DIEP 2011

SAMayoFL

OMG, I was gone for a day and look at all the activity!  Wednesday night I was outside picking up some yard debris and I bent down and a limb that was sticking up hit me right in my eyeball.  I scratched my cornea right over the pupil and was having a difficult time seeing out of my left eye.  That was a brilliant move, wasn't it?  For any of you who were thinking about sticking a stick in your eye, I don't recommend it.  The eye dr. put a medicated contact in yesterday and I am doing much better today.

Alexan!!!!  NO NO NO!!!!!  I can't believe they are worried about your flap this far out.  Between you and your daughter ya'll have had a pretty crazy week.  Girl, I am sending lots and lots and lots of positive vibes and prayers your way.  I am so upset.  Please keep us posted as soon as you can!

Lori, I am so happy to see you back on the boards.  I wanted to tell everyone how long your surgery was. I have to say you get a medal for the longest surgery I have ever heard of.  You are Wonder Woman too.  You got out of surgery after midnight and they had you up at 10:00 a.m.  I am so glad to know that you are doing better and I really appreciate all of the details.  It helps me to prepare both mentally and physically for the challenges ahead.

Hey LadyM!!!  I am happy to see you back on the boards too!  Glad to hear you are doing well.  Are they going to let you go home tomorrow? 

Momtomygirl, C8ndy, Suz39 and Nicurn, is there a member here that can contact a family member after your surgery?  I can tell you that it is a great relief to me to know that you are out of surgery and doing well.  If I had to wait a week or so to hear from ya'll I would wear holes in the floor pacing!  If you are comfortable, you can PM me your number or a family member's number.  I am not trying to be the only point of contact but I am happy to do it if you are comfortable with it.  I wish you all the best ladies.  As you all know, we will all be thinking of you on your surgery day and wishing you all the best care and a speedy recovery!

Susan

alexanjb

Oh Sherry!  Poor thing!  Buttered potatoes and baked goods................. Good luck!

alexanjb

Susan, you are just so good as a point of contact!  I highly recommend you.  You keep us straight and keep the communications flowing.  

Owy on the eye.  Medicated contact is interesting.  Do you where contacts anyway?  Or is this just for medicinal?

 My daughter and I are going to be OK, I just know it.

Sherryc

samayofl-wow your eye, so sorry sounds like it hurts.  Hopefully the medicated contact will take care of the issue. 

alexanjb

c8ndygr1-my stomach feels tight and yet puffy from fluids not drained out.  Almost like I am wearing a padded bandage around it when I am not.  It feels pretty odd but nothing is painful.  I do not feel like anything is squished or that my intestines are cramping.  After the first BM, it felt normal when having one.  I made it a point to eat salad and fruit for my last meal prior to the surgery.  My daughter and her boyfriend brought me KFC (by my request) the night before my MX and that was a bad idea.  Think things that don't take complex digestion, because it will probably be a couple of days from your surgery without a BM, no matter what you do.  Even if you need to have one, it will probably be on a bedpan....uck.  I was worried about what would happen if I needed to BM while the catheter was still in but it didn't happen, until after I was home.  I am still eatling lightly but that is all I want.  I don't feel squished but maybe the stomach capacity is reduced.  Which would not be a bad thing at all.

Suz39

Gosh, what a roller coaster of posts!  I want to share an anxiety calming technique that I just learned last week.  I'm not usually one to pursue things like this, because up until now, I guess I haven't faced much anxiety.  However, this worked for me, right away, and maybe it will work for you.  Very simple, just to rub the sides of your fingers beside your finger nails, while breathing deeply.  After a few deep breathes, move to the next finger, and keep rotating through your fingers until you feel calmer.  It really worked for me, to the extent that I don't think I have felt so calm since before I had children.

Susan, I will PM you with contact info.  Thank you so much for keeping me in your thoughts and posts.  It means a lot to me to feel the support of this group.  Not to mention, how much I have learned.  Alexan, I am pulling for you with lots of positive energy.  I wish I could do more, but you seem to be handling things very well.  Good luck on Monday.

Suz 

treesprite

Susan, No more poking yourself in the eye!! I highly recommend against that!

Thank you for being a point of contact. I try to make it a policy to not worry as best I can, but it is really nice to hear when everyone is out of surgery and doing well. I picture everyone nice and cozy and well-cared for with a new lovely soft breast or two!

