Tag: Breast Reconstruction

The Gifts We Know Mean so Much after Breast Reconstruction

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Each weekday morning, I wake up, fix coffee, and sit at the computer in my office. I open Facebook and read the comments on the DiepCjourney private page I started and admin. Questions are answered, members share resources, and it  feels like a warm place to start my morning. Recently, I posted this infographic asking members, “What would you add to this list”? These are the gifts we know mean so much after breast reconstruction. Insights for Gifts from the Heart after Breast Reconstruction Surgery These ideas are taken directly from the comments members of the Journey willingly shared. They showed extreme gratitude for those who gave their time and treasure to these ladies when they were recovering from surgery and undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Listened, listened, listened. Have space for all the feelings. The best gift I got from people was grace…grace for forgotten meetings, grace for bad Continue Reading →

Episode 2: Sexual Health Needs After Cancer

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Dr. Don Dizon is our guest on season 2, Episode 2: Sexual Health Needs After Cancer, of the DiepCJourney podcast. What are we discussing? Sexual health needs after cancer, a topic patients often have to bring up themselves to discuss with health care providers. Dr. Dizon tells us why this is the case and empowers patients with information to talk about this with specialists in cancer care regarding sexual health needs after cancer.  Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO is Director of the Pelvic Malignancies Program and Founder of the Oncology Sexual Health First Responders Program, Lifespan Cancer Institute. He is the director of medical oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. Be sure to check out the DiepCFoundation YouTube video on the same topic with Dr. Dizon. What is the Definition of Sexual Health Needs After Cancer? I begin by recognizing the topic of sexual health is not often spoken about in clinic. Continue Reading →

The Intersection of Research and Decision for Breast Reconstruction

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One day your life is humming along as usual. Work, children, family, friends, school, house cleaning, errands, vacation, cooking, on and on. Then out of nowhere you hear the news that feels like a gut punch. “You have breast cancer.” Perhaps you get genetic test results back and you find out you have a genetic mutation putting you at high risk of getting breast cancer. You are thrust into a new role finding out all you can about your diagnosis. Will I be facing a mastectomy or choose a mastectomy for my treatment? When will the intersection of research and decision for breast reconstruction occur? The Research Process Why am I writing about this? I agonized over this part of my breast cancer diagnosis when I was told my best choice for my long-term survival was a double mastectomy. It was my second diagnosis and now in both breasts vs. Continue Reading →

Function and Management of Breast Reconstruction Drains

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The DiepCJourney Facebook group has members from all over the world. The purpose of the group is to nurture an ongoing learning community with people affected by breast cancer and those who serve breast cancer patients. A request was made to make a video about surgical drains. It is not a favorite part of recover but certainly necessary. I sat down with Dr. Randall Feingold of NYBRA, New York Breast and Reconstruction and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to discuss the function and management of breast reconstruction drains. Why Drains Are Placed at the Surgical Sites I start off the conversation by sharing my own experience with drains for my double mastectomy and DIEP flap. The general consensus from patients is that drains are not something that anyone likes. I feel when patients understand why they are being used, they become a bit more tolerable, especially knowing they are a short-term part Continue Reading →

Time to Consider Things While in Isolation

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I have been fortunate not to have been affected by the Corona virus… until this week. The statement itself poses something of a paradox, “not to have been affected by the Corona virus.”  Our global population has been affected by this since the pandemic began in ways unthinkable, unimaginable. I felt the physical affects this week after testing positive. I have had time to consider things while in isolation. Perspective and the Regrettable Necessities of Life I am on the mend, thankfully. It feels a bit odd to write about this publicly after keeping it on the down low all week. Especially given the other world tragedies we are dealing with and as the pandemic numbers increase… again. Perspective! Folks are pent up, tired, weary of dealing with the isolation. Having celebrated a few trips around the sun, birthdays, and feeling fortunate to recuperate in the care of my mom’s Continue Reading →

