Category: Breast Reconstruction

Ethical Responsibility of the Breast Cancer Story

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Have you ever been asked to share the personal story about your diagnosis of breast cancer? I have plenty of times and do not mind doing it but … I always want to know why and what the purpose of telling it is. Industry leaders pay attention! Please do not tell a story of a survivor to tug at the heart strings or grab the attention of the audience. It happens and I feel strongly about speaking up about the ethical responsibility of the breast cancer story. Breast cancer survivors often feel they have been sucked into a drama in life they did not want to be a part of. It feels like going to a bad movie you want to get up and walk out of even when you paid the money to get in. There are emotions, many tangled emotions involving more than just the survivor. Well meaning Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Education and the Circle of Giving

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Wednesday of this past week, October 21, 2002, was BRADay2020. BRADay is a daily event for me, providing education and resources to empower women and men with information to make an informed decision about options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. For the second year in a row, I was graciously invited by Microsoft to make a presentation about my personal Journey for their Microsoft Gives campaign but more importantly to educate . I left there with a full heart. This is what happened after my presentation on breast reconstruction education and the circle of giving. The presentation was conducted using the Microsoft Teams program. Since I have been using ZOOM to record videos for the Foundation, this was a new platform for me. Thomas set up a one on one meeting with me before the formal presentation to walk me through the ins and outs of Microsoft Teams. He made Continue Reading →

DiepCJourney: What’s in the Name?

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Breast reconstruction awareness day, #BRADay2020 is this Wednesday, October 21st. I have cordially been invited to make a presentation at Microsoft this week to educate the attendees on options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. I was asked by a dear friend, Thomas, a Microsoft employee, what the meaning was behind all of the DIEPC platform I began to build in January of 2015. So, I will begin by telling you about DiepCJourney: What’s in the name? After a second breast cancer diagnosis, I chose to have DIEP flap breast reconstruction after a double mastectomy in May of 2014. When I returned from my surgery, I began to write about it for more of a cathartic experience. I then discovered less than 25% of women and men are aware or told about their options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. I began to think about how I could educate others about options, Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Results, Should we Compare Photos?

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Breast reconstruction results, should we compare photos? This is a perplexing question in the world of plastic surgery for those affected by breast cancer. However, I see this question asked several times a week. I want to share my thoughts and why I feel it continues to be a topic I think breast cancer patients should give careful consideration to. When I lost my breast to breast cancer and began searching for a microsurgeon to perform my DIEP flap, I used their public website as a resource. It was full of information I needed to prepare for and understand the surgery I was about to have, DIEP flap, using my own tissue to rebuild my breasts. Seven months before my DIEP flap breast reconstruction, I had a skin sparing, nipple sparing mastectomy after a second breast cancer diagnosis. Those seven months were psychologically difficult for me. Twelve years previous to Continue Reading →

Wonder and Happiness: Pregnancy Post-DIEP – Part 2

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Emily is one of over 5,700 global members of the DiepCJourney Facebook group. I am honored to share her story of wonder and happiness: pregnancy post-DIEP – Part 2. More than a year later, I am finally prepared to reflect on the full experience of having a child after DIEP flap reconstruction. To recap, I am BRCA1+ and had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction in June 2018 at the age of 36 and phase 2 corrective surgery with fat grafting in October 2018. I became pregnant with my 2nd child in April 2019 which left me wondering. At 38, after a full-term pregnancy with no complications, I was induced and delivered a healthy 7-pound 4-ounce baby girl on December 18, 2019, exactly one week after her sister’s 9th birthday. I wondered whether pregnancy would mess up my surgeon’s beautiful work. I am happy to report to all of Continue Reading →

Lost Breast Sensation after Mastectomy Restored 10 Years Later

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Tara begins by telling us the painful story of losing her mother to breast cancer when she was only eighteen. In an ironic twist of fate, Tara’s mother lost her own mother, Tara’s grandmother, from breast cancer at the same age. Having experienced this, she describes it as a “dark cycle that would just keep happening”. This is Tara’s story of lost breast sensation after mastectomy restored 10 years later. With other family members who had a cancer diagnosis, Tara was encouraged to have genetic testing by her then partner. She had no idea at the time what having genetic testing would actually mean and how it would change her life if she tested positive. When the results came back that she was in fact a carrier of a BRCA gene mutation, she went to see a surgeon to discuss what her options were. She was given two options. She Continue Reading →

Benefits of Delayed DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction after Radiation

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I take the opportunity to interview Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA about the benefits of delayed DIEP flap breast reconstruction after radiation. It is always a pleasure to have him on the DiepCFoundation Channel to educate others about topics for those affected by breast cancer. What are the Effects of Radiation? Dr. C begins by explaining radiation often creates significant changes. Radiation is recommended to decrease the risk of breast cancer coming back locally in the chest area. He points out there is some data to suggest it can improve survival. For these two reasons alone, it is a very important part of breast cancer treatment to discuss with your health care team. Techniques have improved in recent years in radiation, both the kind of radiation and how radiation radiation is administered for treating breast cancer. However, like many treatments for cancer, there are still side effects. Will the side Continue Reading →

Dealing with the Aftermath of Breast Cancer and Surgery

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There is no instruction book for this. You are diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening disease. Yes, I know, our survivor rates and treatment have both improved over the years. But what those years mean to a person going through treatment or healing from surgery has an entirely different meaning. It is a difficult Journey dealing with the aftermath of breast cancer and surgery. Dealing with Breast Cancer Emotions Take a bag of rocks, all different sizes, colors, and shapes. Put them in a box and shake them. Shake them loud and hard. It is sometimes the internal noise, like shaking this bag of rocks, that gets to you after a breast cancer diagnosis and surgery. Anger, fear, unknowns, disbelief, shame, guilt. There is your bag of rocks. You feel all of these emotions, sometimes more. Were you equipped to deal with this? Did you expect this to happen in your Continue Reading →

WHISTalks Live: Shared Decision Making

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Gareth Presch is Founder and CEO of World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS). As part of his work he curates WHISTalks sharing a variety of topics to reach a global audience on various themes. He invited Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, Founder of the Breast Advocate app, and me to the program for an interview.  The video can be viewed in this blog. Here is a summary and highlights of our WHISTalks Live on shared decision-making. The Importance of the Patient Voice in Shared Decision Making Dr. Chrysopoulo mentions that shared decision making provides opportunity across a variety of health specialties for patients to have a voice in their health care decisions. He points out that in breast cancer 40% of patients do not feel they have had a voice in their treatment decision making. In breast reconstruction 57% of patients do not feel they make a high-quality decision as they define it. Continue Reading →

Preguntas Contestadas Sobre la Reconstrucción Mamaria

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Questions Answered About Breast Reconstruction Spanish Traslation by Dra. Macarena Vizcay It is my honor to present a collaborative effort with Macarena Vizcay, M.D. and Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, MD FACS. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Vizcay for reaching out to me to provide this Spanish translation of my interview with Dr. Chrysopoulo. Estoy encantado de trabajar con la Dra. Macarena Vizcay, residente de cirugía plástica y PRS Global Open Resident Ambassador, para tener un resumen en español del video anexado en este blog donde el Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo y yo respondemos preguntas sobre la reconstrucción mamaria.  La cirugía de reconstrucción mamaria con tejido autólogo es un hito muy importante en las pacientes con mastectomía, pero este es un proceso que requiere más de un procedimiento. Muchas veces se ha hablado de las fases previas y de la fase 1, pero el postoperatorio entre las fases es importante y también Continue Reading →