Terri Coutee

Benefits of Exercise after Breast Cancer

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Terri

Benefits of Exercise after Breast Cancer It is #WorkoutWednesday and I’d like to share a comprehensive video from John’s Hopkins Medicine on the benefits of exercise after Breast Cancer. Take ten minutes out of your day to view it and then I encourage you to move at your pace and ability to improve your health. Cancer diagnosis, treatments, surgery as well as breast reconstruction surgery take a lot out of our bodies. We may have gone into either of these situations being very healthy. I often hear this from other women. This is definitely to your benefit and will help with recovery. However, after treatments and surgery you are then left to pick up the pieces from the assault on your body. Where do you move forward from there? Whether you are walking, running, dancing, doing Pilates, yoga or another form of movement, know that you are providing great benefits Continue Reading →

Thankfulness

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Terri

A feeling of thankfulness is what I frequently experience when I sit at my keyboard to write. Free flowing thoughts, words, ideas about knowledge, science, medicine, health, life’s experiences are why I love the writing process. My day is not complete unless I have at the very least written down or made note of something I feel is worth writing about to inform and educate others. My daily routine consists of fixing coffee, checking my social media accounts and then organizing my day before I go on my morning walk. Often times a thought, an idea or a topic comes to mind while I am out walking and I’ll come back to my office and act on it. There is nothing like fresh air and getting that blood pumping through your system to fuel some new ideas. There are mornings though that the well seems to be dry. I think Continue Reading →

Abdominal Examination before DIEP Flap Surgery

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Terri

Abdominal Examination before DIEP Flap Surgery Your plastic surgeon should perform a thorough abdominal examination before your DIEP flap surgery to determine the best possible outcome for your breast reconstruction. It is important to know that the abdominal tissue, both skin and underlying structure, is a reliable donor site to rebuild the breasts after a mastectomy. It is a fair question to ask the office of your plastic surgeon how much time will be spent at your initial consult, and what, if any medical history they will need to have prior to your visit. Your plastic surgeon will review your overall health records. However, for this post I will concentrate on examination of your abdominal area and dedicate another post to your breast area examination. To give you some idea of what will take place and some terms used I took a careful look at my report and will Continue Reading →

A Guest Blog from Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo: Are You A DIEP Flap Candidate?

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Terri

Are You A DIEP Flap Candidate? By Dr Chysopoulo The DIEP flap procedure has rapidly become the “gold standard” in breast reconstruction. While not every woman is a DIEP flap candidate, many are turned away when in fact they needn’t be. Typical misconceptions include: 1. Previous Abdominal Surgery – While some types of previous abdominal surgery can make the DIEP flap procedure impossible to perform, most of the time previous abdominal surgery really isn’t an issue. Many women these days have had a previous c-section or hysterectomy. It is possible for these procedures to cause damage to the blood vessels needed for DIEP flap surgery, but this is rare. A previous c-section, hysterectomy, or tubal ligation is not a contra-indication to having the procedure. If your surgeon is worried about potential damage from previous surgery then certain tests can be performed to examine the anatomy more closely. This can include Continue Reading →

When Tragedy brings out the #StrengthOfHumankind

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Terri

When Tragedy brings out the #StrengthOfHumankind Today is a day when we see that tragedy unquestionably brings out the#StrengthOfHumankind. The symbolism, pictures, music and thoughts on Social Media from around the globe are collectively trying to decompress, make sense of, and reach out to those who have suffered so needlessly after the tragic events that took place in Paris on Friday, November 13th, 2015. We know that because one person lost a life or perhaps is maimed and scarred physically and emotionally for the rest of their days that it causes a caustic ripple and vortex of sadness and confusion. A family member injured or killed affects other members of the family; a sister, a husband, a wife, a child, a community…the world! Tragedy and chaos does bring sadness, grief, and confusion but it also brings out a part of us that is the best of humankind; a hand reaching Continue Reading →

Fears of Breast Cancer Recurrence

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Terri

Fears of Breast Cancer Recurrence Fears of breast cancer recurrence are palpable for anyone who has been diagnosed with this disease we have yet to find a cure for. We each handle the fear differently. I had a recurrence. I’d like to share my own experience, how I faced those fears, and how I dealt with them. As an educator for many years, I have seen the differences in personalities both in students and parents when it comes to handling what is seemingly the simplest of fears. What is catastrophic to one is barely a blip on the radar to another. There are those in life who are simply more fragile than others. Differences in dealing with this fear of recurrence must not be judged or become fodder for accusations when we don’t always appreciate the circumstances behind. “How Do You Always Stay Positive?” Friends, relatives and family who have so Continue Reading →

Friendships through Breast Reconstruction

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Terri

Friendships through Breast Reconstruction The value of friendships through Breast Reconstruction is beyond measure. The women that I have met in person or on-line through social media skip straight to, “I feel like I’ve known you a lifetime” mode. Polite introductions are left out and the topics steer straight to the matter at hand: Tell me your story! Where are you at in your process? How are you doing? When is your surgery? How are you feeling? You look amazing! There are options and choices for breast reconstruction. That is part of the discussion among “breast friends”. The real thought provoking conversations start when these questions are raised: How did you find your plastic surgeon? Was it worth it to travel for your reconstruction? Did you have pain? What about the scars? I’m afraid of what I’ll look like. How long do you think it will be before I can Continue Reading →

Parallels between Fly Fishing and Breast Reconstruction

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Terri

Do fly fishing and breast reconstruction have anything in common? Are there parallels between fly fishing and breast reconstruction? Let’s explore some facts and then I’ll tell you about my own personal experience at the Casting for Recovery event I attended. First of all a bit of history about the program directly from their website: Casting for Recovery was founded in 1996 in Manchester, Vermont, by a breast cancer reconstructive surgeon and a professional fly fisher. Casting for Recovery’s innovative program focuses on breast cancer survivor-ship and improving quality of life, and has garnered endorsements from medical and psycho-social experts. Awarded 501(c)(3) non-profit status in 1998, Casting for Recovery has inspired international efforts in Canada, UK/Ireland and New Zealand. To date, Casting for Recovery has conducted more than 500 retreats, serving nearly 7,000 women nationwide. In 2014, we held 42 retreats in 36 states, serving 600 women. I am going to take the very Continue Reading →

Casting for Recovery

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Terri

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 →

Traveling with Prosthesis

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Terri

Traveling with Prosthesis Traveling with prosthesis of any kind through TSA involves preparation and concerns. I promised a follow-up blog after my post entitled, My Boobs in a Box. There is both a light-hearted side to this story and one that still raises the hairs on my neck when I recall the details of a particular day at the airport. Let’s start with the funny stuff. Altitude and Silicone Inserts for Breast Prosthesis I was told when I picked up my breast prosthesis, the silicone implants I chose could potentially exhibit some odd behaviors when I was at altitude on a flight. I experienced those odd altitude behaviors in my prosthesis twice; once on a flight and the other time when I was visiting the Grand Canyon. The first time I flew with my prosthetic bra I felt the effects of the altitude after we began climbing. I could feel Continue Reading →