DIEP 2011

beacher4209

thanks ladies i will look into ucla dr.festekjan and dr. lee! thats what i need some good results from other woman other than Nola  I think Nola sounds like a wonderful ,magical place but i cannot afford it .

mgm-doesn't kiaser only take you if you have ther insurance? like not even out of network?thanks

Just_V

beacher - I lost my TE and most of the skin under my right breast due to infection, so I was very worried with my DIEP with infection... I used (and continue to use) Hibiclens in the shower and on the incision points - then I covered with sterile gauze... I was not going to take any chances with my two new a-boob (ab boobs!).... doing this, along with lots of sleep, post op, and vitimin C and protein, and I am healing very well.....

beacher4209

thanks Just V! Love to hear positive outcomes who was your ps?

ReadingMama

Well, my infection is related to the fact I'm only 6 months out of radiation, not really the DIEP.  Anyway, I am trying hyperbolic oxygen treatment tomorrow.  Its like what they use for deep sea divers.  It looks like a large tanning bed, but all clear.  They said I could watch TV or listen to music.  I can't lie down flat yet, so I will bring a few pillows.  I think I am in there for 1/2 hour.  However, that said, breast is looking much better today, so I think it is on the mend, yeah!

beacher - also check out http://www.breastrecon.com/ it lists drs. who are well know in each state for diep.

redninrah

Hi my reconstruction date is jan 9th..getting nervous, I have my pre op on Friday.

Just_V

beacher -  am in texas - dallas - but my ps is fredrick duffy - first ps to do the diep in this area...

redninrah

Question for everyone, I'm having diep on one breast and lift on the other one. How do they make e diep so perky if there is no muscle involved?

carol57

Redninrah,

I'm not sure of the magic involved, but they are filling your existing skin if you have a skin-sparing mastectomy, and they are creating a skin pocket from your ab skin if yours is a delayed recon or if it's not wise to save the skin, due to your BC treatment needs. In my case, I went from old and saggy to two lovely firm breasts (if only the rest of me looked that great).  Perhaps others will chime in with a more technical explanation of how the PS manages this.

Carol

daisy4ever

Beacher4209: I had a double skin and nipple sparing mastectomy done this year. I loved both of my plastic surgeons, and they are on the west coast. Their names are Dr. Justin West and Dr. Brian Dickinson. My surgery was in Newport, Ca, at HOAG. I love my new body. I love my new breasts.

goldlining

DIEP Dec 15, on the other side now. They did not need to touch the muscle for the blood vessel and I'm using abs a fair bit to get up out of bed. The flaps sound great and look like I wanted size wise.



Added some antibiotics for one incision and sent off urine to culture. Almost all the pain I'm conscious of is sinusitis (allergy to the pillows) and the nosebleeds with that, kidney/bladder pain (catheter), and postural bed/chair shape. All the surgical pain and limitation is reasonable and within pill range if only they would switch me.



They hope to disconnect my PCA pump tmw. Nurses seem surprised the pain service hasn't been in to see me. I requested they switch me to pills 2 days ago.



I have 4 drains and I believe only one comes home. The upstairs drains aren't putting much out. It's mainly one side of the abs. I have no compression garment other than anti embolism stockings. My nice little boobies are covered with little gauze curtains for the hourly inspections. The ab incision is basically sewn and taped.



I certainly hope I don't go home tmw as I am not ready to face all the stairs. I haven't been out of my room yet.

mgm1953

goldlining- best wishes on a speedy recovery!

redinrah- watch the beth israel DIEP video- it'll show you how the mound is created with fat.

coupla questions for the old timers:

1. betsy mentioned the scar tape. I used this, with good results, on my lumpectomy scar. anyone else use these successfully on their abdominal incision? Scaraway is pricey, but I think it might be worth it. PS says lots of patients swear by it, but he seen no clinical proof...

