DIEP 2011

mscal02

Alexan: I taped my reg. boob like the models do to bring it up. I used paper tape. It was a chore to get it almost matched. I had to use small strips of paper tape because it can be hard on the skin too.Maybe the cami as ladym said might work.

pamdo

lady m...sounds like you're doing wonderful!  so glad to hear it...my uni mast and immediate diep with dr. zhong is scheduled for aug 23...getting nervous now.  how long do you need to wait for stage 2?

Sherryc

sounds like those that have had recent surgeries are doing well.  Mine will be  aways off but I like hearing how all of your are coping with things.  Thanks for sharing.

mscal02

Hi Ladies: I am so happy that everyone is movig right along. The area on my belly incision where the stitch did not dissolve,seems to be healing fairly well. I was told to siringe it with warm soapy water, twice a day and that seems to be really helping. I don't want anything to get in the way of my stage 2.

c8ndygr1

Question for all you DIEP-ers:  Once the scabs have come off your incisions, what are you doing to help minimizing scarring? What works? What doesn't work?

Kay_G

I am lurking here for a little while.  My DIEP is scheduled for Aug. 17.  Great info here.  Thanks to all the posters.

c8ndygr1

@daisy4ever: You are a 21 Club member too!  I expected my last 2 abdominal drains to be taken out last Friday but PS would only remove one abd drain at a time. So I had to wait over the holiday weekend and had the last one removed on Tuesday. Daily output was 26-28 ccs over the weekend. It feels wonderful now that they are all gone.  The hospital sent me home with a binder in hand but my PS doesn't like them. So after last drain out, he put me straight into Spanx 24 hrs/day for 2 weeks and as often as I can stand it after that. Sleeping in Spanx is going to take some getting used to. I'm not driving yet but could I suppose. Just letting DH baby me. I should do more walking I know. I'm confused by what you mean when you say your abdominal skin was left exposed and that it was removed and closed in Stage 2. You were left open? All my incisions are closed and healing well except for one small area still raw requiring ointment and a light dressing. We did it, girl! Yay for us!

Both my noobs are high and tight but PS said they would loosen up and start to drape more naturally as they heal. One is slightly larger than the other. Whatever doesn't look right after healing will be fixed in Stage 2. Looks like I'll have to get creative in what kind of bra (or padding) I will be wearing until then.

mscal02

My PS had me purchase Cimeosil. I have not starting using it yet,because I still have a few areas on my breast and an area on my tummy incision.Ask you PS what he recommends?

treesprite

alexanjb: I found a cami with a shelf that worked for me when I was in that zone -- it wasn't as good as a bra but saved me from that lopsided look! It was more structured than a typical cami but still loose enough to allow for good circulation. I got it from my neighbor but I think she got it at Kohl's. It was cotton and was cut with an empire waist and the elastic edged shelf inside..

You might try Nordstrom if you have one in the area . . .your insurance should cover if you ask your surgical oncologist for a prescription. Also perhaps a front closure soft cup might work, but the cami did the trick for me. I was still a little bit floppy and lopsided but good enought to go out in public . . .that and patterned, loose tops.

Try extra vitamin C . . . packets of emergen-C twice a day and lots of rest helped me turn the corner when my skin wouldn't heal. Bromelain (pineapple and papaya enzyme) and zinc also promote healing from the inside out.

After my mastectomy, I had bruising, my skin blistered and peeled and then wouldn't heal. It finally turned the corner about the time my PS was talking about cutting back the skin . . . that conversation got me serious about doing what I needed to do to heal up. I had my drains in forever after my mx . . . just trying to do more than I should . . .you know, I'll just cut up this watermelon, . . .I'll just clean the toilets . . .finally let go of all the extras and let the house go to s**t for awhile (that and asking my friends and family for help!!).

bdavis

Susan... I was in Chalreston two weeks ago and stayed at the Mills House on Meeting St for like $120 per night (AAA rate)... super location and very nice hotel.

ladym13

Pamdo- Dr. Zhong told me that stage 2 would be  2 months after the stage 1, my post op appointment got cancelled for tomorrow, so not seeing her until the 28th, when hopefully I'll get a date for stage 2.

NotAfraid

I have been using Mederma and lots of sun screen on my lymph node scar and the 2 scars on my upper arm where they took the extra vein.  I haven't seem much improvement.  I'm actually thinking of trying Manuka Honey.  I'll talk to my PS tomorrow about this.  I haven't done much with the round breast scars or my abdomen scar because I don't know what they are going to do to them in Stage 2.  But, after Stage 2 is over, I'm going to focus on getting these scars healed and lightened.  I have an appointment with a pool in Palm Springs in October!

wolfe33

Hi everyone...I haven't been able to log on much but I wanted to check in. 

