Tag: DIEP flap surgery

The Days Before Breast Reconstruction Surgery

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The days before Phase 1 of DIEP flap or any breast reconstruction surgery puts many women I’ve spoken with through mental gymnastics , present company included. You have arranged for child-care if you have children at home. If you are traveling for your reconstruction surgery and your children will be traveling with you, chances are you’ve scoped out child-friendly venues in the area. This will help their care-taker keep them occupied while you recover in hospital. You have packed your bags. You probably thoroughly cleaned your home knowing it will not be done, at least by you, for a bit. All of the incidentals are what keeps you busy and occupied before you leave. These are all good things. Mental Clearance Sale ~ Everything Must Go! Whether traveling out of town for your surgery or having it done in the same town you live in I suggest getting those “ducks Continue Reading →

How Has Breast Cancer Changed You?

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Cancer: Connections & Catalyst Many articles and questions are posed:   “How has breast cancer changed you?” Here is one example  from the About Health website, just one from a myriad of articles published after doing a quick search on the topic. I think it’s fair to ask that question to anyone in any phase of life. How has the news of the day changed you? How has having children changed you? How has visiting a foreign country changed you? How has being married changed you? How has being divorced changed you? How has changing your hair color changed you? How has losing weight changed you? How has becoming a vegan changed you? Blah, blah, blah and on and on…… Individuals and Change Individuals are affected by events in life in either very positive ways or extremely negative ways.  So OK!! We’re all individuals and I get it.  My feeling Continue Reading →

National Dance Day

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The last Saturday in July is observed as National Dance Day .  It has been set aside as the day honoring the benefits of dance to everyone.

Dancing is not only the performance of art but also the way to show people personalities as well as to help people raise their mood and improve their health.

Dancing is an integral part of my life. When I was growing up my parents would frequently put their favorite vinyl records on the turn table and along with my two sisters we would dance to favorite show tunes and legendary crooners like Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and others.

The Wedding Dances

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When our oldest son was married, I was polite and enjoyed mingling and meeting all the guests at the wedding until…. The music started. Then I never left the dance floor and danced with anyone who was next to me. It wasn’t much different at the weddings for my godson and nieces.  In fact, the song I chose in the YouTube video below is the song that my niece and I have long dubbed, “our song”, because when it comes on, I look at her and together we sing, “I love you, I love you, I love you!”  She played it at her wedding and the two of us went out to the dance floor and rocked out together.

Carpe Diem and the Power of Music

Fun-day Friday Dance

It only seemed appropriate then to celebrate the final phase of my breast reconstruction with a dance. Here is what took place that Fun-day Friday just minutes before my breast reconstruction surgery.  I don’t know who is lucky enough to have a micro-surgeon with such compassion and such a great sense of humor to embrace and honor my request to do this.  It was not an easy task and I’m not suggesting anyone do the same thing.  There is an element of safety that we had to work around.  I truly thought I’d be up dancing with the team but due to safety concerns, understandably, I had to remain on the surgical bed.  Just watch my feet as I can hardly stand it that I’m not on the floor with them doing the “sprinkler” or shaking my booty with them.  Thanks to the great surgical team, too, for joining in.  You are all the best!  I do think it elevated all of our moods that morning and certainly brought out each individual personality.  Enjoy, and if the music so moves you…. Get up and dance!

Happy National Dance Day!

Traveling for DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

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My Journey traveling over 800 miles for DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery took planning a preparation. Many people, including healthcare providers have asked me, “Why did you travel  to San Antonio, TX for your DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery and what is it like to travel? To answer the first question, I feel I found the best micro-surgeon in the country to perform my DIEP flap procedure.  This is a highly complex surgery successfully performed by few surgeons across the United States.  Many women have to travel to have this surgery performed because of the few number of skilled plastic surgeons who specialize in autologous, microsurgery, breast reconstruction. I stand firm in my conviction, the group at PRMA in San Antonio are eight of the finest micro-surgeons in the United States. I want other women to know where the great surgeons are across the country.  The answer to the second question Continue Reading →

Choosing Your Breast Reconstruction Surgeon ~

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A Fortunate Collaboration This is the first and most important step in your breast reconstruction process. So many have asked me, “Where did you find your doctor and why did you travel over 800 miles to San Antonio to have reconstruction?” This is a difficult post for me to write. Although I’d like everyone to have the same experience I did with my amazingly skilled and compassionate microsurgeon, I know there are other skilled surgeons across the U.S. as well as the world who are geographically closer to those who choose breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Not all roads lead to San Antonio for everyone as they did for me but the purpose of this post is to guide you in a process to find the finest board certified plastic surgeon to perform your breast reconstruction. This is a huge decision but one I look back on with ZERO regrets. Continue Reading →

DiepCJourney ~ One Year Anniversary

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March 18 DiepCJourney ~ One Year Anniversary I can’t believe that I am celebrating the One Year Anniversary of DiepCJourney!  Here is my very first blog post from a year ago. ‘Twas a wonderful St. Paddy’s day evening with my artist, Meagan, and her family and friends. It couldn’t have been a more memorable night sharing a pint of Guinness and celebrating the launch of my website. I taught two of Meagan’s three daughters so seeing the “wee little ones” last evening was even more of a bonus for this teacher/educator. The days leading up to the launch were hectic, exhilarating, head banging and joyful all occurring at random days and at different times. My biggest concern was opening the blog with so little content. Then I went back a year in time to the day I started back to earn my M.Ed. after being away from academia for over Continue Reading →