DIEP 2013
Comments
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Sherry, my goodness girl! Can't believe you're posting already, and sounding good too!
Goldie, my surgery was on May 16. I planned to go back to the gym way earlier, but then fell down the stairs three weeks ago, and had to wait for everything to heal. That's why I was so happy to finally start exercising again. Tomorrow it's Aquasizes. Just feels so darn good to resume my normal routine.
It was SheChirpie who had the pubic hair on her new boob - lol. Laser seems like a good permanent solution to me.
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Goldie, don't be telling people about my superpowers! Hahaha!!
Deb, I was just like you before my surgery. Everything worried me. What if they don't look like boobs? What if my DH doesn't like them? What if the flaps don't take? I used to write posts to the veterans with all kinds of questions, but I'm glad I went through with it! I don't have to worry about the C word anymore! My boobs are not perfect, I lost all feeling on them and I have huge scars, but look at everything I've gained! I get to talk to you ladies everyday, play with my kids, watch them grow older and hopefully one day meet my grandkids. I think is a pretty good trade off! Yes, I'm BRCA positive, but still went through a mastectomy and reconstruction. Unless you have cancer too close to your skin you can so skin sparing mastectomy and then it would be just the same surgery I had. I had 5 nodes removed, but that's normal since there's no way of removing breast tissue without getting into the nodes. I'm only 35 and have always be in good health. I was determined to recover fast and with three small kids I pretty much had to. I'm no superwoman. I'm exhausted!! I don't have any pain, but I tolerate pain really good. My point is, everybody is different, it's a huge surgery, you will look very different than you do now, even if you do inmediate reconstruction it will take 3 additional months to get nipples and then another 3 to do tattooing, but to me this is the best option there is out there for us.
We all have different opinions on what perfection is. I did send pictures if my new boobs to Goldie so that she could see what it looks like at its worst. Even though she thought they were great, I thought there was room for improvement. But at the same time I know it could be a lot worst!
Sorry for the novel. Maybe I'll take on writing next, lol -
Deb - I think sometimes a PS will add a small implant in the diep breast if there is not a lot of tissue to work with and it needs the implant to match the other breast.
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Deb....could also be something out there being done that I am not aware of, too.
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No, you are right Bailey. I was told that if my tummy didn't give me big enough breasts at stage 2 I could have a small implant put under the flap, not the muscle, and have a slightly bigger boob.
Deb, you can get the implants, and if you don't like them you can have the diep. That would be like almost immediate recon when you had the diep because the implants would have been filling the skin all that time. Also, from what I have heard it is better to have a diep to fall back on if your implants fail, then to have to go to implants if your diep fails. Does that make sense?
It's a hard choice. If you are not having rads then try the implants. You might like them. Lots of gals do. I have seen some really awesome ones. And, you always have the choice of having the diep when you are completely healed from mx, and have quit smoking for a good long time.
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Deb,
PS: most women who get the diep ended up there because there was a reason they couldn't have implants, or their implants failed. There are some who made the decision from the beginning, but almost everybody on here started out with implants, or expanders, or nothing.
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Truly....I give up! It is IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with this thread while being out of the house all day! So many wonderful ladies, helping each other....with a good dose of humour tossed in!
sherry....wonderful to hear from you so soon...sorry to hear apparently Wilbur isn't hanging out with you!
christina...spin cycle with a healthy dose of panic and "what the h*** am I thinking" is pretty darn normal!!! We have ALL been there.
tammy....good luck with your stage 2 tomorrow. Can't wait to hear from you and christina.
kuka...if you keep changing dates, we'll be post-dating you on the list!
liefie....good to hear how much you enjoyed getting back to the fitness stuff....let us know how you're feeling tomorrow morning
.Bailey...hope physio goes well for you..it ain't easy, but it's worth it.
Gotta end here.......but I'm thinking of each and everyone of you!!!! Hugs to all (((((((((X))))))))))
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Kuka, you are going to be a supermodel with superpowers when you are all done. Can't wait.
