www.stephmastini/forgotten ones /

2008 February Day before Mastectomy  In Japan, they don’t see the cracks or scars as broken pieces. Kintsugi teaches that broken objects are not something to hide but to display with pride.  The unique cracks each tell a story. The breaks become beauty.   They take on a whole new life of their own. I am “kintsugi”.  My art has always reflected my scars.  This has become a whole new awareness for me and my art. I am now in the tenth year of my breast cancer survival.  I was all ready to have final two procedures to finish my breast reconstruction.  At the last hour the night before my surgery, literally the 11th hour I was told that I didn’t have an aide for overnight stay, so anesthesia was out . My plastic surgeon is a real NY curmudgeon,  He was mad at me when I arrived at his office. I walked in and he looked stern.  He said he was not happy about screwing up his surgery schedule.  I tried to explain how...

    A long due update... I needed to absorb this new diagnosis.. it's true..I have been diagnosed with breast cancer again, and now I need to have a bilateral mastectomy..... I hope that I can chronicle this journey and come out on top...help others by telling my story... I firmly believe that this is a new chapter ...a difficult one at best, but I hope that all the support I have shown to my "Forgotten Ones" will come back to me...I believe there is a reason for everything in life...but still, it SUCKS..to be blunt...having a support team is so important, and that is what I have been working on the last few weeks..it has been exahusting; sometimes cancer society will get a call from me at 2 AM they have a 24 hour hot line called YME?(I will share the number in my next blog)... I have cried a river, and now I am at the angry stage but getting to the acceptance part...I will be having reconstruction immediately, so I will have those 18 year old breasts in one year..!nev...