Tag: Breast Reconstruction

The Woman Behind the Mask: Coronavirus

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This is the third week I am writing my weekly blog on the topic of the coronavirus. The rapidly evolving events of this global pandemic have caused staggering changes in statistics. We seem to grapple daily with how to deal with the spread of the virus. Wearing a face mask was the most visible symbol coming out of Wuhan, China where the coronavirus began in late December. At the beginning of March here in America, the consensus was not to wear a mask in public. Now in the first days of April, a month later, we are seeing a flood of masks being worn in America. A movement has begun to make homemade masks. This blog is dedicated to a friend, the woman behind the mask, and why she began making them during the coronavirus. Why We Transitioned from No Mask to Wearing Masks During the Coronovirus The growth of Continue Reading →

A Community of Strength Through the Coronavirus Outbreak

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I continue to keep up with the evolving changes as each day passes and numbers, plans, surgeries, and lives change due to the coronavirus outbreak. I think it’s fair to say we are called on to change in ways none of us are prepared for. Here is what happened in the past week and what I am grateful for, sad about, and what I have witnessed firsthand in the breast reconstruction community, a community of strength through the coronavirus outbreak. Breast Reconstruction Surgeries Cancelled During the Coronavirus I spent a great deal of time planning for my DIEP flap surgery in the fall of 2014. I traveled for my breast reconstruction. I had to arrange flights for myself and my husband. Asking friends and family to take off work or come to help was a tough one for me. Then there was the anticipation. Oh, the anticipation! All of that Continue Reading →

DiepCJourney Celebrating Five Years in Unprecedented Times

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Five years ago, on March 17, 2015, I published my first blog for DiepCJourney.com. I felt excited and anxious. Today, on March 17, 2020, those feelings, excitement and being anxious manifest themselves in a completely different way. We are at the tip of the iceberg in the United States as we grapple with how to deal with a global pandemic, the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak. This blog will be marked as a time capsule. I had no idea DiepCJourney would be celebrating five years in unprecedented times. I had an idea what I might write in this blog as 2020 rolled around knowing it was the fifth anniversary year. But now things have changed. I want to share my concerns and gratitude to all of the amazing readers over the past five years. My Concerns for Readers of DiepCJourney at this Unprecedented Time The blog continues to grow and evolve. What Continue Reading →

Can Sensation be Restored to the Breast after Mastectomy?

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At a meeting of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), I had the opportunity to interview Dr. James Craigie from the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction in Charleston, S.C. for this important discussion on restoring sensation to the breast after mastectomy. This is done during breast reconstruction surgery. Women undergoing DIEP flap breast reconstruction frequently ask me, “Can sensation be restored to the breast after mastectomy?” The short answer is yes, it can. However, not all plastic surgeons perform this procedure. In fact, it is done by surgeons trained in a sub-specialty of plastic surgery called microsurgery. Microsurgery requires advanced skills involving the art and science of connecting nerves and blood vessels under high powered microscopes. It takes the trained eye of a microsurgeon to perform nerve reconstruction. What Type of Breast Reconstruction Can Restore Sensation? Dr. Craigie explains that “natural breast reconstruction” involves using the patients own tissue. Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Photo Sharing: Should We?

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This is a multifaceted question with a range of answers. I face this question a lot. Those who are considering breast reconstruction want to know what their post-surgery body and breasts will look like. I know I did. There are a variety of situations those affected by breast cancer are portrayed in media and photography. I want to share my personal thoughts, tell you a touching story, and consider the answer to the title of this blog, “Breast Reconstruction Photo Sharing: Should We?” Public Breast Reconstruction Photo Sharing The media and those in business have an end result, to reach a wide audience and to draw them in. This is often done through artistic and visual enticement. There is a certain curiosity and arousal that is the end goal to draw people into an article, event, photo, or social media post. I understand the business aspect of this, but I Continue Reading →

Why I Can’t Wait for the New Decade in Breast Reconstruction

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We have sent best wishes for the New Year to our social media friends. This year ushered in a new decade. Many of us wonder how things will change in the next ten years. This blog may be my time capsule for the upcoming decade. I would like to check back in 2030 to see what items in this blog will change and improve and why I can’t wait for the new decade in Breast Reconstruction. A New Decade of Shared Decision Making in Breast Reconstruction The topic of shared decision-making is at the top of my list. The practice of shared decision-making with the plastic surgeon who performed my DIEP flap is what made my breast reconstruction so successful. I see progress! Dr. Chrysopoulo developed a decision making tool, the Breast Advocate app, this past decade to give patients a voice in their decision making with their health care Continue Reading →

Breast Cancer: When All is not Merry and Bright

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I do believe remaining positive is an integral part of breast cancer survivor-ship and healing. I hear others say it frequently. However, there are times when all that encompasses this disease as a patient advocate sucks you under. Perhaps it is the short days as the Winter Solstice arrives. The long winter nights glow with holiday lights. At the same time, the events of this month have made me realize with breast cancer, not all is merry and bright. Metastatic Breast Cancer I have spoken with too many friends this month who are stage four metastatic. Some attended the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium despite their exhaustion from treatments. They went to make a difference as patient advocates. Even though I didn’t attend this year, it is a grueling conference when you are feeling good. I can only imagine they must have collapsed into their hotel beds at the end Continue Reading →

A Simple Note of Gratitude

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I was raised to have a grateful heart. I have come to appreciate this value my parents taught me. They modeled the importance of expressing gratitude frequently with friends, family, and even strangers. Mom and Dad always said gratitude should be given freely from the heart, expecting nothing in return. I dedicate this blog to an individual I have known for five years. I encourage the reader to take the time to acknowledge those in your life who have made a difference, large or small, either publicly or privately with a simple note of gratitude from your heart. Moments in life are sweet and precious, tenuous and unpredictable. We don’t always know the direction our lives will take. There are the planners and the gypsies. I have always considered myself a planner with a bit of gypsy spirit. A plan I put in place in 2014 was to complete my Continue Reading →

Nutrition and Diet after DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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Are you more aware of your nutrition and diet after DIEP flap breast reconstruction? I certainly am and I hear the same from many women. When breast cancer is the driving reason behind having this intricate surgery, it is little wonder nutrition and diet become a focus for so many. At the same time, I hear a lot of inquiry about what is the best way to eat a healthy nutritious diet after breast reconstruction.  The one factor that changes this is the “tightening down” of the tummy during this surgery. With the tummy tissue being used to reconstruct the breast, the tummy area is pulled down similar to a tummy tuck. Many women talk about the feeling of having less room, filling up quicker, and feeling like they can’t eat as much after DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Where do your Food Values about Nutrition and Diet come from? The Continue Reading →

DiepC Journey Facebook Group Hit 4,000 Members!

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DiepC Journey Facebook Group Hit 4,000 Members! Facebook members on DiepC Journey, Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy, can be very active in the evenings. This happens when members have some alone time after dinner, work, and putting the children to bed. I hopped on last night. I noticed a lot of activity and questions being asked. Then something incredible happened. I looked at the number of members as I approved some new requests to join. I was a bit shocked to find out the Journey hit 4,000 members. DiepC Journey Facebook Group and 4,000 Members Around the Globe I am in awe of this group because it is specific to breast reconstruction after mastectomy. That is our common bond. On World Kindness Day I asked members to check in to tell each other where they were from. This group continues to practice kindness toward each other in unexpected ways. They checked Continue Reading →