Tag: breast cancer

Can the Emotional Toll of Breast Cancer be Measured?

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Measured how you might ask. In number of years, you survived? Perhaps it is the impact of the treatment and how you are called to endure discomfort, pain, and loss you did not know you would experience? Measured by the times you survived breast cancer? Can the emotional toll of breast cancer be measured? 2002: The Emotional Toll I had breast cancer in 2002 for the first time. The simple description: left breast lobular carcinoma with no lymph node involvement. The emotional toll kicked in for me on three strong fronts: There is no way to describe the moment you hear the words, “You have breast cancer,” or for that matter any kind of cancer. Telling your immediate family and beginning phones calls to extended family and friends caused me to cry endlessly. I lost weight without even trying. Sitting in an oncology office in front of a stranger listening Continue Reading →

Challenges, Accomplishments, and Understanding the Worth of Being A Caregiver

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A guest blog by Richard A. Coutee I asked our oldest son to write a guest blog about his experience with both my breast cancer diagnosis and my recovery through DIEP flap surgery. I cried when I read it. He hit the mark on the challenges, accomplishments, and understanding the worth of being a caregiver. In his words… My First Challenge as a Caregiver In 2001, I was a freshman at Washington State University. I remember a chilly day in January, I was in class shortly after returning from Christmas break. The professor teaching the class that day paused when a teaching assistant came in and handed her a note. “Richard Coutee? You need to call home as soon as you can.”  I was embarrassed that I was called out in front of everyone and wondered what news was so important that it couldn’t wait for me. That’s when I Continue Reading →

How to Host a Breast Reconstruction Community Gathering

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I want to extend a note of gratitude to the members of the DiepCJourney private Facebook page for their inspiration writing this blog, how to host a breast reconstruction community gathering. For the readers, this is a community of learning, support, and sharing. I began “The Journey” Facebook group in 2015 before starting my nonprofit, DiepCFoundation. Now, this community has become an integral part of the Foundation work. I am inspired daily by their curiosity about breast reconstruction surgery, support for each other, and the friendships made along the way. You can see on the Advocacy page I recently held a community gathering of local Journey members. I want to share some tips on how to host your own breast reconstruction community gathering. Tip #1 for you Breast Reconstruction Community Gathering Ask yourself why you are having it. What purpose do you want to accomplish? It might be for the Continue Reading →

Tapping into Resilience in the New Year

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We can write down, talk about, and make all the New Year’s resolutions we want. However, what will sustain us throughout the year is our resilience and responding to situations that set us back or cause us to change direction in our lives unexpectedly. How are you going to be tapping into resilience in the New Year? When Life Events Become a Catalyst to Tap into Resilience There are distinct types of events in life that can cause us to pivot, adjust, and do our best to move forward. I am speaking about health events. A sporting accident, a catastrophic car accident, or finding you have a disease that could either take your life sooner than expected or change your life forever. These are only a few examples of life events that cause one to reexamine how they are going to deal with things moving forward. My experience dealing with Continue Reading →

Achieving Symmetry and Understanding Fat Grafting in Breast Reconstruction

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This is a summary of the video and podcast interview with Dr. Tim Matatov of Southwest Breast and Aesthetics in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Arizona area. When I see hundreds of views of a video and close to two hundred podcast downloads I also like to provide a written summary for readers to hit on all learning modalities and preferences. I will include the YouTube video of Achieving Symmetry and Understanding Fat Grafting in this blog post. You can listen to the podcast here: How Mastopexy Achieves Symmetry in Breast Reconstruction We begin with a topic that is often asked about in the breast cancer community served at DiepCFoundation, mastopexy in the setting of breast reconstruction. A mastopexy is a breast lift. Dr. Matatov points out that whether a person has a single breast reconstruction with their own tissue, and implant, or oncoplastic reconstruction, sometimes the contralateral breast will not match Continue Reading →

A Counterpoint to a Recent Breast Cancer News Article

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I want to begin by saying the overarching message of the article is hopeful and promising news in breast cancer survival. A recent report, October 23, 2023, in Penn Medicine News, announced that a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Abramson Cancer Center received a $10 million Department of Defense (DoD) grant. However, I would like to present a counterpoint to the opening statement of this recent breast cancer news article. Project LEAD Guides Me in This Counterpoint to the Article I attended NBCC’s Project LEAD in 2017 along with many other patient advocates. This program continues today training breast cancer advocates in the science, biology, and dissemination of information to the breast cancer communities we serve. I keep the well-organized, three-ring binder close at hand to this day to reference topics and sessions presented by world leading scientists and researchers Continue Reading →

Motivation to Exercise During Breast Cancer

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During my first breast cancer diagnosis in 2002 I had two surgeries, eighteen rounds of chemotherapy, and six weeks of daily radiation in a period of nine months. I was treated at MD Anderson, a world class facility known for patient care, and a commitment to cure cancer through their research and work. They provided access to many ancillary programs for breast cancer patients, including but not limited to exercise programs. I was a full hour away from the facility. Once I had my chemotherapy, I headed straight home to rest. I admit I did not have much motivation to exercise then. My blood counts, both red and white, tanked during my chemo treatments that included Adriamycin, the red devil, for one. I landed in hospital with a neutropenic fever for a few days after round three. There were days when walking from the laundry room to the TV room Continue Reading →

Wins and Losses as I Celebrate Eight Years at DiepCFoundation

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Each August that rolls around, I think of the day I received my official letter of designation from the IRS stating I was legit, a government approved 501c3 nonprofit organization. Those eight years have been filled with a variety of emotions, wins and losses as I celebrate eight years at DiepCFoundation. The Losses During my Time as Founder of DiepCFoundation The most profound losses I have experienced are the loss of friends from breast cancer. When I hear the news of friends doing poorly, of the disease taking hold and treatment options running out, it is a slow process of loss. The breast cancer community lost a fierce advocate this year, Jennifer Elliott. She, along with many of my colleagues and patient advocate friends completed project LEAD together in 2017. Our friend, Kirstin Litz, used to refer to Jenn as, “Jenn double N”! It was a beautiful day when Roberta Continue Reading →

My Book Review of “After Breast Cancer”

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I want to thank the author, Sara Liyanage, and her publishers, Sheldon Press, for sending Sara’s book, After Breast Cancer, so that I may read and review it. The name itself appeals to me. Survivorship after breast cancer is not only important but can mean many things to those of us who have gone through it. I am honored to share my book review of After Breast Cancer. From Cover to Cover a Quick Summary When I taught students how to “get to know” a book these are things that I would tell them. In every sense of the word, after I took my own advice and went through these steps myself, I was ready to dig into Sara’s book. How After Breast Cancer Speaks to so Many Did you feel as though you were free falling after finishing all your treatments? Were there days when you weren’t sure what Continue Reading →

Cancer Survivors Day 2023

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I did not title this blog “National Cancer Survivors Day” for one reason. Cancer is an international disease. How it is treated, the access to care, the stories of cancer survivors are global. We should celebrate every cancer survivor around the world, every day. I am glad there is one day set aside to honor us and bring awareness to what being a cancer survivor is. I salute all of us this year on Cancer Survivors Day 2023. Living “With a History of Cancer” Many are confused by the word ‘survivor’, but I feel this is a well-defined statement. There is a website dedicated to Cancer Survivors Day. This is the statement from their website. According to the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, administrator for the celebration, “A ‘survivor’ is anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life.” National Cancer Continue Reading →