NOLA in September?

MartyJ

Dianne - wonderful update.  Here's hoping the waist gets smaller soon.

Russell - great news about April 12th.  I hope that it works out!

Maggie - I assume you are traveling soon.  Tuesday will be a great day!

mags20487

Hi all...I am packed and ready to go tomorrow...We are driving so will stop about 4 hours from home which is partway to NOLA and stay with friends who live on the way--how convenient.  Then we will get to NOLA on Sunday.  We are staying at the Hope Lodge this time around as the car is not al problem.  I must admit that I am a wreck this time around.  Crying off and on all day today.  Very emotional to say the least.  Not afraid of the surgery but the complications.  Really hoping that it is all just a worry and not a reality..Talk to you all soon and thanks for all your support and well wishes...means so much to me

Maggie

Cherrie

Dianne, it was great to hear you are doing much better. I am glad you are home.



Melanie- I haven't heard of that hospital, but I am sure they wouldn't do the surgery there if it wasn't a great place. They have standards. I hope this works out for you.

teddybear71

Russell1 ....... Southern Surgical is where I had my gall bladder surgery, I also was admitted there after I had some complications from my weight loss surgery. It is a good hospital but I prefer Fairway to Southern Surgical. Fairway you are in a room to yourself but at Southern Surgical you will more than likely have to share a room. Also more individual care at Fairway. Let me know if you need any information or have any questions about anything. I live in the NOLA area.

Russell1

Thanks for the info Teddybear...I was hoping my hubby could stay in the hospital with me. That was the plan with Fairway. Do you know if that's possible? If I want that date that's my only choice or I have to wait until end of May. Ill know more next week.



Mags..sending positive thoughts!!

EileenKaye1

I was checking out completed photo's from Nola. They are all quite impressive.Exquisite to say the least. Congrat's to all of you who have completed treatment. I will post when I am near completion. So far, I am doing well. Eileen

teddybear71

Russell unless they have changed things at Southern Surgical there is no where for your husband to sleep. Like I said when I was there for complications after my WLS surgery, I had to share a room with someone. I HATED that!!!! Please let me know if you need anything while you are here. I live about 10 minutes from Fairway and about 25 minutes from Southern Surgical. I had my stage 2 done in September and had my tattoos with Vinnie in December.......so I am hopefully done with surgeries but am here if anyone needs anything while in town

bdavis

Eileen. When was your surgery? And where?

EileenKaye1

BDavis-Your results are awesome. I am having total fat grafting. Painful Implant-I am a uni. Cannot quite see cosmetic results as yet, but the pain is gone. So far, I think I am progressing nicely. Love my PS. In New York. Eileen

Marcie47

Russell, the waiting part is so hard and my heart goes out to you trying to make the right choice for you.

Time goes by pretty quick and before you know it the time is here. I had my consult in January and my surgery is in April. The last couple months went by quick and the more I focus on how beautiful each day I have, the faster the time goes. It isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination but it helps keep things in perspective.

Mags, I think of you often and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers, I can't imagine how you feel right now but know that all of us on this sight will be sending you positive thoughts and prayers!!

Hope you have a wonderful evening March 4th, try and enjoy the city.

Good luck to all the other ladies traveling this week.

Cherrie

My husband was able to stay in my room at Fairway for 5 nights. I'm sure a hotel room would have been more comfy, but he never complained. I could never eat all the food they sent up so my hubby enjoyed that too. We did have our own room and lots of attention.



Maybe PM TeddyBear and call her and talk about it. Time will go fast either way. There isn't a wrong decision.



You could also ask for a first cancelation. It does happen. My first stage 1 was canceled the night before and it was 3 mo. before they were able to get me back on the schedule. They even did a Monday, which is rare, because Fairway can be booked a year out. I went on with everyday life and the time still flew by.



Good luck with your decision!

marcypt

Nay to wey!!! Had surgery with dultz and wey yesterday to excise the cancer area and get clean margins. Then to NOLA.... Did u fly frontier ? Also during the hospital stay does your significant other stay in hospital with you or at the home wood?

Audrella

Glad to hear you are doing so well Dianne.  It's truly amazing how much our bodies can take and recover from.

Hoping and praying things go great for you this time around Maggie.  Quite anxious to hear updates.  You've certainly got a lot of people pulling for you.

Melanie...I don't know anything about Southern Surgical.  I think I'd be inclined to wait for Fairway since so many on here have been happy with it.  Plenty of life to live during the waiting period.  Cherrie has a good idea about asking to be on the cancellation list.  When I was planning stage 1, there was a cancellation available....in 3 days.  Dr. D. and I both decided against rushing it since I was an active cancer patient and I hadn't done anything as far as pre-op went or preparations at home.  But, it was available and someone did cancel.  Definitely ask Liz to let you know.

My swelling is reducing.  I'm only up about 6 pounds now rather than the 12 I was a few days ago.  Still dragging around the drain and it's still quite active.  I was hoping to lose that sucker before returning to work, but I'm not sure that's in the cards.  My drain site is extremely sensitive this time around, not sure what's going on.  Should be interesting when I am finally able to pull it!

I think I brought a virus home from NOLA as I'm feeling under the weather....scratchy throat, tight chest, cough, chills.

MartyJ

Marcymccaw - your husband can stay with you at St. Charles or Fairway.  Really a money-saver!  Then to Homewood for post-hospital recovery before you are discharged to fly home.

Russell - you might want to ask if they put "flap" patients in the ICU at Southern Surgical.  They may do that so that you get total one-on-one for the first 24-48 hours.  Just a thought.

Runningforsanity - hope you are doing well!

