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As with a number of patients, chemotherapy can be a necessary part of the treatment process, as well as hormonal therapy. Usually, at the conclusion of chemotherapy, if one is in the process of breast reconstruction, we usually will wait at least one month for any staged procedure as part of breast reconstruction… The one […]

I was very pleased to be invited by Dr. Lin to occasionally contribute to this blog. I have been an oncology social worker at BIDMC for more than thirty years and work primarily with women who have breast cancer. In addition to my professional interest, I have a strong personal one as I have been

I went to see a patient on the floor today after her DIEP surgery, and she asked me, ” Is this cosmetic, what I just did?” She went on to explain that her oncologist, out of town, really gave her the impression that this was not necessary. We truly feel that this is not cosmetic

I saw a patient of mine a few weeks ago who remarked, “Up until I received my diagnosis of breast cancer, I felt in control in life, able to make decisions about life, family, and work…. Now, I have been through treatment, surgery, and treatment now following surgery…. my reconstruction is the only thing I

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you do not need to tackle it alone. Many of our patients come in and say they do not want to burden family or friends , afraid they will “bring them down.” “I have to be strong for my family…” However, it is in these tough times

I had one of my patients who had undergone a lap-band procedure come in after having a bilateral (two-sided) mastectomy ask me if she would be a candidate for deep inferior epigastric perforator flap reconstruction. Certainly, following significant weight loss patients can be a candidate, in order to use the excess tummy tissue for reconstruction.

My nurse Maria related a story to me about a patient recently she spoke to. She told me that the patient, after having a mastectomy, passed by her mirror daily during her morning routine, and immediately following her mastectomy and the months afterwards undergoing radiation therapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer, was constantly reminded of

Hello, and welcome to the first installment of a Breast reconstruction blog with updates, thoughts, and other views related to why breast reconstruction matters, if you have had a mastectomy or need a mastectomy.