Recover Strong with the SHE REX Arm Restriction Band

As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention.

After Kelli Beckish underwent a double mastectomy, she was given the same post-op instructions as other patients: do not lift arms over 90 degrees and restrict movements to small, t-rex-like motions. Being a mother of four and owning a company, that was easier said than done.

Beckish, a product engineer at heart and president of one of Colorado’s fastest growing manufacturing companies, decided to design something that would comfortably help limit her arm movement. The simple but ingeniously designed SHE REX recovery band came as a result. The band will give people a fighting chance to heal properly and go about their day with confidence.

A portion of all SHE REX proceeds have been going to Polite Tumor, a non-profit organization providing financial assistance to women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer.

OUT FRONT had the opportunity to chat more with Beckish about the product, why it is needed, and how she is appealing it to the LGBTQ community.

Hi, Kelli! Thank you for taking some time to chat with us about your product, SHE REX. Can you begin by telling us more about the product’s history and how you came up with the idea?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, and I had a bilateral double mastectomy. I was told I needed chemo and was heading down a journey of struggle for probably the next year. When you have a bilateral, you have restricted movement and shooting pain moments when you reach out to grab something that you would normally have no problem doing. In your mind, you don’t have any feeling left, so you don’t catch yourself before it becomes a problem.

I have four children, and I run a company, so life is at light speed. I was with my mom one day, and I was like, we have got to figure something out. My mom is an amazing seamstress, so we put our heads together and I developed this product. We name it SHE REX because, when you are in this position, you are told by doctor after doctor you will have small movement. It will be like you have T-Rex arms. So, that basically became my next year. I developed a strap, we have its patent pending, and it is great. You can put it on yourself, and it gives you a sense of confidence. It slips around one arm and buckles, then it goes around your back and slips on the other arm. It allows for gentle controlled soft movement. You can still move; it’s not like it is wearing you down because you still need movement.

It is just a gentle reminder that when you reach out for something, think if you should reach out that far. If you are folding laundry, it allows soft movement instead of aggressive movement that could end up ruining some of your surgery, or even plastic surgery. I wore it during all my initial surgeries, and when I had reconstruction, I ended up wearing it again. As we have gone down this path, we have come across lots of different people that needed it. We understand with the LGBTQ community, we were missing an audience there. So, we are doing down this T-Rex, gender neutral strap that can help everybody.

Cancer does not discriminate. This is a product that can help any kind of chest surgery. My daughter had a breast reduction, and she wore on. I would like to introduce this product to doctors, but right now, with COVID, doctors aren’t saying to come in and bring samples. So, that is kind of where we are. We are trying to get it kicked off, and I am super proud of the product. People can feel so insecure after having chest surgery, and especially women who are going through breast cancer, chemo, and bilateral surgeries. You want and need a sense of security, and this product definitely provides that.Since the patent is pending, what are your next steps and plans for when that is released?
We can continue to sell; that is no problem. We also put it on Amazon in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and have been doing some giveaways. To be honest, sales are very low because I think people do not realize what it actually is until they need it. No matter what kind of surgery or whatever reason, when you cannot or are not supposed to move your arms, this product is needed.

You do not realize it until you are there, or you have a friend that is there. Like, oh, we should use one of those SHE REX, T-Rex, recovery strong bands, whatever. I just want to get the word out more. It is just that helpful, and it is not expensive. It gives you such a sense of confidence. I wish everyone that was in this situation, no matter what kind of surgery you have, it gives you a sense of confidence that is needed. It is soft; you can sleep in it, you can wear it all the time.

Can you explain more about how it physically works?
It has two buckles, and they come in small, medium, large, and extra-large. You slide one over your elbow and get your hand through it, then you reach around your backside and slide your other hand into the other buckle. Then it tightens your arms, so it allows only six-to-eight inches of motion with a soft strap. It prevents you from reaching down to pick something up that you should not do during that particular stage.

Specifically, how are you going to try and market this to the LGBTQ audience more?
Like I said, cancer does not discriminate. We have so many ladies who are going through breast cancer, and it is very prominent right now. It seems like there is something in the water, which is so frustrating. Reconstruction surgery, plastic surgery, shoulder surgery, it is good for so many things, and it keeps your arms in the realm of a steady controlled environment. That is all. No matter what your situation is. It is just a helpful tool for any kind of reconstruction stuff that people need.

Related Article: Cervivor: How Tracy Jimenez is Raising Awareness

Thinking more along the lines of people who get top surgery and are trans, is this strap hidden or visible when one is wearing it out and about?
You can hide it under clothing. They are black, so it is kind of designed for you to wear it on top of something, but it can definitely go away if you want it to. You can wear black clothes, and it will blend in. They have black buckles, everything. You still have the confidence of having it on, and you can wear it under a sweater, so people won’t ask what you are wearing that strap for.

Is there anything else specifically you want people to know about the product?
This is a good question. I think it is really self-explanatory, but maybe it’s not. I just needed it so bad, but the people we are targeting, they understand that they need it. Unfortunately, they understand they need it when it is too late.

If you are going to have any kind of surgery up top, no matter what kind it is, when you extend your arm and you have that shooting pain, you are like, oh my God. That is when you know you should have this thing on. Recover strong, which is the tagline, and you want something where you do not have to think about it. It is a great, great product, and it is super cost effective. You will not need it for very long, but it helps get you through such a difficult time.

For more information and to purchase, visit shopsherex.com, and make sure to follow their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Photos Courtesy of Instagram