Diep 2012

fredntan

Oh goody i will send my stuff in.

spicedlife

Has anyone been through phase two of their surgery yet?  My breasts are already starting to sag and have become smaller and it has only been two months since my surgery?  My Dr. said after I am finished with chemo we will do the phase two of the surgery.  They will make the aereolas and do some lipo or fat grafting form my waist above the scar line.  Just wondering if anyone who is finished has been happy with the results?

goldlining

Hi Jennyrjd -- not me yet, but in anticipation, I follow the DIEP Stage II thread.

That will probably help.

spicedlife

thanks goldlining!

julianna51

Just almost two weeks out now and it is amazing how much better I feel every day.   Hoping to have my last two drains removed today when I go in for my post-op visit.   Yesterday there wasn't much output at all so I am really hoping!!

Just wondering, I'm fairly petite and I'm feeling like I now no longer have a waist and have somewhat of a square body.   Does that keep getting better as one heals and swelling continues to go down?  

BarbaraJo50

"I am on the next step of my healing"...is an affirmation I have said through out the last three years as needed. Truely another step is coming to fruition! I sent all my info and photos to NOLA last Tuesday and by Friday afternoon I received a call from Carly that my paperwork was received and that their insurance department will do their thing. Having their help with the insurance issue is such a load off of our shoulders! I am so happy about this next adventure. I am excited about the possibility of lymph node transfer as well.

If it wasn't for you gals on this thread I do not think I would have had the information or the courage to move forward with the process. (((THANK YOU SO MUCH))).

bdavis

Yay BarbaraJo... I hope NOLA works out for you. It is amazing.

BarbaraJo50

Betsy, your input is what got me moving on this. Thanks for being here & helping us out. I hope I can be in NOLA before October. 

bdavis

Glad I could help!!!

mags20487

So excited...I have a consult with Dr Marga Massey on Sunday....I am excited and nervous all at the same time.  Thought this would never be happening.  I hope to get this done soon!!!  BarbaraJo maybe we will be roomies!!

Maggie 

bdavis

All private rooms, so maybe neighbors but not roomies. LOL

mags20487

love the private room thing!!!

Mags

BarbaraJo50

I would LOVE to be your neighbor! Maggie, I hope it works out wonderfully for you!

curveball

@julianna51, can you describe what you mean by a "square body"? I am considering DIEP reconstruction.

bdavis

I understand what you mean Julianna... I had that but it takes time for the body to recover. My midsection was rather boxy, but at 7 months post stage II, I am less boxy (have more of a waistline). I still have a distended abdomen, but I am told that can take up to 18 months to resolve. I will be seeing my PS in Oct (about one year post stage II) to see what he can do about that. I also need a little revision on my left breast. And would like the fatty pads lipo'd under the armpit/lat area.

Downey30

Hi Mags,  I am a current patient of Dr. Massey"s.   I had SGAP surgery three months ago and DIEP 10 days ago.  It turns out that I has a bony defect in my chest on the right side so the flap presented much smaller than the left.....so, we decided to add to the right.  This was all done due to failed implant reconstruction. You will just love Dr. Massey.  I knew when I met her that she was the right surgeon for me.  You will feel so comfortable and informed.  She will make sure that you are happy with your results.  As you probably already know she is one of a small group of qualified surgeons.  If I can be of any help just let me know.  We moved to NC after living in Melbourne, FL for 45 years. 

julianna51

@curveball - You have to remember I am only about 14 days out from my surgery.  So, at the moment I am still pretty swollen and cannot stand up completely straight and tall as I would like.   I'm also only 5'2" which makes a shorter waist span.   So...that said, yes I'm a bit boxy compared to my normal self.  I actually spoke with my PS today and she assured me that will balance back out.   I am not worried and have zero regrets in chosing DIEP.   Investigate thoroughly, there are lots of women on here that can give you all kinds of wonderful feedback.

mags20487

thanks ladies...I am really excited for this phase...feel like it has been forever in coming.

Maggie

curveball

@julianna51 & bdavis, I'm having a hard time getting a mental picture of what you mean when you say your midsection is "boxy". Was it that way before your reconstruction or did the surgery make it that way? I still lean toward preferring a flap procedure over implants but I want to understand the potential outcomes before making a final choice. This is really puzzling me.

bdavis

Curveball.. If I lost 30-35 pounds, I would be at an ideal weight, so my pre-surgical physique was not totally great, not bikini worthy. After surgery, the body is swollen for a bit... for me now, at 11 months post stage I and 7 months post stage II, I believe my swelling is gone, and from a frontal view I have a waistline (hourglass), but it would be more pronounced and attractive if I lost a few pounds. From the side view, my abdomen is still bloated or distended... Again, I think with some weight loss this would be less prevalent, but I also believe since I didn't have this distended look pre-surgery, that it is due to surgery. That said, I have been told that it can take 18 months for that to subside... and I am confident, that if I need a little surgical intervention with that, that my doctor will help me out.

