Category: Breast Reconstruction

Celebrate Volunteers Working for the Breast Cancer Community

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April is  Volunteer Appreciation Month. As the Founder/Director of DiepCFoundation I dedicate this blog to celebrate volunteers working for the breast cancer community. These are the people who through their unwavering spirit of volunteering make a huge difference in the work and mission of the Foundation. Global Volunteers Spreading Awareness Having established the Foundation in 2016 I reflect on a wide network of people across the world who are spreading awareness about all options for breast reconstruction for those facing mastectomies. Corporate giving and corporate social responsibility come in various forms. Benevity is a global platform managing corporate giving. My work with the companies that use Benevity has reached global volunteers and donors. I make yearly presentations at our local Microsoft campus. The individuals who attend these meetings have shared their time and talent volunteering to bring awareness to the services and support we provide. Volunteers at AT&T did a Continue Reading →

Waiting, Wondering, Pivoting and Patience

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I listen to the community that is DiepCJourney every day unless my wonderful volunteers and admins are helping me. I could produce many anxiety-related words to describe what it is like to go through breast cancer and breast reconstruction. Waiting, wondering, pivoting and patience are four of those words. There are many more because this is an emotional roller coaster. Hang on tight and let’s talk about what each word is. Waiting You have just been newly diagnosed. You are sitting in front of a genetic counselor who reveals to you that you are at high risk of getting breast cancer due to a genetic mutation. Let’s push the rewind button. Before you found out about either of these scenarios , you were waiting for the results. It consumes your life emotionally, physically, and otherwise. You have heard it before; breast cancer does not discriminate. Young, old, single, in a Continue Reading →

Stacked Flap in Breast Reconstruction for Radiated Skin and to Achieve Volume

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Listeners of the DiepCJourney podcast are familiar with the DIEP flap breast reconstruction. This is a procedure where the abdominal skin, tissue, and underlying blood vessels are used to replace the breast tissue lost due to mastectomy after being affected by breast cancer. This is a summary of the podcast entitled, “Stacked Flap in Breast Reconstruction for Radiated Skin and to Achieve Volume.” Introduction to Dr. Matatov Dr. Tim Matatov is a returning guest and for good reasons. He is a highly skilled, board-certified surgeon who is specifically trained in microsurgery. It is the specialty of microsurgery that is required to perform a stacked flap procedure. Dr. Matatov and his team perform these and why I reached out to him for this interview. It is important to remind readers that at Southwest Breast and Aesthetics they practice the co-surgeon model in autologous breast reconstruction. They have added new team members Continue Reading →

A Young Nurse and Her DIEP Flap Story

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This episode of the DiepCJourney podcast shares a fascinating story of a young woman who graciously and professionally takes us through her Journey from being diagnosed with breast cancer, cold capping, the effect on her family and young daughters, and to the story of her DIEP flap breast reconstruction. You can sit and watch our conversation on the DiepCFoundation YouTube channel. Lacey is a dear friend, and I am honored to share the story of a young nurse and her DIEP flap story. Meet My Guest Lacey I am speaking with Lacey Terpstra-Reid. She is a registered nurse residing in Guthrie, Oklahoma. In November 2022 she was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer at age 33. Lacey has over 10 years of bedside experience as a nurse from working in a cardiac ICU where she cared for countless ECMO patients to her current role as an outpatient surgery recovery RN. Continue Reading →

World Cancer Day: United by Unique

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February 4, 2025, marks a notable day in the community I serve at DiepCFoundation.org. Along with the hashtag it is World Cancer Day: United by Unique. I have been receiving emails announcing this day. But, I learned of the hashtag, #UnitedByUnique from a friend and fellow patient advocate, Luan Lawrenson-Woods, who resides in Australia. What I decided to do next is reach out to my community at DiepCJourney, a private Facebook group I set up as part of the services provided by my nonprofit Foundation. Thoughts from the Breast Cancer Community on World Cancer Day I asked “Journey members,” the name I refer to when I address the group, to comment on what the hashtag #United by Unique meant to them in our community. What I read gave me time to contemplate the impact of community and the bond that unites us, breast cancer. The Facebook group I established in Continue Reading →

