DIEP 2013

Jeannie57

Does anybody know if a laparoscopic oopherectomy is even possible after DIEP? I have one ovary I sure would like OUT.

kimdy

Jeannie57 - I'm pretty sure it is. My gynecologist is watching two spots on my right ovary. I was going to have a total hysterectomy right away, but after consulting with my PS we will wait unti after DIEP.



I don't think there is any limitations after DIEP. I think the concern is perforatng the vessel needed for the transfer if you were to have it before DIEP.



Take Care

goldie4040

Jeanne, I don't see why not.  I had laproscopic hysterectomy 2 years ago, and the whole thing took place through three holes, and you can't even see where they are anymore.  I really don't see it being a problem.  If they can't do it that way (which I doubt) they can do it vaginally, for sure. 

Kuka, protein and good carbs!  You are going to lose weight fast.  If I want to lose 5 pounds in week for a special occasion, etc. that is what I always do.  I can't sustain that diet for long because I love my carbs, but it is the best way to lose weight quickly.  I personally find it hard as a live style.  Some people can do it. I have a friend that has gone completely gluten free, and she has lost a ton of weight.  Keep up the good work.  Soon you and Sylvania will be twins.

Shechirple, you have really been through it.  Congrats on the huge weight loss before surgery.  You will be back on your feet soon.  Take things at your own pace, and don't compare your recovery to anybody else's.  You are going great, and your PS sounds like am awesome person.  My researched the Lat Flap surgery, and decided it wasn't for me.  The risk of muscle damage it too high.  I will roll the dice with my DIEP.

Bailey, great story about sitting in the doc's office feeling sexy!  I get UTI every time I have a catheter.  It can continue for months after.  I don't know why.  I always ask for prophylactic macrobid for a least a month after, and sometimes it still come back again.

goldie4040

Damiana, is your necrotic spot like a lump, and it show through your bathing suit.  I am just trying to picture what your up against.  What if you got on of those Spanx swimsuits.  Would it hold it in, and make the area less visable?

Liefie, congrats on your swimsuit being too big.

As far as this tram vs diep.  Who has had a c-section here?  The damage from a sliver of muscle take during a tram can't do more damage than a c-section.  I have had a permanent pouch since my son was born.  I even remember when I first starting doing sit-ups again afterward there was a bulge that came between my rectus muscles.  It went away, but was there for a while.

So, if somebody has made you feel badly about the kind of surgery you've had done, or your choices for your body then that's their problem not yours.  You made the best choice for you.   

I guess I feel very strong about this because during everything else I have been through with this stupid BC I also managed to lose a friendship.  I wasn't but a few weeks out from my bmx, and extremely depressed.  I started to cry when she called me on the phone.  She just wanted to chit chat like nothing was wrong, and I just finally said, "uh, aren't you going to ask how I am?" She got angry, and told me I should be long over it, and who the heck needed breast anyway, and she wished her's were gone because they just get in her way.  The rant went on for a while.  Well, we haven't spoken since.  I couldn't believe it took breast cancer to see who she really was after 20 years. 

Jeannie57

Oh my gosh, Goldie, that's terrible. Not a friend if she can't step up when you need her most, even just on a phone call. It's so surprising to me when women turn on each other, especially while one is fighting for her life. Some just don't get it. I don't know if I shared this but a friend recently said how great it is that you can get treated for breast cancer and then go back to normal. I gently corrected her and we are still friends. I was lucky there. That's one reason I am sharing my story on CaringBridge, so more people will understand what a BC journey can look like.

sherry35

Goldie- I too lost a friend of 20 years when she told me she couldn't deal with my negativity in her life. This after I rushed to her side in the wee hours of the morning when her husband was abusive, watched her kids so she could visit her husband at rehab and listened to all of her problems! I never once judged her and only offered my opinion when solicited because I knew she didn't want to hear what I would say.

Then I get bc and my marriage goes in the shitter and suddenly I'm too negative and we haven't spoken since.

It's unbelievable how insensitive some people can be. They have no idea until they've walked a mile in our shoes!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! The heat wave has definitely made it to central Ontario! It was 36 C without the humidex here today, about 41 C with the humidex!

goldie4040

Thanks Jeannie, it was a blow, but I am letting it go.  I have so many supportive people in my life, and I really do miss her sometimes, but I have to let it go.

