DIEP 2011

Shellyann

Yes, Betsy.... Sounds familiar. Stay ahead of the pain if you can. I was on morphine until yesterday and now it is percoset. Pain is getting a bit better. Had a bm this morning! Woo hoo!!! They had been giving me senecot since yesterday am. I got up this morning and walked two laps around the unit, ate breakfast and wallah...! I'm going home this afternoon. Still haven't showered yet. ( just sponge baths). I won't get any drains removed until Tuesday at follow up appointment. I'm a bit anxious about being at home but very anxious to get there. Crazy, huh?

ladym13

Betsy- glad to see you are on the other side...yay you.

Sue- Thank you SO much for posting those I'm glad I got a chance to see before you deleted it, My internet was down so I haven't had a chance to get on here much.

Maybe I'll post some pics too, just to show the comparisons, my noob is Quite a bit smaller than I expected, but that was because they couldn't take anymore that what they did due to blood supply during surgery, so I'm hoping to get plumped up a bit in stage 2. and my inscision although straighter than yours and lower than yours, just doesn't look as nicely healed as yours.

Susan....you are getting close girl...time flies

sunflowerE152

Thanks all for the input. I just hate to go backwards:(  But if the stingers are common, then I don't feel so bad.  I am going to stay out of the recliner today, because getting in and out of it seems to be the worst.

I'm so impressed with those of you who had surgery this week.  Good luck and take it easy.  This is the time to let others wait on you.

gardengumby

I had a MX in December 2010, and have been wearing an expander since then.  I'm scheduled for a DIEP in August in Seattle by Dr. Said.  I'm really nervous about it - most particularly being "under" for so long. 

mscal02

Sue4L: I am glad that you have made it on this side. PS's are so different. I did not have a blanket and my room was not hot.I was told no binder whereas others had both. Just keep moving and it will get better.Don't over do it.

mscal02

garden: I was nervous and anxious at the same time. As it got closer to my date I actually calmed down.

sunflower: I am just getting feeling back in two of my fingers on my right hand.That was the only hand that the IV, blood draws and anything else that they needed was used.

redninrah

Sue- thats amazing. I was hoping that someone would put a pic up so I knew what to expect, they always put the glorified versions of the results online and websites, so its nice to see someones who we have been chatting with. I feel much better and even more excited now to get my DIEP done which is in January 2012. Thank you so much for sharing your photo. IF others can do the same, it will be much appreciated. It helps others who are waiting to feel more confident in the surgery and not second guessing what we will look like

Dutchy

It looks like it has been slow here for awhile.  Anyone going to be getting the DIEP done this month that needs some encouragement of information?

IowaSue45

You are welcome, I did want to show so you have some idea of what I am talking. about I didn't reallize how crooked my ab incision was til I had a picture. II would love to see others results. I should have take before pic. Not quite 10 wks and I water skied today and it felt awesome, it is something I love to do. I had a beautiful day. I too kin of forgotb about that bear hugger, I only had it for a few hr. When my temp. wasn't were they wanted it. It sure brought my temp. To were they wanted it. /p>

NotAfraid

Ugh.  The Bear Hugger blanket was the second worse thing about the surgery (drains being the first).  I hated that thing with a passion!!!  At least that was more temporary than the drains.   

treesprite

Sue . . WOW -  waterskiing at 10 weeks! That is amazing!Thank you for being courageous and sharing the pics . . .I'll have to give it some thought . . .not sure I'm that brave!

Gardengumby: when in August? I'll be at UW hosp on Aug 17th for stage 2 with Dr. Louie. Great anesthesia team there, so you should be fine! Take off and landing are the important parts and you won't even realize how long you are under . . .you just go sleepy bye and wake up all happy . . . Uni or Bi?

Sue4LSU

It's Sunday morning, 5 days after my surgery!  Feeling good!  Slept better last night, I took a benedryl, sleeping on my back, I'm sure I'm snoring like crazy, and have been waking up with a terrific headache.  I'm getting around good, able to get out of bed and go to the bathroom by myself.  I'm able to sit up at the table or bar without hardly any pain.  Still walking bent over, but the pain's in the back, abdomen not so much.  My breast seems swollen, but no pain!  Hopefully, I'll get my 3 drains out Tuesday on my follow-up appt.  The breast drain is not producing at all, and the 2 ab. drains are each putting out around 30cc's total.

mscal02

Sue4L: You are well on your way. Maybe by Tuesday your ab drains will be producing less, i believe it is 20cc's and all can come out. Try to stand up straight a little every day. Walking bent over is probably making your back hurt. Continue to take your pain pills if necessary. I dropped the percoset and started extra strength Tylenol after about two days at home. My breast pain was mostly just above my breast, and migrated to the center, between my breasts. I am 8 weeks out. I had a stitch that did not dissolve, and had to be cut out on my belly incision. It is almost healed up now. I have a couple places on my breast that are almost healed up also.My energy has really increased. I walked 2 hours the other day and I am hoping to increase it to 3 hours tomorrow.

bdavis

I had surgery Thursday... Sgap not diep... So all that abdomen pain does not apply to me... No real pain in hips or breasts, but energy is kind of low... I can walk pretty well, use the bathroom etc... But with 4 drains and the Dom taking a shower requires assistance. My one big issue is improving ,my lung function, so that is my goal today... And because the lung function isn't 100%, I have been running a low grade fever.

grdnslve

betsy--keep an eye on that lung function & temp--so easy to end up with pneumonia after surgery.

wedding was fantastic.  daughter was stunning naturally.  weather even cooperated (in washington!!!!) but, i noticed a (?) wrinkle, dimple, whatever in my new buddy and the area is quite hard compared to what it has been, and it hurts -  going to call the ps tomorrow.  trying not to freak out.  what do you think?  scar tissue??  i wouldn't worry too much about the dimple part, but it is right at my cleavage.

bdavis

Hmm... Not there yet, but I agree to ask ps

SAMayoFL

Hey Betsy, so glad to see you posting daily.  It gives me hope and encouragement.  When will you be released from the hospital?  Tuesday?

