DIEP 2011

x-raygirl

ladym ~ congrats!!!  I think the time will fly and it will be here and over with before you know it.  Btw, I saw  a pic of your hair on the hair thread - LOVE it!  

treesprite~ you are not the only one with the hardness.  I have it on the irratiated side on outside and under breast.  Is it always fat necrosis?  Re: stage 2, is blood supply not an issue at that point?  I don't see my surgeon til mid May and am curious now. 

ladym13

@EXRAYestinMA- I am having a unilateral delayed DIEP- YAY I'm so happy to be right behind you, I will be following you for SURE. My PS assured me that pregnancy is ok after, I have two girls 5 and 7 and I THOUGHT I was done, but would still like to know that it's possible if I change my mind.

@ex-raygirl Thanks for the comments on the hair, it's a work in progress for sure, but it's SO much more manageable than before. When did you have your surgery? Are you happy with your results?

scubacat

xray-girl, My PS said that he will add the fat to the top to create a more rounded foob, rather than the oblong (kind of) shape I have now. So yes, that adds fullness/shape at the top.  I did not want more scars underneath for a lift" so I opted for this first, to see how it looks. I can always go back later.  I'm not sure about projection and to be honest I did not ask. My PS is an artist and I trust him because I know he is a pefectionist!  He did not tell me about fat getting reabsorbed, No.  I measured myself about 5 weeks after surgery before I went out bra shopping. I'm still the same size! I was surprised I was a C, but I am! Just bought a new 2-piece swim-suit today at SteinMart.... so I'm not going any bigger!

treesprite

x-raygirl: I don't think it is always fat necrosis; but I would think a hematoma would have resolved by now. Someone else mentioned scar tissue. I'll find out at my next appointment. My new resolve is to love my new breast & quit worrying!

Stage 2 comes 2-3 months after stage 1, so the blood supply would be firmly established and all the tissue that is going to survive would be healthy & thriving, so a matter of pruning, lifting, tucking etc. to create nicely shaped boobilicious breasts.

I did wear a bra for the first time yesterday - nice to see the girls sitting evenly beneath my clothes. I have a slightly higher mound on the DIEP side because my other breast is droopy with a capital D (breast feeding, DD's, heredity & years of gravity), but the difference is barely noticeable. Oh yeah and a FLAT tummy! I'm going to start scar massage on my abdomen scar today (per my PS's instructions).

After my mastectomy, I went to Nordstroms &, using a fitter, found bras without underwires, good support, and nice & stretchy to accomodate the tissue expander fills. $62 ; ins. paid $38. My breast surgeon said insurance has to cover two bras a year forever after BC. I'll use insurance again after stage 2. It is hard to find cute bras in DD, so I am looking forward to being either a single D or singe C cup post stage 2 . . polka dots, flowers & lace, here I come!

redninrah

i cant wait to get my DIEP- im wearing boring coloured non attractive bra's now

IowaSue45

? for you ladies who have had your surgery already, if you have love handles and they go to your back does this surgery take that away or will I end up with a flat belly with love handles on my back? to me I think I will look out of proportion if they leave the fat on my back.

bdavis

I asked the PS (Dr Allen) that very question... and his response was that I could then exercise... not the answer I was looking for... I was asking about when I lose weight, will my body lose where I need it or will it pull from even the DIEP area??

Snobird

I have lost over 15 lbs since my surgery. I have not done any stage 2. I can say that most of that weight has come from all over my body as my measurements have decreased everywhere. I am starting to get those dog ears everyone talks about as I lose weight. I hope to lose another 10 lbs by summer so they will probably flop over by then if I don't get stage 2 done before summer. Sending pics to PS this week so we'll see what he says.

treesprite

Snobird: wow - that is great that you are losing weight (as it sounds like that is your goal).  I can see where my dog ears would emerge if I lost weight from my hips. They poke out a little bit already.

