TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | m ay 2 0 1 9 27 for stability, but the rest of the bone in the middle is a spare part. I use cartilage from the ear and the rib every week as spare parts to rebuild parts of the nose and face." Anaplastologists from MD Anderson's Head and Neck Center were recruited to help with the last piece of the puzzle: Thomas' nose. The team pored over photographs of Thomas before the shooting and sculpted six models before recreat- ing a silicone nasal prosthesis that closely resembled her nose. After her surgery, Thomas appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Larry King Live" and the 2006 Discovery Health Channel documentary "Plastic Surgery Before and After: Reconstructing Carolyn Thomas." She became known nationally as the "woman without a face," but has since fought for a new identity as the face of domestic violence to help other women in abusive relationships. In May 2006, Thomas founded Voices 4 All: The Carolyn Thomas Foundation to spread awareness and support victims and survivors of domestic violence. Thomas considers herself a "visual aid" for her cause. "I used to ask my nurses, 'Why did God leave me here?' I think He left me here to save more lives, to be a visual aid," she said. "I'm not saying emotional or mental abuse is any different than physical abuse, but with physical abuse ... you see this person with just one working eye. You see this person with a pros- thetic nose. You see this person who lost 80 percent of her face." One in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States—more than 10 million women and men per year. 'I just don't take any BS anymore' Thomas is still in awe of her recon- structed face 16 years later. Seeing pictures of herself before the sur- gery still brings tears to her eyes. "I just can't believe how far medicine and science have come. They put 80 percent of me back together—whether it's a prosthetic nose or a prosthetic eye," Thomas said. "They put Humpty Dumpty back together again." But because surgeons put her back together with artificial materials and parts of her own body that are also subject to age and wear, Thomas knew she would need retouching every 10 to 15 years. Her recent pre-op visit to Houston Methodist was for the first touch-up surgery since 2006. She likely will require additional proce- dures in the future. Because the mucus secretion from her nasal sinus cavity sits in close proximity to her eye, the artificial bone used to create the shelf of her orbital bone had become infected and needed to be replaced with new artificial bone. "We knew that from the start with Carolyn," Alford said. "The hospital didn't just buy into a series of surgeries. They bought into a lifetime of care for her." Alford is proud of his patient, proud that she turned her pain into a source of inspiration for others. "She's actually thriving as a com- munity advocate, being an example of what can happen if you don't take charge of your life and do the right thing when it comes to dealing with domestic violence," he said. Although Thomas still mourns the loss of her mother and will never forget the shooting, she faces the world with optimism and purpose. "It made me courageous in a way. I'm stronger than I thought was," she said. "When I was in rela- tionships with Terrence, he could just run over me and tell me what to do. But now, after going through the surgeries and having conversations with Dr. Alford and people who are positive, I just don't take any BS anymore. … I am beautiful inside and out." *First-time visitors and local residents only. Certain restrictions apply. $28 minimum value. At participating studios only. Orangetheory® and other Orangetheory® marks are registered trademarks of Ultimate Fitness Group LLC. © Copyright 2018 Ultimate Fitness Group LLC and its affi liates. TRY IT FOR FREE* ORANGETHEORY.COM Visit one of three nearby OTF Houston studios: West University, Bellaire, Midtown, TX 77005 832.939.9130 GUESSING DOESN'T LEAD TO GREATNESS. CONNECT YOUR HEART TO YOUR WORKOUT. CONNECT YOUR HEART TO YOUR WORKOUT. SHOW THE FRONT DESK YOUR MEDICAL BADGE TO RECEIVE A CORPORATE RATE ON MEMBERSHIP.

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