Diep 2012

Jennt28

Everyone agrees you need help at home. Can you elaborate on what specific things, including usually self care things, you needed help with?



I can see my 17yr old son putting out the rubbish/garbage but can't see him pulling up my trousers for me...



Jenn

301724

I needed help getting in/out of bed for a few days. Also help in/out of the shower (once my drains were out), especially someone to wash my back. Be sure to get an assistive device (sort of like the handle that comes with Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaner) to use with toilet tissue to get to hard-to-reach places while your arms are still sore/mobility limited (few days only). Beyond that, issues had to do with inability to reach/lift more than 5 lbs.

Hope this helps!

Jennt28

Thanks 301724. I am going to be in the hospital for likely 7 nights after surgery. Do you think I will still need help with those self care things after that period?



Jenn

J-Bug

I was in the hospital just under a week and my mom came to visit and helped me out for another week after that. I still needed help that second week. I was told that I could shower, but I couldn't raise my arms enough to wash my hair. I didn't have the stamina to be up long enough to prepare food. I am in week three and with the bandages that I have for various leaks, I still cannot reach to change them all by myself. My fourteen year old daughter is helping me with that. (She seems to have an iron stomach.)

My doctor appointment went well yesterday. Everything is healing up. He checked the area under the right breast that has been draining so much. He said that the stitches came loose. He offered me the option of doing a day surgery and resewing that back down in a different way. This is my radiated side and he said these are the areas that drive them to drink. Radiated skin is much tougher to work with. So next week I will go to the hospital and get sedated and all that and sewn back together so that this can heal faster. Unfortunately, he said I would come home with a new drain. I had six and they were all gone as of Monday.

darnette

Hi Jennt28,

tomorrow will be a month simce i had my flap and i have to tell you i am feeling fine.. The first couple days in the hospital will be the worst of it all.. because number one your going to fell like you have on a tight grudle and you don't. and you'll have these drains all over and the nurses will be coming to checking them that will get on your nerves. They will want you to get out of bed and sit in a chair and also walk around.. ofcourse there will be pain and discomfort but if you could have a baby you can do anything. You will have your pain medication on hand and that works I got rid of mine hand held device day the hext day because i didn't like the way it made me feel i was way tooooo high. When you get home you will feel much better please, please, please, please, please and please again get a recliyner because you will NOT BE ABLE to be comfortable in your bed. i have been sleeping in my chair since day one.. I tried going to my bed and i didn't sleep all night.. Once you get home the worst will be the the drains... once they come out you will feel free.. your stomach area will be very tight and you'll be walking like a little old lady but walking is good for you do as much as you can. Everyday you will feel better the breast area will be a little sore but not much and swollen..I only had one side done not both? i just try to stay movated and mobil as much as i can because you can can stiff. You will need someone to milk your drains and drain them and keep account of how much is draining out. i promise you will be fine, just take you time with everything get rest and take your medication before you know it 2 weeks will be gone by.... then 4. keep a postive attitude and have you faith and God will take care of teh rest. I even had sex 2 weeks after so again you will be fine.. It felt strange but i had to know what it was going to be like because everything get moved around and i have to tell you it's the best. LOLOL You ladies are my sisters and i know i can share and i know someone else wants to know.. when I had my check up I asked my PS when could i have sex he said whenever you want i said good because i did already he saaid REALLY well that is awesome..

bdavis

Mags.. I wore lounge pants that I bought at Target... very soft, elastic waist (but loose).. and wore those for a few weeks.

Tex.. not sure who Dr L is... The Center has Dr Dellacroce, Sullivan and Trahan. Sorry whoever you had was not a positive for you.

Jenn... I did not have anyone help me once home for dressing and things like that. I did have friends bring food and I hired someone to clean the house once a week. And I had a leaking incision and fever, and still did it all myself... I think it depends on what your options are... If you have help, take it, but if you don't, then you will be fine. Just get everything like towels, clothes you'll want at a reachable height before you leave for the hospital.