 

c8ndygr1

XRAY-Lori:  Great news on your pathology results. No more worries on that anymore. Re: constipation-did you take Colace as a preventative before and after surgery? Sure would hate to suffer what you went through.

ALEX-Joy:  Hope all works out for you and your daughter. Will send major healing vibes your direction. Keep us posted.

IowaSue:  I asked my Breast Surgeon about after MX monitoring and she said self-exams and regular breast exams by a doctor. No mammograms.

SAMayoFL:  Susan, didn't anyone ever tell you not to run with sticks? lol Very interesting they gave you a medicated contact. I've never hear of that. Probably protects the scratched area and heals at the same time.

21 Club aka 'Summer Solstice Babes' (thanks, GOLDLING, I like it):  Had my final consult with PS who reassured me on all my last minute concerns. From here on out, what happens, happens. He and his team are the experts and will provide me with the best possible Stage 1 outcome. Any irregularities after settling will be corrected - like NotAfraid said, in 'Stage 2, baby!'  

For us 21 Club gals, have a relaxing weekend, forget the extra cleaning, cooking, gardening, shopping, packing and just enjoy your last few days before surgery. Celebrate a fond farewell to your old tired, saggy (in my case), traitorous diseased breast(s) and poochy stomach for they will soon be history. Tuesday, here we come!

alexanjb

Re:  time off from work, My doctor's note says approximately 6-8 weeks out of work and I am in stage 1.  I asked the PM at initial consult if I might be able to work from home after 4 weeks and he said probably, at least part time.  I provide computer support and training for technical software, so that is a viable option for me.  Other than being face to face live and in person, I can do everything from home that I can do in the office.  My employer was above and beyond during the Mx and Tx and I have no reason to doubt them now, but still, I think the sooner I can return the better it will be all around.

SAMayoFL

Hey Lori, I just read someone mentioning your benign results.  I missed your post about that somehow!!! I am so happy to hear of your clear pathology.  I am BRCA+ plus had ILC which tends to appear in the other breast.  One of my biggest fears is them finding BC in my other breast.  I talked to my oncologist about in on Monday at my 3 months checkup and he said there is very, very little possibilty of that happening after I had a clear PET scan.  I am holding on to his words and hoping I get the same clean pathology that you got.

Alexan, how does your flap look today?  Any sign of improvement?

Misszed, LadyM and Laura, how are you ladies doing today?

Susan

misszed

Hi all! Im 1 week post op today, l feel better everyday and i had my first shower today!!!LOVED IT!!! I had my 1st post op appt yesterday, and got one drain pullled , lm down to 2 now which the doc says should be out on Wednesday.  My appetite is slowly coming back, l was slightly constipated yesterday but after having 1/2 a cup of warm prune juice and 2 stool softneners, l had my first BM since last Thursday night, great relief and had another one just after midnight!!  You cannot avoid contstipation as the you NEED the pain meds to be able to keep moving the first week, so the best thing to do is eat very light a few days prior to surgery and drink lots and lots of water of course.  I have been walking up to 10 mins 2 x a day, wears me out but this is vital to the healing process. I still have my compression socks which l can take off this Monday, these really help prevent the clots even with movement.  The nurse told me to just get up and move around every couple of hours even for 5 minutes, this l followed and lm doing super!  My incisions are a little itchy and pain is mostly above the Noob when l get up in the AM especially.  I am starting to wean myself off the Percocet and only doing valium at bedtime to help relax my muscles and sleep better.  My right arm is also still a bit painful but very bearable, l am able to put my arms up straight in the air so dressing is a breeze for non-button downs....l must say, I LOVE my pink pockets (www.pink-pockets.com)...no pinning drains for me ...thanks for the info, don't remember who posted the link but l prefer them to my "softee" cami..yeah l know ..lol

@Alexan- Stay strong and wish you and your DD all the best with overcoming these new developments.

@Xray- WOW 18 hrs..you go girl, lm glad it's over for you and on your way to healing, it's all worth it! 

To the 21 club girls - nicurn4222, Suz40 (happy 40th birthday girl!) c8ndyg, momtomygirl - wish you all the best, l will be praying for you.  Relax this weekend, l was so calm the day before and you will be too, suprisingly so

@grdnslve - Thank for your prayers and sending you positive vibes for 6/27/11...it'll be here before you know it.

