Tag: research

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 →

A Commentary: A Study Marking Patients for DIEP Flap Surgery

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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open is an open source journal available for everyone to read. I refer to it frequently. The articles I focus on are those regarding breast reconstruction. The article entitled, “A Standardized Approach to Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Marking” was recently brought to my attention by a plastic surgeon, Dr. Roy Kim. I know Dr. Kim via social media and speaking to him at the annual Plastic Surgery conference. I recently had the privilege of meeting two of the authors of the paper, Dr. Edward Reece and Dr. Sebastian Winocour both of Baylor College of Medicine. I think he knew I would find this study fascinating. I decided to write a commentary on this study of marking patients for DIEP flap surgery. A Patient Advocate’s Thoughts: A Study Marking Patients for DIEP Flap Surgery I chose DIEP flap as the method of breast reconstruction after Continue Reading →

Delayed DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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Delayed DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction ~ My Story Delayed DIEP flap breast reconstruction, my story, my experience, will hopefully give others considering this method some insight into your planning. In a perfect world immediate breast reconstruction, reconstruction done at the same time as a mastectomy, results in the best possible aesthetic outcomes for a number of reasons.  But, we all know breast cancer is not a perfect world. There are Reasons Patients have Delayed Reconstruction: Adjuvant therapy Adjuvant therapy may be necessary after a mastectomy. If there are lymph nodes that have tested positive for cancer and chemotherapy or radiation is recommended, this could delay your reconstruction. My story: No lymph nodes tested positive and radiation was not deemed necessary. However, because of the type of cancer I had, left breast recurrence from twelve years previously and a new cancer in my right breast, I was encouraged to have the Continue Reading →

Genetic Testing

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Is Genetic Testing A Scary Road to Travel? It is one of the hot topics in the medical world, “Genetic Testing”. A recent report from NBC Nightly News reports on the the risks and benefits of genetic testing.  Why do individuals choose to do it? What are the benefits and risks? What is the cost? Is it covered by insurance? Does it risk an individual’s chances of further insurance coverage in the future if they test positive? My Own Personal Experience I can only speak from my personal experience and reasons to explore genetic testing for myself. There are certain criterion that determines if you are a candidate who will likely benefit from genetic testing. I fit two of those conditions. One, I had breast cancer at a fairly young age, 47. Two, I had a recurrence of the original cancer I had at 47 but more importantly a newly Continue Reading →

A Letter to Secretary Sylvia Burwell

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Dear Secretary Burwell, I enjoyed reading your bio on the HHS.gov website because I found we have a few things in common and I value human connections. We are both passionate about ensuring that individuals lead healthy and productive lives. Your outreach is far greater than mine and I am grateful for your passion and mission. My outreach, smaller though no less important, is to breast cancer patients who have been faced with a mastectomy. We are both former Seattle residents. As former President of the Global Development Program for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation you focused your efforts again on health.  I was an educator in Seattle at Sacred Heart School in Bellevue and had a brief opportunity to meet Melinda Gates when she visited our school and came into my classroom.  I was struck by her unpretentious manner and was humbled to speak to her and meet 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 →

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 →

Breast Cancer: Diagnosis #1

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First the Good News You never forget where you were or what you were doing the moment you are told you have breast cancer, NEVER! My initial diagnosis was in January of 2002. I was ironing my husband’s shirts and watching a cooking show. It was 9:15 a.m. when I received the call. The doctor started out with the good news first. “Some of the tumors we biopsied were normal, but”… Yes, this was breast cancer: diagnosis #1. But…… As soon as he said the word “but” I knew. I turned the iron off quickly and sat down and grabbed a pen and paper. I had invasive lobular carcinoma in my left breast.  I began trembling as a tried to write down notes. My handwriting was so shaky I couldn’t even read what I was writing. Meaningless fragments of words appeared on the page. I continued to tremble and tried Continue Reading →