At the end of the day, I can and am wearing a bikini now, so even with the bloat, I no longer have love handles etc so in many ways my figure is better than pre-surgery... AND I would not want implants at all over what I have gotten. In the right hands, DIEP flap is by far the most natural looking and feeling recon. To boot, I have no pain, I don't feel as if I have some artificial thing strapped to my chest. And I am confident that the belly thing will be fine in the end, and I can be a patient person. I also believe that the Tamoxifen is making it more difficult for me to drop weight.. so that is a little frustrating.

jacee

Barbarajo and Mags...You ladies will absolutely LOVE Dr Massey!! I have had all 3 stages with her over the past 2 years. I had bilateral DIEP in Charleston. Her bedside manner is unbelievable. You will feel like you've known her a lifetime after visiting with her. I simply love her and my results! You will not be disappointed.

MondaysChild

bdavis, the hormone therapy does have a lot to do with the bloated, distended look.  I have it too now and I had implant surgery. I was at a 6-month checkup with my MO and I complained about the way my midsection was looking. He readily suggested it was due in large part to the hormone therapy. I have been on Femara since last September.

SuzyBlue

I am three months post my Diep surgery and two weeks post my stage II tidy up with minimal lipo on my hips. I think that most of the swelling has gone from my abdomen and I still have a bit to go elsewhere. I don't feel boxy and have a clearly defined waist. I am not on any hormone therapy and do wonder if that is contributing to the ongoing bloating or swelling some of you are experiencing.



Curveball, it is difficult to reassure you of what you may or may not experience or what your results might be as it seems to me that we all have individual outcomes. What I can say is that by and large most of us seem satisfied with the results we are seeing and that it is a process to get the best outcome possible.

bdavis

i should add that I did not have the bloat after stage I, only after stage II and was/ am thinking its from lipo etc... but I also started Tamoxifen one month post stage II, so it is hard to say what is causing the distention... Luckily, Tamoxifen is for 5 years, not the rest of my life, and it is necessary for me as I was 98% ER+...

Snobird

I am 18 mos. post BMX/DIEP and I have also lost 35 lbs total from surgery AND weight loss. I am also 5'8" tall. Even though I told my PS that my bikini days were done I am currently wearing a bikini that I never thought I would ever wear again. While my waist measurement has gone down significantly it is not at what I was before I got pregnant and gave birth 26 yrs ago. However, I have no belly whatsoever above and below the incision line. I am as flat in my midsection as a 12 yr old. And stage 2 took care of dog ears at the hips and fat under my arms. Last I measured I was 36-29-39 so I definitely have a waist. At 58 I feel like I have the body of a 30 yr old so I feel pretty good about that. We come in all shapes and sizes so it is best to consult with your surgeon about what your expectations are and what they can do to get you there.

florafarm

I am having BMX and DIEP in NOLA on July 9th. I am glad to see Dr. Massey accepts what insurance pays. What about the other docs and the hospital? Also, can someone explain the pre- surgical fee? I have met my deductible and Out of pocket so I don't understand why the billing dept is asking for this money.

jacee

florafarm- I didn't have my surgery in NOLA, but I did have Dr. Massey as my surgeon. I didn't have a pre-surgical fee in Charleston. It may be that the center in NOLA bills above what insurance pays, and they require some of that upfront. Hopefully some of the girls that went there will have a better answer. You will LOVE Dr. Massey!!

rtnyc

how did you loose 30/35 pounds...please share. thx

I have 3 weeks until I go back to work and I want to drop weight before I go back... 

bdavis

florafarm... NOLA asks for what they are assuming will be your portion... The doctors are not IN network for most people, so they base your "pre-payment" on what the insurance company says... I had met my deductible and most of my IN network Out of Pocket, but they were working off of my OUT of network Out of pocket... but it was unclear, so they had me pay what would have been my payment for In network, and then billed me the balance after insurance paid... I would ask them if you are not sure.

Snobird

Rtnyc, I probably lost at least 10 lbs from the surgery itself after the swelling went down. I then spent 8 weeks skiing at least 3 x per week and watching my diet. But the significant weight loss has come in the last month or so by following the 17 Day Diet, which I downloaded onto my iPad. I can't remember where I had heard about it but it got great reviews on Amazon and after I read up on it I knew it was something that I could live with because it emphasized eating whole foods, which I do anyway. I have lost 18 lbs in 4 weeks and I hope to lose at least 10 more to reach my ideal weight.