Tag: Breast Imaging

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 →

When you Learn About Breast Cancer Diagnosis #2

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There are no easy outs when you learn about breast cancer diagnosis #2. I was diligent about scheduling my yearly mammograms and equally as diligent about doing my breast self-exams. I had my yearly physical in late January of 2014 with my primary care physician. She did not feel anything suspicious in my breasts just as I hadn’t when doing my monthly self breast exams. A couple of months later, as I was lying in bed one morning doing a self exam, I left a bit of a thickness in my left breast. I decided not to panic or jump to any conclusions for a couple of reasons. The first one, I frequented the gym and did weight training three times a week, perhaps the delusional/hopeful side of me. I feel great! It’s just all the strength training and new muscles. The second and more practical side of me, I Continue Reading →