Category: Emotional Recovery

Your spouse/partner; telling your children; telling your parents and siblings; reaching out to friends; friends who latch on for the drams of it all; when to ask for help; how to be grateful for help

The Elusive Nipple Solution After Breast Cancer Surgery

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For many of us going through breast cancer, by the time we get through diagnosis, surgery, treatment and breast reconstruction, we have an eager anticipation of the final step of getting nipples to help us feel whole and complete. It seems like it should be simple, but often it drags on and on without a satisfactory solution.  Surgical nipples flatten, tattoos fade, prosthetics fall off. I was really fortunate. After my unilateral mastectomy in 2007, while I was still in the breast reconstruction process, my innovative husband was inspired by my plastic surgeon to develop a silicone nipple-areola for me. What a gift! It makes me feel so joyful to look in the mirror after showering or while dressing and see the symmetry of two nipples. It eases some of the sting of what breast cancer has taken from me as a woman.    My Husband & I had no Continue Reading →

Five of My Favorite Gift Ideas from a Patient Advocate

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There are a variety of celebrations across the globe as the year ends. Holidays, giving, tangible gifts! We love to wrap packages in pretty bows and paper to give to family and friends. I want to talk about the intangible gifts of the holidays. The gifts that are in our hearts. Gifts not always easy to find or give. Perhaps this is my reflection on the gifts I have received from so many this past year. What are my five favorite gift ideas from a patient advocate? The Gift of Compassion Whether you have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer or are considering breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the gift of compassion is priceless. The most well-meaning friends and family can say comments we don’t always appreciate. The truth is, friends and family do not always know what to say. What can you do? Hold a hand if you are with Continue Reading →

Managing Breast Reconstruction and Breast Surgery During the Holidays

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Many of us are preparing our homes and making travel plans in December. It is a gathering time for friends and family for many of us. However, there are those who will be managing breast reconstruction and breast surgery during the holidays. I had my DIEP flap breast reconstruction in early December and was one of those patients. Here are my tips on managing breast reconstruction and breast surgery during the holidays. Breast Cancer does not take a Holiday I do not think anyone intentionally plans to have any type of breast reconstruction and breast surgery, especially this time of year. I certainly did not. Breast cancer does not take a holiday, nor does it take anyone’s plans into consideration. In fact, it disrupts the lives of those diagnosed and going through treatments and surgery during this time of year. Recently diagnosed breast cancer patients have doctors’ appointments, pre-surgical tests, and Continue Reading →

How to Care for the Caregiver During Your Breast Reconstruction

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How did you care for your own caregiver during your breast reconstruction? Sound a bit strange when everyone is supposed to be caring for you? Whether you choose to have autologous (using your own tissue) or implant-based breast reconstruction, you will need caregivers to help with the following at the very least. Taking you to hospital and staying in communication with the surgical team until you are back in your room to recover. Driving you home, fixing meals, driving, and performing general household responsibilities. Patients voice concerns about their own caregivers for their breast reconstruction surgery. I want to share some tips from my own DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. I will also share suggestions discussed on The Journey Facebook group. These gals have some helpful hints based on their own experience. Should a Caregiver Remain at the Hospital All Day for Your DIEP Flap? Spending long hours waiting in Continue Reading →

The Role of Caregiver in Breast Reconstruction: Expectations vs. Reality

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The Role of Caregiver in Breast Reconstruction: Expectations vs. Reality I am honored to present my son, Rich, and the plastic surgeon, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, who performed my DIEP flap breast reconstruction. The video in this blog is a great conversation between the two men. We sat down together recently at Plastic Surgery the Meeting 2018, in Chicago. The two men had never met before the conference. But, they felt they knew enough about each other to have a very comfortable conversation regarding the role of care giver in breast reconstruction. The Caregiver Meets the Surgeon I planned a surprise meeting of these two gentlemen the evening we arrived in Chicago for the conference. I walked into a restaurant we arranged to meet at for dinner and Rich waited around the corner in order to surprise Dr. C. I went in first to greet Dr. C and give him a Continue Reading →