Kd6blk

While I am doing super well and back to work since week 3, the first week at the hospital and until the drains were completely out, I needed help. You need help washing and shampooing hair in the shower as you are not supposed to lift your arms over your head. Also, I was told to sleep in a recliner for 4 weeks as you should not put undue pressure on your arms pushing up or lifting. You need to let all those things they stiched together to heal. If you lay in a bed you usually need your arms to sit up. While you can clean your own drains, I found it upsetting to do. My DH did that for me and also dressed my wounds as needed. I could wear the same clothes but due to tummy tuck with DIEP I am about a pant size down after you get that big girdle from the hospital off and get rid of those disgusting drains. I now wear a Spanx panty girdle. My arms were never any different from normal. They are not painful or sore. I have a SNB prior to surgery and they took a few more out during the DIEP but arms are great. We all heal differently and had different paths to reconstruction.

Again, for DIEP Flap I am a BMI 37 and all is going well. PRMA just printed this story and used my quotes in it:

http://prma-enhance.com/useful_resources/blog/09-12-2012/research-performed-prma-proves-safety-diep-flap-reconstruction-even

I just want ladies who are bigger still have choices depending on where you go. Good luck everyone! Hugs all around.

Lisa

Jennt28

Thanks for all the replies!



Had to laugh at needing help washing hair - after chemo there's not a lot to wash so I don't think that will be of concern to start with...



Love the s.x comment Darnette!



Recliner - hmmm, I hate the look of those and always swore one would never cross our threshold, and you can't rent them here. I'll just have to pile up the bed with pillows and figure it out.



Drains - my PS told us that he does not like sending women home with drains and only very occassionally will send a woman home with just 1 of the 6 left in. The ward nurse that I saw yesterday at my pre-op clinic confirmed that my PS very rarely sends women home with a drain.



I have my hubby and 3 kids (21, 19 and 17) all at home and hubby is taking that first week I am home off work.



Jenn

willy5js5

I traveled to NOLA for my stage 1 bilateral DIEP.  Everything I needed including care in the hospital was provided.  I was discharged on day 5 post op and stayed in a hotel another three days until my last post op appointment.  My sister traveled with me and provided care in the hotel and I needed help with everything! I wore long and flowing maxi skirts and loose fitting tops or loose fitting sun dresses.  The skirts and dresses hid the drains well and there is quite a bit of swelling for a few weeks after. Used the wheelchair in the airport for flight home and it was the way to go.  Also used a small travel pillow for comfort on the flight as my back was very sore from all of the hunched over walking.  Once home I did all of my personal care on my own but could not have done it without a recliner for sitting and sleeping and a shower stool with a handheld shower hose.  I used both of them for four weeks until my stamina improved.  Forget household chores until week five.  You just won't have the strength to do much more than take care of yourself.  I also returned to work full time after two weeks but I have a desk job and work from home.  I did the ten hour work day with a two hour nap half way to get my 8 hours in up until the 6th week.  Discomfort from sitting set in and I just had to stretch out in the recliner and go to sleep.  I only used the narcotic pain relievers for after work and night time and needed them for five weeks.  After that I alternated ibuprofin with tylenol in between.  I was able to do meal preparations and dishes starting week four but nothing too strenuous.  I was also driving my third week out.  Pulled one hip drain at four weeks and the last one at almost seven weeks.  I'm eleven weeks post op and feel great without limitations except for lifting.  Just too paranoid to move couches and stuff yet. Returned to the gym at week seven and it is slow coming to get back to where I was prior to the surgery but I'm making progress each time I go.  Best wishes to all the up and coming and those in the early recovery period! Time heals all and it really gets substantially better each week that passes.

301724

Appreciate hearing everyone's story. I came home on post-op day 5. I did not have a recliner. Used 6 pillows behind me in bed and two under my knees. That worked pretty well but did still need help getting up for a week or so. Started walking around my house for 5-10 minutes at a time then ventured outside (and up a lot of steps to get there!) Once I caught my breath from the steps (my iron level was quite low due to all the fluids I received), walking felt good. Am regularly walking 2+ miles at a time now (not quite 4 weeks out). Having a friend wash my hair was a heaven-sent gift! I had no idea how much better that would make me feel! 3 drains were out on post-op day 11; the last one came out on day 13.

Was fortunate to have friends/colleagues send food so that all we had to do was reheat for the first 3 weeks.