 I'm almost 4 weeks out from surgery -- with being so sendentary, I'm afraid I've gained weight; only my abdomen and breast are different -- super flat abdomen/stomach but the fat elsewhere - hips, etc. is unchanged. I can't wait to start working out so I can keep my stomach flat, otherwise I imagine the fat will return - maybe not as much because I won't be having more babies.

carberry

My question... when did your PS let your wear a bra?  I am 18 days post op and wanted to go out with friends last night and still cant wear a bra,  really hard to find clothes to wear to cover everything.  I had my other side reduced and it is a very perky C and recon side is kinda flat and football shaped.   I thought maybe a bra would help even things out, but will listen to my PS and not wear one yet.  My PS assures me that the recon side will fall a little and eventually take the right shape,  I hope soon.  I noticed my shirts are drooping on that side ...neckline is always crooked. I am slowly working my arm on that side to alleviate the stiffness, its very tight under the armpit. 

Scubacat.. you go girl with the 2-pc bathing suit!

IowaSue45

Hi ladies, just wondering if they do a cat scan on everyone the day before, and if yes what is this for. My bi DIEP is one month from today. I'm excited.

Are you in ICU after if so how long?

XmasDx

Hi IowaSue44 - I replied to you on the other DIEP thread re these questions... best of luck with your procedure, waiting is hard! 

XRAYestInMA

@IowaSue44 The PS that I chose does not order a CT scan before the DIEP procedure. The CT is a way to provide images of the arteries and veins in the abdomen and chest. I would imagine a contrast drug would have to be injected venously prior to the study as vessels without contrast are difficult to map. I don't have an issue in not having a CT scan prior to the DIEP since being a RT, I am well aware of the high doses of radiation that is given during a high tech exam such as a cat scan. My PS uses a doppler to hear arteries using sound waves - no radiation listening with a doppler. Also, I was told one night in the ICU or PACU after the procedure. I would assume that would be the case if everything goes well. My insurance company (Harvard Pilgrim) has pre-approved 3 inpatient days for post-op recovery after the surgery. I will be able to qualify for additional days if needed. I am hoping not to need more than 5 in the event 3 is not enough. My bilat DIEP is 7 weeks away.....

~L

bdavis

and where are you going??

treesprite

My PS green lights a non-underwire bra 3 weeks post-op. I did have a CT scan prior to surgery; it was quick and easy. Two days ICU monitoring is standard for my PS's group unless there are complications. ICU spoiled me for the regular floor.

IowaSue45

One month from yesterday I'll sprawled out on the table for 10 to 12 hrs. Need to do spring cleaning before then. What did you all wear for the following couple of weeks after? Button shirts and yoga pants? What about breast area?  Sorry I will probably come up with a ton of questions for you all.

x-raygirl

IowaSue, I am almost 3 wks post bilat diep. I remember how excited I was beforehand! I felt like I was nesting- it was great:-). I have been living in yoga pants, most of which are mid to low rise. The ones that are higher waisted I roll down. I did buy a cute loose pair that I love (my coming home outfit) along with some yoga tops. I thought I'd need button down shirts just like after mx, but I didn't. I am enjoying more fitted tanks and light sweatshirts cuz there's no more muffin top...woohoo! I don't know about others, but camis with a shelf have been really comfy.

carberry

Iowasue44  I found some tank tops that are lycra and bought them 2 sizes too big (in white so as to have no color dyes against my skin) they are stretchy enough to get my bad arm into easily.  I wear one every day under my robe at first then under button down sweaters and shirts.  I think jcpeney has them. I got mine at a hanes outlet store but you can find them everywhere. workout pants that are lowrise ....I just wore mine low on hips under incision...haha they do have a tendency to fall down.  lowrise underwear too.  You would be surprised what you prob already have in your wardrobe.  I did not go crazy buying alot of stuff, remember the only outside trips you will make for a few weeks will be to the docs office.

I was told I would be in ICU after surgery but woke up in private rm on unit (maybe the ICU was full) but I talked to the nurse about her caseload and she said she was only assigned to me exclusively as she had to do the doppler check every hr and us diep pts are monitored so very closely immed post-op.  I received excellent care during my 3 day stay.

