Redefining breast cancer with style and strength

Anna Crollman of Apex, North Carolina, did a lot of research after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, and one thing was clear: Cancer was not going to be chic enough for her. Still, she knew she had no choice but to deal with the disease and side effects. Yet, she was determined to make her cancer experience stylish.

"Beauty and fashion had always been a part of my life," said Anna. "So, when I went through cancer, I definitely felt the way that I dressed and being able to put on a face of makeup allowed me to tell the cancer story on my terms."

Yet, all her go-to resources for staying fashionable failed her.

"At the time, Instagram was really, really new," said Anna. "TikTok didn't even exist. Blogs were the place where people were going for content, for inspiration, for creativity. That was where I was looking for advice and fashion. When I was diagnosed at 27 years old, I immediately turned to the same media resources where I thought I could find what I was looking for. I remember just sitting at my computer and Googling 'young women wig, young women hair loss, young woman fertility.' But I really didn't find anything."

She knew she would have to give up a lot to cancer, including sacrificing both of her breasts, but she refused to let it take her sense of style.

"You're losing parts of your body, you're losing your eyebrows, you're losing her hair," said Anna. "You have to really mentally reframe it when you're thinking about your appearance. You may not recognize that person there, but how you dress and the makeup you put on can be a mental ritual, your type of armor, to prepare for walking through the world as you're going through sickness."

Sharing with style and strength

She found a discontinued blog from a woman who had a child after recovering from the same breast cancer as Anna. It was one of her biggest concerns since she was a newlywed and preparing to start a family.

"I thought I might never be able to have kids after cancer," said Anna. "I needed to hear from just one person to know that it was possible and that I could envision this future of this life for myself. It was very, very hard to find the hope and resources that I was searching for beyond medical websites."

Anna had already considered starting her own beauty and fashion blog.

"I decided this is the hump to get me over the insecurity of sharing," said Anna. "I was worried I didn't have a niche. Here is my niche: Cancer. It wasn't the niche that I wanted, but it was the story that I felt like needed to be shared of young women going through cancer, of what it was actually like."

MyCancerChic.com was born. It covered Anna's 10-year journey from diagnosis to revision surgery. Topics ranged from technical to trendy.

"What does it look like to go through a mastectomy?" said Anna. "What does it look like to go through chemotherapy? What are the fertility options? How are you drawing on your eyebrows?"

Beauty and resilience while seeking reconstruction

It also included Anna's seven revision surgeries as she quested to find the best fit for her body.

"I was unhappy with my surgeries, and despite having multiple revisions, I just didn't really feel great in my skin," said Anna. "I wasn't happy with the way that my scars were being pulled by my muscle. I didn't like the way I looked in clothes. It just kept being a reminder of my cancer experience."

She had revision surgeries during a 10-year period, eventually working with ASPS Member Surgeon Ron Israeli, MD, of NYBRA Plastic Surgery, to go from under to over the muscle implants.

"I think we're so conditioned as cancer patients to feel like this is the best you're going to get," said Anna. "You've gone through this cancer experience, and whatever you get is what you get. You don't get to be very picky."

Anna just wasn't willing to settle for indented scars that pulled on her muscles, and how her breasts didn't sit well in her clothes.

"There were deep moments of despair where every time I would get my hopes up thinking this is it," said Anna. "This revision is going to do it. I'm going to be happy, and I'm going to move on with my life. I don't want another surgery. Then, every time, a couple of months after it healed or six months down the line, I was back in the same situation."

So, she kept searching for answers.

"I had fine surgeons," said Anna. "I just never felt heard or educated in the process. I think that what was so different about Dr. Israeli and his team is that they truly understand the whole person, not just the cancer, not just the reconstructive surgery, but they truly address you as a holistic being that needs emotional support and needs to understand what your surgery options are."

Dr. Israeli focused not just on Anna's reconstruction, but also on the rest of her. The problem he saw was that more revisions wouldn't ultimately correct the underlying problem. The implant placement was the issue. Anna would need to switch her implants from under the muscle to over to get the results she was seeking.

"It's a more natural position for the breast," said Dr. Israeli. "The natural breast is in front of the muscle. What stood out to me was her persistence and her desire to get it right and to continue to seek options to correct this problem."

Success with style

Anna's online community has followed and encouraged her for the past decade through the highs and lows, from research to reconstruction.

"I have two sweet young boys now," said Anna. "So, I did end up being able to have my babies and being able to share that story because there are so many young women newly diagnosed that are wondering, 'Am I ever going to be able to have a child?'"

Her online community cheered her on as she experienced motherhood. There were times when it was difficult to find the inspiration to share her journey, but she knew it was helping others.

"I like being of service to others," said Anna. "It has always been something throughout my life that brings me fulfillment. So even those moments where I maybe was struggling personally or really wasn't feeling the motivation to keep going on this cancer journey, I thought about how can I turn this into giving back to others? How can this experience help someone else?"

She still remembers one of the first messages she got from another woman experiencing cancer.

"I think she was around 29 years old," said Anna. "She had two young daughters and was just feeling really overwhelmed and terrified. She said she was Googling, trying to find anyone and anything that could bring some sense of hope and support and found me. That moment sticks with me throughout all of the years."

Dr. Israeli said Anna created a platform of empowerment and education for others.

"She's really become a beacon of hope for countless women, certainly in the breast cancer community," said Dr. Israeli.

The online community also celebrated when she finally got the reconstruction results she wanted.

"I didn't even realize the feel of my chest was going to change," said Anna. "I actually feel like I have natural breasts again. When I look in the mirror, it looks like the person I knew in a previous life and not these rock-hard mounds on my chest. My non-cancer friends tell me, 'Wow, your boobs look amazing. Is that awkward?' No! This is what I've literally been wanting for ten years. This is the revision that really made me feel whole."

Booking it to a shelf near you

Now she is planning on creating a book to give breast cancer survivors hope.

"I want to pull all that I've written over the years, the lived experiences such as navigating cancer and infertility and then becoming a mother, all these pieces of the journey into a story that can live on its own outside of searching for individual articles," said Anna.

She said that although her reconstruction is now complete, her journey to empower and educate others about breast cancer with a vogue twist is far from finished.

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.