Charleston Bound, part 2
Comments
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Finally turned corner from nausea. Changed antibiotic three times so food stayin down.
Just had my first outing. My friend came to hotel and took me to lunch at shem creek and we sat dockside watching dolphins swimming around the kayakers and boats. Absolutely healing experience.
She also brought a friend to lunch with us-- who is a plastic surgery nurse! So got lots of help carrying butt pillows and she totally amazed with dr kline work as her past doc only did trams and lat flaps. She just got married and relocated here six months ago and is off to review his website and submit a resume.
So a very good outing today in between the pain and barfiness. Dont mean to sound negative to newbies but just a reality check. I was up at 3am crying and saying WTH was i doin this for. I managed to give myself the lovenox blood thinner shot in thigh today without fainting
Get my breast drains pulled tomorrow morning at post op. hip drains going to be hanging with me for month though.
Nap time! Take care to all😍 -
Finally turned corner from nausea. Changed antibiotic three times so food stayin down.
Just had my first outing. My friend came to hotel and took me to lunch at shem creek and we sat dockside watching dolphins swimming around the kayakers and boats. Absolutely healing experience.
She also brought a friend to lunch with us-- who is a plastic surgery nurse! So got lots of help carrying butt pillows and she totally amazed with dr kline work as her past doc only did trams and lat flaps. She just got married and relocated here six months ago and is off to review his website and submit a resume.
So a very good outing today in between the pain and barfiness. Dont mean to sound negative to newbies but just a reality check. I was up at 3am crying and saying WTH was i doin this for. I managed to give myself the lovenox blood thinner shot in thigh today without fainting
Get my breast drains pulled tomorrow morning at post op. hip drains going to be hanging with me for month though.
Nap time! Take care to all😍 -
Finally turned corner from nausea. Changed antibiotic three times so food stayin down.
Just had my first outing. My friend came to hotel and took me to lunch at shem creek and we sat dockside watching dolphins swimming around the kayakers and boats. Absolutely healing experience.
She also brought a friend to lunch with us-- who is a plastic surgery nurse! So got lots of help carrying butt pillows and she totally amazed with dr kline work as her past doc only did trams and lat flaps. She just got married and relocated here six months ago and is off to review his website and submit a resume.
So a very good outing today in between the pain and barfiness. Dont mean to sound negative to newbies but just a reality check. I was up at 3am crying and saying WTH was i doin this for. I managed to give myself the lovenox blood thinner shot in thigh today without fainting
Get my breast drains pulled tomorrow morning at post op. hip drains going to be hanging with me for month though.
Nap time! Take care to all😍 -
I'm at hope lodge all checked in. Dr Massey was awesome. I felt completely at ease. She is going to get as much done as possible and then I will come back in dec for the finishing touches and more lipo and fat grafting. I got an amazing new bag from her. Tomorrow I'll be at Roper at 6am. Excited and nervous!
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I'll be sending healing vibes tomorrow Sherry! best of luck. (c:
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Good luck Sherry!
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Sherry, thinking of you! You are in great hands. And December will be here before you know it!
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Mermaid Sherry, Thinking about you. Wishing you a great outcome and feel well wishes.
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Sherry hope you enjoy Hope Lodges healing qualities and all is well.
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Cascader and others interested in HBOT-Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy . . .
I am finally home now from SGAP surgery in Charleston! Guess I need to change my avatar of Sullivan's Island back to picture of my backyard.
A long and painful ride, but made easier by a soft bed we made in the back of my minivan. I will post more about my surgery and outcome later, but wanted to let you know that I am already set up to see a doctor on Monday morning for HBOT. I will have to lay in this clear chamber everyday for one month for an hour and a half each time. Will find out more about therapy, insurance approval, if this laying down in chamber is going to add to the pain in the butt I already have going on or what. HBOT is supposed to help the radiation damage I've had problems with on my cancer side of chest as well as the rare axilla cording issue I have from ALND that the tissue won't repair itself.
