Prosthetic breasts may be considered as uncomfortable to wear as they are to be fitted, but a shop in Seven Fields is creating a different experience for both as it caters to mastectomy patients.

According to Kelly Graham, store manager at K&J’s Complete Woman in Seven Fields, the shop aims to make clients feel comfortable from the time they walk in to the time they walk out with a new prosthetic and clothing to go with it.

K&J’s offers a variety of products, including bras, prosthetics and compression sleeves, as well as hugs at the door and a listening ear for every client, said Graham, a certified mastectomy fitter.

“As the name says, K&J’s Complete Woman is everything that a woman needs when they’re battling breast cancer,” Graham said. “Our secretary gives everyone a big hug, and it just makes everybody feel good.”

Graham said her goal is to make women feel whole and comfortable after having a mastectomy. To achieve this goal, the store operates by appointment only, because it wants to focus on the individual.

For someone who has just had surgery or finished radiation, it is recommended to wait four to six months before scheduling an appointment. Appointments are about an hour long.

The team at K&J’s urges clients to bring their “support system” with them.

“I always tell them, bring your spouse, bring your daughter, bring a friend,” Graham said.

A lot of times, when patients are overwhelmed, friends and family members ask good questions and retain information better, she said.

During the first appointment, the team starts by creating a safe space for the woman to talk about her history. Understanding the client’s experience helps the team figure out how to meet individual needs.

The next step is matching her with bras and prosthetics.

“The best compliment they can give me is when family members can’t tell the difference between the real breast and the prosthetic,” Graham said.

Part of ensuring the experience is comfortable is making the fitting rooms “as feminine as possible.”

“We don’t want it to look like your doctor’s office,” Graham said.

K&J’s is constantly changing up the dressing rooms by adding new bras and decorations, and it gives clients satin robes to make them feel at ease.

When it comes to prosthetics, the staff at K&J’s is committed to making sure that women leave comfortably and happily.

Graham said prosthetics were once known to be hot and heavy, but the new ones have changed shape and size and are designed to pull heat away from the body.

“If fits in a bra snugly, it’s going to hold up against your chest, and it’s not going to sag,” Graham said.

The ready-to-wear prosthetics come in two colors, ivory and ebony. However, the custom prosthetics have 20 different skin tones to choose from. Graham said all prosthetics are hand-painted and made in Atlanta.

A wide selection of bras is an important part of the experience at K&J’s.

“They don’t just come in beige and white. We have fun colors. We have fun patterns. We have a lot of silly things,” Graham said.

They’re also working on a line of compression sleeves that look like arm tattoos.

“We just want to give them the best selection we can,” Graham said.

Lynne Harper, another certified mastectomy fitter, so the intention is to normalize the process.

“I can’t tell you how many times ladies say, ‘I should have done this a long time ago,’” Harper said.

Ideally, insurance, fully or partially, covers the products.

“We are always very honest and up front about cost,” Graham said. “We don’t want to blindside them with anything.”

However, when insurance doesn’t cover everything, or the copays are too high, K&J’s relies on private funding to help their clients.

“Sometimes I have been lucky enough to have private funding for certain counties,” Graham said. “I call them my angels.”

When a woman walks in and finds out she has a huge deductible and is about to walk out, Graham often says, “Give me a minute. Let me go make a call.”

“If I can get part or all of that covered for a lady outside of insurance, I’m going to do it,” she said. “It’s been my mission for 25 years. I’m very passionate about it.”

Before working at K&J’s, Graham and Harper had backgrounds in social work.

“I think the social work helps, because it is just a way that you know how to talk, read and connect with people,” Harper said.

Further, three out of the four woman working at the store have had breast cancer, Graham said. They understand the experience their clients are going through, which has allowed them to create a warm and compassionate environment.

“We’ve got some really great ladies who are our friends and now our extended family,” Graham said.