Joyce LaChapelle grew up on an 80-acre farm located between Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota. The quiet, open spaces allowed this shy young girl an opportunity to spend time with the animals she loved far away from the hustle and bustle of a “big” city. She got married at 18 and ended up in Bismarck, working along the way as an LPN and a clinic nurse. Life (as it has a way of doing) threw a lot at Joyce all at one time. She got a divorce, her father died and her boss shut down the clinic.
When she heard about a job opening at Saint Alexis Hospital she jumped at the chance and worked in their Neurology Clinic for about four years. An opening came up at Great Plains Rehab in 1991 that Joyce decided to take, and she’s been there ever since. She’d never really thought about being a fitter, but now she can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I was taught how to do fittings by one of the other girls,” Joyce says, “I got to the point where I could eyeball someone and know what they needed. I still measure, but only to double check what I’m thinking. I really can look at a person when they walk in the room and know the size they need. I might be off by one – but never more than that.
“When I first started the breast forms were these big, bulbous things that really didn’t fit anyone. I wasn’t having any of that, so I packed them all up and shipped them to Fargo to the American Cancer Society. In those days the reps didn’t come by, so it was much more difficult to see what was available. A few years later the Amoena reps began coming to see us. That was such a blessing because it allowed us to see forms and bras firsthand. The Amoena products are very good. They really do hold up like no others!”
An area of her work Joyce really enjoys is facilitating the local breast cancer support group. “We just celebrated the 20th anniversary of our mastectomy education and discussion group. We meet the third Thursday of every month and even after all these years, I still look forward to attending and seeing all of the women. When I first started we only had about three or four women each month. Now we are more likely to have upwards of 15.”
Joyce continues, “Our support group has so many educated, smart women involved. When we have newcomers they feed them a wealth of information. One of the doctors who came for a presentation said he was in awe because he was learning from them!”
In her daily work, Joyce sees all kinds of women. “I love coming through the door every morning. I feel it’s a privilege and an honor to help these women. I have patients who feel it is necessary to turn their backs because they are either embarrassed or ashamed – and I have women who could care less. I try to make sure each of them, regardless of how they are feeling, knows I am here for them.
“I think honesty is very important, so I always try to find something that is positive to say to them that is also truthful. Not all of my customers are breast cancer survivors. I have women and young teens that come to me because they have an underdeveloped breast. I had a mother bring in her 15 year old daughter who had one breast that was a D and the other an A. She had been hiding this by wearing oversized shirts and didn’t realize there was anything that could be done. I was able to get her a breast form so she left with a bra, some tank tops, and a swimsuit. She came out of the dressing room and told us this was her happiest day ever. Both her mother and I bawled our eyes out, we were so happy. She came in recently to show me her prom dress, so her life is much more normal now.
“And speaking of swimsuits,” Joyce enthuses, “boy does Amoena have a nice selection. I think this year is the best ever!”
When asked if she has any pet peeves or things she wishes were done differently, Joyce quickly shares, “Doctors talk women into reconstruction without telling them everything they need to know about how this will affect them as they age. So often they are put on drugs that cause them to gain weight, so if they’ve only had one breast removed the other side is going to change. The implant never does, or at least seldom does significantly. The result is that many women find themselves having to wear a breast shell, which makes them pretty angry since they thought the reconstruction was going to resolve all of their problems. I wish more doctors would really discuss everything a woman needs to know to make the best decision for her.”
On a positive note, Joyce feels she doesn’t lose as many women now as when she first began because the treatments are so much better. “Women are so brave. They have to face losing a breast and then all of the treatments that entails. Some are still very young and have small children at home, so they are worried about what will happen to their kids, not only if they don’t survive, but simply because they are exposed to what their mother is going through when they should just be able to be young and carefree. I don’t think most people ever take into consideration how breast cancer is a family disease. And, of course, there is always the concern about how a husband is going to react. Thankfully, most of the ones I come into contact with are very supportive.”
In her off hours life Joyce loves music, rummage sales and spending time outdoors when the weather cooperates. She is the President of the International Club, which brings different cultures together, and is looking forward to their picnic this fall. Her love of travel has taken her on a tour of Europe, visits to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland, as well as Costa Rica. A woman she met while traveling in Costa Rica is coming for a visit over the Labor Day holiday, so Joyce is going to take her to historic Medora, ND. But wait, there’s more! In November she is headed to China for 10 days with a local group.
Apparently, that shy little girl has turned into a grown woman who not only knows how to help others find their way back to normal, but is now fearless when it comes to striking out on her own to see what the world has to offer.