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Hi Gloobers.....(that's for you, Jeannie!)
Congrats to YOU, Sherry! You made across to the other side!
Yay!Tammy, you beat me to stage 2! Good luck! TOWANDA!
Christina, fear is completely normal! Like Janet said, embrace it, and move on....you CAN do this, and we will all be in your pocket tomorrow!
Sweetpickle....so sorry to read of your troubles.....I have indeed been there! As infection was integral to my dehiscence (sp?), I had to wet-to-dry / saline pack it twice daily until the infection was completely GONE. At that point, PS re-sutured, and I was back on track within a week!
DebDylan, even with my complication ^^^^ I would do it AGAIN. I LOVE my adopted "girls"!
Zoemom, I am 58, and was on HRT before I was diagnosed with BC.....my doctor refused to allow me to continue afterwards, so I had the distinct pleasure of quitting cold turkey......not pretty, and I do not recommend it! I am doing fine, now. I honestly don't think any Dr. would be down with you continuing on it, esp. if you are ER/PR +......
Slowly getting back into the "normal" (haha) routine.....it's nice to touch base with all of you!
Goldie and Faith.....thinking of you and hoping for good news this week!
Love to ALL.....
Namaste and God Bless - Jackie
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Ouch Movie, glad to hear it cleared up quickly for you.
How long do you guys think it takes, on average, for the foobs to start feeling a part of your body? Ive noticed that in the beginning it felt so foreign to me on my chest and it is slowly getting better and more normal feeling each week. Was there a point when you realized that they didnt feel weird anymore? -
zoemom,
If you had cancer 20 years ago with no recurrence, and the only reason you are having diep is to replace an old implant then there is no reason the doc that prescribes your hrt should take it away. They might want you to stop hrt before and after surgery for a while, but if it you have been on it all this time i think it is you, and your docs choice.
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Deb - i have had an implant for 20+ years. It looks great, but i need to get it removed because it ruptured. I have silicone leaking out of it. Thankfully it is contained in the capsule / scar tissue and is not flowing through my body-yet. If I got into a car accident or fell on it skiing, it could break through the capsule and flow through my body and cause damage. in some cases, it would be very difficult to remove the silicone. Also, it hurts - especially when I sleep on my implant side. I can 'feel' it because it is a foreign body I really can't wait to get it out.
I researched implants vs diep. Even though the gummy bear implants are out I still decided on diep. Primarily because there is a chance of complications, do overs and the life of an implant is 7 to 10 yrs on average. I was lucky with my 20 old implant. After my diep proc , I don't want anymore surgeries. With an implant, more surgeries are likely. i read the number of women happy with dieps was overwhelmly higher than those happy with implants. Some chose diep after having implants. Good luck with your decision!
Bailey, thanks for your feedback! I work in front of a computer all day, so working from home means 8 hrs of facilitating meetings by phone and computer work. -
Zoemom -
Although everyone heals differently, you should be fine on your own by week three. I had my mom ( age 80, zesty) staying with Jim & I for the first four days, after which she declared that I was self-sufficient and she would just get in our way.
By week three I could do everything I needed. The only things I couldn't do were chores I didn't really want to do anyway - like lifting the vaccum, and pulling the sheets out of the laundry. So I didn't. It also helps if you have a friend on stand-by to help with grocery shopping, cleaning - things like that. Even lifting a tea-kettle is tricky in the early days. As well as reching anything on a high shelf (don't even try). Yay for moms - I'm so glad that yours is there for you.
