Kristi

Kristi has a wonderful and supportive husband named Ron, and their blended family includes 1 son, 4 daughters, and 5 adorable grandchildren.

For the last 20 years, she’s owned and operated Bubbles-N-Biscuits Mobile Pet Grooming.

Two months after getting married in 2018, Kristi was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram. Although she was advised to wait another year to get a mammogram, she insisted on a yearly one. She lost her sister to breast cancer the year before.

She says, “Thank God I trusted my instincts and stayed stubborn because the cancer was caught relatively early at stage 2.”

Kristi had a bilateral mastectomy with removal of 5 lymph nodes and reconstruction at another hospital. Unfortunately, this original reconstruction became very difficult, and she lost an implant due to infection. She wore a prosthesis for nearly 2 years.

Kristi was referred to Dr. Derek Cody by one of her best friends, Nan.

She says, “Dr. Cody changed everything for me. He performed my DIEP flap and gave me a beautiful reconstruction. He listened to my fears, respected what I wanted, and gave me hope. I feel like myself again—maybe even better than before the cancer.”

She walks the Pink Runway to show women everywhere there is hope. Cancer is hard. Treatment is hard. But there are amazing people like her Crystal Clinic Plastic Surgeons team who truly care.

She advises other women to listen to your body, trust your instincts, and never be afraid to advocate for yourself. You are not alone, and you can be beautiful and strong again.