@Hopeful34 - As mscal mentioned, you will still have your belly button, just a new hole, more of a relocation.  It's standard so don't worry about it, mine looks great even with the scabs still on.

@Susan (FL) - OUCH!! I hope your eye feels better today...try to stay away from any situation that would cause a wound or deep cut, and up your VIT C intake. Also want to say thanks a bunch for checking in on me and keep tabs on everyone on this forum, you are are god send!!

Thanks everyone for the positive vibes and prayers. Hope everyone will have a nice relaxing weekend.  Free freel to PM me if you have specific questions.  (((hugs)))

Susan - PA

JustLaura

I am 3 days post op and feel good. I was supposed to be discharged today but have had very low blood pressure so they are keeping me for one more night. That is fine with me. I have been walking a lot but look like one of the characters from Lord of the Rings - I can't remember his name. I have to make a consious effort to stand straighter - hunched over seems more natural to me right now. I have had very little appetite so far, but since I haven't had that first bm yet that is fine with me!

pupfoster1

Hi Laura and all ladies recuperrating this week,

CONGRATS on getting to this point.  It's quite an accomplishment isn't it!?  And BTW Laura, they TOLD me to stay hunched over for a while as to not pull the abdominal stitches too much.  I remember walking in to the hospital a week later still a bit hunched over and moving very slowly.  I felt like a 90 year old woman.  Flash forward 6 months---2 weeks after my 1st revision, I walked down and up the parking garage stairs to the hospital and rushed past several younger people to the elevator.  It all gets better!!!!

(((HUGS)))

Sharon

alexanjb

You all are so inspiring.  I love it. 

As to the hunching I don't really feel like I do it anymore.  It might have been yesterday or the day before that I realized I was upright and that makes it at a little over a week out.

 21 Club!  HooRA this is your last weekend without a set....

mscal02

It is such a blessing that everyone is doing this well. This is a big surgery and to make it this far is so fantastic.I am just looking forward when we can post our ending pictures. I was tempted to buy a swimsuit yesterday, but decided to just wait until my incisions are healed completely.

Alexan: You are so strong.

21 Club: soon and very soon you will be on the other side with the rest of us.Just remember that after the juice you will wake up somewhere else with warm supple breasts , and a flat stomach.

Happy Birthday Suz39

Laura: I spend a lot of time lying on my Chaise lounge still, because I can be in a reclining position. It feels good to my belly incision, especially after being on my feet for a while.

pupfoster1

Yeah mscal, I'm still not super comfortable in a real bed (since the revision 2 weeks ago).  It's too hard on my sides.  The couch in our family room is a lot softer.

Sharon

mscal02

Good Morning ladies: I meant to call yesterday to find out if I can use neosporin on my incisions, but forgot. I need something to loosen them up and make them softer. What has anyone used for this?

I was so happy to finally wake my bowels up and get regulated again. It took a lot of prunes,apricots, colace,and a suppository, but it finally worked. I was concerned and my Dr. didn't seem to be. So I just had to take matters into my own hands.

Alexan: How is your breast today? Is it looking or feeling better?

alexanjb

MScal02-No, it doesn't look better.  It isn't sore anymore.  I don't know what to think.  There are kind of blistery spots on top as well in a small area.  I won't be surprised if I have to have more cutting soon.

 I am sure you feel a lot better to be regulated.  Strangely, I didn't struggle with that for long this time.

XRAYestInMA

@c8andygrl1    Here's the deal-e-o of the constipation and me...I did not take anything as far as a stool softener prior to the surgery as I tend to be pretty "regular" and eat a healthy diet, low in fats = about 15 gms of fat or less per meal. Then I have an 18 hour surgery...my bowels must have been in shock since I sure was when I was told that was how long the DIEP and PMX was, LOL. I did not "go" again until 1 week = Sunday pre-op to Sunday after the SX. The nurses kept asking me in the hospital if I was "passing gas" (I was), and if I had had a BM (I had not). At that point, I had pretty normal bowel sounds - they check with a stethoscope. Flash foward...I'm in A LOT of pain, and having trouble sleeping after the sx. First on a Morphine drip, then Oxycodene by mouth on a every 6 hour basis. Oh, the pain was taken care of...but low and behold, and despite the plentiful amounts of H2O, prunes, salads, fruits, a Sennakot pill a day, AND 2 Colace a day - I get extremely constipated and the makings of a small bowel obstruction. I know this because one usually does not vomit while on the toilet (sorry, very TMI - but knowledge is power) trying to have a BM. I could hear rumblings going on in my bowels and the pain was a definite "10 out of 10" (I had only gone up to a 5 to 6 after the DIEP, so this was way worse). It was truly awful and the pain was excruciating. I had to use a Fleet Suppository (that my poor but loving DH had to insert- talk about sinking to an all new "low" in my mind). That bad-boy worked like a charm - about 3 hours later !!! I was still feeling pretty crappy (no pun) for a day or so after that event - but can say I am on the mend now. I am taking only 1 Oxy now - just before bed as it helps me sleep, and Tylenol Extra-Strength during the day. That is down from 2 to 3 Oxy's every 6 hours. Pain meds can be a godsend - but also a nightmare. I have learned to tolerate the pain and just keep moving...It's way better than the alternative.