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I think there are big differences in the emotional acceptance of the new breast, that can be influenced by your previous "situation". It seems to me, in reading the posts, that women who seem to be happiest, earlier on, are those of us who lost our natural breast months or years ago. Not exclusively, but more often it seems. I can totally understand how it is a more difficult adjustment if you are undergoing an immediate recon. You still have the "feel and physical memory" of a natural breast. I had my mx years and years and years ago. Then had a difficult implant journey. Truly, my very first, and continuing reaction was one of happy amazement that I now had a "natural breast" again. It is not the original, it will always have scars, (THAT WILL FADE IN TIME), it will regain some level of sensation, and it is all me. It feels like a part of me, has since day 1. I do not think of it as a flap, I think of it as my breast. We kid each other here abit, with the gloob, foob lingo.......to me, it is not an indication of an alien on my chest....been there, did that, all behind me now, forever.
Whoever had the off centre belly button...me too, because of swelling. Mine "centered" about a month out.
Thinking of you today christina and tammyt.
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Hey everyone! Jeannie and all, I am so enjoying reading your posts! I sign on and try to catch up...while this is a club I never wanted to join, you guys are so awesome that It's making it easier to accept.
Deb-I don't smoke but I do have a double mastectomy scheduled on Monday (Aug 5) with a hopeful immediate reconstruction (DIEP)...but the PS said he'll only do it if there is no node involvement, otherwise I'll have TE as placeholders (but won't expand much since I know I definitely want DIEP as my final outcome).
I was just diagonosed on July 8...so this has all moved very very fast for me. I have days I sort of ignore it and days, like yesterday when I had to go for my pre op testing and CTA etc that I cried off and on all day and felt like I was so exhausted by 5.
This is a very personal question and this is all me, not my husband he is so awesome...but I worry that he won't find me attractive anymore...like how good did you wait until your new breasts looked before you let your husbands see them? I want to look as good as possible...I worry about that....that along with a million other things.
I'm so freaked out about the surgery (I'm so anxiety ridden about medical procedures...I know, cruel irony in this) that I haven't even spent much time worrying about getting rid of the cancer...I guess I can onlhy worry about one thing at a time.
Sweetpickle...I'm from NC orginally and miss it SO much...
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Good point and well said, Nihahi! It has taken me a bit longer to feel like it's a part of me...but I have been "there" for a few weeks now. I think it was alien feeling for a bit because of the ridiculous amount of swelling I had. My brain kept telling me to take my prosthesis off or adjust it because it was "bugging" me...I even reached in to fix it a few times....particularly if it was itching me!
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relocated.....my hubby was my "at home nurse". He "viewed" the territory before I left the hospital, as he was right there when they pulled my last hip drain, was taught how to milk/empty/measure the remaining breast drain, and what to look for along all the incisions. He also helped me to shower, drain and all, steristips and all at home. He was in the exam room when my PS took off all the steristrips. This is NOT a "medically comfortable" kinda guy....he was wonderful, supportive and in all the years since the moment of dx, his priority has been to help me get through whatever had to be done to survive...the appearance of my breast has not been an issue for him. Life is not filled with "perfect breasts" anyways, or most of us would be divorcees when things start the normal process of "sag and drag" as we age. Time to get off the computer.....have good days.
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Sherry congrats ! Welcome to the veterans crew
glad to hear your doing so well.
Thinking of Tammy T and Christina today we are in your pocket and looking forward to updates !
Liefie and movie thanks so much for the positive thoughts.
Goldie we are in this together for sure . I will ask if they can give me speedy results ...waiting is such a stress instigator ! I will be thinking of you tomorrow !!
Relocatedtarheel re DH I was worried about the way I would feel if DH saw anything etc and I have to say like Nihahi he was my at home nurse even though twice a week a visiting nurse came. He emptied my drains and did basically everything else as well. I would apologize often though he never seemed bothered but it worried me for sure. They really step up when we need them. After my recent stage two however I was able to care for myself right after surgery and have not yet revealed the new nips. They look a little frankenboob so I'm not quite ready and he's understanding of my feelings. What I'm trying to say is that even if our dh are needy at times and frustrating or unwilling to do much to help around the house most of the time..the usual takes a backseat and they usually come through and surprise us. Plus given the usual pre DIEP prep us ladies do they have a head start
don't worry he'll love you regardless! -
Correction Goldie Thursday not tomorrow Lol see waiting stinks I'm getting ahead of myself !
