Category: Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Pregnancy After DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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Pregnancy After DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction I meet amazing women and hear inspiring stories of courage in my breast reconstruction education and outreach. We share pictures, laughs, tears, fears, and stories of triumph in my conversations with these women warriors. Chats with these women, not only in the U.S., but across the globe fuels and energizes me to continue this advocacy. This story, pregnancy after DIEP flap breast reconstruction, touched my heart as a mother of two boys. I am fortunate through my travels to meet DIEP flap patients in person. Nothing gives me greater joy than sharing my experience and listening to others’ journeys through their own breast reconstruction process. It is a shared strength and sisterhood few understand and appreciate. One fortunate meeting and follow up story I wrote might seem nothing short of miraculous.  Although for each of us, our stories too, feel miraculous after we’ve reached Continue Reading →

Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo

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Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo Baldness during Breast Cancer & Chemo is not an easy side affect for most women. You could walk around for weeks, months without anyone knowing you have breast cancer unless… wait for it… you’re on CHEMO, especially the type causing hair loss!!! The sight of a women who is bald is a forgone conclusion and truly screams, “I’m on chemo and have cancer!” It’s just not an easy pill to swallow, excuse the tongue in cheek. Many forms of chemo cause hair loss in women. It did for me and the brave women who volunteered to use their photos to be in this blog post. They all willingly shared their pictures for a reason. We did it to support another woman who is going through chemo as I write this blog. But, whether you have been through chemo, are currently going through chemo, or Continue Reading →

Breast Cancer Patient Education Act Passes into Law

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Breast Cancer Patient Education Act Passes into Law Today, December 18, 2015, the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act was passed into law by Congress. It is truly difficult for me to contain my enthusiasm. This bill will work to educate and inform other women about their breast reconstruction options.  They will have the same advantage that I did at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. I was fortunate that I was told about my reconstruction options by my skilled breast surgeon, Dr. Michele Ley, the day of my diagnosis. I soon came to find out through research and talking to many women that they are not given this information. They did not know about the options available to them to rebuild their body, restore their confidence and move on with life after hearing they had breast cancer or carried the BRCA gene mutation. It has been exactly one year Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction: Benefits vs. Cosmesis

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What are breast reconstruction benefits and are the benefits vs. cosmesis equal or separate? Although this question may not have been stated in these words, women considering breast reconstruction must think about this complex question. No one can come close to knowing what this decision involves except the patient themselves. Not only is it a difficult and complex process of logic but it involves a great emotional decision as well. I am speaking about breast reconstruction in very specific circumstances. Humans are faced with many unexpected events in life catapulting us to become educated about a topic we never imagined we would be learning about. A cancer diagnosis or finding you have a gene mutation putting you at high risk for breast cancer is one of those life events. Those who are considering breast reconstruction after cancer or for prophylactic reasons to greatly decrease chances of a cancer occurrence go Continue Reading →

Benefits of Exercise after Breast Cancer

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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 →

Fears of Breast Cancer Recurrence

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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 →

Traveling with Prosthesis

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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 →

Stand Up 2 Cancer at the World Series

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Stand up 2 Cancer at the World Series on October 30, 2015, united an entire stadium to support awareness of cancer. I was introduced to the organization a few years ago through my oldest son. He followed them on Social Media so I began doing the same. SU2C’s website has the following statement: For the first time in history, we can imagine stopping cancer in its tracks. Stand Up To Cancer’s (SU2C) mission is to raise funds to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C brings together the best and the brightest researchers and mandates collaboration among the cancer community. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C has set out to generate awareness, educate the public on cancer prevention and help more people diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors. A Detour at the World Series I admittedly have Continue Reading →

#NoBraDay Done the Right Way!

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#NoBraDay Done the Right Way! Today is National #NoBraDay and should be done the Right way by choosing a reason to actually project breast cancer awareness in a constructive, valuable way. Take PRMA, for example. This is a group of class act, well-trained, compassionate surgeons whose main passion is rebuilding women’s lives after breast cancer with reconstructive plastic surgery. Today, the patient liaison at their practice decided to post this info graphic using the hash tag #NoBraDay. This is valuable. This is constructive. Awareness, education and not flaunting the day in a tasteless, disrespectful way like so many have done on Social Media. Thank you PRMA for stepping up to the plate and respecting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and #NationalNoBraDay with dignity and purpose!     And Then There is This….. National No Bra day has a Face Book page and what I find most offensive about their page is Continue Reading →

#FlashbackFriday

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#FlashbackFriday and A Chance Encounter I wanted to share a chance encounter that I had yesterday and post it for #FlashbackFriday. While I was busy doing what I’ve been calling my “boots on the ground” work to promote Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day 2015, I had a fortuitous circumstance, an encounter of compassion. Tweeting in the Stairwell My Twitter account was full of activity yesterday thanks to some overwhelming support from Social Media friends and supporters. I was at the imaging center to hand out flyers for my Breast Reconstruction Awareness event. It seemed like a logical place to drop off promotional material for women getting mammograms and screenings. I took the stairwell trying to be inconspicuous and out of the way of the patients. OK, so I was also admittedly latching on to the imaging center’s WI-Fi so I could check the craziness of my Tweets coming in. It was Continue Reading →