A Celebration of 10K Breast Reconstruction Flaps

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On May 21, 2022, I will be back in San Antonio, Texas for a celebration of 10K breast reconstruction flaps. This event is put together by the plastic surgery group who did my DIEP flap surgery in December of 2014. This day holds great significance for me. I am grateful to PRMA for their fantastic efforts and support putting this 10K race together to celebrate the 10K flap surgeries they have performed for those affected by breast cancer. Thank you to the sponsors who are generously supporting this race. Honoring All the Patients Who Have Chosen Flap Surgery The 10K breast reconstruction flaps race is being held in San Antonio. The real honor goes to ladies across the world who have chosen or are planning flap surgery after being affected by breast cancer and losing their breasts to the disease. Over the years since I started my nonprofit organization, DiepCFoundation, Continue Reading →

Can We Drive Change in Breast Sensation Through Webinar Attendance?

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We have become accustomed to attending online webinars. One I have watched from inception is the iBreastBook webinars. It was designed by oncoplastic breast surgeon Yazan Masannat. He is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. I continually learn from these webinars and appreciate the global presence of presenters and attendees. Yazan is driving change in breast surgery by exploring the latest surgical techniques in breast surgery in these online learning opportunities. The most recent one I attended I ask myself; can we drive change in breast sensation through webinar attendance?” Why is Driving Change in Breast Sensation Important to Me? The title of the webinar I am commenting on is, Mastectomy: What is New. The presenters were an impressive group of international surgeons in breast surgery. They are as follows: I am a patient who has experienced successful return of sensation to my breasts after DIEP flap breast reconstruction. It is equally Continue Reading →

Episode 19: Delayed and Revision Breast Reconstruction

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Dr. David Light, MD, of NYBRA Plastic Surgery, is a board certified, fellowship trained plastic surgeon with a dual practice focused on breast reconstruction and aesthetic surgery. Our topic on Episode 19: delayed and revision breast reconstruction. Here is the summary of our conversation on the DiepCJourney podcast. Telemedicine for Delayed and Revision Breast Reconstruction Dr. Light performs over three hundred primary and revision breast surgeries per year. Besides DIEPflap, he also performs other microsurgical specialty flaps for breast reconstruction including the SIEA, PAP, LTP, and GAP flap. His practice also includes implant-based breast reconstruction. Microsurgery is a unique subspecialty of plastic surgery requiring further training. It involves anastomosis or tying together of blood vessels among other skills. For this reason, access  to microsurgeons is limited across the U. S. Many patients must travel to have autologous breast reconstruction, reconstruction using your own tissue with a blood source. Microsurgeons have Continue Reading →

Fatigued by Being Affected by Breast Cancer?

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People are affected by breast cancer in many ways. A person diagnosed can be fatigued from treatments. Some effects may seem short-term after finishing chemotherapy, radiation, or having surgery. Those in the metastatic breast cancer community have life-long effects they face for the remainder of their lives. I am speaking of the long-term effects of fatigue and being affected by breast cancer in both of these groups. The Fatigue that Effects Daily Living        Fatigue from breast cancer can come in many forms. You may feel physically fatigued from having surgery or undergoing treatment. It disrupts your body’s system causing it to work overtime during the healing process. As you sit in your chair feeling this way, you may become sad, feeling helpless, as you watch others trying to take care of you when perhaps a week or month before surgery or treatment you were the one taking care of others. Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Nipple Tattoo Artistry Experience

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This story is about three friends in vastly separate places in their lives, uniquely connected through the breast cancer experience, and a narrative of a breast reconstruction nipple tattoo artistry experience. Whitney’s Breast Reconstruction Story I met Whitney in 2019 shortly after moving back to Seattle. Our past connections are uncanny. We remain friends and the story behind how it came to be still warms my heart. You can read more about it in this blog and how Whitney’s genetic mutation for ATM and CHEK2 put her at high risk for getting breast cancer. She completed her breast reconstruction Journey traveling to San Antonio having her DIEP flap performed at PRMA. Whitney communicated with me while she was in Texas revealing how pleased she was with her surgery. My heart was happy to hear about support from her husband and other Journey members living in the San Antonia area. Because Continue Reading →