I am 5 weeks post op and feeling much better!  Thanks to all of your support out there!  I went back to work yesterday and was able to make it the whole day!  Although I do have to admit that my office is literally across the street from home   The only issue that I am having is the recovery and possible surgery needed for my jaw that was dislocated by the anesthesiologist during my surgery.  I will get though that, even though I am pretty angry!

My PS asked me to wear Spanx as well and I got used to them really quickly.  He also suggested a Coco Butter Stick for all of my incisions.  It really helps and I can already see a difference in the color and texture of my incisions.  Stage 2 is scheduled for Sept 15th, can't wait to have it all over with!!!!

Hang in there ladies.....and for those who have their surgeries scheduled soon, you are in my thoughts!!!

daisy4ever

Spanx or binder? What is the difference? I have been wearing my binder non-stop since my DIEP, which is two weeks now. I have to wear it for 4 weeks, and even wore it with the abdominal drains. I'm wondering if I should switch to the spanx? For those of you wearing spanx, are they the ones that cover the tush and abdomen? I am new to the world of spanx. I just lived with my muffin top spilling over. (I am delighted that it is gone now!). What style of spanx are being worn after DIEP? The binder only wraps around my waist. Is there any reason to wear something that covers the tush and part of the legs?

wolfe33

I don't know why my PS wants me to wear Spanx.  I can tell you that I am wearing the spanx 'shorts' covers thighs and goes to just above my newly placed belly button   I am not sure if there is a reason to have the other support or not?!?!?  But I will do whatever my PS says!  He got me this far and I am thrilled and in awe of what he did!  Still trying to wrap my brain around what happened on that operating table...technology is amazing AND a blessing

MargaretEleanor

Thanks so much to everyone for asking questions and sharing experiences here.  There is a wealth of infomation!  I'm scheduled for bilateral DIEP (or muscle sparing free tram) at UCLA on July 26th.  I've named the new "girls" Angie (left side in honor of UCLA) and Shea (right side in honor of Mayo Clinic Shea where I did my treatment).  I'm excited, but scared. 

XRAYestInMA

@mscal02 Ah ha !!! So models use tape to perk up their boobs....hmmm, that sure explains why when I went to VS to shop for bras yesterday, how my noobs did not look exactly like the models boobs did in their bras, LOL. And I thought it was because the models are so young - but no, that can't be it because my noobs are now high and perky - so they look "young" too, HA HA.

I am thrilled to report that my noobs fit in a C cup - the same size I was pre-BC, and pre-DIEP. And unless I loose volume in the noobs between now and when I undergo the knife again for a Stage 2, I will not be asking for an increase in volume for the noobs. The twins - fraternal as the lefty is a tad smaller than the righty - look awesome in the VS Angel bras. The cleavage is to die for - I could cry but jumping for joy seems more appropriate. I do still have a little poofyness above the abdominal scar that is unsightly (to me anyhow), but my PS assures me he can lipo away anything that doesn't go down on its own...yeah !!!

Re the binder...I only wear mine when I go for fitness walks or bike riding, other than that I find wearing it pretty annoying. During all other times when I am not wearing a binder, I wear panties with moderate tummy control by Bali (purchased at Target), and long camis by Flexees (I bought these thru Amazon.com) and they are working great at keeping everything firm and yet comfortable. 

Re: the scars... I'm putting Bio Oil on mine and I gently massage them with the oil when I am rubbing it in. I'm a pretty good healer - or at least I have been in the past. My original MX of the right side was done by a general surgeon and the resulting scar was horizontal and super flat. I never put anything on it and it faded to nothing over time. The scar under my right axilla from the SNB has all but disappeared - and I put nothing on that also. I'm doing the Bio Oil and massage to hopefully speed the healing of the tissue...maybe it'll work, maybe not. I refuse to spend mega-bucks on all the products out there that claim to lighten scars when I did nothing in the past and healed just fine. I figure Hugh Hefner won't be calling me for a centerfold anytime soon - and if he does, the staples will just have to be placed strategically, HA HA HA    If anyone is interested, Bio Oil can be purchased at Drugstore.com, and also Target which was where I bought mine. The jury's still out on if it is helping the scars, but it sure is working great on my cuticles. They have never looked better. 

Has anyone noticed that they no longer have any feeling inside their navel? I was giving mine a good cleaning inside with some warm water and Johnson & Johnson's Baby Wash and when I poked inside a bit with a Q-tip I felt nothing at all. Weird ??? I wonder if that's the way it will be for life, or if the sensations related to belly buttons will return. Anyone ???