Ended up with a DVT requiring twice daily injections of blood thinner and a hematoma in one breast. Both are resolving. Feeling better every day.

howhm02l

Argh!!! 

Breast drains were removed yesterday, 13 days post DIEP - the had been putting out hardly anything.  Today, however, left breast sprung a leak at incision - not at drain site, and right breast is completely swollen.  Damn those drains - can't live with them and apparently cannot live without them!!!!  The fluid leaking from left is similar (although slightly thicker) than what was in drain.

Anyone else had similar issue when drains were removed?

Thanks in advance,

Heather

J-Bug

Heather, that sounds similar to my story. Look back at my recent posts.

I am taping down size 1 diapers to capture the drainage because menstrual pads had adhesive on the back that was irritating the undersides of my arms. Good luck with this!

bdavis

Heather... My right incision opened at 2 weeks post op... the skin was raw and I had ointment on it, and apparently that prevented it from healing... and the glue came off and the drain came out, and so I guess with fluid build up it bust through the incision... And mine was think and yucky. It got worse and worse, and I was advised to use compression and betadine, but that didn't work... So then I was advised to pack gauze soaked in saline solution. That also didn't work and a month post op I was back under the knife getting a wound surgery. I had lost so much of the flap that they had to do it again. Luckily, I had had a GAP flap the first time, so round two they used all of my ab fat to re-build the right side. Bottom line, don't let it get away from you. I feel that mine could have been saved had I perhaps gone to a wound doctor right off the bat.

howhm02l

J-bug and Bdavis. Thank you. PS said to call tomorrow morning if right side is still swollen. The area that is draining is a very small opening, less than 1 cm. it has slowed down since the rate of flow there was this morning. the swelling is bothering me - it hurts!



J-bug - did you have the area re-stitched. I really want to avoid anither hospital visit!

DFOnt

Well I did it! Can't believe I went through with it. Day 3 today and I walked around a little. Mostly just feel tight in the abdomen now. I have pain med catheters in my abdomen, morphine button and regular Tylenol. Had some nausea this am, been tired. Resident said they try to send people home on day 4, don't think so! Surgery went really well and they say it looks good. In a private room because that was all they had. Think they will take out the cathedral and 2 of the drains tomorrow.

goldlining

Hi DFOnt - so glad to hear from you on the other side. I stayed an extra night because I got an infection in one area of the incision and the antibiotics wiped me out a little. Don't worry about it. Let them know how you're feeling about it. There was no pressure at all on me to go home. In fact, they wanted me to show a physio that I could manage stairs before signing me out, because I have stairs up to my house and within the house. I found the meal trays adequate for five days because I didn't have much interest in eating, other than for entertainment but suddenly I just wanted my own food, and then I knew it was time.

J-Bug

howhm02l: I will be doing a day surgery next Wednesday to get restitched.

Chris13

30174--what was the hematoma like? I'm months out from surgery, everything fine except there are still largish lumps (all connected.) PS said not necrosis. Will be seeing him next week, but am wondering if hematomas are hard....not rocklike but firm?

jenlee

Maggie,

Between dressings and LOTS of swelling, I wasn't able to put on even my loosest baggy fat pants, even a week after surgery. When my husband came back to get me, I had him bring a light weight warm up suit with long pants. Ended up wearing those stretchy pants and a long cotton cardigan to help hide the drains. Wanted long pants to cover the compression socks since I traveled for surgery and was flying home.



Leesa, you'll do great! I too was terrified of being under anesthesia for the procedure and was showing my husband where I keep everything and arranging my daughter's schedule for the next few months. My husband was very upset that I was thinking negatively. At my pre-op, I was in tears and told the surgeon why... He assured me that they had never lost one single person in their years in practice. That was all I needed to hear -- I truly wish that I'd called earlier and discussed my concerns with someone, it would have saved me some sleepless nights. Perhaps you could do that and get some reassurance. I was under for about seven hours. I had just completed eight cycles of TAC chemo and was a physical wreck, anemic, and had fluid in my lungs, but I did fine.

