Tag: Breast Cancer survivors

1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction

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Three short years ago in the summer of 2015, I opened a Facebook page dedicated to serve the breast reconstruction community. The Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/diepcjourney/ grew organically by word of mouth. We started out small, as so many new social media sites do. It is growing daily and now 1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction. What Do We Share? Think about this. You have just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Now you face the tsunami of information about to flood your brain; lab reports and waiting on results, treatment options, surgery, lumpectomy, mastectomy. Some days you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or even jubilant. Who will understand all these feelings? Who do I talk to who has been on this Journey? Think about this. You are told your best treatment option is to have a mastectomy. Perhaps, for peace of mind, you decide to have a prophylactic mastectomy because you Continue Reading →

We are Journey Strong! #IWD2018

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We are Journey Strong! #IWD2018. We are Journey Strong and today we celebrate each other on #IWD2018! We do not wear black dresses on the red carpet in solidarity at televised award shows. We do not march the streets holding signs to promote our cause. But make no mistake, we are a band of women with strength, grit, compassion, and a sense of solidarity for each other few know about. We are a group of over 1,600 women who have all faced breast cancer and losing our breasts after mastectomy. The only garments and accessories we wear in solidarity are compression garments and surgical drains. Some of us have become entrepreneurs on each other’s behalf to develop products to hold those drains with greater ease after mastectomy or breast reconstruction surgery. Some of us have opened nonprofit organizations to support one another financially, spiritually, through education, or counsel. Others have Continue Reading →

The Story of Two Breast Cancer Survivors

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This is a story of two breast cancer survivors who are connected by one song and a passion for dance.  This story is long overdue! I Hope you Dance (IHYD)! The story of two breast cancer survivors. My friend Susan and I met as young mothers.  She had three sweet and charming daughters.  I had two amazing and delightful sons.  We spent many hours watching our youngest children play together.  Time passed and Susan and I parted ways geographically but to this day we remain close friends. I received a dreaded phone call in November of 2000 I never expected to get.  Susan called from across the country to tell me she had breast cancer.  I began to cry on the phone.  What I wanted to do is be there to hug her.  I remember her words exactly.  She said, “Terri, I didn’t call to make you cry.”  This statement Continue Reading →

Casting for Recovery

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Casting for Recovery Casting for Recovery, is a blog post written to share my experience and to tell you about the people I met the weekend that I attended.  I have shared information about this fine organization with other cancer survivors.  That is how strongly I feel about the benefits of this program.  I’m happy to report, I had some interested takers who signed up and they are waiting anxiously to see if they have been chosen.  It is a brief and yes, sometimes emotionally intense weekend.  But, it is mostly about learning the fly fishing technique and how to enjoy this peaceful and beautiful sport.  The weekend is about knowing that there are moments outside of breast cancer and recovery. I want to introduce you to Kristen Kile who wrote the guest blog featured below.  Kristen was our lead instructor at the event I attended.  We hit it off Continue Reading →