Why a patient advocate attends Plastic Surgery The Meeting

Turn the clock back to September 2016 in Los Angeles. Picture a patient advocate who has never attended Plastic Surgery The Meeting (PSTM). 走进洛杉矶会议中心，她感觉自己像糖果店里的小孩, wide-eyed and excited at the possibilities, but not fully grasping what those possibilities will be.

The patient advocate was me. Along with the excitement of just being there in September 2016, 我刚刚成立了一个非营利基金会来支持女性和男性，我很高兴能去工作，与这些优秀的外科医生分享我正在做的事情. 该基金会的使命是为面临乳房切除手术的患者提供必要的教育和资源，让他们在知情的情况下做出乳房重建的决定. 在那里，我在一个整形外科医生的金矿里，看看十大网赌排行榜如何能分享想法，共同改善病人的体验.

Connecting plastic surgeons and patient advocates

还有什么比在PSTM更好的地方与国内最好的整形外科医生联系? I planned to meet new surgeons, 和他们谈论乳房再造手术，并尽可能多地参加会议. I'll admit, I did not absorb nearly as much as I wanted to, 我不擅长安排日程，也不擅长优化我参加会议的活动. But I did learn and I took notes for PSTM17, 决定来年再次参加这个盛大的活动.

Skip ahead to Orlando in 2017. 作为有史以来第一个病人小组的一员，这是一次多么美妙的经历啊. 三位ASPS成员外科医生和两位除我之外的病人, I felt so fortunate to be back at PSTM. 人脉还在继续，我也结识了更多乳房再造界以外的整形外科医生. 与美容组的联系与乳房重建分开是一个额外的奖励, 帮助我了解了整形手术的深度和广度.

Orlando felt familiar and comfortable. 我和那些才华横溢的外科医生交谈过，他们早年花了很多时间为他们的实践做准备. 他们和他们的同事在一起交流和学习，然而，我却感到很受欢迎. I truly enjoyed conversations with residents. 这更坚定了我对选择这个职业的钦佩，以及成为一名成功的整形外科医生所需要的承诺.

Becoming part of the community

Visiting the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) video booth, 我和两位优秀的整形外科医生制作了一段视频，讲述了回到会议上的感觉. PRS杂志仍然是我选择的更新整形手术的资源, 视频, and surgical procedures and the latest studies in plastic surgery. I met new microsurgeons performing breast reconstruction. I saw new techniques used in surgery. 我对BIA-ALCL所做的研究印象深刻，透明的ASPS继续报告这个主题. The sessions I attended expanded my work as a patient advocate. 我自己的乳房再造外科医生鼓励我，并带我去参加了由芝加哥的一些ASPS工作人员主持的社交媒体课程. How cool is that? He was genuinely interested in my own personal growth. I was grateful. 我在会议中获得了十大网赌排行榜在整形外科社区共享的材料的价值和完整性的信息，我现在觉得自己是一个非常重要的部分，作为一个返回患者PSTM的倡导者.

我从整形外科社区和ASPS得到了巨大的支持. The physicians and support staff have been welcoming and engaging. It has made my work much more valuable. 我觉得我可以接触到更多需要这种教育和信息的女性和男性.

Preparing for PSTM18 has been no less exhilarating. I am thrilled my own plastic reconstructive surgeon, Dr. 米纳斯·克里索普罗，又有一个病人小组参与共同决策. 我期待着在芝加哥再次与一位病人倡导者和两位美国医师协会成员一起参加小组讨论. 在这个和其他话题上进行合作的可能性是无限的，患者倡导者和ASPS成员可以一起讨论和分享. This is a road, a journey for so many. We serve patients both as surgeons and as patient advocates. How will we continue to help each other along the way? Together! See you all in Chicago!