Welcome to the thread, MargaretEleanor - I had my bilat DIEP on 6/6/11 = 1 year after your dx, and over 6 years from mine . I'm 4 weeks post-op and feel GREAT! I like the names that you are giving your new girls - especially "Shea". July 26th will be here before you know it.  

XRAYestInMA

@MargaretEleanor I saw a thread where you asked a few questions, and even though it's 1:30 a.m. here in MA, I can't sleep so I'll try to answer a few....

Re: pain meds ~ to need or not to need ???.......I vote YES, you may need some. I always considered myself to be a gal with a high pain tolerance - delivered my DD (1st baby) au natural, and it hurt, A LOT,but I did it. This was not by choice - the epidural didn't take and then it was too late to try again. With that being said, I really felt my immediate days after my bilat DIEP were made a lot more comfortable with the aid of narcotics - no pain pump for me, but a Morphine button for the first day and a half, and then Oxy's by mouth. Without the meds., my pain was in the 5 to 6 range (out of 10) on the pain scale for the 1st week or so, then 3 to 4 for week 2, then 1 to 2 during week 3 (when I weaned myself off of the Oxy's and onto Tylenol extra strength). Today at week 4 post-op, I take no pain meds and only an aspirin twice a day to keep my blood flowing freely. The aspirin was my PS's orders for 1 month post-op. 

Re: drains. I had 4 - one under each axilla, one at each hip. Three were removed at my first post-op visit, 1 week after the DIEP. Lucky number 4 was still attached and doing it's job at 3 weeks post-op, until one morning when I woke up and found it had lost suction in the bulb. Turns out the sutures let go and the tubing was falling out. I removed it and popped on my abdominal binder, and have had no issues thus far.

Re: driving. I was given the green light to drive after I was no longer taking narcotics. That was about 2 weeks post-op. At first I didn't go far to test the waters, so to speak, but now I can travel long distances without a problem. This past Tuesday, I had my week 4 post-op visit and drove myself there are back for a total of 3 hours of driving. I felt so good that I even stopped at Trader Joes for a little grocery shopping on my way back home from Boston.

Re: post-op outfits. The one's you described sound good. I wore button down no-iron shirts from Landsend (when I still had drains), and yoga pants when I had to venture out. For the 1st 2 weeks post-op when I was hanging at home, I wore button down night shirts that I bought at Kohl's (Vera Wang brand name), or zipper-up bathing suit cover-ups that I bought at Landsend. Think ease and comfy. 

I also had a shower chair that my DH would place in the tub for me for my daily showers. A recliner comes in handy, as well as a wedge pillow (bought mine at Bed, Bath, & Beyond with the 20% off coupon), and a few extra pillows for under your knees and arms. I also found those little disposable heat pads very useful when I was walking a little hunched over. My mid-to-lower back would ache so much after a few days. I would stick the pad on and it would feel great and helped alleviate the pain. Also, don't forget your prunes, LOL. Pain meds without extra fiber and a stool softener = a very bad situation. If in doubt, feel free to read my TMI but all-to-true post about constipation a few pages back.

Ok, now I am tired and am hitting the hay. If you can think of any more questions, send them along... one of us should be able to add some insight. GN

~Lori 

1stnoelm

Hi Kathy am enjoying thisd site thanks so much for telling mme about it and listeninig to me.. yr the best

NotAfraid

MargaretEleanor  - I'm a UCLA gal too.  i had my BMX with Immediate DIEP on 3/29 and am having Stage 2 done this Monday.  If you have Dr. F, I know his requirements (there are slight variations of post-op instructions between doctors).  

I've been extremly happy with UCLA.  They are MILES above my old medical group that didn't want to do DIEP.  Feel free to PM me any time with questions or post here.  I read this thread and the Stage 2 thread regularly.

 Lisa 

carberry

notafraid  i am so jealous that you are having your stage 2 already!  I am a mar. gal also and cant have my stage 2 till Nov.  I had to do rads after my surgery and he wants the skin to heal well.  I need to find the stage 2 thread.   You will post there I hope to let us know how it goes?

NotAfraid

Carberry: Here's the Stage II thread: http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/769050?page=7#idx_190

I didn't have to have rads (or chemo or anything - WHEEE).  So, I'm moving right along.  Although it STILL is a long process - I've been at this in some form or another since last August (but the first 9 months were dealing with idiot doctors at my old medical group.  