Sherry, that's weird, my friend was the same type of person. I always had to be there for her, but she never took my problems seriously, and this was the last straw.  At least we have all found each other, because it is hard to unload on your friends everyday, and I really get tired of explaining all the ins and outs of the surgery, etc.  I think unless you have been there, or care enough to learn about what your friend is going through, then they can't relate.

Okay, is anybody going to tell me what this sunburn feeling is that some of you get.  Is it only after mx, because then I think I have had it, or is it after Diep,and then I want to know what you mean.  Thanks.

nihahi

goldie.....the "sunburn" thing is a hypersensitivity feeling in the skin. Like everything else, it is different for each person. For many, it is a "huh, that's weird", for some, it's an "OMG this is painful". It also lasts for different lengths of time,too. It is your nerve endings in your skin, reacting to being cut, stretched, compressed by swelling,moved, caught up in scar formation, etc. The best thing to relieve the feeling, is to "de-sentitize" the area, by tapping, pressure and proper massage techniques, along with keeping your skin well moisturized. 

Ditto on the recurring theme of how "mind saving" the connection we have to each other has become. Thanks for all the Tram support ladies. Jeannie, I think it was you who mentioned the csection thing....Thank you my dear friend.....why the H*** didn't that thought come to me!!!! From this point forward, in my mind, Tram..pfft...no problemo!!!!!! 

nihahi

7/10/13            MaryM54    (Bilateral Diep)
7/12/13            DebraR (Bilateral Diep) NOLA

This weeks ladies. Safe surgeries and easy healing to you both. 

Robin, hope things are going well. We're thinking of you.

goldie4040

Nihahi, that was me that mentioned the c-section thing

Thanks for the explanation of the sunburn thing.  I had it under my arms after bmx

nihahi

oops, sorry goldie....not enough coffee yet this morning! Hope you have a great day.....we've got sunshine here finally, without the heat, it's quite a beautiful combination!!!! (I know, you guys REALLY get heat.....it's all relative.....I'll be chuckling at your "it's so cold" stories in a few months) 

damiana9

Goldie- my necrotic spot is in my cleavage area, so any swim suit I would wear would have to be like a tube top type- any of the ones that dip in the middle at all, show the black spot. It's no biggie really- I have a swim shirt to throw on top. It would have been sooooo cool to be able to wear a bikini though- haven't done that in 15 years! LOL!

Nihahi- thanks for explaining the sunburn thing, yes I have that too on the top of my breast- my old skin that he shoved belly fat into. Made my nerves very angry! Who posted what to take for it- I can't remember, it was a few days back. some kind of b vitamin?



SO happy- my drain holes finally stopped dripping!!!! My drains were removed tuesday, and it took all the way till saturday night for them to stop. I thought it would never stop!

damiana9

Sherri- wow, what a crappy friend you had there! It amazes me how selfish other people can be.

nihahi

damiana......some people feel taking B12 is helpful. It certainly is recommended for severe neuropathy like what the taxol ladies can get, and may be helpful for the more severe cases of "sunburn" sensation. Unless you're really having significant problems, likely the tapping, pressure and massage thing will quickly help sort it out. It's more of a "reaction" for us post surgically, than a "damage to the nerve sheath" like in chemo. I usually prefer the "my hands on" approach to something, from the pill route, even though B12 is a pretty healthy pill!

jlbloom

nihahi, how do I get my DIEP appointment on the post at the top?  It is currently scheduled for 11/14/2013.  Thanks!

nihahi

jlbloom......you've just done all that's needed. I'll get in touch with the mods. It may take a bit of time, but you'll find yourself on the list soon. Glad you have found us....this is an AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL legion of ladies.

jlbloom

Bailey, cleavage sounds so fabulous.  Congratulations!  My prosthetics arrived on Friday and I'm still trying to figure out how to wear them.  It's six weeks post BMX so still a bit tender.  So far, nothing feels better than a sleeveless t-shirt under everything I try to wear.

So sorry for those of you that lost friends.  There I times I don't understand my own reaction, let alone judge how anyone should handle it!

I met with MO #2 on Friday.  She feels chemo will improve my odds more that MO #1.  I have been referred to MO #3 for a possible clinical trial, S1007.  Has anyone been down that path?  The experience in this group is so vast!