IowaSue45

Thx for the info, I will be having Bi diep. I wondered if it would be hard to get on a pull over top at first.

xray did you have bi diep?

x-raygirl

IowaSue, yes it was bilat.  I personally could get tops over my head (unlike after bi mx) as long as they were stretchy.  My rt arm has more limited range of motion - due to rads and removal of lymph nodes.  

kelchris

I have been visiting this board alot lately, but I've never posted.   I am scheduled for bi-lateral DIEP surgery on 4/26/11 in St. Cloud, MN and I'm very excited...and today the nervousness has started, too.  I really appreciate hearing about the experiences you have all shared...good & not so good.  (Knowledge is power!)

Two questions:

How many drains did you have?

How much pain medicine did you need once you were home?

Thanks in advance!

Snobird

I used white cotton men's "wife beater" t -shirts for the first week out of the hospital until I was done with drains. The arm holes were big enough to get my arms through and I could pin my drains anywhere on the shirt to keep them out of the way. I wore yoga pants for weeks. My husbands button downs worked for me. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on things I wasn't going to wear later because I was going to need to buy new bras and jeans after. After about 4 weeks I wore stretchy cami bras or bralettes which I already owned. All my drains were out after 10 days.



My PS did do the CT angiogram prior to surgery. He is a very experienced surgeon who was on of the pioneering surgeons on this surgery and said that it cuts surgical time by hours by mapping first and secondary locations for blood sources. He also said it gives the surgeon more options if one source fails. They have a map to look at during surgery instead of having to search around in the body while you are on the table. Sounded good to me. I also did some research on it prior to having it so I could see the benefits vs risks etc.

2lkh538

I have a question for those who had delayed reconstruction. After Stage 1, did your breast have a breast shape...hershey's kiss kinda thing or were the flat like a mesa.

I had a bilateral on April 4th and have done amazingly well. I am happy with the results but curious as to how they evolve. I have two wonderful friends who went to the same surgeon and I have seen the wonderful work that he does. However, the base of my breasts are a D but there is nothing to fill out the tip of the cup. My old C bras are not big enough to go around the base. And, yes I have tried various sizes because after 2 years, I HAVE BOOBS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, like I said, I have seen the final outcome but just curious how it works when there wasn't a "breast packet" to fill.

On a side note, @mspradley I too went to Dr. Robinson... aren't they great? The hospital is like staying in a 5 star hotel. It is kind of funny. We stayed at the Westin the night before surgery and we actually received better service at the hospital. I never once felt alone during my stay. They were incredibly attentive to every need and want.

2lkh538

@kelchris:  I came home on Day 4 with 4 drains. I had 3 removed at Day 7 and then the final removed Day 10. Tomorrow is my 14 day follow-up. I am doing very well. Still have some pain but it is not intense. I took a pain pill (lortab) yesterday before going to church because I knew I would be more active than usual and had a 5 or 6 hour day ahead of me. Other than that, I'm on Tylenol occasionally.

The most important this is don't overdo it. Allow yourself to rest, ALOT. And drink, ALOT. Take your stool softener faithfully and use something like Miralax if you need it. The worst thing is constipation brought on by the use of pain meds.

Don't worry too much though. Pretty soon you will be on the other side of surgery with BOOBS!!!

SAMayoFL

You know what would be a great addition to this thread?  A place where we could post our personal information.  It is so hard to keep up with who did what, when and where.  I would love to have a place where we could all post the specifics, or at least anyone who was comfortable posting specifics, such as uni/bi, delayed/immediate, where it happened, when it happened, who the surgeons were, etc.  I have read so much from so many different places that it is hard to keep everyone's information!

Susan

ladym13

I am getting SO excited for my June 14th surgery date, feels like I'vebeen waiting forever.

I was wondering, those of you that had delayed DIEP, how pleased were you with the new boob? Also I've heard that the tummy area is just not as flat as expected. How do you all feel about your new tummy. have you gone down in pants sizes?