I'll post when I get home on Monday if I'm not too drugged up,  Although, with my bad typing skills and some heavy duty drugs, it could be amusing.  Sort of like drunk dialing.  

grdnslve

ladym--you inspired me.  went for the jeans this morning & for some reason the back isn't hurting so much now.  using my muscles differently?? 

off to see the ps.  hope hope hope the drains go. 

misszed

Hi All!! Just an update after my 4 week post op appt.  Still wearing spanx, and l have noticed the reduction of the mid section these past 2 weeks...today, he said "just wear them for as long as you can bear them during the day and when you go to sleep for another 2 weeks"  Im using Palmers cocoa butter oil to massage the scars for 5 minutes a day and they are looking better already. I heard Bio Oil works well too. I got cleared to wear soft bra's, the shelf cami's have worked well so far.  I feel more confident with driving and will start easing back into work next week. 

I am waiting on my Oncotype test results which will determine if l need Chemo or not, I pray for a low score but if l do get a high score then l won't get my Stage 2 early september. I will have to wait a month after completing the 4 cycles of Chemo. Staying positive!!  All the best to the July DIEP-ers!

brigadoonbenson

misszed - all good news  Waiting for those test results? Crazy making.  Good luck.. 

nicurn4222

Hi everyone! Checked out for awhile. Doing well. I am another 21 clubber. 2 weeks and 2 days post bilat skin sparing MAS with immediate DIEP. I've done well! Two breast drains out on day 3 and 2 abd drains out on day 8. My back only hurt if I let myself hunch over two much early on. The problem I have now is the soreness of my chest wall. I think it is because so much swelling has finally gone down. Still taking vicodin 1 to 2 times a day when Motrin isn't working. My DH has to do dressing changes on both breasts twice a day because the skin that was spared from my original breasts has blistered into large open sores near my incisions on the lower part of both breasts. They seem to be improving everyday though! I am also wearing a compression girdle to my knees but PS told me I can graduate to spanx in a couple of weeks. I hate that it is so hot to wear but love that the crotch is cut out so going to the bathroom is easy. Can you get spanx that are crotchless?? My real problem?? SLEEPING ON MY BACK!!! I HATE IT!!! lol I dream about the day that I can curl up on my side with my body pillow!!!! Can't wait!!! So glad to hear everyone else is coming along really well! DIEP is a blessing! Overall....I think it has been alot easier of an experience than I ever thought it would be. Thank you to all that went before me and told of their experience. You really helped destress the whole thing.    Lynne

brigadoonbenson

nicurn4222 - I had one of those sores on my right breast.  Still doing a wet/dry bandage after 3 months but it does heal!   I hated sleeping on my back also.  Funny though that by the time I could sleep on my side I didn't mind sleeping on my back quite as much.  Still, tucking in with my pillow is the best.

grdnslve

misszed--praying for a good score for you.  i wouldn't wish chemo on anyone. can't believe it has been 4 weeks already for you!!!!  how can it take so long for the surgical date to get here & then there is a time warp & boom your a month out.

my f/u with ps went really well.  i asked if he was (please please please) going to pull the drains - he said it depended on the output, so he kept looking at the figures & asking me 'are these for 12 hours??'  i told him no it was 24 cause they didn't seem to be kicking out that much.  so yippie skippie he pulled them all.  however, one of the drains didn't seem to want to come apart from the stitch, so i about hit the ceiling when he yanked on it.  told him he was off my christmas list.  but other than that minor offense, all went well.  he now wants me to use spanx, explained the compression garment is to do the same thing as the drains-keep the fluid from building up under the skin.  soft bras ok, no pressure on new flap. 

soooo happy with the results!!!!!!!!!!!!  snif

daisy4ever

c8ndygr1: I am glad to be part of club 21! I get my two breast drains out tomorrow. The abdominal ones came out last Friday. How are your scabs doing? Are you using anything on the scars yet? What will you use? Are you walking upright? Are you doing any work around the house? I do small things, but I am trying not to do too much. my incisions and scabs are all healing, but I don't think I am ready to use anything like Bio Oil or Coco Butter. I can hardly believe how great I feel after everything. I take a few short naps during the day. I am still taking my pain meds about every 6 hours...but maybe I could stop now. My noobs are firm, warm, and high. During stage 1 the PS left a small area of the abdominal skin still showing on both sides, possibly because I am larger now and they could not close the incision without using part of the abdominal skin. But now the only skin showing is my breast skin, and my incisions are all healing fine. Could you ever see any of your abdominal skin after they moved it for the DIEP? They used a Doppler thing to check the vein and artery for blood flow while I was in the hospital. They always checked in the area where my abdominal skin was still showing. It's weird to explain. I never had any open areas. Really, it is all still amazing to me. I have boobs and they

are perky and real! I hope you are healing and having a great day!

misszed

Thank you Brigadoon & grdnslve for the support...waiting is the worst part!   

Glad the 21Clubbers are back on the boards...all l can say is that it gets better everyday.