Celebrating Generosity: An Important Part of Nonprofit Work

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Change is the only constant. How many times have we heard that? In today’s fast-paced world nonprofit organizations must remain nimble when seeking support that includes volunteer and financial support to help run a nonprofit. And yet, it is often the constant supporters over time that make a nonprofit believe their impact is part of the greater community. Celebrating generosity is a very important part of nonprofit work. Giving Season in Nonprofit Work I am writing this blog in the middle of November. Thanksgiving holiday is in November. It is a time when families make the effort to be together and reflect on what they are grateful for and to reminisce about what makes them unique as a family unit. There is great diversity in family units, but it is in the gesture of gratitude that brings us together, no matter what that looks like. Similarly, as nonprofit leaders we Continue Reading →

Reflections as October and Breast Cancer Awareness 2024 Ends

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I have not written one blog this month. This has been the most intense October for me since opening DiepCJourney Foundation in 2016. I can’t say why for sure, but I am exhausted and thought it was time to share some reflections as October and Breast Cancer Awareness 2024 Ends. Some Losses and Some Gains Reflecting this October Has anyone every said, start with the hard part first then finish with the easy stuff? That’s how I’m going to tackle this. The hard part is not that hard, mostly an annoyance. If you are a patient advocate reading this, it may resonate with you. I was an invited speaker at a conference. We were asked to record our presentation and listen to the other speakers for the recorded Q & A session. I worked diligently to prepare my slides and presentation. The first thing I said in my opening remark Continue Reading →

The Voice for a Community in Breast Cancer

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Many people who have had or currently have breast cancer choose to be the voice for a community in breast cancer. This week, as I prepare for Plastic Surgery the Meeting I will be using the hashtag #PSTM24 on my social media platforms to share the latest in surgical techniques and the newest innovations from industry that results in better patient outcomes and care in breast reconstruction. Each Voice in the Breast Cancer Community is Unique My focus is on breast cancer and breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy. Not all patient advocates and voices in breast cancer identify with the same platform. We have each positioned ourselves through time, training, and passion to share our personal stories while at the same time providing scientific and evidence-based information to the unique communities we serve. It is a robust community with folks that include community voices in: Since opening DiepCFoundation in 2016, Continue Reading →

The Emotional Connection of a Few Drops of Ink

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Ink has long been used to draw, write, create, and document words and pictures. Since ancient times ink has been developed for different purposes. Some inks throughout history are made to be permanent while others, especially today, are disposable, like the ink used in writing tools in distinct types of pens. Consideration for the material the ink is placed upon became a science to create lasting historical documents. What if the “material” the ink is placed on is your skin? I want to share with you the emotional connection of a few drops of ink. Ink Used in Tattoos Let’s talk about the canvas, the material I mentioned, your skin. One of the first tattoos discovered on a human body date back to a mummy found in the Alps. Among the many uses of ink in tattoos, history tells us they were used to mark criminals, recognize a tribe of Continue Reading →

Sunflowers and a Tribute to Passion and Purpose

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Each morning when I wake up, I enjoy coffee my husband makes. He’s pretty sure he is THE coffee aficionado in our home. A retired engineer, he carefully crafts the delicious cup of roasted beans I enjoy upon waking up. I open the kitchen window blinds and look out at our garden. He has been planting sunflowers in a spot that frames that window because he knows how much I enjoy looking at them. During the dog days of summer, I offer you my thoughts on sunflowers and a tribute to passion and purpose. Sunflowers and Nature’s Beauty I was born and raised in Kansas. The state flower is the sunflower. This quote is from the Kansas Magazine: A cultural symbol throughout the ages – of faith, longevity, healing, happiness and good luck… The sunflowers in our garden rise to as tall as nine feet, reaching to the sun for Continue Reading →