2. I have been doing well (after 6 wx post op I finally cleaned my house yesterday, except no heavy lifting or major scrubbing) but yesterday I got this persistent acute burny itchiness and sensitivity on one side of my lower abdomen, below the incision, from the point where the pain med tube was inserted, extending outward a few inches toward my pubic bone. The slightest brush on this skin is irritating (any kind of contact with clothes!!) WTF?   This happen to anyone else?

thanks--

mgm

ReadingMama

goldlining, good luck iwth your recovery.  I don't think they will let you leave the hospital till you walk some, at least that was how mine was. But you've been in there 4 days already, so maybe.   I also switched to pills before they released me.  All 4 of my drains were in when I went home, but I know that was not the case with others.  I am almost 3 weeks out and feel so much better than that 1st week.  Just stopped Percocet today, but has been on only 1/day.  Still taking Alleve twice a day for now.

CookieMonster

Hi all,

I have a few questions for everyone. My PS ended up repairing my abdominus rectus muscles (which separated down the middle during pregnancy and never came back together), have any of you had that done? Did it affect your recovery? How?

And then, I'm curious how many of you were in an abdominal binder after surgery. I am, for the forseeable future, it seems.

I am hopeful that the swelling will continue to go down as time passes.

Thanks for any info you're willing to share.

-Judy

NotAfraid

Judy, glad to see you on the other side!

I wore my binder for 4 weeks.  I just felt better with it on.  When I went back to see Dr. F at 4 weeks he literally threw it in the trash.  Yoga pants work best with a binder (or, the other way around).  You may have to wear it longer due to the muscle repair (which I didn't have).

Your swelling will go down and you will continue to see changes for quite some time.  I think I'm finally done with ab changes now and my surgery was at the end of March. 

bdavis

Judy... sounds like you had what others get called a plication. Some women who have weak stomach muscles or extended bloating, will have this procedure... So maybe search for that term and see what others are doing. I know a woman who had it done and she is still wearing the girdle at 7 weeks out I think.

puce

I am 4 weeks post DIEP and very lucky to be healing well but most of my clothes do not fit well.  Especially shirts.  They are way too big.  My waist is much slimer and my foobs are not the size and as perky as I tought they would be.  Should I consider buying new clothes now or should I wait a bit.  I do not have to take hormones so I wonder if I will gain weight.

Also can they add some fat in stage 2, will my boobs look moore perky with nipples?  Should I ask for a lift at stage 2?  Does that imply more scars? I tried on several bras at the store and none fit, so I wear sports bras.  I found a bra with "bone" on the side, is that ok?  My PS said no underwire, does this mean the side too? I have to say I'm a bit jealous of the implant ladies who do not need to wear a bra.  I feel I still need one.

bdavis

PUCE... I would wait til after stage II... a lot can change.

Should I consider buying new clothes now or should I wait a bit. WAIT

Also can they add some fat in stage 2. YES

Will my boobs look more perky with nipples? YES

Should I ask for a lift at stage 2? YES

Does that imply more scars? NO

I found a bra with "bone" on the side, is that ok?  NO, PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA

My PS said no underwire, does this mean the side too? I WOULD ASSUME SO. YOU DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE THE BLOOD FLOW, FROM ANY SIDE.

puce

Thanks bdavis, you are a wealth of information!

How long did you wait for your stage 2?  How long for the recovery?  

goldlining

I'm home, down to one drain likely going tomorrow. Showered and shampooed without assistance last night. Walked 5km in sets of 10 laps of the hospital ward on Monday, did some stairs yesterday before discharge to prove I could handle my house with stairs between recliner and bathroom. Stairs are hard cardio for me but easily doable on the musculoskeletal level. I'm using almost no Tylenol. Didn't even fill rx for oxycontin. Still recovering from sinus sensitivities to the hospital cleansers and that was way worse than the surgery. Having no nodes removed on the prophy side made a world of difference as well. My discharge orders include NO special clothes, NO special dressings, NO diet restrictions, activity restriction to what I can tolerate but 10 lb lifting restriction and no serious ab exercise, daily shower with soap, and take the antibiotic. (Keflex again for skin infection again.) Very happy with progress. Not worried about the half-marathon Jan 29. Won't be fast but I am confident I will get there.

bdavis

PUCE... I had my stage II about 11 weeks post DIEP... but keep in mind, I had BMX in July with Hip flaps and then a month later they re-did the right side with a DIEP flap... so it was 11 weeks post op for right side, but 15 weeks post op for left side.