I also found this good information about HBOT on the American Cancer Society web site should you be interested:
Time for more oxycodone and to bed. Told not to raise arms higher than 45 degrees for next month - believe me I'm frustrated already having to ask husband and kids to do just about everything. I had to have a lot of extra repair work from damage done from surgeries at other institutions during mastectomy and implant issues so not just a straight natural breast reconstruction surgery. Seems like other surgeries I was told I could raise to 90 degrees.
Take care to all!
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Sherry, Three days post op. Hope you are doing well and so glad you liked Dr. M. I knew you would; she's the best.
Pinkheart, Glad you made it home safely and to your own bed. Let us know about your HBOT. Take it easy and let everyone wait on you!!!
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Pinkheart, so glad you are home. It has been hard sometimes but dont overdue. How are you feeling? I also had my HBOT consult, have been meaning to post about it, very interesting. It is a huge time commitment and closest place for me is Seattle so I would have to relocate while receiving treatment . Working on the logistics now, a place to stay, while waiting to hear if insurance covers. The place I went was a big chamber, 14 people at a time go in, sit in recliners and read sleep , etc. reminded me of the chemo room. Let me know if you do it. I will read the link you posted thanks!
I will PM you tomorrow.
Lisa -
Home now and exhausted. Got 4 drains this go around. Dr M said this was more like a stage 2A that my previous stage 2's didn't do much. She went easy on lipo (saving it for December) and just did outer right thigh. She did a lift on both sides. Re did my 360 degree incision removed some necrosis and did some grafting on upper chest. All together it was an 8 hour surgery. Stayed inpatient until yesterday. Had some problems with pain so I stayed on the IV meds an extra day. She did my hips drains this time coming off my pubic mound vs the hip which I like (though they pull and tug more). I am so happy I went to her! Wish I hadnt waited so long or that I had picked her to begin with for my sgap augmentation to my DIEP. Aside from feeling really puking and sore I'm ok. Will post more later. Dilaudid is making typing a bit difficult.
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Hang in there, Sherry. Keep taking those pain pills as you need to. Glad you connected with marga. Don't kick yourself for what you didn't do before. You had your reasons then, you have your reasons now. It's okay. All part of the journey.
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Sherry, so glad you are home and can rest in your own environment. I'm sure you will be so happy with your results and just wait until Dec. WOW! (((hugs)))
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Adey, I just noticed you are up again this month in NOLA. Best wishes to you and keep in touch.
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ok Linda...it is about time for you to get your date up on this board!!!! No backing out...if insurance would pay, I would go and just have a scar revision and be there with you, but I know that will not happen! Put your date up there!!!! Loved the card you sent...made me cry a little since I have been going through so much with Colin's medical issue and Adam's love life issue! Wish we lived closer so we could get our girls weekend more often!!!!
XOXO
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ok Linda...it is about time for you to get your date up on this board!!!! No backing out...if insurance would pay, I would go and just have a scar revision and be there with you, but I know that will not happen! Put your date up there!!!! Loved the card you sent...made me cry a little since I have been going through so much with Colin's medical issue and Adam's love life issue! Wish we lived closer so we could get our girls weekend more often!!!!
XOXO
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Pinkheart and Sherry so glad to hear it went well and you are on the road to recovery!
I emailed Dr. Massey office and received a reply someone will be in touch and I never heard back from them. Wondering if it had to do with HMO IL BCBS insurance. Working full time makes it very tough to slip away for these phone calls on weekdays.
If Dr. Massy office rejects my insurance I'll have to go to Univ of Chicago for the DIEP procedure, I'm taking a break and still have these dumb failed TE inside me. My Mother just passed away last week so been a bit out of sorts around here. Mom was a breast cancer survivor for 36 years and died of congestive heart failure at the age of 86! She had DCIS in one breast with a saline implant that swelled in the end. Her and I would laugh at the Betty Boop cancer side 3 times the size on the other side. No cancer was found in her in the end. Let's all go that long hooray!!! -
Bogie,I have an HMO and Dr.Massey's office was not willing to work with it,told me if I could get it approved to let them know.I ran out of strength trying to fight the insurance.I am going to Dr.Kline in February.His office was extremely helpful about trying to get approval through my HMO,I was the one who decided to just wait and change insurance.Dr Kline and Dr.Craigie accept a lot of different insurance, BCBS being one of them.I know the HMO part can be a snag,but might be worth a call or an email.
