbra. So I experimented and developed what I think is the perfect solution. My product is called Been-A-Boob® , for obvious reasons, it’s going where a boob had been!! It simulates a real breast in a sportsbra and reacts like a real breast when exercising.
As you can probably tell, I have a sense of humour. Being on the Dragonboat team has helped me tremendously: we laugh and joke about our bodies – definitely all shapes and sizes, with or without breasts. We have developed confidence in ourselves for who we are – not what we look like. I want to help spread this confidence, so get out there, laugh most of the time, cry some of the time, but exercise and stay healthy and you can face anything that life brings.”
Exercise is an important component of the cancer recovery process. Don’t let lack of comfort stop you from engaging in physical activity. Janec’s product will help you to feel good, confident and look good, too!