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Good luck to Tammy T and Christina today!
Nihahi- That makes total sense to me.
Bailey- Thats how I feel sometimes, just like they itch and I want to take them off, lol. I have noticed that each week they feel less and less foreign. The tapping exercise went a long way toward reducing my skin sensitivity.
Relocated- I have to say that I love NC, its so diverse from the mountains to the beaches! Try not to worry to much about your DH, love is an amazing thing and helps us look past all kinds of things. My dh is a trained paramedic so he was all up in my business since I got out of surgery, lol. I was so proud of my new girls that I was flashing him while I was still in the hospital, lol. Im still very happy with them and just need a little tweeking. -
Thinking of Christina and Tammy T today. Times goes so quickly---it's been almost two weeks for me (and Wilbur, whoever he is). I have my post-op today where I hope to get two more drains out but maybe just one, we'll see. I'm having trouble gauging how much walking is the right amount. Too tired yesterday.
Relocated, my husband has been my nurse since the beginning and says he found me attractive even with lumpy, hard TEs. I'm sure your husband loves you deeply, beyond your breasts.
Nihahi, well-said. I haven't had breasts since March 29,2012. The TEs were definitely very foreign. As soon as I was aware enough to notice (we know how that went) I felt like I had new breasts. They look so much better than I thought they would. Yes, they are swollen and bruised but they look and feel like breasts. They aren't like my old ones but I'm happy.
Faith and Goldie, saying prayers for you guys.
Last night I got around to reading my first post-surgery posts and your responses. You guys are great! Thanks for the support and laughter. -
Nihahi, yes, I am pretty sore today after my first gym session yesterday, but it makes me feel I had really done something - lol. After gym I did a lot of yard work, went up and down the 63 (steep!) stairs to the lake, and then last night took the dog for a long walk. It was a bit too much for one day. Will pace myself today, but I'm just raring to move, and this pedometer is a hard taskmaster. Heading out with the dog after this post - LOL. A beautiful cool morning here, have to walk before the sun breaks through.
Christina, sending positive vibes your way as you are graduating to the flapper status today. Say hi to Wilbur for Jeannie when you see him today - lol.
Re the DIEP breast feeling like your own, it took me quite a while. Just last night in bed I realized that it does not feel weird/different at all anymore, and has now fully become part of my body. A few weeks after surgery I asked the question on the 2012 DIEP board if the breast will ever feel normal again. The answer is a resounding YES! Almost 3 months out it has happened for me. It was a gradual process, and each of us reach that point in our own time frame.
Relocated, don't worry about your DH's reaction. You are so much more than your breasts, and he just wants you alive, healthy and cancer free, breasts or no breasts, trust me. My DH was my rock, and my biggest support through this whole ordeal. Yours will be too!
Zoemom, I am amazed that you are still on HRT. When I was diagnosed in Dec. 2011, I had been on it for 6 years, and dropped it cold turkey. To this day I am convinced that it was the cause of my bc as well as endometrial ca and gallstones. I was diagnosed with all of these simultaneously. Went on the internet, did research, and found out that HRT was a risk factor for all of these. I have never been sick in my life. What are the chances of me getting all this so suddenly at the same time? I will never believe that it was coincidence, and neither do the docs who treated me. Worst part is that I did research before starting HRT. Eventually consulted my ob/gyn who assured me that there was no real good proof that HRT causes bc, so I started taking it. I should have just stuck out the nightsweats, irritability and the other symptoms of menopause. Oh well, it is what is, and I can't change what happened. Just too grateful to be out on the other side.
