For breast cancer survivors like Joyce Morcom, getting prosthetic enhancements to replace the curves she lost in a radical mastectomy was a necessity that helped her feel more whole.

But finding a prostheses like the one Morcom wears became more difficult after new Medicare requirements went into effect on Oct. 1 -- leaving just one source for the enhancements in the South Valley.

Shirley Rice, owner of Shirley's Wig & Prosthesis in Visalia, has jumped through hoops to meet the requirements so that she may continue providing mastectomy patients with the silicone inserts that give them back the curves they once had.

"They go through a lot and we want them to feel good about themselves," she said.

The Medicare requirements, which aimed to reduce false claims, were too much of a hardship on other retailers in Kings and Tulare counties; that dropped their mastectomy-related services prior to the Oct. 1 deadline.

However, Rice and her youngest daughter, Sherri Grissom, have met the requirements and can continue doing business with mastectomy patients covered through Medicare, which account for a large percentage of their customers.

Shirley's is one of the few California retailers who met the new regulations, which include becoming certified by the government as mastectomy fitters, having their store inspected and adopting a new record-keeping system.

Rice estimates that she's spent more than $2,500 to remain compliant.

"It costs a lot of money just to continue," Rice said. "But it's not all about the money."

As Rice and Grissom fit their customers -- whom they call their "ladies" -- with breast forms and wigs, they develop bonds that go much deeper than traditional client relationships.

"We bare the burdens with them," Grissom said. "We have such an emotional attachment to these women who've lost their breast and have gone through such a devastating experience."

Rice opened the Murray Street shop in 1986 and sold strictly wigs until 1990 when her oldest daughter, Donna, went through a breast cancer scare.

"I thought 'Oh, my gosh,' and I went looking, but the breasts that I saw I didn't like," Rice said. Only a meager selection of prosthetic enhancements were available.

Rice has attended routine training sessions since then and now sells five different types of prosthetics in addition to specialty bras, camisoles, swimwear and garments designed to be worn following surgery.

Visalia resident, Morcom, is thankful Shirley's is still in the South Valley, which means she doesn't have to drive to Fresno or Bakersfield to get the prosthetic enhancements that she's been wearing since the 1970s.

"They took everything and from here to here I'm skin and bone," she said pointing from shoulder to shoulder.

Being in the wig and prosthetic business puts Rice and Morcom in the unique position to witness first-hand the great number of women in the Valley diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women.

It's the number one cause of cancer-related death in Hispanic women and in 2005, there were 186,467 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

Grissom and Rice do what they can to help spread awareness about performing breast self-exams and getting routine mammograms, but they continue to wait for the day a cure is found.

"On a perfect day breast cancer would be cured and we'd gladly hang up our closed sign," Grissom said. "But it's so commonplace now that's it's shocking; it's like an epidemic."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2427.

(Oct. 9, 2009)