“All my friends are like, ‘Can I meet Dr. Smith?’ My breasts, I hate to say it, but they’re better than the first real set that I had. If someone looked at me, they wouldn't say, ‘She's had some sort of surgery.’”

Shellita’s breast cancer and reconstruction journey span nearly 20 years. In 2005, she received an initial diagnosis, followed by a lumpectomy and the removal of 17 lymph nodes.

“I was 100% shocked. I was 37. But my grandmother had breast cancer, and so my mother insisted I get a mammogram. I never felt a lump or anything.”

17 years later, she was diagnosed with cancer again. This time, she had a double mastectomy to prevent the cancer from recurring. Her breast surgeon recommended “the best plastic surgeon in the world,” and Shellita set up her initial consultation with Dr. Smith.

Shellita found a way to even look forward to her surgery by focusing more on the “tummy tuck” aspect of a DIEP flap reconstruction than the double mastectomy. Dr. Smith confirmed that she would be a good candidate for the DIEP flap procedure.

Leading up to her surgery, Shellita found Dr. Smith’s team to be very responsive. Whether it was a quick text answering a question or a phone call after hours from his team, Shellita was able to get all of her concerns addressed. She also spoke with another patient who helped alleviate some of her fears.

“I was concerned about having all the anesthesia because my surgery was nine hours. And then I met this woman, and she said, ‘It's the best sleep of your life. You're going to fall asleep and wake up...and think it's been two minutes," And what she said was exactly what happened.”

After surgery, Shellita was happy with her round the clock care and the quality hospital accommodations, where she stayed for two days. Like many DIEP flap patients, she was able to get up and start walking right away.

Looking back, Shellita relied on prayer, her family, and her medical team for the support she needed during her breast cancer journey. She worried about her two sons, but also found that they were able to offer her crucial support.

Now that reconstruction is complete, Shellita is thrilled with her results. She feels confident, and that confidence is mirrored back to her by her inner circle.