Author: Terri

I am a patient educator and advocate for choices in breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Statistically, many women are not being informed of their choices due to many factors. Breast reconstruction is a personal choice. Providing information and education about those choices is a patient rite. It is the mission and focus of my work to provide that education and information.

Guest blog: Wojciech Dec, MD

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Guest blog: Wojciech Dec, MD I recently connected with  Wojciech Dec, MD after he came across my website and he asked to write a guest blog explaining the various types of breast reconstruction.  Dr. Dec is a member of The American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons.  ASRM is a resource I list for patients to check to see if a micro-surgeon is a member when they are seeking a plastic surgeon for breast reconstruction. I particularly like his title. So with that introduction, here is Dr. Wojciech Dec’s guest blog.  The Alphabet Soup of Breast Reconstruction Surgery (Making sense of all the acronyms: TRAM, free TRAM, MS-TRAM, DIEP, SIEA, GAP, PAP, TUG, LD.)   by Wojciech Dec, MD   When I first meet with a patient to discuss her options for breast reconstruction we take a step back and look at the big picture to avoid getting bogged down in the Continue Reading →

Physical Therapy after Breast Reconstruction

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Physical Therapy after Breast Reconstruction I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing my physical therapist, Leslie Drawdy, to discuss the value of physical therapy after breast reconstruction.  Before I share the information we discussed I want to share my personal story and how I came to meet Leslie. My breast surgeon, Dr. Michele Boyce Ley, advised that I begin physical therapy soon after the mastectomy that she successfully performed.  I went in for a follow up appointment after healing post-surgery and told her of onset and new shoulder discomfort, especially when I was on my computer.  Knowing how much time I spend on my computer she gave me a sheet of well-qualified physical therapists.  I chose Leslie because she is a lymphedema specialist.  Although I did not have lymphedema my thought was, who would know better about the lymphatic system and post breast cancer mastectomy patients?  I hit a Continue Reading →

Connections through the Breast Reconstruction Community

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Connections through the Breast Reconstruction Community I am always amazed at the connections I have made in the #BreastReconstruction community since beginning my education and outreach through social media.  A woman I met at a Casting for Recovery weekend in October of 2015 was the patient of a well-respected micro-surgeon at Cancer Treatment Centers of American in Chicago, Dr. Daniel Liu.  When I found this out during our fishing weekend and the long conversation we had together, I told my friend how often I Tweeted with Dr. Liu and leaned heavily on his knowledge and information about plastic surgery and breast reconstruction.  We took a picture together that weekend and I Tweeted it to Dr. Liu letting him know Connie and I met and by coincidence found out we both knew him. Here we are again, six months later and these two had a meeting just this week to discuss Continue Reading →

The Psycho-social and Psycho-sexual Benefits of Breast Reconstruction

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The Psycho-social and Psycho-sexual Benefits of Breast Reconstruction The psycho-social and psycho-sexual benefits of breast reconstruction have been studied in a number of peer reviewed articles.  Sharing evidence based research is a key component to my advocacy work.  Studies have been done and data has been collected from patients who have had reconstruction to assess the impact and outcome of such a complex surgery.  These studies validate the information I share. A Personal Account of the Benefits I did a lot of research before my DIEP flap reconstruction but not specifically about the psycho-social or psycho-sexual benefits.  This blog for me, is truly a personal account of what impact my own reconstruction had on my self-image and femininity.  I am not yet comfortable dipping my toes in the water of revealing the impact on my sexual well being as it is simply too personal a topic for me to pen Continue Reading →

Shared Decision Making

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Shared Decision Making ~ Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy March has been designated Shared Decision Making month, #SDMmonth, by a group I started following on social media, Informed Medical Decisions Foundation.  I participated recently in one of their online webinars on the topic.  I often tweet about shared decision making and in the practice of plastic surgery, and in particular breast reconstruction after mastectomy; I embrace the value of this practice. Two of the physicians that I have engaged with in the practice of shared decision making are my breast surgeon who performed my mastectomy and my micro-surgeon who performed my breast reconstruction.  They both embody the very definition of the phrase as defined here by the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation. Shared decision making (SDM) is a collaborative process that allows patients and their providers to make health care decisions together, taking into account the best scientific evidence available, as well as Continue Reading →

#InternationalDayOfHappiness

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#InternationalDayOfHappiness March 20, 2016 has been designated #InternationalDayOfHappiness. There are events, material items and people who define happiness for individuals. I believe that most of society across continents and cultures seeks happiness. It is an elusive concept difficult to defined because it is an individual response to a number of external factors. Those factors might include one’s physical surroundings, current state of health, or individuals you are with. I want to share one such day of happiness that I recently experienced and what defined happiness for me that day. It began with an invitation from friends to join in the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk in our town. This same group of women invited me to go last year but I had to decline because I was days away from the second phase of my DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. I remember fondly a group picture they texted to Continue Reading →

Areola Tattooing Post Breast Reconstruction

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Areola Tattooing Post Breast Reconstruction Areola tattooing is usually the final phase of breast reconstruction after mastectomy. The nipple can be rebuilt using the patient’s own skin after reconstructive surgery.  This normally takes place about 3-4 months after phase 1, the transfer of the tummy tissue and blood vessels to create a warm, soft, breast mound. A 3D tattoo of the entire nipple and areola complex can also be done if a patient does not have the nipple rebuilt.   Both procedures can be done as a final step to restore the breast as close to its natural look as possible. Many plastic surgeons offer tattooing in their office but there is an alternative. You can go to a skilled and qualified tattoo artist to have these procedures done. A patient who has had the nipple rebuilt can have the areola area tattooed. Some chose not to have the nipple Continue Reading →

#WorldBookDay #DrSeussDay #ILookLikeAPlasticSurgeon

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#WorldBookDay #DrSeussDay #ILookLikeAPlasticSurgeon Today, March 3, 2016, is #WorldBookDay and it is trending on Twitter. One of my favorite tweets, showing some of the world’s most exquisite libraries. They look to be true museums of the mind!  It seems appropriate to me as a life-long educator that this day follows yesterday’s celebration of #ReadAcrossAmerica and #DrSeussDay. I have fond memories of reading our favorite Dr. Seuss book to our own two boys who are now grown men, one of whom has a son of his own. We would sit them in our lap or beside us in a comfy chair and read The Cat in the Hat. Teachers love Dr. Seuss Day in their classrooms.  It gives them an opportunity to wear the beloved hat or costume that has become so familiar across the U.S. and globe. It is a day that gives them an opportunity to simply enjoy the Continue Reading →

Genetic Testing ~ A Tough Decision

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Genetic Testing ~ A Tough Decision A recent article I read, Beyond BRCA: Testing negative and living in the “gray zone” for cancer risk, motivated me to write a personal response.  This is the story of my own genetic testing that for me was a tough decision. The article was about a fellow Twitter advocate in the breast cancer community, Stacey Tinianov. We have a bit in common as you can see by the list. Both love coffee and tweeting. You can find Stacey on Twitter @coffeemommy and me @6state Both maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle Both gave birth to our children before the age of 30 Both had two children and nursed them Both love the “blueberry diet”… AKA…”a lifetime of following the myriad of published “cancer prevention” techniques Both diagnosed with breast cancer in our 40’s (me> a 2nd diagnosis in my 50’s) Chemotherapy – Shared Continue Reading →