Body Image After Mastectomy

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Terri

Body Image After a Mastectomy Body image after mastectomy is difficult for many women. I went through this myself after a bilateral double mastectomy. It is my own definition but I define women who live with mastectomies, “hidden amputees”. No one sees you are missing body parts when you wear prosthesis. No one feels what you feel each time you see a reflection of yourself in the mirror or try to pick out something to make you look feminine or sexy when you want to step out for a social event. Nor does anyone truly understand the desire to just magically want the clock to turn back before you had to have your breasts removed due to cancer; no one except you. What was your personal choice? How did a mastectomy change your body image and how have you dealt with it? Did you decide to have reconstruction, wear prosthesis, Continue Reading →

Exercise After Breast Reconstruction Surgery

Posted on July 5, 2015 by Terri

Going in DIEP! Exercise after breast reconstruction surgery is a tricky game. You must clear it with your plastic surgeon. Your incisions must be completely healed so that you do not compromise the healing process. One question I asked my PS, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA at my pre-op appointment before the final phase of my reconstruction was when I could get back to swimming. We have a pool in our backyard and I felt it would be good rehab as a post-surgical exercise. His answer, “When you are ready and when the wounds are all healed”. New Sensations and Healing I’ve been working up to this moment today. I emailed the nurse at my plastic surgeon’s office a couple of weeks ago and told her I was feeling some interesting and strange new sensations in my breasts. I couldn’t really put the feelings into words but I think she Continue Reading →

Infusion Therapy: Facing your Fears

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Terri

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 →

Bilateral Prophylactic Mastectomy

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Terri

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

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Terri

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 →

Surgical Drains

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Terri

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 →

How Has Breast Cancer Changed You?

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Terri

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 →

National Dance Day

Video

The last Saturday in July is observed as National Dance Day . It has been set aside as the day honoring the benefits of dance to everyone.

Dancing is not only the performance of art but also the way to show people personalities as well as to help people raise their mood and improve their health.

Dancing is an integral part of my life. When I was growing up my parents would frequently put their favorite vinyl records on the turn table and along with my two sisters we would dance to favorite show tunes and legendary crooners like Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and others.

The Wedding Dances

When our oldest son was married, I was polite and enjoyed mingling and meeting all the guests at the wedding until…. The music started. Then I never left the dance floor and danced with anyone who was next to me. It wasn’t much different at the weddings for my godson and nieces. In fact, the song I chose in the YouTube video below is the song that my niece and I have long dubbed, “our song”, because when it comes on, I look at her and together we sing, “I love you, I love you, I love you!” She played it at her wedding and the two of us went out to the dance floor and rocked out together.

Carpe Diem and the Power of Music

Fun-day Friday Dance

It only seemed appropriate then to celebrate the final phase of my breast reconstruction with a dance. Here is what took place that Fun-day Friday just minutes before my breast reconstruction surgery. I don’t know who is lucky enough to have a micro-surgeon with such compassion and such a great sense of humor to embrace and honor my request to do this. It was not an easy task and I’m not suggesting anyone do the same thing. There is an element of safety that we had to work around. I truly thought I’d be up dancing with the team but due to safety concerns, understandably, I had to remain on the surgical bed. Just watch my feet as I can hardly stand it that I’m not on the floor with them doing the “sprinkler” or shaking my booty with them. Thanks to the great surgical team, too, for joining in. You are all the best! I do think it elevated all of our moods that morning and certainly brought out each individual personality. Enjoy, and if the music so moves you…. Get up and dance!

Happy National Dance Day!

DIEP flap Surgery Phase 1, Returning Home

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Terri

There are several steps and preparations to be made for DIEP flap surgery, phase 1. We spend a lot of time preparing for the actual surgery but it is important to think about what it will be like when you return home. I will share my own personal experience and give you some helpful hints and preparations if this is the type of reconstruction you have chosen and what I did after DIEP flap surgery, phase 1, and returning home. Protect the Work of Art It does not matter if you travel to have your reconstruction, as I did, or if you will be having it done in the same town that you live in. You are going to need support from either friends or family when you return home from the hospital after your surgery. Remember, you are going to have an abdominal incision that runs from hip bone Continue Reading →

Healing Scars

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Terri

Healing Scars Healing scars after any surgery is a frequently discussed topic for those of us who have been through it. The word scar derives from the Greek eskhara, scab. In the present day English language it can be both a noun and a verb. Noun – a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed. Verb – a lasting effect of grief, fear, or other emotion left on a person’s character by a traumatic experience Scar – Noun The first definition, a noun, describes fibrous, connective tissue developing. When you think about it in those terms it implies building and getting stronger, fibrous/connective. I still have very young scars from the three surgeries that I have had this past year. The mastectomy scars were the first of those three surgeries. The scars Continue Reading →