Diana, I joined this group too late to really know what has happened with having your own bakery.  I would love to be a customer when you open.

Praying for successful surgeries for those scheduled for this week!

Janet_M

Nihahi - Thanks for the explanation on the 'sunburn' effect. I'm experiencing that with all of my scars, and had not thought to moistuirize. But I will do that today.

I'm down to one Percocet at night to deal with the pain, but last night I went to my sisters for dinner, and had two glasses of wine, so I couldn't take any medication. Yikes - it was a rough sleep! But the rosé wine on a hot night was so delicious that it was almost worth it.

I'm very sorry for those of you who have lost friends recently. It's a cruel twist to be let down at your most vulnerable. I can relate. But I found that when I started to put all the pieces of my life back together, there were still many pieces to choose from, and all the pieces were exactly where they should be.

And a belated Happy Independence Day! Forget to mention is earlier, and I love the States. Does that make me a bad neighbor?

Gotcha13

Hey ladies...I have a bmx with diep and an oopherectomy scheduled for this Tuesday !!! One is prophy the other has a small IDC TripNeg lump. Didn't spread to lymphnodes either. I'm BRCA + and Ovarian cncr took my mom, needless to say they're taking my ovaries & tubes while their in there.

Little anxious, little nervous excitement but overall pretty good. UPENN plastics are one of the top..new crew of residences but ...I'm still ok with it..i think. 

I'm seeing people mention diep flaps involving lipo as another stage in the process? Would insurance cover extra things like that? I mean, I have some extra underarm and shoulder blade (back boobs) that can be adressed to make everything even sicne the belly will be flat. I'm not that big but I was and I haven't been able to lose those pesky areas. Hence the qualifying abdominal pouch to build a couple size C's - hopefully full C's.  Could this be my chance? (trying to find all the silver lining in this cloud

I wish good health to all having surgery this month !

kuka21174923

My sunburn sensation finally went away. I didn't do anything for it, just let it run its course. Mine were more under my arms. Shaving made it a little painful, but it was manageable.

Gotcha, a lot of us have revisions after DIEP. The lipo is usually done to use that fat on injections for the breasts to add more volume or change the shape. Some PS's do extra lipo at no extra cost though. Insurance covers everything since its all part of the reconstruction. So there is your silver lining😄.

I can't wait to go to see my ps on Wednesday and talk about all we're going to do on stage two! Yay!!!

Sherri, it stinks that your friend did that to you, but unfortunately is on times like these that we find out who or true friends really are!

Trying to get reenergized today to go back to my work outs tomorrow. I need to keep telling myself that I can do this, I'm not going to fail.

38tooyoung

Gotcha,

I just had the DIEP (FLAP) surgery at UPenn with Dr Wu.  It went FANTASTIC!!! Can not be happier with the results and surgery. Mine was JUne 28th (last Friday) feel free to ask me any questions. I have been home since tues and recovery has been better then I Expected. I am getting around well and my pain in minimal. The worst part was the anticipation but I had the BEST Dr's!!! Please let me know if you have any questions!!

MartyJ

Re the sunburn - most important is touching the skin. That is why Nihahi's moisturizer suggestion is so helpful as long as you rub in and not dab on. I have a necklace with a heavy, yet smooth backed stone that I would force myself to wear. I took it off when it drove me nuts, but just feeling it help the nerves fire properly.



Jlbloom- just wait, don't push yourself with the prosthetics. I hated mine. I wore it for 3 months til I had the other removed. Then nothing. Of course since I had been a 32DD it was nice to be a 32 nothing for a while. Of course there was the time a girlfriend and I went to Woolworths and I bought a pair of foam falsies. They were so funny and light, but they gave me a little sumptin sumptin when I felt like I needed it. Just remember that when swimming with prosthesis or falsies, you need to have them firmly in swim pockets in the suit. I will never forget the time when a friends prosthesis went floating away in the ocean.