Judy_63

I've got silly question to ask but here goes... I've read that most stay somewhere before surgery then another place after surgery. I was wondering on the day of surgery, did you still have a room somewhere or did you check out and bring all your bags with you to the hospital? My aunt is coming with me so I know she will stay with me at the hospital(St. Charles). I was just curious on what to do.

MartyJ

Judy - no silly questions here.  You check-out the morning of your surgery and bring your bags with you to St. Charles.  If you are staying at Homewood after, there are laundry facilities.  Same for Hope Lodge.  Patient doesn't need much stuff - I actually packed a small bag (tote bag) for the hospital and a larger bag with things I wouldn't really need while in the hospital.  Made it easier to find stuff.

LAstar

Mags, thinking about you and looking forward to your complete restoration very soon!  

Judy_63

Thanks so much Marty. I've learned so much on this site from what to expect from chemo to planning for this surgery. I'm just waiting on them to get with me about flights and hotels. I got my surgery letter, pre-op letter yesterday.

bdavis

Judy... for a couple of my surgeries, when I arrived at SCSH at 6am, I asked which room I'd be in, and I brought my luggage up to the room before surgery. And for my stage IIb, my daughter was with me, so she brought hers up too... and this is where she waited while I was in surgery. For my first stage II, my 80 year old mom was with me, and she was staying at the hotel instead of my room... so only my luggage went up. They are very welcoming and its like a home environment rather than a hospital... very casual.

For my first stage I, we stayed at the Hope Lodge the night before surgery and the 2-3 nights after the hospital and then moved to Homewood Suites... after my second stage I, I just did HWS... I prefer it. Judy... I also think people choose different hotels before and after because the HWS has a lot of room post surgery, but the Monteleone is convenient to the Quarter for example... so some might stay in the Quarter pre-surgery to maximize their stay, and then recoup at HWS or Hope Lodge.

Marcy... no I flew United. Frontier is so new that it wasn't available when I was booking. I have flown for anywhere between $210-$400 out of Newark... But if Frontier is competitive and free parking and out of Mercer, then that is a great option. I just looked and it looks like they only fly Monday and Friday, and prices were just ok.

Judy_63

Thanks Betsy. I was wondering if they would let us put our bags in the room when I come to the hospital. Guess that answers my question. I was wondering what the criteria was for staying at the Hope Lodge? Do you have to have a current report of cancer to stay or just has to have cancer like in the past?

Anonymous

Re Frontier - they flew my mom down and back to Nashville and I asked for the "special care" for elderly, disabled people. They were great and even got her luggage for her - no extra fee. I'm sur they'd do the same for someone post-op. we ordered on-line.

Russell1

Thanks ladies for all the input! I will discuss all these things with Liz on Monday. Cancelation list will be hard unless they can give me at a least a week to prepare. I have 3 kiddos. I just don't understand why I can't go to scsh. My insurance does cover 50% out of network. I am also paying on top of that. I wish their website would let you know that you may not have your surgery at scsh due to insurance reasons. After looking at videos and testimonials on the site and talking with all of you, I had my heart set on scsh. I know Fairway is good too. Waiting is hard. I want to have the surgeries out of the way before year end to, and pushing it further worries me. I was diagnosed in May,2011 & still I wait for some boobs! Lol

AudrellA..glad to hear about less swelling, but sorry to hear you are not feeling well.

Russell1

Teddybear you are so sweet to offer help while we are there:) I wouldn't like sharing a room either and am going to ask about that.

MartyJ .. I will ask about staying in the icu for the 1st couple nights. I know they have one there. Thank you:)

MartyJ

Stage 2 waist challenge question - As I have read this year's class of Stage 2 girls lamenting the waist enlargement, I got a bit concerned.  Exactly 7 weeks after my Stage 2a, my DH & I will be in California attending a formal dinner as part of a special reunion.  After rummaging in the upstairs closet I found the perfect dress and it fits, though it is figure hugging (there is plenty of room for marena support).  I actually tried it on with my smaller marena.  Now to the question, I know my waist/stomach will be larger, but is there an chance that the dress won't fit at all?  Yes, this does involve a lot of speculation, but I really need help.  Should I just assume that it will fit or start looking for something more like a floaty muumuu like number?

Cherrie

I will have to measure my waist. All my clothes fit or are falling down on me. My rolly stomach used to hold my pants up. I think it is individual. I would wait to see as it is 7 weeks after your surgery. You will have time to get something if you need it.

MartyJ

Cherrie - what size merana did you end up ordering?

willy5js5

Marty it depends what is done for your 2a. I had the flanks lipoed and my waist began slimming at 3 wks. At five weeks, it was noticeably slimmer with the way my clothes fit. Also individual with the swelling issues. I had very minimal swelling and it only lasted about a week. Ditto what Cherrie said- seven weeks is a good indicator where you will be and sufficient time to pick something else up.

bdavis

Cherrie... My pants fall down also, and my pant size is small... Today for example, wearing my size 4 pants, they just wouldn't stay up... My problem was not in the lower ab area or the side... It was in the upper ab issues. So for pants that would sit  at the belly button, they were tight. And weren't prior to surgery. But now after stage IIb, it seems all resolved.

Judy... the criteria for Hope Lodge is a cancer diagnosis at some point. So BRCA positive women cannot stay there, but for me, I could stay even though my tumor was already removed.

MartyJ

Thanks y'all.  You have made me feel better.  Now I just shop for shoes.  You also are convincing me that you are bouncing back fairly rapidly.  I keep reminding myself this is not Stage 1 and 6 - 8 weeks for basic recovery is not going to happen again.

Judy_63

Thanks again Betsy. I haven't been tested for BRCA gene, I guess because I've been the only one in my family to have breast cancer. Although when I first talked to Liz she asked me about being tested and I said I would like to know since I have a 14 yr old daughter.