I am now 5 weeks post stage II, went to the gym today, did cardio, ab crunches etc... so well on my way to feeling normal again.

After stage I (DIEP) portion, I was attending a weekend long reunion 5 weeks post op and walked the Avon Walk in NYC at 7 weeks post op.

ReadingMama

I did not have a chest binder or an ab binder, I guess my PS is one that does not do that.  I hope my ab stays tight anyway.  He did say I could wear spanx, but I'm not sure I'm ready to try that on yet...

RetiredLibby

I had an ab binder but it kept riding up around my waist.  The PS wasn't happy with it -- he thought it might have caused my belly incision to open in the middle from riding up.  I switched to a version of spanx (Flexees) and he was happier with that.  I didn't have anything on the noobs and am still (4 months out) not allowed to wear underwires.  PS says because they're numb, he is afraid I won't be able to tell if there is damage.  I am wearing Fruit of the Loom athletic-type bras (the smush-you-down type only larger than I need). 

L

goldlining

Drain is gone! I put out 15 mL in the first day and 12 mL in the second day which is far below the doctor's order of <25 mL/24 hour for two days and the homecare nurse wants to leave it another day because that's what we do based on what we see in the community. I said call the unit if you want clarification. She said "I can't take orders from a nurse, only a doctor". I said, well the doctor said it can come out now. So she did. I still have a wide plastic tape across my whole abdominal area, and am trying to find out if that is supposed to be removed. I mean, certainly at some point, but when?

So I am tube free: anaesthesia tube, Foley catheter, two TAP block tubes, an IV, and four drains, gone, one by one, in a week! This time last week I was asleep!

mrsnjband

Meegan,  How are the hyperbaric treatments going?  I had them last spring to get rid of recurring cellulitus.  It was successful for that but didn't help my rads damaged scar which was what I was hoping for. I had some healing issues with my rads side after the DIEP, it wasn't infected but the incision came open.  It took about 2 months for the incision to close.  It seemed like forever but not as long as the open wound after rads. That wound took 6 months to heal but never really did. That is why I finally decided to do reconstruction especially the DIEP.  My PS did an amazing job of removing most of the damaged tissue.  I just had stage II on the non-bc side just ten days ago & it is looking really good.  I'm still a little sore from the lypo but otherwise good. The HP should help of the infections.NJ  

bdavis

Goldlining.. I lost my incision bandage on day 2, after my 1st shower... So I would ask.

goldlining

Thanks bdavis. The homecare coordinator got nursing orders from the hospital and phoned them in to the homecare agency. I infer this means when and how to remove. Glad I did email her.

Kay_G

Goldlining, your ps sounds like mine, required much less to get the drains out. Mine came out when I was barely under 25 for 2 days, but i never had any problems from it. Also no compression garments of any kind. I don't think I ever had any tape over my abdominal incision, other than where the pain thing was. It is amazing how differently they treat patients.

goldlining

Kay1963, that's so true. I have no clothing guide either. And I mean, the chocolate/caffeine restriction. I was literally not given any dietary restrictions, and am just avoiding caffeine out of prudence and the fact so many of you were told to refrain. But I am weakening, and am contemplating sending daughter to kitchen to make me shortbreads with chocolate centres...! (Sorry if that gave anyone cravings!)

Kay_G

I had no dietary restrictions either. The only thing she told me was not to lift my arm past my shoulder until the drains were out and not to lift anything heavier than half a gallon of milk for six weeks post surgery.

melster

Is there a list floating around specifically for DIEP surgery before and after? I see the general mastectomy list, but was hoping for something more specific to DIEP. Thanks!