In 1991, Lisa Cole decided she no longer wanted to tote around the extra weight (both physical and emotional) that was tied up in her size-38G breasts. "My confidence and self-esteem were at an all-time low," says Cole, now a lingerie fitting and mastectomy form expert. What's more, she was tired of being the butt of people's cruel jokes. Though a breast reduction helped her feel much happier with her appearance, her attitude and perception still suffered.

Ironically, she landed a job in the lingerie department of a retail store and began fitting women for bras. She saw confidence and pride emerge from these women once they were in the right undergarments, and as her sales climbed she took things to a new level and became a certified mastectomy fitter. In this role, she helps women who have had one or both breasts removed due to breast cancer find properly fitting bras, lingerie and prostheses. After helping a breast cancer survivor and seeing the effect that the right lingerie had on this woman's self-esteem, a new niche was carved for Cole, who is the author of Lingerie: The Foundation of a Woman's Life and has her own Website.

A breast cancer diagnosis impacts every level of a woman's life and psyche. "Women often feel like they have lost that expression of who they are when they have breast cancer," says Bonni Gearhart, MD, director of oncology education and a staff physician at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ. "Initially, you may feel concerned about losing your life and leaving your husband and children behind," says Dr. Gearhart. "And then there's a second wave of concerns: I might lose my breast, or I'm going to have a lumpectomy and what if I don't look good anymore? And on top of that, a woman might lose her hair," she adds. We correlate so much of a woman's femininity, and even sex appeal, to her breasts and hair. "By taking steps to feel better about your appearance and your femininity, you can boost your self-esteem and feel that you can live a full life," Dr. Gearhart says.