I can't believe I am scheduled for next week.

Susan

hmh23

This is my first visit to this forum and I am scheduled for my bilateral DIEP on August 1st.  I'm nervous but also looking forward to this next step in my treatment, the beginning of the end. 

Any and all words of advice would be much appreciated. 

Fondly, Heather

Sherryc

Betsy glad you are not having alot of pain

gardengumby-why do you have TE's?  I am going to have a nipple sparing MX with DIEP reconstruction and want to go larger and I have wondered how the PS is going to stretch me.  This is on my list of questions for my next visit.

ladym13

Welcome Heather,

This is a GREAT thread, so many wonderful ladies, with lots of great info, you'll do great.

I had my unilateral DIEP 5 and half weeks ago and I'm feeling great and don't have one regret.

If you have any questions...someone on here will have the answer.

Mo

Shellyann

SAMayo- I see you are from Fl...where are you having your surgery? I am from Orlando and had mine at MD Anderson on Monday the 18th. I had a bi-lat with delayed on the left and immediate on right. I was in the hospital from monday to Saturday and they said I was doing great. It is their protocol to keep patients 5-7 days. This was fine with me since I had the nurses and PT to take care of me.



I am home now and amazed at how much better I am each day. I only use the walker when I am doing my laps around the house for exercise. I always stay in a hunched position to avoid pulling my belly incision. This causes back pain- but it's better than pulling incision I go back to the dr. Tuesday where I am praying my drains will be ready to come out. Not too much draining at this
point. I am relaxing and sleeping in 'beach chair' position.





I am mostly only taking Tylenol for the pain.

clothes have been a struggle but since I'm not going anywhere - except dr. Office tomorrow , I just wear wife beaters( pin my drains to them) with button down pj's or robe. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask or PM me.

Shellyann

@ Sue.... Wow, you are doing great! I hear ya about the headaches tho. I wonder if it is from the anesthesia, lack of caffeine or sleeping in that position.



@Betsy... You too are progressing well. You and I had surgery around the same time. Keep moving to keep healing.



@ Heather.... Welcome, I found this board to be very helpful as I prepared- both mentally and physically- for this surgery. I have found there is some variation in doctors and hospitals and of course, we all heal differently, but for the most part what I've read here has been true for me too.



Good luck girls!

IowaSue45

My PS's wanted me standing up normal before I left the hospital. On day three they said work on standing up straight its not going to hurt your incisions.

I did have the warming blanket for a few hrs. day 2 because my temp. wasn't where they wanted it. it wasn't a whole lot more uncomfortable than just being in the warm room. My husband complained more about the room being hot than I did. Make sure whoever is with you dresses lightly, shorts and tanks tops.

 Did everyone get pumped full of fluid the same as me? On day 3 I weighted 20 more lbs than before surgery just from the fluid they were putting in me. They said it promotes better tissue attachment with it being expanded. That was uncomfortable but went away within a few days of stopping the fluid. One thing that happen to me from the fluid build up was that it pushed my ivs out and they had to put them in somewhere else which I have difficult veins to acsses anyway plus the swelling of my body from fluid made it even harder for them to get ivs back in.

bdavis

I have had a slight fever and learned today that my lungs are partially collapsed... Feeling MUCH better now

alexanjb

Betsy!   On the partially collapsed lungs.  Are they giving you respiratory therapy?

Sherryc

Betsy hate to hear that you have a partially collapsed lung.  Hope they are able to get it better soon.

gardengumby

treesprite - I'll also be there on August 17.  Dr. Said.  UW is where I had the mastectomy in Dec of 2010.  They did pretty good - except I got necrosis because I am apparently allergic to the tape they use.  So it was an extra out-patient surgery to get that fixed. What I'm most concerned about is lung function, as I've had some breathing difficulties on the tamoxifen.

SherryC - I had skin sparing surgery, didn't end up needing either rads or chemo.  I didn't understand the need for tissues expander, either, but now after having one in can see the advantage for the dr.  It creates more skin, and so give him more options to work with.  He showed me pictures of with and without use of a tissue expander - with the tissue expander, the theory is (unless something goes wrong, of course) that the belly skin will only be "seen" as part of the areola and nipple, and the scar will be underneath the breast, so not as visible.  Even though I'm over 60 I still like the idea of being able to look at myself (or have my husband look at me) and not feel too weird.  

bdavis

Alex...yes I am getting therapy

alexanjb

Betsy, glad to hear you are getting therapy.  My daughter had a collapsed lung and ended up with a drain for it and it was very painful for her.

mscal02

betsy; I am glad that you are feeling better.