Category: DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

Undeniable Physical and Psychological Changes After Breast Reconstruction

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Facing the possibility of mastectomy is frightening for most. You have breast cancer or a genetic mutation putting you at high risk for developing breast cancer. The body parts that are front and center on your body are about to be removed. You are sitting in front of a plastic surgeon as the surgical process is described to you. You know there will be undeniable physical and psychological changes after breast reconstruction. How in the world do you begin to even process all of this? How Will I Feel Physically After Mastectomy? My breasts gave me a sense of balance I didn’t realize until I began to stumble over my own feet after my double mastectomy. I thought I was just recovering from side affects of anesthesiology. Walking through my house I would randomly trip like a baby taking its first steps. I felt clumsy and awkward. My breast surgeon Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Decorative and Restorative Tattoos

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Two patient advocates, both breast cancer survivors, walk into a tattoo parlor in downtown Seattle. Sounds like an intriguing story, right? It was. I had the honor to have patient advocate Kirstin Litz join me for an intense day of patient advocacy work in the great city of Seattle. Our day began with a cup of coffee for the road, of course. We arrived in the densely populated district of Capitol Hill early morning to visit Eric Eye. We were there to interview him about his work doing breast reconstruction decorative and restorative tattoos. I have never had a tattoo but after visiting Eric we talked about the possibilities of a decorative tattoo in my future. He asked me what I was thinking about. I told him I have deep Irish heritage and I love to dance. Van Morrison is one of my favorite musical artists. I explained to Eric Continue Reading →

National Doctor’s Day

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Celebrate National Doctor’s Day? I’m in. These folks deserve a day of honor. Why? Long days and sometimes into the night in hospital and clinic. Hours of paperwork after time spent with their patients. Calming the fears of their patients. After hours calls from concerned patients. Putting back together diseased, damaged body parts. Comforting family members concerned about loved ones. Continued study and refresher courses to maintain licenses, expand knowledge, and improve skills. The list is exhaustive. The profession is noble. The talent is admirable. A Personal Note of Gratitude to Doctors I want to share a personal note of gratitude. My professional life has always focused on education. I was accustomed to interaction was with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators. My professional life took on a different role after a second breast cancer diagnosis, double mastectomy, and successful DIEP flap breast reconstruction. I felt it was important to educate Continue Reading →

DiepCJourney Celebrates a Four-Year Anniversary of Educating About Breast Reconstruction

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Four years ago, on March 17, 2015, an idea was launched. DiepCJourney blog began as a cathartic writing exercise, detailing my Journey of being diagnosed with breast cancer twice and the choice to undergo DIEPflap breast reconstruction. DiepCJourney soon transformed into a passion, a mission to educate others about my successful experience and what I continue to learn on this amazing Journey. I am grateful to celebrate the four-year anniversary of DiepCJourney, the blog that launched a Foundation to educate others about all their options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. The Celtic symbol and backdrop for DiepCJourney was developed with a dear friend, Meagan. Both of us embrace our rich Irish heritage. We met several times at quaint coffee houses in early January of 2015 discussing the design, meaning, and an appropriate launch date for the blog. The sketch she drew of me was something I had to consider for Continue Reading →

Laura’s Journey Through Breast Reconstruction

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I am honored to share another one of our Personal Stories featuring Laura’s Journey through breast reconstruction. On September 25th, 2017 I had two biopsies on calcifications in my right breast.  I had a biopsy on that same breast 5 years ago and it was negative for cancer.  It was a very unpleasant experience and I was quite aggravated that there was nothing wrong and I had such a bad time recovering that the whole event went into my book as awful.  But my OB-GYN called me the next afternoon after this biopsy and said “Well we weren’t so lucky this time.  They found cancer in both samples.”  But wait!  I have zero risk!  I have no family history!  I nursed all my babies for a year after they were born!  I don’t smoke! This can’t be right!! On September 28th, Hollis and I met with a wonderful surgeon named Richard Continue Reading →