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Bogie ~
I second what Panda has to say, as I happily ended up with Dr. Kline, who was very kind, patient, compassionate, kinda quiet, and will answer any and all questions you have in person, via email, and phone.
Dr. Massey doesn't do Stage One in Chicago anyway so you would have to travel to New Orleans. I could never get a "live representative" to answer the phone as the menu option states. Her insurance is not straight-forward either, and depends on where she is operating. She obviously is definitely an excellent doctor though, it's just how much you want to coordinate with her travel schedule and can afford.
I am fortunate that I have an outstanding BCBS plan that I don't have any copays, and I met my low out-of-pocket and deductibles back in May. So it's nice to pay ZERO (til end of year) for all this unexpected and specialized recon surgery because all this cancer recon surgery (failed implants) was not what I ever imagined would be like when I was diagnosed back in June 2011. I just had Stage 1 SGAP on August 1st, and I will have Stage 2 in December, again in Charleston.
BTW, I noted you kayak from your avatar. I went to Charleston a week early to stay with a good friend and go to beach on different islands, swim in ocean, sight-see, etc. I LOVE to kayak (still water only), but have not been able to since my BC diagnosis and recon mess last year. We did go to Shem Creek to eat lunch and dinner dockside a few times, and enjoyed watching the boats as well as the kayakers and paddle boarders go by. The dolphins were swimming all around the kayakers! If you do go to Charleston for surgery with Dr. K, definitely go to Shem Creek to rent your kayak. I believe they have guided tours as well.
You can save on expenses if you can have someone drive with you to Charleston (I'm 11 hours away, so you would be ~ 14). Of course you won't be able to help drive home. From Chicago, you can probably get a direct flight making the flight home somewhat more bearable. Also, the Charleston Hope Lodge (American Cancer Society) is very nice, and staying there at no charge will save quite a bit. Dr. K's office will coordinate that for you.
I'm also sorry to hear about your mom's passing. Was inspiring about her survival of BC.
Warm wishes on your personal decision, and an excellent outcome.
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Pink heart, always good to see your posts. Sounds like you are doing well and looking forward to Stage2 soon. I remember what a blessing ( in disguise) to have met all my out of pocket by the time my Stage 1 rolled around. I was able to get Stage 2 in before the end of that year as well!
Heading for Santa Fe this week to attend Dr. Massey's conference next weekend. Don't have LE, but I'm at a much better place with my reconstruction complete, to learn about it, now. And it will be great to see Dr. M again. I got to spend some time with her in NOLA last month when I had Vinnie do my tats.
My DH and I met and married in New Mexico and always love a chance to go back there. Something about the desert that draws me. And we need a vacation that doesn't involve surgery!!
I have BCBS, but PPO rather than HMO, so not sure how that plays into everything. Glad you ladies are able to work with Dr. Craigie/ Dr. Kline. Dr. Craigie assisted Dr. Massey with my Stage 1 in Charleston....never met him, but he did a great job on my belly button:) His office was very easy to work with.
Sherry...hope your healing is going well.
Linda....you will be up again soon!!
Sandy, Liz, Anne... Miss seeing you all, but know you are enjoying life. (Sandy, I feel your pain with your sons....I'm dealing with some of the same with mine). Has my heart in knots. Here's to the end of this long, hot summer and anxious for some cool fall days!!! -
Bogie, welcome and so sorry for the loss of your Mom! It 's never easy to say goodbye to your Mom. And yes, how encouraging to hear of her longevity after bc!! Your memories of her will bring you much comfort.
Good luck as you navigate insurance issues. That was the hardest part of this whole process for me. But now that I'm through, so very worth all the trouble. Don't give up!!! There is loads of help on these boards. Hugs!! -
Hi everyone, I've had two big surgeries at Nola and hope to finish up Oct. 5 with Dr. Massey in Charleston. It seems that everything I read about the hospital and care are just great. It's kind of funny because I'm use to everything in New Orleans and feel like I'm starting over at a new hospital. I'm sure it will work out fine. I love Charleston and it is within driving distance for us. Only about 3 1/2 hours. It's great getting all the good information from this thread. Hugs to all the warriors out there. Jamie
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I'm doing great. My stage 2B is scheduled for Dec 27th. Still have 2 drains. Everything looks good. Hoping to be able to pull the 2 groin drains soon though. Only real pain is in my lower back and right hip where she had to do a lot of revisions. Hope everyone else is doing well!