@mscal Bravo for taking matters into your own hands. If you read the above, it was not pretty. Ah, to be on the mend, so to speak. I'm not putting anything on my incisions yet as I'm still pretty glued up with the Dermabond. My incisions feel weird - kind of bumpy, but it's not bumpy skin tissue, it's bumpy glue. They are not hard. The flaps feel good (I guess) - warm and soft, and a pretty good match in skin color considering my abdomen has seen the sun in the past (very past, but it had), and my chest wall where the B's used to be had not (no nude sunbathing for me).  I can't really see the abdominal lovely hip-to-hiper, but my DH says it looks great and so-and-so. How is yours looking ? Does that sound similar to you?  

@alexanjb My heart goes out to you. I HOPE you get some positive news on Monday and your PS can help save your flap and allow it to heal until a Stage 2 revision can make it look awesome. 

I wasn't told too much info about walking hunched over or not...and as time marches on (11 days post-op), I find myself walking straighter and with more endurance. Two sets of 10 laps around the pool (not in, we have yet to open the pool) and I am doing okay. Sat on the deck for a few hours, reading books in my Kindle, water fountain on...life is improving, albeit slowly.

Oh and has anyone weighed themselves post-DIEP. Not sure why as I usually shy away from the scale, but I weighed myself today and have lost TEN pounds since my surgery! I haven't even tried, so I'm thinking that perhaps there was some extra fat that the PS didn't need and just discarded. Ten pounds seems pretty extreme though..either way, I'm not complaining. Now I only have 20 lbs to lose before I get down to a healthy weight. I'm setting this goal for myself before I venture into Stage 2. I know I can do it in 3 to 4 months time. 

@SummerSolsticeBabes...Please refresh my anesthesia-starved memory ~ is anyone having  bilateral DIEP? Have a great, and relaxing week-end to you all. Only 2 more days and 3 more nights to go.....

mscal02

Xray: Almost all of my glue has slothed off. Some with my help. My belly incision looks good, but when I lie down and touch it, it feels like a bumpy rope.I am down about 16 lbs.I want to loose about 20 more.

mrsnjband

Well, I guess I am joining the group for sure.  I really like the PS I saw on friday & I gave her the go ahead.  So now I just have to wait for aprovals, tests, & date to be set.  Mid-August at this point.  

BTW it is a bi-lateral DIEP.  She really confirmed my thinking that because I have so much damage on the bc-side from the radiation that the DIEP is the best solution & will give be better blood supply to the flap.  The reason I am doing it is becasue of the radiation damage I don't have a good scar.

Orginally I didn't want reconstruction but I am tired of the infections. I am really nervous about the pain as I have nerve damage from the BMX & node disection.  But I will hope and pray it is no worse that what I have now.

Thanks for your support. NJ 

treesprite

xray: I'm not sure preparing would have saved you from the constipation . . . 18 hours is a long time for your intestines to be asleep - they forgot how to do their job!!

We do speak the naked truth here, don't we! The good, the bad and the gross!

It seems like no matter how much we prepare, things crop up that give us a good dose of humility and a reminder that there are some things that are not under our control.

mscal: My PS didn't want me putting anything on my incisions until they were healed in order to prevent infection, even neosporin; but I would think if anything was okay, that would be it. Are they crispy? They should dry up and flake off leaving a nice healed incision underneath. I have some keloids (raised bumpy places) and some wider places . . .that might be just how my body heals; I'm learning to love them just as they; doing anything else just makes me feel bad. My PS recommended Merderma and my physical therapist recommended Palmers cocoa butter with vitamin E, both for after things had closed up.