301724

Hi Chris,

Was sudden (overnight) huge swelling. No obvious bruising. Hematoma diagnosed with ultrasound. They put in a drain - removed only 9 cc of fluid. Over next 4 days, less than 5 cc of drainage so removed the drain. Beginning to resolve now (some 12 days later). Compression has helped.

There are still hard places. I'm doing some gentle 'skin stretching' massage per PS and PT.

Not sure when/if all lumps will disappear or what the plan will be. Seeing PS tomorrow.

Lee_S

Hi Ladies,

Want brave souls you all are.  I am saying a collective prayer for all.  I want to have DIEP but my first opinion PS said he "may be able to get an A cup" from my belly fat.  I have an appointment to travel 4 hous for a second opinion.  I thinking of cancelling. I am not thin! I weight approx 140 lbs and am 5'3".  Have any of you had a similar experience with questionable belly fat?

ReadingMama

Lee, I am 5'4'' and weighed 120 lbs originally. I lost weight thru chemo and rads so was probably closer to 110 when I did the double mx and DIEP and my PS had no issues with two B cups.

Lee_S

ReadingMama,

That is great news.  I will keep my appointment (Monday).  I was really concerned because he said the new breast will lose weight as I do.  I have been really working on an anti-cancer diet and trying to become more regular with my excerise, so I will be losing weight.  I sure don't want to go through all the recovery to have result of less than an A cup. 

Are you happy with your decision?

fredntan

Lee

you can fly-probably too late-butnext appt call corporate angels-google it. they will put you and companion on free flight when corporations like verizon/walmart have open seat on there jets. I flew last year many times we were only ones on flight. was very nice

I weigh 160/5'8. I think they can get B's out of me. fine with me.

Lee_S

Frentan, 

Bs would be great! Thank you for the flight information.  Very valuable!! Where did you go for surgery?

Kd6blk

For the lady who says her PS does not send ladies home with drains, with DIEP or similar, how is that possible...as it is based on level of drainage. I would be very skeptical of that.

Jennt28

Hi Kd6blk - not sure it is something to be skeptical about... It's just the way it is here. I am in Australia and have noticed all the way through this BC journey that things are done quite differently here than in the USA medical system.



As I said in my messages, my PS keeps his patients in the hospital usually for 7 nights and one of the nurses on the ward that I met the other day confirmed that women rarely go home with drains.



I don't know foor certain, apart from the length of stay what else may be different - maybe the acceptable level of drainage is different here? Certainly seems to be no more incidence of seromas that I have heard about so it could be that drs in the USA are more cautious which may not be necessary but would likely be based on the insurance based system in that culture which is quite different to the medical culture here in Australia.



Anyway, no idea really, except that it seems to work just fine and my PS is one of the top guys here. Will of course let you all know how I go and if I end up being one of the few sent home with a drain.



Jenn

Kd6blk

Jenn: Yeah, I know PRMA levels are 30cc or under and NOLA is 20 cc. I got rid of the first one at about 7 days but I went a good three weeks before the last one was gone with levels of 50  in the last one for the longest time until it dropped down. I will say they did impact my mental state and when finally GONE I really moved on...I would love to understand why they guarantee that at 7 days...I will say I had no seromas and I have healed pretty quickly otherwise so I will be looking forward to hear how that goes and I wish you the all the best. I was in for five days for my stage 1. Are you doing one side or both? I think it sure is a lot easier not to deal with them after you leave the hospital...and it is sure interesting to compare notes  on how things are done between different centers.

howhm02l

Lee - you will love him! He is such a skilled surgeon who also has a great bedside manner. I am thrilled with my results so far. I hope it goes well.



Update on the leaking and swelling - I went in today, and the nurse and PS said the swelling was normal after drain removal. The swelling has felt much better today. They took a culture of the small drainage area, and although they do not think it was infected, they put me on an antibiotic just in case. They said the leakage area would close. It has not drained since I have been home for the past few hours.



The best part was the fabulous nurse removed all my steristrips, cleaned all my incisions, and put on new bandages to a couple of irritated areas. It felt wonderful - like a spa day. Who would have thought I could get so excited about something like that?!



I hope you are all doing well!

michellej1980

I've been told to expect a week long stay in hospital and can go home once the drains have been removed, so it sounds pretty much the same as in Australia.