Have a Story to Tell? Had a medical error?

This blog is about patient safety, medical malpractice, staying healthy, and preventing future errors. Help & empower someone else, Teach a lesson, Bear witness, Build our community - Email us or call 781-444-5525.

Frustrated with a health problem?

Need an ally in your health crisis? Call 781-444-5525, or learn more.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Bring a man's shirt: A recovery wear garment for mastectomy patients

Peg Feodoroff's story:
As a result of my and my youngest sister's cancer experiences, we were compelled to start a company that would improve the environment in which people are asked to heal and recover. We designed a Recovery Wear garment that we call the Original Healing Threads. This was our first project and we have many other ideas to further our mission. However, we need to be profitable before we can proceed.

Hospitals cannot afford to purchase our Healing Threads for their patients. We do have 4 hospitals throughout the USA that have forward-thinking decision makers who give our Healing Threads to their mastectomy patients before their surgery. They raise the money to pay for them via the medical institution's philanthropic arm. Wearing our Healing Threads allow women to recover and heal with their dignity and modesty intact. The patented break-away panels allow only the body parts that need to be exposed, to BE exposed. The interior pockets hold post-surgery drainage bulbs discreetly and comfortably. Did you know that the medical community has a common practice of preparing women for breast surgery by suggesting that they bring a MAN'S SHIRT to the hospital for their trip home? Now, your breast or 2 has been removed and now they confirm your feelings of inadequacy as a woman by advising you to bring in a man’s shirt! Not so subliminal a message there! Oh, and then they clip the drainage bulbs to said shirt where they constantly remind you that you no longer have a breast. The Hippocratic Oath states, "First, do no harm," and obviously is taken as an admonition against physical harm. The psychological harm being done is undeniable and endless.

Our garments provide our customers with dignity, modesty, and empowerment. Being able to say "no" to a hospital gown empowers a person to say "no" to other directives: to ask questions; to get 2nd or 3rd opinions; to dialogue with the doc re options, side effects, etc., etc.. To take control and ownership of their own health, their own illness or disease. To bring to the battle the mind, the body and the spirit. Without all 3 working together recovery is not possible.

Yes, you do have a choice, a choice that has won praise from many medical personnel who have worked with patients wearing it. Our Healing Threads are not only attractive, they are supremely functional.

Read a story about hospital gowns. Thanks to Peg Feodoroff, the president of Healing Threads, for the story.

2 comments:

Mark said...

It’s good information for sharing. I like it very much. Great... keeps it up good work!!!!

Anonymous said...

That was a really knowledgeable post. I often find that this topic is complicated to get your head round but you have summed it up really well.