38tooyoung

Bluebird144m,

I just completed my DIEP reconstruction with Dr Wu at UPenn on JUne 28. I am home and resting VERY well. Even better then I Expected/ Pls feel free to ask any questions that you want!

jacee

Gotcha13....stage 2 lipo, not all insurances cover it. Some PS's will do it anyway...and do a lot of it. Some will take whatever insurance will pay, others will balance bill. I was fortunate that my PS was very generous with lipo! I had 6 liters removed....and you know that wasn't all reused...lol

Your surgeon should be able to tell you prior to surgery.

goldie4040

Jeannie,

I was snooping around the 2012 DIEP thread, and there you were just starting your journey, and now here you are about to take the final leap!  You have waited a long time.  Do you still have your expander's in?  That was the post I just read. You were defending your doc about why he put expander's in.  You go girl!  Those women were giving you a tiny bit of a hard time, and you told them were you stood, in a nice way. 

ironmagnolia

OMG sbelizabeth--- that story is so funny! Your twin boys sound like a hoot!

I'm convinced they got their sense of humor from you. I found reading your blog very enjoyable because of your own touches of humor, your insightfulness, not to mention the scripture references which were so uplifting and applicable to each of your entries. Thanks again for brightening my day!

Jeannie57

Yeah, Goldie, I wasn't sure about staying with this thread back then. There is a much better tone and humor now! Yes, Goldie, I STILL have these darn expanders in. Such a long time. People without bc look at me like I'm crazy when I explain DIEP. Then I wonder why I am going to all this trouble....

But coming here to you ladies helps me get my focus back.



Jlbloom, Dianarose isn't on this thread. She didn't have DIEP. She is on something like the "middle-aged 40-60 thread," as well as others. Her last day of work was yesterday and I think she hopes to open her bakery next weekend with a pie-eating contest! You can search for her and find her posts,



Damiana, I can't believe you are trying on swimsuits already! How great! Janet_M and 38too young, I'm glad you're doing so well! It is so reassuring. Gotcha13, praying for great results and a smooth recovery!

lhw

jlbloom, I went for a year and a half with prosthetics. My insurance paid for expensive silicone ones. They were so heavy to wear, and hot in the warm weather, and when I bent over you could see the hollows in my chest, so it was necessary to buy clothes with that in mind. No v necks, etc.

Then I went out on my own and ordered various foam ones trying to find a smaller size. The silicone ones, aside from being uncomfortable (I had a B, and I don't know how anyone could wear a larger size and not get back and shoulder aches), they were somewhat larger than my originals and felt odd as I was never that full. The foam ones were much more comfortable, although I still had the bend-over issue. My insurance had paid for 6 pocket bras, so I used them with the foam, and bought a couple of store bras and sewed pockets of sorts in them. Long story short, if you have silicone and are unhappy with them, and would like to try foam (I have 2 sets, one is size 3 (A ish) and the other 4 (B ish, I believe) I would be happy to send them to you. I spent so much money trying to be comfortable, and feel so very blessed that now I am! You can message me. I plan on donating all my foobs and bras to the Cancer Society, but it would be fine for them to make a detour. ; )

Ladies who 'lost' friends. Some people out there can't deal, but others are a different story. I was married to someone who was my best friend. He left after many years, and after time and in retrospect, I came to realize that it had all been about him. When his needs were met and ego fed, everything was fine. He was never really there for me. I was blind to this.  Same thing happened after with a friend, only I caught on  this time and stopped being used. Consider that maybe in your case, you were always the good friend, the shoulder to lean on, the supportive one, and that maybe you never really got anything from them. Ever. Friends, spouses, even family members who are with you only when it can all be about them, are not worth your time or love. If this is the case for you, be happy that you now know, and enjoy the friendships with those who are willing to give, as well as take.

nihahi

Jeannie57....gosh, I'm sure glad you've stayed with us! 

Kuka...you CAN do this!!!!! Think of a lower ab scarline as the "carrot on a stick" scenario.....(sorry, just couldn't pass up the serving of veggies for you !)

38 and Gotcha....I'll ask the mods to put you on our list. 

Did a lovely bike ride with hubby today, (note....lovely, not sbelizabeth type of "guerilla riding") came home, and he's just left to get take home pizza while we watch the Men's final of Wimbledon) Fitness in, healthy eating out, can I absorb the fitness of the tennis guys by watching!!!!) 

Bailey....hope you're not still sitting in Urgent Care????

nihahi

new add to this week's list:

7/9/13   Gotcha13 (BMX with immediate Diep)

We'll all be thinking of you!!!!!