Big excitement here early this morning. DH went out to empty the compost bucket, and encountered a bear scrounging around in the compost! He had crocs on, could not move as fast as he wanted to, but fortunately this time the bear was only interested in the compost. I was still in bed, DH yelled for me to come out and see the bear, but it ran off when he started shouting. Wondering when/if it will come back . . . many bears around at the moment.
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Omg Liefie....we have a bear or two around here too, but I have never seen it. Sick Wilbur on him next time. (Jeannie I hope you can take all the Wilbur jokes in the lightheadedness they are intended....I think it's so funny because I know how I felt on the dilaudid and am pretty sure I was too busy dibbing my Wilbur in lala land to even post). (I think you had some help from our friend autocorrect, don't you?)
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Girls, it sounds like we hit the jackpot with our husbands. Mine has been my life support throught this whole thing.
Jeannie, I have a question for you. How expanded were your expanders when you had your diep? The reason I ask is because even though I have been put on hold, and I am waiting for more test results they keep on expanding me because they say my result will be better when it finally happens.
I did HRT too, but I have friends who are younger, and get BC too, and never took Hrt, so, who knows? We are all the 1 in 8 women who will get breast cancer, and that was the hand we were dealth. I have said it before, I believe in fate and destiny. This was ours. Doesn't seem fair, and today I am angry as heck for some reason, but one foot in front of the other.
Faith, yes...thursday. I just want it over with. Although, I don't think I am going to get much satisfaction at my MO visit. Just more tests. Faith, at least you might know something, and I am sure it's nothing. As a matter of fact I just watched a piece about the three cancer's that are over treated, and thyroid was one of them. Because we have so many ways of finding cancer by accident these days the percentage of certain cancers that can be left alone, or weren't treated 20 years ago has gone up 200 percent. That is huge. The three were thyroid, prostate, and you are going to love this, DCIS. I started crying.
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Goldie- overtreated? I don't buy it. Yes, they are found more quickly now but I think we also have a higher chance of survival because it is found quicker. I didn't have any sort of cancer in my breast. Then last May I found a lump- it was DCIS AND IDC. AND it had spread to my nodes. Even if I would have 'only' had DCIS, I would have had a mx. You just don't play around with cancer, you know!
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Damiana, the part that made my cry was that they don't consider DCIS cancer, and they feel it should be left alone. "I" chose my bmx. They were offering me lumpectomy with rads. My pathology was DCIS with possibility of invasion. I had no idea till they got in there. If I had lumpectomy, and it showed invasion I would have had bmx anyway. Like I said, I am feeling very vulnerable today. Tomorrow will be better. Just one of those days. Sorry, didn't mean to upset you. That wasn't my intention. Wish I never watched that news piece.
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I just don't understand how they cannot consider DCIS cancer. On these very boards I read about women diagnosed with DCIS Stage 0 who then were diagnosed with mets, Stage 4, years down the line. You just never know what will happen, and it should get treated to prevent recurrence.
Goldie, I'm sorry that you are having a crappy day. It is actually amazing that all of us don't have more of those days, and are fairly upbeat most of the time. Big hugs to you!
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Sorry you are having a down day Goldie. Hope tomrrow is better for you.
Its encouraging to know that eventually my foobs will stop feeling like foobs....lol -
Goldie, I was a DCIS stage 0'er.......decided on BMX over another lumpectomy (that would have left my lefty virtually non-existent , and the undetected DCIS in righty....undetected until God knows when). My response to crap like that is: "and what will YOU do when one of these three cancers hits YOU, Mr. Scientist ???? HMMMM??? Will you settle for doing NOTHING? Right. I didn't think so......"
Chin up, girl! I've got your back!
Hope our girls are resting "comfortably" in "Wilbur land". (Sorry Jeannie...I get a kick out of this every single time......too funny)
Love to all.....
Namaste and God Bless - Jackie -
Thanks, guys! I would post the link to the news piece, but I am afraid more of you will be as pissed off as I am. If you care to see it let me know and i will PM it to you.
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