DIEP 2013

sbelizabeth

Goldie, it's the first grandchild on both sides.  It's getting a little crazy.  We're all in hover-mode.

Welcome, Zoemom!  You've come to the right place!

Mammalou, I've had multiple seromas and they never really hurt, just sloshed and were annoying.  Keep an eye on things--increased pain could be a sign of infection.  I was on my bike after a couple of weeks, but for me, it was easier than walking and I took it very easy.

Going to bed now.  TTFN!

Pattysmiles

Zoemon,

Dr.Allen pioneered the DIEP flap. Dr.Levine learned under him and has been doing this surgery for years.

Here is their link for additional info.

http://www.diepflap.com/

Pat

sweetpickle

Help!!!! I am beside myself with the hypersensitive skin on my chest! Normally it doesnt bother me this bad but this past week I have been up and out more. I cant stand the way this feels, I just want to take my skin off. I have been ligtly rubbing tryng to desensitize it, are there any other suggestions? Ive taken two vicodin and still cant fall asleep tonight.

ssla01

Sweet pickle, have you tried the tapping thing yet? Someone, I think nihahi told us about it. It has worked great for me.

Anonymous

Can't sleep tonight..all hyped up from beach trip I guess. Mammalou - I agree with Sbelizabeth...multiple seromas for me, too. Mine only hurt once and that was when it became infected....put me in the hospital for several days. Please watch it carefully!



Zoemom - the guy who invented it and the guy he taught....that's like having Sherlock Holmes and Watson for your surgeons...I don't think a girl could do better than that!

sweetpickle

Tapping? No Ive just been doing the ligt rubbing but its hard because its irratating. Im going to try the tapping.

nihahi

Sweetpickle...sorry your having the skin sensitivity! Try firm pressure when rubbing in the moisturizing cream. Tapping, again, using strong not light touch, starting from areas of normal sensation moving in towards the hyper areas. Are you still using silvadene cream on unhealed areas....probably not a great idea....you could be building up some sensitivity to that too. Healed skin doesn't really benefit from antibiotic/medicated creams. 

Zoemom...welcome. These ladies have all the answers and all the understanding you might need. Your surgical team sounds incredible....we'll be interested in hearing what the protocols are for the gurus of flap recon!!!!! As you might have read on the thread, there seems to be no standard "do this, don't do that" philosophy, but the results all seem to be pretty terrific.

Bailey....I think the "doesn't take long to tighten up" lasts for awhile, but the good thing is that you can stretch it out fairly quickly, and the farther out you are from surgery, the better it gets.

How come we're all nightowls tonight????

nihahi

7/16/13            faith729 (Stage 2)
7/18/13            jlbloom (bilateral delayed Diep)
7/18/13            jeannie57     (Diep)  University of Washington Medical Center
7/19/13            Bluebird144   (bmx with immediate flap reconstruction)

This weeks ladies. Wishing safe surgeries and gentle healing to you all. You know we'll be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.

sweetpickle

Nahahi- You are awesome, the tapping does feel better so i am tapping away. My scars are healed so Im not using anythng but regular lotion when I get out of the shower. I had some really itchy spot under my tummy scar last week but that seems to have rsolved. I keep thinking I should be further along in the healing process but its only been five weeks so in that light Im doing pretty well overall. Dont want to scare any new ladies, its more annoyng than painful.

nihahi

Sweetpickle....you're now a flapper tapper! Amazing how such an easy thing is so helpful, isn't it. We should have a theme song for it...to help keep us in rhythm!!! You are early in the healing, it does get better!! You might find a moisturizing cream works a bit better than a lotion at this stage too. Or maybe something like cocoabutter? Just seems to last longer and be more soothing. The "itchy" underneath the scar thing could be the dissolving, internal stitches.....I had that for quite awhile. We have probably a hundred or more of those things, and for some people, they take their own sweet time to resolve.

sweetpickle

Rotfl, I love it! A flapper tapper, heeheehee! :-)

nihahi

good to hear your "smile".....hope you can get some sleep....it's rather late where you are isn't it????

sweetpickle

Oh lord yes, 3:45am. Ill drift off soon, just now starting to get tired. Glad tomorrow is Sunday.

nihahi

ssshhh! I think sweetpickle has gone to sleep....tap, tap, tap.

Janet_M

Tap tap tap

nihahi

oh lordy, another one is "out of bed"......do NOT go for a moonlit bike ride in your pj's!

Janet_M

Ha! No danger of that. I'm visiting my mom in Ottawa, and I'm in my old bed happily tapping away (seriously) and listening to the birds. Every day is Sunday for me. I feel like I'm ten again.

nihahi

Enjoy your visit with mom.....you sound like you are "in" a very good place!!!!! I'm now yawning, so am heading off to bed myself....throwing the nightowl watch over to you!

GreenGirl1

Good morning ladies - hopefully you night owls are gently snoozing away at this point! My surgury is not for three weeks but my stomach has been so nervous and I think it is anticipation. In so many ways, it is so comforting to read this thread. Sometimes, though, it brings the nerves on. So glad to be going on vacation for 10 days prior to surgery. We will only be back for a couple of days before I go in. I am thankful for that as I plan to forget it all on the trip and then not have too much thinking time when we get back. My dusters and tube skirts are ready to go!



