Category: News

Breast Reconstruction Consult DIEP flap Surgery: The Power of Two

Posted on by

Breast Reconstruction Consult DIEP flap Surgery: The Power of Two You may bring someone with you to your breast reconstruction consult for your DIEP flap surgery but it is the power of two, you and your plastic surgeon, who are the two key players at this all important appointment.  This topic is worthy of a two part blog.  Part 1 will touch on the potential emotional and psychological aspects of the visit and part 2 will discuss the actually physical and technical part of the visit.  I have learned a lot reflecting on the experience of my first visit with my plastic surgeon.  I have gained yet a different perspective from speaking with other women about their experience and what this involved for them. What I do know is this; the appointment needs to be a home run for both you and your plastic surgeon.  You need and want to Continue Reading →

Ray of Sunshine after Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Posted on by

It just doesn’t seem a ray of sunshine might even play into the discussion the day I was told I had breast cancer does it?  There actually was a ray of sunshine after a breast cancer diagnosis. This is my story. The Breast Cancer Diagnosis The day of my second breast cancer diagnosis I was sitting in the office of my breast surgeon, Dr. Michele Ley, I saw Dr. Ley about five years previous to my second diagnosis to remove a benign area in my left breast.  I chose to go to her because I was very impressed with her demeanor, compassion, confidence and skill for the minor surgery she performed then.   It was a “steel in my back” kind of day when I was scheduled to go in to see her.  I was alone.  My husband was out of the country on business.  I had been down this road Continue Reading →

National Cancer Survivors Day: Where Do I Begin?

Posted on by

National Cancer Survivors Day: Where Do I Begin? Today is National Cancer Survivors Day and it is difficult to know where to begin to condense my thoughts about this day as a two time survivor of breast cancer.  There is a very dark side for many survivors.  I’ve had those days; diagnosis, telling your loved ones, surgeries, chemo, radiation, medication, side effects.  But oh those glorious bright days!  Let’s take a look at both. The Dark Side of Cancer Survivor-ship: The Ugly Vortex I have always equated cancer to an ugly vortex.  When you first hear the words that you have cancer that vortex begins its whirling mass of sucking many people into it. Being a cancer survivor does not affect just the individual with the diagnosis. Your spouse, partner, children, family and friends become survivors of sorts as well.  They weren’t asked to take on the role of caregiver Continue Reading →

Managing Surgical Drains with Drain IQ

Posted on by

Managing Surgical Drains with Drain IQ Managing surgical drains post mastectomy and post breast reconstruction is one of the biggest grievances I hear when I speak to women about their surgery after breast cancer.  I was in that club after my own DIEP flap breast reconstruction.  I used the paper recording sheet provided by the hospital to track drain output.  Keeping track of that piece of paper and diligently recording drain output each and every time I stripped those drains was a necessary evil and part of the process for the duration they were stitched to my body. Let’s talk about managing surgical drains with Drain IQ. Managing Output Using your Phone? But, how many of us today have our phones with us almost as an appendage?  I am surprised to hear from ladies while still in hospital after their surgery, texting and posting on social media that they are Continue Reading →

Road Map to Success for DIEP Flap Surgery: Fluorescence Imaging

Posted on by

Road Map to Success for DIEP Flap Surgery: Fluorescence Imaging A Patient’s Story Would you take a road trip before consulting a map, planning out your best route with the least amount of obstacles to drive around or through? Think of the SPY Elite Fluorescence Imaging System in this way for breast reconstruction surgery.  DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery is a specialized and intricate process that women have the option of choosing to rebuild their breasts after a mastectomy.  It is what I chose after a second breast cancer diagnosis. Patients are savvy, engaged, customers these days with the internet and social media to guide them in learning about the surgical procedures that they are facing.  DIEP flap surgery is intricate, long and must be done by a well-qualified microsurgeon. Choosing this profession is a passion for a majority of physicians because they are transforming lives after breast cancer.  It Continue Reading →

#WorldBookDay #DrSeussDay #ILookLikeAPlasticSurgeon

Posted on by

#WorldBookDay #DrSeussDay #ILookLikeAPlasticSurgeon Today, March 3, 2016, is #WorldBookDay and it is trending on Twitter. One of my favorite tweets, showing some of the world’s most exquisite libraries. They look to be true museums of the mind!  It seems appropriate to me as a life-long educator that this day follows yesterday’s celebration of #ReadAcrossAmerica and #DrSeussDay. I have fond memories of reading our favorite Dr. Seuss book to our own two boys who are now grown men, one of whom has a son of his own. We would sit them in our lap or beside us in a comfy chair and read The Cat in the Hat. Teachers love Dr. Seuss Day in their classrooms.  It gives them an opportunity to wear the beloved hat or costume that has become so familiar across the U.S. and globe. It is a day that gives them an opportunity to simply enjoy the Continue Reading →

Pregnancy After DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

Posted on by

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 →

#WorldCancerDay February 4, 2016

Posted on by

#WorldCancerDay February 4, 2016 It would be a day of celebration if we did not even have a #WorldCancerDay trending on social media. A #WorldCureDay is what we would all like to see trending. That seems impossible and unlikely to many. So what does #WorldCancerDay mean to you? My short answer and one that holds great meaning to me personally: #Community.  A community of #WeCanICan. I resisted being part of that cancer community when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the first time. Get it out, kill it with the toxic chemo and radiate it until it is no more. I did not want to be in that community. I wanted to move on and get back to a “normal” life. Diagnoses number two? I decided it was time to join the community. What a community they are! Yes, it is a community of frightened patients. It is a community Continue Reading →