Category: Personal Stories

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 →

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 →

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 →

Honoring My Sweet Friend Valerie Hewson Wright

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Today I honor the passing of a life well-lived. Valerie Hewson Wright lived a life a love and vibrancy through a breast cancer diagnosis and most recently, metastatic breast cancer. I am angry, pissed to be quite honest, and deeply saddened at losing a friend to this insidious disease we have yet to find a cure for.  Val and I never met in person, but I feel so very close to her and why I weep today at her passing. Our Nonprofit Connection When I began thinking about opening my own nonprofit Foundation in 2017, I would call Valerie and ask her questions about the logistics of running an organization to help others. She successfully opened VforVictory Foundation to mail drain holders out to breast cancer and breast reconstruction patients after their surgery. She worked tirelessly for these women and why I leaned on her for her advice. Her famous Continue Reading →

Waiting for a DIEP Flap Surgery Date

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Ruth is one of over 2,400 global members of DiepCJourney Facebook group. I am honored to share her story here. The wait for her DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery has been challenging for Ruth on many levels. She tells us her personal story and what it means waiting for a DIEP flap surgery date. Delayed DIEP Flap: The Wait Begins It was October 2014 when I received my breast cancer diagnosis. I live in a small beautiful, city tucked away in the south east corner of British Columbia. Though I was able to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy locally, unfortunately our hospital does not have the facilities to offer either radiation or reconstructive surgery. It was decided having a mastectomy would be the first course in my treatment. Opting for immediate reconstructive surgery would have meant a delay as well as travelling over 500km to Kelowna or over 800km to Continue Reading →

How Difficult is the Decision to Have DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction?

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A Difficult Decision for Me to Have DIEP flap It is very difficult to make the decision to have DIEP flap breast reconstruction. I had this surgery in 2014 after a second breast cancer diagnosis and losing my breasts after a double mastectomy. I want to share what other women go through to have this amazing yet complex surgery. Who Might Consider Having DIEP flap Surgery? I listen to stories from basically two groups. The first group are women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  It is not always the case, but the hope is I hear these women are given all their options for breast reconstruction. Otherwise, how could they even make an informed decision about their choices to reconstruct their breasts? It is most important all options for breast reconstruction are presented after careful assessment of biopsies, various imaging procedures, that should include a shared decision-making conversation Continue Reading →

Sharing the Emotional Night I Was Awarded Patient of Courage

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Some moments in life are forever etched in your memory. The evening of September 28, 2018, at the Navy Pier in Chicago is one of those moments for me. I want to share the emotional night I was one of three recipients awarded the Patient of Courage from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at their annual meeting, PSTM18. The Anticipation Was Worth the Wait! I received news in the spring I was the 2018 recipient of the Patient of Courage Award. I was nominated by the plastic surgeon who performed my DIEP flap breast reconstruction, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA in San Antonio. The process was a bit like waiting for Christmas, keeping the secret, enjoying all the preparation, and finally celebrating the evening. The fantastic ASPS media crew scheduled a trip to my home in Arizona mid-August to film my story in a YouTube video. Until the video Continue Reading →

Breast Cancer: Why We Choose to Be Patient Advocates

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I recently took part in an online meeting with two friends and fellow patient advocates. We met through the Project LEAD Institute program in July of 2017. Why did we apply for scholarship and attend this intensive week of the study of breast cancer biology? We all want further training to improve our advocacy knowledge base, so we could better serve our communities. The focus of our discussion at our online meeting; “Why do we choose to be patient advocates”? Kirstin, Jennifer, and I remain close friends. We talk frequently via phone chats, texts, and emails and ask each other for advice. We seek resources when we cannot find them for our community who might be in need. Opportunities for new learning, conferences to attend, and sharing new studies are just a few of the advocacy tools we share with each other to stay on top of our game. Our Continue Reading →