On Wednesday, we celebrated the second annual Breast Reconstruction Day in the United States. Our friends to the north, as in Canada, started this movement a year earlier. But we, as in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), caught on quickly, and this was the second time we have taken a day to increase awareness of the options of reconstruction for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. It's hard to believe in this day and age, the majority of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer do not understand what their reconstructive options are. And that's what BRA Day is all about.
The treatment of breast cancer is a team effort. On the medical side there are numerous physicians, nurses, and other health care providers who know how to work together to provide the best outcomes for women with breast cancer. But, that's not the only team. What about the home team, those who live with and support women undergoing these treatments. And more importantly, who educates this team about what to do and how to work together? Where is their playbook?
The ASPS is proud to announce the availability of the Breast Reconstruction Planner: Tips to Manage a Speedy Recover. This is a guide for a patient and her family and caregivers to help plan for and manage the recovery following breast reconstruction surgeries. And, it's free to any and all who want to download it, which can be done at: www.BRAdayUSA.org/Planner.
This eBook contains the answers to a lot of questions that will come up during recovery, along with tips on things that you can do to prepare, and things that will make the whole process easier. Let's face it: no woman is an expert on how to recover from breast cancer surgery when she begins the process of breast cancer treatment. It is the hope of ASPS that this guide will make the process of dealing with breast cancer less daunting, and lead to a better outcome.
If you or someone you know is dealing with breast cancer, share this link with them. It's another way you can be on their team!