Tag: Breast Cancer Patient Education Act

Patient Advocacy at Plastic Surgery the Meeting

Posted on by

Preparations begin for the fourth year in a row for me to attend PSTM, Plastic Surgery the Meeting in San Diego. This is the annual national conference of plastic surgeons both nationally and internationally to present the latest in plastic surgery techniques. It includes all aspects of plastic surgery, including aesthetic and reconstructive practices. My patient advocacy at Plastic Surgery the Meeting will focus on breast reconstruction. The Value of Social Media and Patient Advocacy at Plastic Surgery the Meeting The first year I attended I was the tenderfoot, the novice, wandering the expansive convention center in downtown Los Angeles not even knowing the layout, what sessions I could attend, or the flow of the conference. I opened my nonprofit, DIEPCFoundation.org the month before I attended my first PSTM in September of 2016. Many attendees did not know who I was. However, they recognized me because of my presence on Continue Reading →

This is What Happens through DIEP flap Connections

Posted on by

Education about breast reconstruction options after breast cancer and mastectomy: This is what happens through DIEP flap connections. Two women living in two different parts of the country, one surgeon, a plastic surgery team, and a desire by all to educate and inform! I traveled to have my DIEP flap breast reconstruction in December of 2014 at PRMA in San Antonio, Texas. I was connected to another woman, Rhonda, now a “breast friend”, through PRMA when she became interested in DIEP flap. I was part of the Pink Ladies Support Group at PRMA.  This group speaks to other women about their own experience and traveling to have DIEP flap. Rhonda, like me, was interested in booking her surgery with Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo. I received the following email the morning of January 25, 2016. Hey gals!  Dr. C has an out of state patient named Rhonda who will be coming here 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 →

Breast Cancer Patient Education Act Passes into Law

Posted on by

Breast Cancer Patient Education Act Passes into Law Today, December 18, 2015, the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act was passed into law by Congress. It is truly difficult for me to contain my enthusiasm. This bill will work to educate and inform other women about their breast reconstruction options.  They will have the same advantage that I did at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. I was fortunate that I was told about my reconstruction options by my skilled breast surgeon, Dr. Michele Ley, the day of my diagnosis. I soon came to find out through research and talking to many women that they are not given this information. They did not know about the options available to them to rebuild their body, restore their confidence and move on with life after hearing they had breast cancer or carried the BRCA gene mutation. It has been exactly one year Continue Reading →

Breast Cancer Patient Education Act of 2015

Posted on by

The Breast Cancer Patient Education Act of 2015:  Re-introduced May 5, 2015. As stated on the Congress.Gov website: Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to provide for the planning and implementation of an education campaign to inform breast cancer patients anticipating surgery about the availability and coverage of breast reconstruction, prostheses, and other options, with a focus on informing patients who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups. To the Members of the 114th Congress of the United States: Close to 12% of women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. 2015 alone will bring an estimated 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer. According to statistics from Breast cancer.org 60,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. Surprisingly, and a little known fact, there will be approximately 2,350 new cases of invasive breast Continue Reading →