SAMayoFL

Xray, girl, you read my mind.  I was going to PM you this afternoon and ask you about your weight and also your dress size.  I know there is a lot of swelling but do you think you are about the same size you used to be?  Also, I read that you had lost weight prior to your DIEP surgery.  Did you have fat (a muffin top) above your belly button?  What does that area look like now? I dread the post of constipation.  I definitely have had trouble with it in the past on chemo, anti nausea meds or pain meds.  I hope you will start going back to a normal schedule now!

I have to admit to being a yo yo dieter.  I have gained and lost 30 - 40 pounds a couple of times in the past few years.  I was down to a size 8 when I was diagnosed and gained a little more than 20 pounds on chemo.  I am up to a size 12 and really, really working hard to get it back off before surgery.  My doctor wants my BMI to be 29 for surgery and I am at 31 right now.  Anyway, the real point to all of this is that my yo yo dieting has left me with a muffin top that is yucky.  To me, there is a lot of loose skin there.  Does anyone else have this upper ab fat and how do you look post DIEP?

Welcome to our little group Norma June.  As far as I am concerned, we are a great, very supportive group and you will learn a lot here.  I will say, however, read at your own risk.  We get down to the nitty gritty here!  My surgery is scheduled for August 3.

LadyM, how are you doing?  Did you get to go home today?  Laura, I hope your BP comes up and they set you free tomorrow!

Do we have any July surgery dates coming up?  I think Tressprite is scheduled for stage 2 in July but who else?

Enjoy your weekend!

Susan

XRAYestInMA

@SAMayoFL Well, no, I did not have a muffin top pre-surgery. My belly button looks good - still an innie, heck, I might even get it pierced someday!  I lost 40 lbs last year after taking a good hard look at myself and saying "YIKES", WTH have you done to yourself, you C*r*A*z*Y XRayest!", or something to that affect. I did it with a healthy diet and LOTS of walking and bow-flexing. When the winter months hit (I do live in New England, Brrr), I worked out less, and a few lbs crept back on. I have a curvy figure and even when heavier, had a smallish waist - most of my weight seems to settle in my butt and thighs - kind of hour-glassy. Walking a lot keeps the lbs off of my thighs/butt - it's my personal key to success. Right now I would say my jeans size (I don't wear a lot of dresses) is still the same, but when I am able to wear them again, will be a LOT loser in the belly. I think I still have some swelling in the abdomen because the curvy waist is a little less defined - either that or what I look like now is the result of the surgery, and in that case, can be fixed. My DH thinks I look so good that my PS will want to put photos of my DIEP-Noobs in his portfolio - the one he shows to patients! DH also said the PS will most likely leave out the info of it being an "18 hour procedure". That would probably scare away a few prospective patients, LOL.  The walking that you are doing now is going to help your healing SO MUCH. I have used my legs/thigh muscles so much with lifting myself off of chairs and out of beds over these past 11 days of my post-op time. I walked up and down my block for 20 mins tonight and plan on tackling a hill tomorrow. Just go into this being the healthiest you that you can be and it will be no sweat!

Welcome Norma June! I had a bilat also, but the BC side was delayed by 6 years. I did not have Rads to the BC side, or at all, but was told that my DIEP took a while because my original MX side was so healed and flat - I never had a TE placed at the time. Good luck to you with whatever path your decide. This DIEPing is not for the faint of heart, but oh so worth it, IMO. 

@mscal Re: the weight loss...you and me baby, you and me. Cheers, to a thinner us (and anyone else who'd care to join) with great racks to boot !!!

treesprite

My stage 2 consult is this coming Monday:

my list of questions: 

reduction on DIEP side,  lift on non-diep side, dog ears (tiny, but still . . ), lumpiness along tummy scar , hard spots in diep side . . 

what am I missing???

pupfoster1

Oh my do I know about constipation.  It's crazy the things we get so casual about here isn't it?  Sad but true.  I, like you Xray had always been regular.  So much so that my husband would get mad at me because I could be eating breakfast then 5 minutes later, go to the bathroom and be out in less than a minute.  He HATED that because it's a whole ritual for him! LOL!  Well, chemo and pain meds changed that dramatically.  I too was on Oxycodone and man, that stuff just shuts me down!!!!  Like you said it works great for the pain, but OMG, I was literally CRYING in the bathroom after my DIEP after not going for about a week.

