When you walk into A Fitting Experience Mastectomy Shoppe, it looks like many other stores tailored for women, but with a big difference. The professionals here focus on providing discreet fittings of post breast surgery products and apparel for women who have undergone anywhere from a radical mastectomy to reconstructive surgery. Store owner and Parkland resident, Beth Becker-Agami, has made it a haven to women who often feel they don’t know where to turn. “Sometimes a woman will come in crying,” she tells us. “Our staff of accredited and licensed fitters will just sit and listen. Many times we are the only people who have seen the surgical site, and many women won’t even look at themselves at first.”
Beth is proud to be celebrating 21 years serving the South Florida breast cancer survivor community. Her family has a long history of breast cancer, and Beth knew how important a specialized store catering only to women after breast surgery could be. A mastectomy, lumpectomy, reconstruction is a very emotional and traumatic experience for some patients; besides having to deal with fighting a major illness, they also deal with the changes in their own bodies.
Many women come in to explore their product options before undergoing a mastectomy or reconstruction. Some choose not to undergo reconstruction immediately following their surgery and opt for wearing medical grade external breast prostheses or silicone shapers afterward. The staff is trained in the latest technology of creating a Custom Breast Form, allowing them to provide the exact measurement and creation of a form specific to the survivors’ surgery. The choices are endless and, when professionally fitted, the survivor will look nearly perfect before she leaves the shop. Today’s mastectomy bras are also incredibly beautiful. “We carry every type of mastectomy bra available,” Beth says. “From seamless padded, sports bras, underwires, strapless bras, long line, leisure bras; we also have post-surgical camisoles specifically designed for immediately following surgery.” Available items also include stylish Pocketed Swimwear, wigs, turbans, hats with hair and awareness gift items. In order to properly display those products, equipment such as retail shop fittings can be utilized.
A Fitting Experience’s staff is also certified in fittings for lymphedema sleeves, compression bandages and hosiery in the Margate Lymphedema Center in the same store location.
Proud to give back to the breast cancer survivor community, Beth is happy to have teamed up with Charlotte’s Dreams, a 501( c)(3). Gently worn breast forms and bras may be dropped off to the facility to be used for survivors that are under insured or have no insurance. Beth tells us that many survivors are still unaware that their insurance coverage is often required to pay for a portion, if not for all, of their products. Many Doctors and their staff are also unaware of this coverage for their patient, and some survivors have been disappointed to learn, years later, that post-surgical fittings were available to them and covered by insurance. In her understanding and compassionate manner, Beth says, “We like to consider ourselves the Doctor’s ‘follow-up team’ for their after breast surgery patient.”
For understanding and compassionate fitting, call A Fitting Experience, a fully accredited Medicare facility accepting most healthcare insurance plans.
A Fitting Experience Mastectomy Shoppe 2950 N. State Rd 7 Suite #103,
Margate 33063 • 954-978-2887 • www.AFittingExperience.com
