Deanna J. Attai, MD announced her retirement this week on what else other than social media? I suspect for many, like me, it feels like a bittersweet announcement. My message to her comes from my experience as a patient advocate and organic gardener. Deanna has lived to work most of her professional life. Now I know she can engage fully in working to live. This is a retirement tribute to Deanna Attai. Dr. Attai, this batch is for you!
Dr. Attai, the Breast Surgeon
My first recollection of Dr. Attai is through social media. The hashtag #BCSM (breast cancer social media) was created by her, Alicia Staley, and the late Jody Schoger. The first #BCSM tweet chat occurred on July 4, 2011. Over the past thirteen years, a great deal has changed in social media. However, the community created by one hashtag, #BCSM changed the engagement between breast cancer patients and physicians. It elevated the conversation and support needed in the breast cancer community. Read more about the impact in this paper written by three leaders, Dr. Matthew S. Katz, Alicia C. Staley, and Dr. Attia. They were instrumental in keeping this community thriving for several years.
Meeting Dr. Attai for the first time at the ASBrS (The American Society of Breast Surgeons) annual meeting was a special moment for me. My nervousness meeting a president of ASBrS diminished quickly when she walked over, and we sat down for coffee. The honesty and transparency that so many of us know and respect in Dr. Attai made my first in-person meeting with her so memorable. Her research and talks at other conferences we attended on aesthetic flat closure and bringing light to male breast cancer are points in time that will have a lasting impact.
I was pleased to interview Dr. Attai’s for the DiepCJourney podcast. We discussed those moments in the clinic when a patient is newly diagnosed and telling them about next steps. Tweet chats on #BCSM with Alicia and Dr. Attai were fast, furious, and productive. I am grateful to have participated in them on behalf of the breast reconstruction community.
Thoughts from the Gardner and Your Retirement
The title includes, “This Batch is for You.” What is the meaning of this? When my husband and I moved back to Seattle in 2018 we began organic gardening in our backyard. I had to scroll through my messages to Dr. Attai to see when our discussion about gardening began. May of 2020 was the first time I texted her photos of our garden, prepped and ready for spring planting. We shared musing from our garden about what we were planting, what did and didn’t grow well in our respective environments, and how to keep bugs and slugs away. I even shared a photo of our grandson pouring beer on the slugs invading our cabbage.
Deanna, if I may address you in your retired life by your first name, like you, my husband worked a long, intense career, not in medicine but engineering. You know where this is going. It was you who shared your secrets about making fermented cabbage, sauerkraut, sharing all the health benefits it has. This morning, I went out to the kitchen to refresh my coffee that he proudly makes and takes complete ownership of since his retirement.
Happy Retirement! This Batch is for You!
My husband is making a new batch of sauerkraut now with all red cabbage. This, along with organic gardening brings him extraordinary joy in his retirement. He was perplexed about why it was taking so long to ferment. I told him you announced your retirement this week. After scrolling through our countless texts on cabbage making, I saw a comment you made about red cabbage taking longer to ferment than green cabbage. He looked at me and said, “Hmm, I need to go look that up.” He trusts your advice on just the right batch!
In another text from you, I noticed this statement you made about your own gardening.
Yeah, my garden is my savior. It’s reinforced that I will thoroughly enjoy retirement.
Deanna J. Attai, MD
Deanna, from the lives you touch, the positive influence and scope of your work, you have earned this moment! This retirement tribute is for you. Get those garden gloves on and go forth and produce well!
