Information on the DIEP Sisters sp;Carolyn Hi, my name is Carolyn and I am a breast cancer survivor. After many years of being embarassed by breasts that were too large for my 5 ft frame, I decided in July 2000 to undergo breast reduction surgery. Routinely a pathology test was run which indicated that I had LCIS in my right breast. At this point I was referred to a local breast disease specialist and was advised that I could begin a program of Tamoxifen to reduce my risk of developing cancer. In March of this year, after a clean mammography, I went for a physical exam and my breast disease MD felt there was something in my right breast which could be merely scar tissue or something else. She sent me for an ultrasound which also proved negative. At this point she offered me the option of simply keeping a close eye on it or an immediate biopsy. Since I already knew I was in the higher risk group, and my mother had developed breast cancer in her late 60's I opted for the biopsy. I received the diagnosis on April 16th. The decision to have a bilateral mastectomy was the easy part, although only my right breast was involved. For me I didn't want to go along everyday fearing that it was only a matter of time before cancer would be discovered in my left breast. Initially, reconstruction wasn't something I even gave a thought to, but a dear friend as well as my breast disease MD recommended immediate reconstruction. The plastic surgeon I was sent to offered me basically the implants or the TRAM flap. The implants were a cause for concern to me, and I felt that I would be trading one risk for another, although I have been assured that the saline implants are perfectly safe. The Tram procedure utilizing my own tissue was preferrable, although I was concerned about compromising my stomach muscles for the sake of a new breast. In looking through the messages on the breast cancer survivor message board, I learned about another option...the DIEP flap. I was fortunate enough to meet Christine through this forum. I made an immediate appointment to travel to NY to meet with Dr Keller. After meeting Dr Keller and discussing my particular case with him, I felt confident that this was the absolute best option for women facing this diagnosis.Dr Keller and his staff make every effort to make this difficult time as comfortable as possible by being there to answer questions in a kind and compassionate manner. I know this was the right decision for me. Today I am 8 days post op, and I am thankful everyday that I did not sacrafice my abdominal muscle. I would like to share my experience with anyone in the same situation. Breast cancer is one of the most devastating circumstances a woman can find herself in, and the support and encouragement from others is vitally important as you try to deal with the situation. If anything that I have learned can be of benefit to another woman who finds herself among the many who are diagnosed each day, I want to do that. On a personal note I am 53 years of age and have been married to the same wonderful man for 31 years. He has been a pillar of strength for me during all this and I knew it would have been almost impossible to find the strength and courage to get thru this without him by my side. We have two great children, a daughter who was married in September 1999 and a 25 yr old son. So if there is anyone who is facing this ordeal and needs someone to talk to, please contact me and I will be glad to share anything I can that will help you in your struggle. UPDATE: February 24,2002 It has now been eight months since my reconstruction and I felt it was time to bring my bio up to date. Following my mastectomy and immediate reconstruction I was informed that one node had come back positive. This translated into eight treatments of chemotherapy, which commenced in June. I elected to participate in a clinical trial of a new drug Taxotere. I should also comment that by this time I had returned to work full time and had resumed my exercise routine. The study I would be a part of, involved four treatments of the typical A/C spaced at 3 week intervals, followed by 4 treatments of Taxotere…a new form of Taxil, which was to have fewer side effects. I also must be truthful in admitting that this was somewhat of an emotional setback, as I was so thrilled at how well the surgery had gone and that my cancer was caught early, that I never really considered having to go this route. Not to mention the horror of being overwhelmed with all the side effects of chemotherapy, aside from the obvious loss of hair. Even when you know as a given, that you will lose your hair. For a woman,facing that reality of staring at yourself in the mirror bald is shattering. Then comes the cautions of not eating fresh fruits and vegetables unless they are cooked for fear of infection, due to the reduced ability to fight bacteria, as your white count drops. But again, God blessed me and for whatever reason my body tolerated the chemo so well, that I not only would return to work after the treatment but continued to work full time without absence. I was even able to take a pre-cancer planned vacation with friends…halfway through the treatment…and tour Austria and Switzerland for 2 weeks. My chemo finished just in time for Thanksgiving, and what could I possibly have to be more thankful for. With the holidays fast approaching I elected to wait till the new year to begin Phase II of the reconstruction which involves a same day surgical procedure to create a new nipple. This is accomplished by taking a small flap of skin from under the buttocks and attaching it to the new breast. This procedure took about 2 ˝ hrs and I returned home the same day. There was virtually no discomfort other than a slight tenderness where the skin had been removed from the extreme top of my leg. I even slept on my stomach that night and went to work the next day. Although this option is not widely offered and necessitates an ongoing appeals process with most insurance carriers for 100% coverage, I am still convinced that it is worth whatever it takes. I am absolutely committed to spreading the word to all women facing the diagnosis of breast cancer. I feel strongly that it is a great disservice to women that their doctors neglect to provide them with the information about this superior option, simply because they don’t do it Those of us who have benefited from this wonderful procedure are making every endeavor to bring attention to it and force insurance carriers to recognize the superior results it delivers. Sad as it is, one in every eight of us will be dealing with this issue and deserves to know what her options are . Her choice of care should depend solely on what is right for her as a person, not what her insurance carrier deems reasonable and customary. My thoughts and prayers reach out to each of you reading this, as you search for information for yourself or a loved one. