“I can tell you now 1,000% that I made the right decision...the way that they look, you cannot even see a scar. ”

After a lifetime of taking care of herself and with no family history, Kathleen was devastated by her breast cancer diagnosis. After she recovered from the initial shock, she learned that she had two lumps, both ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), in her left breast.

“My husband said to me, we are now warriors. We now have to go after this like warriors. And we went into things very methodically. And within an hour, we had a couple of appointments made and got the ball rolling.”

When Kathleen met with her breast surgeon, she was offered both a lumpectomy and mastectomy. Her doctor felt there was a 50/50 chance that the lumpectomy would be effective.

Kathleen thought about what life would be like after a lumpectomy and determined that constant surveillance, along with the fear or recurring cancer, was not the path for her. Instead, she opted for a double mastectomy.

After researching breast reconstruction options, Kathleen was leaning toward the DIEP flap procedure. Her surgeon referred her to Dr. Smith, and she came across a recently published article on pain management and the Enhanced Recovery Program (ERP) for the DIEP flap that Dr. Smith had co-authored.

After the initial visit with Dr. Smith, Kathleen knew she had found her plastic surgeon for reconstruction.

“Talking to Dr. Smith, he just has that patient connection. I said to my husband, “This is it. This is my team.”

Kathleen did end up opting for the DIEP flap procedure. She was drawn to the use of her own natural tissue in reconstructing her breasts, and she found the flatter belly a benefit as well.

When Kathleen went in for surgery, her recovery was planned according to the ERP she had read about in Dr. Smith’s article.

"I had surgery on Thursday. I spent the night in the recovery room, and I couldn't wait to get to my room on Friday. By late morning, I was up walking around with absolutely no pain. I wasn't nauseous. I felt great. I was able to walk a couple of times that day and then come Saturday, I couldn't wait to get home."

Through her recovery, Kathleen continued to find Dr. Smith and his team to be responsive and caring. They addressed all her questions and concerns, and she always felt like she had enough time with them during her appointments.

Kathleen felt strongly that her research and commitment to action helped her during her breast cancer journey. She would advise other women to continue doing the same:

“You just have to keep your feet on the ground, keep moving forward, and do your research. As you're moving forward, you're doing everything you have to do.”

Kathleen knows she made the right choice by opting for DIEP flap reconstruction and by working with Dr. Smith and his team.