So the moral of this story is: even if you are regular as the sun and the moon, be SURE TO ADD EXTRA FIBER, take the Colace, do WHATEVER you need to avoid this.  We have enough issues to deal with and this is not a fun one to add to the mix.

(((Hugs ladies)))

Sharon

c8ndygr1

Xray-Lori:  Thanks for sharing your post-op constipation experience. Was it an ileus bowel obstruction where the intestines just quit working? I'll do whatever it takes to get things moving asap. Got my prunes, Colace and suppositories ready. Kudos to you for your weight loss, healthy eating and exercise. I'm at the higher end of normal weight right now but I wouldn't mind losing a few more lbs and getting better toned after surgery.

QUESTION:  Anyone know of a good anti-cancer diet?

Re: Summer Solstice Babes, 'bi-DIEP or uni-DIEP?' - I am a bi-DIEP. Lynne and Suz?

You all should see how I rigged out my cozy 'post-op nest' - I folded a down comforter and placed it on the recliner like a double thick pad. Stuffed two bed pillows into one pillowcase to make a firmer under-knee leg support. And dug out the cushy neck support travel pillow. All my necessities like TV remote, portable phone (with intercom), tissues, books, magazines, and so on, are within easy reach. Oh, man, let me tell you, it is REALLY comfy. I feel so pampered. LOL! 2 more days to go.

With all we're been through, let's hear it, ladies, 'NO muffin tops!' 

Sherryc

Norma June I am having a BMX with Diep after having radiation.  I have permant nerve damage from radiation that they are going to try to address with the MX.  PS said I am not a candidate for implants so he wants to do a BMX with reconstruction so he can do both using the Diep.  PS also expressed concerns about the blood supply because of the radiation damage.  But I have to gain 10-15 lbs and my radiaited tissue has to heal better.  It is still not ready.  I will go back in Sept to see about my progress.  If my tissue is still not ready or if I have not gained enough weight then I will wait until the end of March to have it done. Work is too crazy between Jan and mid-march.  After that it won't matter plus I like the idea of having the first and second stage all in the same insurance calendar year. Good luck with yours.

mscal02

Xray: I am 6ft tall. I have gone from a size 18 to a size 14. I lost butt (hooray!!!!) stomach, and a lot more. I was so glad to loose the butt, because you could not tell whether I was going or coming before surgery.I don't want to lose too much more because I don't want to look like Olive Ole. I just need to work on my thighs and hips. My DH used to tell me that he could sit a six pack and a clock radio on my butt. Last night when he came home from work he made a comment ,you better not have on a pair of skinny jeans trying to show off your new shape.I remember when it was so easy for me to get this shape with dieting and exercize. After 50  and chemo it was almost impossible. Thank goodness for DIEP. My DD and I went to Hancocks fabrics yesterday, she is making me 2 dresses.I am not ready for pants yet.

treesprite: My incisions looks to be healed. There is some redness, but no leakage.They just feel so tight. Last night my belly incision ached and ached.This morning it is okay. I thought maybe it is healing.

Welcome Norma June.

We have canarychick on 7/11 getting her DIEP.

Sherry: You probably could start incorporating Ensure into every meal.

ladym13

Hi DIEP sisters...

I came home from the hospital yesterday, I'm feeling okay, just about to go take the dog for a walk with my boyfriend.

I came home with only two drains (abdomin) which I'm hoping the home care nurse will pull for me today, the drains are the worst part.

I also feel a little queasy still here and there, I was pretty nauseous after the anisthetic and my tummy still just doesnt feel right.

So I am ALREADY looking forward to stage 2, the number one reason being that although I am SOOO happy to have cleavage again, my new breast is quite a bit smaller and also perkier than my natural, so really looking forward to the revisions.

I have a binder that I will be wearing for 4-6 weeks and it's actually comfortable to wear.

I shaved my legs this morning...what a victory that was...everyday gets a little better.

Still cant really tell how my tummy looks since it's so swollen, but I don't see any dog ears so thats good

I was sleeping sortof upright in the hospital and last night I slept flat on my back with a pillow under my knees....when I sat up I thought I was gonna die from all the pain and pressure in my new breast....anyone know when that eases up?