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance. May God bless each of you as you wage this battle. As long as breast cancer exists, I will continue to strive for better communication to women, that there is life after cancer. UPDATE - September 2008 It has now been just over 7 years since my mastectomy and the creation of this website. I am thrilled to be able to say I remain cancer free and stll overwhelmed by how good my reconstructed breasts look.  I am glad that so many more surgeons have decided to offer the Diep as an option to those women who are just now hearing the words "you have cancer". I am also pleased to hear that many more of you are getting your insurance carriers to cover for you at 100%.  My hope is that cost will never be an issue  when dealing with this disease and your choices. I send my thanks out to each of you who have taken the time to share your experiences and to those doctors who have contacted us to be included on our site. I welcome the opportunity to be able to share information with those of you who are looking for answers. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all as we look to a future where breast cancer is a thing of the past. My email address is: remme2@aol.com Click here to send me your questions and comments  Alegra Hi. I am Alegra (56) and I too am a breast cancer survivor. For years and years I have gone in for regular mammograms. Now and then lumps were found, but they always turned out to be cysts (this is a good thing). I didnt think anything of it when my Feb.1, 2000 mammogram led to scheduling an ultrasound. I have had many ultrasounds, which just confirmed the presence of cysts and the lump they were concerned about had been checked many times before. Needless to say, I was surprised when they wanted to schedule a biopsy the next day. I was devastated when the biopsy came back positive. I felt like my feet were sinking into the floor and my body went numb. I couldnt believe this was happening to me. There was absolutely no cancer in my family. Not to worry, they said a simple lumpectomy would take care of the problem. The edges were clean and I went home with a small scar and little change in the size or shape of my breast. Then came the panicky call -- the frozen biopsy showed cancer throughout my whole breast and they immediately scheduled surgery for a mastectomy (March 1). At no time was there any mention of possible (essentially) simultaneous mastectomy and reconstruction as an option either by the hospital staff or by the very nice support person that they sent around to talk to me. It was --- Youve got it. Were going to operate. If you want to do anything about reconstruction, you can do that sometime but people can live without it. I guess that they had never had parts of them cut off for no self-inflicted reason. There was something incredibly traumatic about that flat, bony, hollow chest. Maybe it was a reminder of the horror I had gone through. I immediately went on a search for plastic surgeons. My doctor and the hospital could not recommend anyone. Since I had no insurance I needed to get a quote for the approximate costs of the different procedures. Strangely enough, although I called hundreds of numbers, no one will talk to you without an appointment for which they charge. Well, maybe a few did so I saw the doctor who seemed the most helpful and affordable. I continued on my research of reconstruction options. Nothing appealed to me, but I went with the implants because I thought it would do the least damage to the rest of my body and I thought I could afford it. I had the surgery in April. I was very disappointed. The new breast was big and hard like a small basketball stuck on my chest. The doctor said it would get smaller with time. Well, there was also the fact that he had told me before the operation that the implant was going to go in partially inflated and that he would slowly increase the size as the skin stretched. It seemed that his plans changed while I was on the table. I also had problems with fluid buildup. Drains were going in and coming out, and going in for some time. Then my skin starting splitting open at the incision with my pectoral muscle bulging out of the splits. By the end of May he decided it was contaminated and had to come out. A new implant was put in but this time it was put in almost all the way deflated (saline would be added over time to bring it up to size). Again I had a problem with fluid buildup. Again drains were put in and taken out and put in again. The last time they were taken out the hole didnt close, it got bigger and the implant was being pushed out. My body rejected the implant. By the end of August it too was removed. I continued my research and found out about the DIEP flap reconstruction. Dr. Allens name was mentioned in one of the books I read. I did a search on the net, got his number, and called. The girl in his office was very helpful and gave me the name of Dr. Alex Keller who was a state away from us. I found his page on the net, made an appointment, and had the most beautiful piece of reconstruction that I could ever imagine. My life has changed. I am finally able to move on. Implants did not work for me. They may work for you. I wish I could have had the reconstruction done at the same time as the mastectomy so I wouldnt have had to go through the trauma of no breast. So I could have moved on with my life right away. If I can help you through this ordeal feel free to contact me at alegra@acreation.org or view my web-site at http://letstriumph.tripod.com