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Downey30~
You're so fortunate to only be 3 1/2 hours away! I had Stage 1 SGAP with Dr. Kline on August 1st. I flew down to Charleston a week early to have fun with a friend first, then my husband drove 11 hours for surgery and drove me home. We made a comfy bed in back of minivan, which was huge help.
Not sure what hospital you will be at, but East Cooper is new, only two years old, with overall great hospital staff, and within the nurses caring for flap surgery patients the care was excellent. It is a smaller hospital in Mt. Pleasant. Stayed with my friend in Summerville for a week before surgery, then 5 days in hospital, then moved to hotel at Patriots Point/Mt. Pleasant. I was on wait list to get into Hope Lodge, but did not stay there after all. I did stop and take a tour of Hope Lodge when we were in downtown Charleston, and it was very nice.
I will return in December for Stage 2, and possible lymph node transfer.
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PinkHeart, I am lucky to be so close. It all started when we were in Charleston for a golf tournament (my husband). I happened to call Dr. Massey and they were kind enought to work me in for a consult. After three failed implant reconstruction surgeries and another on the horizon I new it was time to look for something "better for me". I had bilateral S-Gap early March. It turned out that I had a bony defect in my chest on the right side so the flap presented much smaller. We then decided to use the menapause mound in my tummy. It wasn't really big but enough to fill out that right side. I have been recovering from that and and looking forward to my October appt to have my butt fixed and all the rest of the tweaking that needs done. We are going to stay a week...my husbands golf tournament again and I will have the surgery at the end of that week. I have heard great things about Dr. Kline and am glad that things are going well for you. I'm sure you feel like I do and can't wait to be done. Boy am I going to celebrate when I get those nipple tattoos.
MsSherryinFl, sounds like you are doing very well. It takes a lot of patience and I've found that isn't my strong suit. I'm learning! Your story sounds a little like mine but I hope you feel as I do.....l can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Happy Healing Everyone, Jamie
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Downey ~
Yesss to the light at the end of the tunnel!
I can't wait to be able to play golf again next summer. I tell everyone the only reason my DH married me is because we played 3 rounds of golf on our honeymoon.
My daughter is on high school varsity golf team and they play in the Fall and started their season August 1 --the day I was in surgery. We live on a golf course, which is also her school's home course. I will miss watching almost her entire season.
A friend that called me the other day asked why don't I just get on a golf cart and go watch her play. LOL With my poor SGAP butt sitting and bouncing around on a golf cart??? I'm also not to lift my arms higher than 45 degrees or lift more than 5 lbs for a month so even turning steering wheel of a golf cart is too much. As it is, I have pillows piled on the car seat when someone drives me to appointments, and I feel every-little-bump. It's hard for people to understand what all we go through as BC survivors . . .
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Off to NOLA on Thursday for hopefully my last surgery. Fingers crossed and request going out to the universe. (c: Get some play time before Monday's surgery.
jacee- Tell Dr M hi and that her Monday gals need some love!
I hope to make one of her seminars sometime.Take care all.
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Has anyone had seromas after the SGAP?
Bogie, so sorry to hear about your mom. She sounds like she was a real hoot making light of her implant!
I was able to get into the Hope Lodge and can't speak highly enough about it, or Dr. Kline and Dr Craigie. Although would be great to get my stage 1b ( failed flap) done in this calendar year, hubby used all his vacation time for this year. Not sure I could do it alone or take people away at the holidays. So, I may be going for 1b on Jan. 2nd, and start a whole new year with my deductible met again! Will be glad when this is finished.
Dr Kline has a webinar going on on the 28th of August, go to their site and check it out.
Tanks so much, good to read about others going through the same thing.
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