I have to try to remember it all! The tapping, the silvadene(sp?) and all the other wonderful advise! The best advise is to keep positive and the sense of humor.



Welcome to all you other newbies and healing thoughts to those who go in this week!

Gini23

Hope you night owls are snoring away now!

Big week coming up - we're in your pockets, DIEP Sisters. xo



Tappity-tap-tap!

damiana9

Hmm- My skin is still super sensitive also- I will try the tapping on my chest area. I have found that after surgery my entire body gets that skin sensitivity- pins and needles all over my body. I don't know if it is from the anesthesia or from my thyroid meds getting messed up in the hospital- which ALWAYS happens. It is still hanging around though so I kind of think it is from the anesthesia.

bike riding- at my 2 week followup my PS told me I could ride a bike! Honestly at that point I thought it was quite rediculous because I was still using a wheelchair to get around to some extent. Now though- I am reallly thinking of going to the gym and just using the bikes there (at least there is no worry of the bike tipping over!) I am really motivated to keep my new body in good condition.

Anonymous

Faith729, jlbloom, Jeannie57, bluebird 144 - find some pieces of peace these last few days, plug in to a couple of hours of whatever brings you some calm. Wishing you the very best....praying for you.



Greengirl - you don't have to remember it all, we aren't going anywhere



I had a "short night" but hopefully that will help me sleep tonight.....I go back to work tomorrow! Just thinking about my email and voice mail inboxes after 7 weeks off makes me kind of nauseous. I might go in for a few hours today just to get a jump on it.....might!



Enjoy your day, flappers!

sweetpickle

Good morning ladies :-)



I was woken up at 8 am this morning by my cat knocking a huge glass of water over onto me. So no sleeping in for me today, dangnabit!



Hope everyone has a good day, I couldnt imagine riding a bike rigt now but think its awesome for those that are up to it. Ive been walking like crazy.

GreenGirl1

Weird question for you all. What if you have your period the day of surgery. You can't wear a tampon for all those hours - and can't get up for quite a bit after surgery. What do you do? Did that happen to anyone. I am so irregular lately going through perimenopause that with my luck I will have one of my crazy periods right at the wrong time ( not that there is a right time for it!

nihahi

Bailey....DO NOT spend your last day "off" getting a jump on work...go for that bike ride!!!! Work will be jumping on you, soon enough!

sweetpickle....wowzer, that's some way to start the day! Hope it's a good one for you.

Ladies of the coming week....enjoy your vaca's, your houseguests, your last minute shopping and prep (soooo unnecessary, but we all did it)... as Bailey wisely put it...we aren't going anywhere....can't wait to hear from you from the other side!

I've got the energy of a snail this morning....but the day has begun, so best get to it. NO, I HAVEN'T JUST GOTTEN UP...BUT...haven't accomplished much yet either. 

Later ladies!

FierceBluebird

Thanks for all the positive thoughts flapper friends! 

Bought $170 worth of stretchy soft clothing and underwear last night. Ridiculous! I think I bought anything that had a sticker saying "super soft". Good marketing ploy!

I began trying to read the forums for information back in February, but found the other groups too scary. Some people are very opinionated. We are all on our own journeys and each of us have different experiences and outcomes, so no one should be attacked for what they feel or say!    I have been in information overload since diagnosed. I finally got brave enough to begin reading this group and so happy I did! Not only is there great information here, but lots of humor too.

Did anyone who had a BMX and immediate reconstruction actually feel up to having visitors while in the hospital? I can't imagine wanting to see anyone, even for a few weeks after.

Anonymous

Bluebird- the only people I invited to visit were people I knew I didn't feel I needed to entertain and who I can tolerate the thought of being completely loopy in front of! My parents, sister, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law. Wow....as I was writing this I had to ask DH if he brought the boys to see me. He said yes, twice. I have zero recollection. None. Very scary. Makes me wonder what else I don't remember! Keep the tags on! You might find yourself wanting to return some of your post diep fashions lol!



Nihahi -taking your advice and not going in to work today! Too HAWT (as Sbelizabeth says) to ride now (I was slow moving this morning, too) but we will hit trail this evening for a bit.

kuka21174923

Bluebird, I didn't want to have anybody in my room other than my immediate family. That was my husband and my parents. That's it!! Even after I came home I told my friends I would let them know when I was ready for visitors. I didn't talk to any of them until the second week. My husband kept them informed, but I just didn't really feel like talking on the phone or texting. I kept the tags on all the clothes I bought Pre op and returned 75% of it.

Got up with the sound of rain this morning and with only a 75 for a high today!! Thank goodness because we needed it!

ssla01

Nihahi to the rescue again. The tapping was a lifesaver for me for the sunburned feeling. So glad it's helping you too Sweetpickle.



I'm sitting here with my drains. Has anyone else had them when drastic color differences in the output. One is lightening & is bright yellow. The other is very dark & looks like pure blood.

Janet_M

Bluebird,



After my BMX/recon I only had immediate family, with a couple of girlfriends trickling in on day four and five. I liked the company - in small doses - but I just didn't have enough oxygen for a conversation.



But I was more than happy to receive all the fresh juices, magazines, and gelato that they brought me.



Also, I was a bit stoned, and pretty ccontent just to stare out the window, or nap. Don't be shy about kicking people out when you get sleepy - they understand