Sisters Not Twins: Nipple Prosthesis after Unilateral Mastectomy

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For women who have a unilateral mastectomy after breast cancer, there are great benefits to maintaining at least one sensate breast and nipple. However, it usually is more challenging to achieve a good symmetrical restoration of breast and nipple. There are plastic surgeons who like to inform us that after reconstruction, our breasts will be “sisters not twins” to help us have realistic expectations. In seeking to restore symmetry and balance for these women, most custom nipple prosthetic companies make an impression of the natural nipple and then seek to match the color.  The cost range for this degree of customization is currently about $480 to $760. That was the approach my husband and I used with Naturally Impressive nipple prosthetics for about 5 years. We learned a lot through this process, but we also discovered some of its limitations. MATCHING A NATURAL NIPPLE IS A MOVING TARGET! From my Continue Reading →

Interested in Breast Reconstruction but don’t want Implants? You have Other Options!

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I was given all my options for breast reconstruction the day my breast surgeon told me I would be facing a double mastectomy after my second breast cancer diagnosis. I was fortunate. However, I had to dig deep and spend hours of research to find the specifics of what type of reconstruction I felt was going to work best for me. At first, like many women, I thought implants were my only option. I ultimately decided I wanted to use my own tissue. But where could I find those alternative choices to implants for breast reconstruction? It took me time and asking a lot of questions. It was important to me to find medically backed information and evidence-based articles about alternatives to implants for breast reconstruction. I did not find all this information in one place nor did I have access to what many women have available today. What am Continue Reading →

The Eye of a Restorative Tattoo Artist for Breast Cancer Patients

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There are those who choose their profession based on their interest and background training. Eric Eye was inspired to expand his practice and professional skill as a tattooer after learning about restorative tattoos for breast cancer patients. This blog is dedicated to Eric Eye after I spent time with him in his Seattle studio on Capitol Hill. Eric is the eye of a restorative tattoo artist for breast cancer patients. The streets of Capitol Hill are an eclectic collection of ethnic restaurants, music shops with vintage albums, coffee shops, parking meters lining the streets waiting to be fed, and above ground wires strung from telephone poles draped like spider webs across the streets. There are businesses sharing the same brick and mortar in a single block separated by walls and glass windows with entrances leading to long narrow hallways and locked corridors. A Breast Cancer Patient’s First Visit to a Continue Reading →

Whitney’s Story: Prophylactic Mastectomy and DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

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Our Journey personal story takes place this week with my neighbor. It is Whitney’s story of prophylactic mastectomy and DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Whitney has the genetic mutation for ATM and CHEK2 putting her at very high risk for breast cancer. She is a young woman in her mid-thirties who very much wants to be a part of her children’s’ lives. She will be having her surgery when they are one and four years old.  Whitney was the tender age of 24 when she watched her own mother die of breast cancer. She was her caregiver so her decision to undergo prophylactic mastectomy and DIEP flap has not been easy. Here is her story. A Neighbor on the Journey from Mastectomy to Breast Reconstruction I am blessed. Each day I engage with an amazing group of women on the Facebook page I administer, The Journey. When I found out Whitney Continue Reading →

Recovery from Breast Reconstruction: A bit like the Winter Doldrums?

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Does recovery from breast reconstruction seem a bit like making it through the winter doldrums? Sometimes, yes, it does. The recovery period, for any breast reconstruction takes a bit of time. However, if you have had any type of autologous (using your own tissue) breast reconstruction you will be recovering for a few weeks. Long, cold, snowy, winter days when you can’t get out of the house reminds me of my own recovery from DIEP flap surgery. Fatigue and Recovery from Breast Reconstruction You will be fatigued for a few weeks after surgery. Your body is working overtime to rid itself of the effects of anesthesia. You are also in healing mode so it will take a lot out of you when you are released from hospital. I often tell women I knew when I was getting back to normal when suddenly one day, I no longer needed my daily Continue Reading →