I'm so happy to have all of you and I apologize in advance if I'm asking lots of crazy questions in the next 8 weeks prior to surgery:)

SAMayoFL

Hey LadyM, woohoo for your surgery date!!  I am excited for you too!!  I don't have any answers since I haven't had surgery but am thrilled that you are asking tons of questions.  We all learn when anyone asks questions here!

Susan

NotAfraid

My 2MX + DIEP was Tuesday, May 29, with another surgery the next day to add another vein to the left (complications).  I did not have a cat scan beforehand, just pre-op things like chest xray and blood work.  My first surgery took 7 hours, the second one was about 2 hours.  I was up and walking my Friday and went home on Saturday.  I went home with 4 drains, had one out the following weeks, and got the rest out last Thursday. 

I lived in yoga-type pants, "wife beaters" and either a zippered sweat jacket or a button down shirt.  I started wearing a sports bra the Wednesday after i got home (per Dr's orders).  

Once my drains came out, I can wear boyfriend jeans or loose linen pants.  I can also wear a cami top with a shelf bra IF the shelf has a lot of support.  I have some North Face camies that work well, but the cheaper ones I own from Target and such don't provide enough support or protection.  I wear some kind of support 24/7.  It keeps the pain down.

As for pant sizes, my lower abdomen is flatter but I am really long waisted so I didn't change sizes much.  I still have the same fat above my abdomen, plus I think I am still a bit swollen and puffy.

I had almost no problem with arm movement and was pretty mobile almost right away, so getting on clothes was not a problem.  Reaching straight up is really the only thing that strains.  I got a small step stool for the kitchen and my art studio that has been a big help.  

My other saving grace has been the pillow I keep in front of me at all time to protect me from unexpected cat and dog love.  My doctor isn't a fan of this solution, but I can't always prevent sudden attacks of love.

I took vicodine for the first week at home.  It MADE me rest, which was a good thing for me.  I'm on Advil now as needed.  I take 800 mg about 3 times as day. My nerves are busy reconnecting and firing, so I get bits of unexpected shooting pain still. I walk a lot and, yesterday, spent a good part of the day doing light gardening.  I even got a sunburn.  I have been able to stand upright without a problem almost from the beginning.  I sometimes forget I have a large abdominal scar.  If it wasn't for the weight/lifting restrictions, I'd go back to work!  But, I can't walk the bog dogs that pull yet.  Besides, I'm enjoying having time to make art!

 

mspradley

@2lkh538 - It may be that we both used the same surgeons, but you described my new Frankenboobs to a "t".  They are large at the base, but do not have the shape of a Hershey kiss, rather a blob of dough that is halfway rising!  However, Dr. R. has stated over and over (I still have a drain at 4 weeks, so I have seen him weekly) that his main objective for stage 1 was to get the tissue transplanted and blood supply established.  When I complained at 10 days that they were more like footballs (one a DD and the other a C), he told me to give it time and he'd make them cantaloupes.  At four weeks they are closer to the same size (a full C), but still rather the shape of when I wore a firm sports bra that no one really notices but me.  They look good in clothes.

My problem with clothes is not what I can wear, but that I still spring a few leaks every now and then when I am too active.  I have a couple of areas on one breast that are still healing and a cami with a shelf bra irritates the exact spot enough that I have to use a non-stick 4x4 bandage.  My hip drain that seems to not want to stop working also drains a little bit where the drain is stitched in.  If I wear anything with a waistband, my abdomen incision will get irritated and drains a bit as well.  I sound as if I am a walking infection, but I'm not!  The scars are all healing, but apparently the Avastin infusions that I had with chemo and for 9 months following is slowing down the healing process. 

XmasDx

ladym13 - re: the flat tummy...

My tummy is flat now, very flat.  Before surgery it was big in the low area under my belly button.  You will get a new belly button in case you are not aware of that.  If my tummy was any tighter I would not be able to stand up straight, as it is I cannot lie on my stomach yet (7 weeks after).  I did not go down a pants size (surprisingly) but that is possibly because I don't want a tight waistband yet either.  My measurements are approximately the same, but my shape is better (i.e. I can wear dresses again!!!)