Category: News

Women’s History Month 2025: Enriching our Communities

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I am sitting at my desk today on March 1, 2025, the first day of Women’s History Month 2025, contemplating the events of this past week. The highlight of my week was attending the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Leadership Conference. Empowering women leaders strengthens our communities. The women role models I encountered this week and every day in my nonprofit work deepens my belief in the role of women in our society.   What Constitutes a Woman Leader? Women leaders may or may not be publicly visible. I want to explain the word “leader” in the context of this blog. Women are characteristically care givers who foster friendships, families, and communities. Leading by example and lifestyle is a daily responsibility in personal and professional life for them. They could be someone who raises independent, respectful, strong children and community leaders. My own mother grew up on a farm in 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 →

Dealing With The Overwhelming Feeling of Loss

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This week has been challenging for so many and for many reasons. The news in the U.S. has focused so much attention on the massive losses in the Los Angeles area from the wildfires. Loss is part of life. But how do people deal with it? This is not a blog to share what you have lost. You will understand why if you read to the end. How are you dealing with the overwhelming feeling of loss? Losses in my World I have received texts every day this week from friends who have loved ones directly affected by the fires in Los Angeles. There have been no lives lost from those I heard from and for that, I am grateful. It began early Monday morning when a dear friend of mine was coping with the news of the fire in the area where her daughters and young grandchildren live. They 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 →

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 →

Book Review: Phoenix Rising, Empower & Transform Through Breast Reconstruction

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I like to spend warm, slow, summer days reading. This book review is long overdue. I promised the author, Mark Clemens MD, I would do so, and I even said so in this DiepCFoundation interview we did on BIA/ALCL in early 2024. Dr. Clemens, it is a magnificent addition to my bookshelf and resource page. As promised, a book review: Phoenix Rising, Empower & Transform Through Breast Reconstruction. Phoenix Rising Arrives in the Mail I was very touched to find a lovely gift from Dr. Clemens in the mail soon after we met at the ASPS Fall 2023 conference. On the final day of the conference, I attended a panel discussion with two friends and international microsurgeons, Dr. Anne Dancey and Dr. Ruth Waters. The topic was on BIA/ALCL and Dr. Clemens was the moderator of an all-women scientific panel from around the world. Anne, Ruth, and I went to Continue Reading →

Credibility in the Noise – Social Media, Breast Reconstruction, and Your Experience

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What social media platforms do you use to find information about breast reconstruction? Is it TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube? This interview summary with Dr. Andrew Gassman of PRMA in San Antonio is about finding credibility in the noise – social media, breast reconstruction, and your experience. Dr. Gassman’s Interest in How Patients are Utilizing Social Media for Breast Reconstruction Dr. Andrew Gassman is a highly skilled and capable individual who knows DIEP flap breast reconstruction well. He joined the group at PRMA in January of 2021 and works with nine other microsurgeons who primarily perform autologous breast reconstruction for those affected by breast cancer. Before his time at PRMA he spent several years as an associate professor teaching future surgeons advanced breast reconstruction technique. He continues to be an active researcher. Our conversation addresses his interest in how patients want to chat, how to reach more people to offer Continue Reading →

A Retirement Tribute to Deanna Attai: This Batch is for You!

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Deanna J. Attai, MD announced her retirement this week on what else other than social media? I suspect for many, like me, it feels like a bittersweet announcement. My message to her comes from my experience as a patient advocate and organic gardener. Deanna has lived to work most of her professional life. Now I know she can engage fully in working to live. This is a retirement tribute to Deanna Attai. Dr. Attai, this batch is for you! Dr. Attai, the Breast Surgeon My first recollection of Dr. Attai is through social media. The hashtag #BCSM (breast cancer social media) was created by her, Alicia Staley, and the late Jody Schoger. The first #BCSM tweet chat occurred on July 4, 2011. Over the past thirteen years, a great deal has changed in social media. However, the community created by one hashtag, #BCSM changed the engagement between breast cancer patients Continue Reading →

The Value of the Co-Surgeon Model in Breast Reconstruction

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This episode of the DiepCJourney podcast covers two very important topics. It includes the value of the co-surgeon model in microvascular breast reconstruction. We will also tackle a subject matter I am not an expert on but have a great deal of experience in. I will admit it is an uncomfortable topic for me because I am not an expert. The topic is insurance coverage in breast reconstruction. I want to say that I have NOT come to understand the complexities of insurance but have gained a great deal of empathy for those in the breast cancer community who deal with these complexities, and that includes patients and surgeons. My guest, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, discusses the value of the co-surgeon model in breast reconstruction and insurance coverage concerns. Why this Topic and Why Now? I have chosen this topic not to appear to be controversial. It is a topic that Continue Reading →

Episode 51: Lymphedema Treatment and Surgery for Breast Cancer Patients

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March 1, 2024, was the first day of lymphedema awareness month. We hope you will share this information with the embedded podcast in your community for breast cancer patients affected by lymphedema providing them with the resources needed to treat this condition and let them know there are specialists in surgical treatment options as well. I am pleased to provide this summary of Episode 51: Lymphedema Treatment and Surgery for Breast Cancer Patients. A Specialist in the Field of Lymphedema Treatment My guest is Dr. Charles Anton Fries, Chief of Plastic Surgery and faculty surgeon at UT Health San Antonio and works as a microsurgeon with the team at PRMA, Plastic Reconstructive Microsurgical Associates, in San Antonio. The management of lymphedema has seen significant improvement in the past few years. We will educate, dispel some fears surrounding the possible occurrence of lymphedema, and bring you some resources for care. The Continue Reading →