Category: DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

DIEPflap Breast Reconstruction: Aesthetic Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon

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DIEPflap Breast Reconstruction: Aesthetic Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon DIEPflap breast reconstruction & aesthetic questions to ask your plastic surgeon involves more than  you may have given much thought to.  You have had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. You have tested positive for the BRCA gene and are facing the decision to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy to significantly decrease your chances of getting breast cancer. Perhaps you are even going in for a consult to repair damage done at another practice and are looking for better results.  Now you’re researching and thinking about breast reconstruction options. You found a board certified plastic surgeon with great skill and a high rate of success. The consult appointment has been set up. You write down as many questions as you can and hope beyond hope you will be given the time to have all of them answered.  Your main concern Continue Reading →

Infusion Therapy: Facing your Fears

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Prolia Injection at the Infusion Therapy Center I went to the infusion therapy center at my cancer center today to have the first of my Prolia injections to treat bone loss. I would be getting them twice a year.  Since I am taking an AI (Aromatase Inhibitor) and additionally have a family history of osteoporosis, my oncologist recommended I start the injections. I do not have a fear of needles. I had a CVC line for chemo thirteen years ago and was fully awake when they inserted that. I have had multiple IV sticks for breast cancer and reconstruction surgeries and blood drawn. I always watch them put the needle in for both and tell them where my good, “go to” veins are. No problems. Today was a simple subcutaneous injection at the back of my arm. I had the option of having it in my abdomen but I looked Continue Reading →

DIEP Flap Surgery: Day one, Phase one

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Check-in It was still dark outside the morning we left for phase one of my DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. We were told to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. Monday morning following Thanksgiving weekend had to be a good day for surgery. My surgeon had time to be with his family, enjoy a feast and be all rested up. It was a new week and a brand new month, December 1. We arrived at the hospital and signed all the paperwork for check in. The wait wasn’t too long but the room we waited in was the typical sterile, hospital environment, fluorescent lighting with CNN on the TV. They had coffee available but nothing for me, thank you very much. I had been on complete fasting since midnight. They took us up to another smaller and quieter waiting area where all patients were checked in and waiting to Continue Reading →

Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

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  Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy ~ Is it Right for You? When I read an article about BPM posted on Facebook by my reconstruction surgeon I knew immediately what the letters stood for and so do those in the BRCA and cancer community. Out of pure curiosity I searched on the internet the “meaning of BPM” without adding “medical” to the search. You get some interesting as well as hilarious results: British Prime Minister, Beam Position Monitor, Business Performance Management, Blood Pressure Monitor, Beats per Minute and my favorite, Butt Pumping Music! The Angelina Effect Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy became a popular news topic after Angelina Jolie shared that she reduced her risk by nearly 90% of ever getting breast cancer because of choosing a BPM. She tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation and her mother died of ovarian cancer. I wrote a previous blog on this and completely understand why Continue Reading →

The Perfect Breast Shape and Plastic Surgery

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How I got to the “Breast” Shape Ever Twitter is such a valuable tool for me. A year ago my Twitter account was full of nothing but educational websites. I returned to school to attain my M.Ed. and I used it for the sole purpose of gathering information about the latest “speak” in education. I did not tweet, like, retweet, or DM (direct message). I only lurked and learned. The lurking and learning changed in October of 2014. School ended for me to focus on my health.  My Twitter account went from education to all things breast cancer and breast reconstruction. I entered the world of plastic surgery as a breast reconstruction patient after undergoing a double mastectomy following a second breast cancer diagnosis. It was a world I was unfamiliar with and had much to learn about both on an academic and emotional level. I was now following, being Continue Reading →

A Letter to Secretary Sylvia Burwell

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Dear Secretary Burwell, I enjoyed reading your bio on the HHS.gov website because I found we have a few things in common and I value human connections. We are both passionate about ensuring that individuals lead healthy and productive lives. Your outreach is far greater than mine and I am grateful for your passion and mission. My outreach, smaller though no less important, is to breast cancer patients who have been faced with a mastectomy. We are both former Seattle residents. As former President of the Global Development Program for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation you focused your efforts again on health.  I was an educator in Seattle at Sacred Heart School in Bellevue and had a brief opportunity to meet Melinda Gates when she visited our school and came into my classroom.  I was struck by her unpretentious manner and was humbled to speak to her and meet Continue Reading →

Surgical Drains

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A Bit of Self-deprecating Humor Never Hurts Surgical Drains – A Necessary Evil I hope you get a Friday laugh out of this post!  Surgical drains are a necessary evil for many surgeries and they certainly are for DIEP flap reconstruction.  Drains are an important part of your healing but no patient I speak to likes them.  But, hey, they are temporary.  I even had one of my abdominal drains become infected the week I was out of the hospital after phase 1.  But, it was taken care of within 12 hours when my doc upped my intake of anti-biotic.  Things happens when you’re healing and the infection was short-lived, just as the drains are short-lived. You can read why they are so important to your healing at the PRMA website. This #FundayFriday,  #FlashbackFriday post is to hopefully evoke a giggle, smile or laugh.  Just remember to grab a pillow and Continue Reading →

The Days Before Breast Reconstruction Surgery

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The days before Phase 1 of DIEP flap or any breast reconstruction surgery puts many women I’ve spoken with through mental gymnastics , present company included. You have arranged for child-care if you have children at home. If you are traveling for your reconstruction surgery and your children will be traveling with you, chances are you’ve scoped out child-friendly venues in the area. This will help their care-taker keep them occupied while you recover in hospital. You have packed your bags. You probably thoroughly cleaned your home knowing it will not be done, at least by you, for a bit. All of the incidentals are what keeps you busy and occupied before you leave. These are all good things. Mental Clearance Sale ~ Everything Must Go! Whether traveling out of town for your surgery or having it done in the same town you live in I suggest getting those “ducks Continue Reading →

Breast Cancer Education Act

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A Time to Educate I have spoken to many women in the past six months since I became an advocate for breast reconstruction.  I am frequently reminded by these women that the education, resources and information is simply not being discussed at the first stages of a cancer diagnosis.  I was fortunate to have the information regarding my choices for breast reconstruction the day I was told I was going to have a double mastectomy due to a second recurrence of breast cancer.  I want every woman to be able to have that conversation with their physician.  The front line of education has to start in the health care community.  We can add outreach through support of this bill. A Call for Support Let’s Close the Loop It is time we closed the loop in breast cancer education.  Women have a right to live beyond diagnosis, treatment and survival.  Women Continue Reading →

How Has Breast Cancer Changed You?

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Cancer: Connections & Catalyst Many articles and questions are posed:   “How has breast cancer changed you?” Here is one example  from the About Health website, just one from a myriad of articles published after doing a quick search on the topic. I think it’s fair to ask that question to anyone in any phase of life. How has the news of the day changed you? How has having children changed you? How has visiting a foreign country changed you? How has being married changed you? How has being divorced changed you? How has changing your hair color changed you? How has losing weight changed you? How has becoming a vegan changed you? Blah, blah, blah and on and on…… Individuals and Change Individuals are affected by events in life in either very positive ways or extremely negative ways.  So OK!! We’re all individuals and I get it.  My feeling Continue Reading →