Category: Postoperative recovery

What to Communicate with the Radiologist when Imaging the DIEP Flap Reconstructed Breast

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What to Communicate with the Radiologist when Imaging the DIEP Flap Reconstructed Breast   A Guest blog from Danielle Carroll, MD To image or not to image the reconstructed breast- that is the question…Well, actually the first question.  I am not going to tackle that topic here, but Dr. Chrysopoulo discusses this in his article “Mammograms and MRI after Reconstruction- Are They Needed?” .  However, if you decide to proceed with imaging follow-up, what is important for you to know about imaging the reconstructed breast, and how can you best convey your reconstruction status to the reading radiologist?   The reconstructed breast will undergo many changes over the first several years post reconstruction, some of which will be visible externally, some may only be seen by imaging.  The two most important pieces of information to convey to the scheduler and/or technologist are 1.  Your history of mastectomy with soft tissue Continue Reading →

DIEP flap surgery: Packing for your Hospital Stay

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DIEP flap surgery: Packing for your Hospital Stay Here is a simple list of what to pack for your hospital stay for DIEP flap surgery: First and foremost: ID, insurance card, glasses and holder or contacts and case, and any medications your physician would like you to take in hospital. This might include the ever important stool softeners, daily meds you normally take and/or your pain meds if they were ordered ahead of your surgery to take with you. Pillow ~ I brought a very soft & squishy micro bead pillow with a removable/washable cover.  This is not the exact one I had but a suggestion of something similar. Why? You will be lying on your back and I like having a pillow up next to my face to “mimic” side sleeping. It was cozy and there were times when the nurses told me it looked so comfy they were Continue Reading →

Pregnancy After DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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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 →

Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo

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Baldness During Breast Cancer & Chemo Baldness during Breast Cancer & Chemo is not an easy side affect for most women. You could walk around for weeks, months without anyone knowing you have breast cancer unless… wait for it… you’re on CHEMO, especially the type causing hair loss!!! The sight of a women who is bald is a forgone conclusion and truly screams, “I’m on chemo and have cancer!” It’s just not an easy pill to swallow, excuse the tongue in cheek. Many forms of chemo cause hair loss in women. It did for me and the brave women who volunteered to use their photos to be in this blog post. They all willingly shared their pictures for a reason. We did it to support another woman who is going through chemo as I write this blog. But, whether you have been through chemo, are currently going through chemo, or Continue Reading →

DIEP flap Recovery With Young Children at Home

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Recovery from DIEP flap breast reconstruction with young children at home is a worrisome consideration. Women are, by nature, care givers. A mother’s thoughts focus on what their physical ability will be after surgery and how they will be able to care for their children once  home and recovering. A mother leaves the house to go to reconstructive surgery and her children see her in a healthy, active state. When she returns home from surgery she will physically be weaker, perhaps a bit hunched over from the abdominal incision and will be very cautious about having children sit on her lap, lift them, hug them or snuggle with them like she used to before surgery. Moms are active and engaged with young children, bending, stooping, lifting and twisting; all activities that must be adjusted after DIEP flap surgery. I have taught young children for many years and know that speaking Continue Reading →

One Year Post DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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One Year Post DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction I am now one year post DIEP flap breast reconstruction. I was finalizing my surgical prep exactly one year ago today as I write this blog. My surgery was the morning of December 1, 2014.  So how am I doing now? How does my body feel? Do I have any regrets? Would I suggest having DIEP flap surgery to other women? Was I truly able to “just get on with it”? I’m doing just splendidly! I honestly believe I’m doing quite well, in fact splendidly, and enjoying many benefits from having DIEP flap surgery after a second breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy. I want the reader to know so you have hope. I opened my social media accounts today before I began writing this blog post. I read a statement from a woman who was just going in for her DIEP flap Continue Reading →

Benefits of Exercise after Breast Cancer

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Benefits of Exercise after Breast Cancer It is #WorkoutWednesday and I’d like to share a comprehensive video from John’s Hopkins Medicine on the benefits of exercise after Breast Cancer. Take ten minutes out of your day to view it and then I encourage you to move at your pace and ability to improve your health. Cancer diagnosis, treatments, surgery as well as breast reconstruction surgery take a lot out of our bodies. We may have gone into either of these situations being very healthy. I often hear this from other women. This is definitely to your benefit and will help with recovery. However, after treatments and surgery you are then left to pick up the pieces from the assault on your body. Where do you move forward from there? Whether you are walking, running, dancing, doing Pilates, yoga or another form of movement, know that you are providing great benefits Continue Reading →

Fears of Breast Cancer Recurrence

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Fears of Breast Cancer Recurrence Fears of breast cancer recurrence are palpable for anyone who has been diagnosed with this disease we have yet to find a cure for.  We each handle the fear differently. I had a recurrence.  I’d like to share my own experience, how I faced those fears, and how I dealt with them. As an educator for many years, I have seen the differences in personalities both in students and parents when it comes to handling what is seemingly the simplest of fears. What is catastrophic to one is barely a blip on the radar to another. There are those in life who are simply more fragile than others.  Differences in dealing with this fear of recurrence must not be judged or become fodder for accusations when we don’t always appreciate the circumstances behind. “How Do You Always Stay Positive?” Friends, relatives and family who have so Continue Reading →

Heart Healthy Hump Day Meals

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Here are some heart Healthy Hump Day Meals worth sharing. Many who read this blog are also interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I’ve decided to post a couple of quick, easy dishes that I’ve tried and enjoyed. I recently visited with a registered dietitian at the local Cancer Center. This is a service that is provided free to patients. She emphasized the importance of a healthy, balanced diet and we went over my current food choices and exercise routine. So today’s blog will be a fun share of a couple of those tasty dishes that are packed with nutrients but don’t take a lot of time to prepare. I think that time stops many of us from preparing fresh, whole foods. It’s easy to open a box and stir in some processed ingredients. Shopping, chopping and preparing fresh foods can take longer so I hope these recipes and the Continue Reading →

My Boobs in a Box

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My Boobs in a Box, also known as my breast prosthesis, were something that I wore for seven months after my double mastectomy. I’ll admit that I didn’t like them so perhaps that accounts for my snarky description. They were hot and heavy during the summer months I had to wear them. My breast surgeon wrote a prescription for the prosthesis and I was fitted for them within a few weeks after having my mastectomy. I’ll admit that was a strange day for me. I went to a prosthetic shop where they fit patients for a variety of prosthesis for a variety of reasons. There were amputees without arms or legs in the waiting area. Then there was me; the hidden amputee. No one could see the body parts I was missing or why I was there to be fitted for a prosthetic bra. I carefully camouflaged my then flat Continue Reading →