Reflecting on the Pink of October and Breast Cancer

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October and the color pink have been symbolic of breast cancer for many years. It is a color both embraced for its meaning and at the same time despised by what many consider over use and misuse. I understand since I have survived breast cancer twice myself. This year brings me to a personal point of reflection on the pink of October and breast cancer. It has been one of the most rigorous months I’ve experienced in quite some time; mixed with emotions of gratitude, anticipation, new friendships, farewells, sadness, and letting go. The Shared Decision Making Panel at #PSTM18 It began with one of the proudest moments of my professional career as I sat on a panel with my breast reconstruction surgeon, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, a dear friend and patient advocate colleague, Kirstin Litz, and a new friend Dr. Hani Sbitany speaking about the importance of shared decision making Continue Reading →

1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction

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Three short years ago in the summer of 2015, I opened a Facebook page dedicated to serve the breast reconstruction community. The Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/diepcjourney/ grew organically by word of mouth. We started out small, as so many new social media sites do. It is growing daily and now 1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction. What Do We Share? Think about this. You have just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Now you face the tsunami of information about to flood your brain; lab reports and waiting on results, treatment options, surgery, lumpectomy, mastectomy. Some days you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or even jubilant. Who will understand all these feelings? Who do I talk to who has been on this Journey? Think about this. You are told your best treatment option is to have a mastectomy. Perhaps, for peace of mind, you decide to have a prophylactic mastectomy because you Continue Reading →

Who Inspires You as a Breast Cancer Survivor?

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There are endless topics to write about when you blog as a two-time cancer survivor. Most weeks are planned topics, some topics are fun, and then there are delightful moments in your week leading to an unanticipated topic. You are inspired, and you know what the topic of your blog will be for the week. Who inspires you as a breast cancer survivor? This week it was my two friends, Jim, and Sean, who I met in my Livestrong class at the local YMCA. Both men have survived brain cancer. Both men endured physical impairment and fought to make a comeback to their now “new normal” life. I was at the gym doing my weekly workout. I had completed my cardio on the elliptical machine. I was finishing on weights. I do weights three to four times a week. The prescription I am on to keep my cancer at bay Continue Reading →

Why are We Spending So Much Time with Insurance Calls?

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I truly believe this is a question both patients and physicians ask themselves quite frequently; Why are we spending so much time on insurance calls? This week alone, I spent upwards of three hours battling my insurance company to reinstate a medication that has proven to work for me for the past four years and suddenly is no longer covered by them. I found this out at my oncologist’s office recently when I went in to get my Prolia injection. Since my second breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 I have successfully, with little or no side effects, taken this injection to prevent bone loss from the medication I am on, AI, to prevent my cancer from recurring. One of the side effects of the AI is bone loss and why I was prescribed Prolia. The Prolia was working! I was even on their Patient Co-Pay Program greatly reducing my out-of-pocket Continue Reading →

What Do Breast Cancer and BRCA Friends Share in Common?

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I know that Heather Barnard and I share a lot in common! We are both educators. Breast cancer has affected Heather and me. Heather and I have had a mastectomy. Heather and I had breast reconstruction. We both write blogs about our breast reconstruction experience. Finally, and most coincidentally, we had the same plastic surgeon perform our breast reconstruction. What makes our friendship unique? We have never met in person. Heather and I live over 9,000 miles apart. Our shared commonalities, however, have bridged those miles and made us friends. Her Twitter handle says it all, @expattravelmom. She teaches in Singapore and in her off time travels extensively with her husband and three great children. I had my DIEP flap breast reconstruction in December of 2014. Heather had a prophylactic mastectomy with immediate implant breast reconstruction in June of 2015. Dr. Chrysopoulo was our connection. Heather would message me asking Continue Reading →