DIEP 2013

goldie4040

That's funny, Sherry. Next thing you know you are going to vajazzel you FUBA. I heard that was the rage for a while.  Glad you are feeling better.  I am assuming since your drains are in your groin that your tummy incision is low? That seems to be the rule of thumb, low incision/low drains....high incision/drains at the hips.

liefie

Sherry, glad to hear that you feel better tonight. A staple in your FUPA? What was that doc thinking? Oh, maybe it was for when Wilbur came visiting with earrings . . . LOL.

Jeannie, so glad you slept well last night - it makes a hug difference to how you feel.

Goldie, 'vajazzel you FUBA' - what on earth are you talking about? Sounds like fun though!

sbe, I hope by now you have seen a doctor?

Jeannie57

Liefie, I was just walking my laps around my back garden, thinking that if it weren't for my painful breathing, I'd be feeling pretty good. My iron stomach is so much more comfortable than it was in the first week. I'm moving better, in general. My boobs feel heavy and I do wish I could wear a bra to support them, but that is nothing to complain about! It's been 17 days and I see progress. I'm concerned about the lung but I haven't taken narcotics today so that's good. I hope this is encouraging to you about to be flappers. You can do it!

goldie4040

Liefie

It was all the rage a few years ago.  I don't want to get too graphic, but I guess I have to.  Young women get waxed completely (called a brazilian), and then they glue tiny little jewels to their FUBA's.  Vajazzle is a play on bedazzle. I guess if you are young and beautiful, it would be fun.  LOL.  Unfortunately, we are getting staples instead...ugh.

goldie4040

Jeannie, I am assuming you have no necrosis spots, or blisters?  I haven't heard you mention them. That is good.  Can you stand up straight?

Anonymous

I am at least one exception to your rule of thumb Goldie! Low incision, hip drains. I think it's "cutter's choice"! Lol!

sherry35

Omg too funny! I was just googling vajazzle as my goddaughter suggested it! I had no idea! Lol! Yes, abdominal incision is about an inch- inch and a half above pubic hairline. I'm guessing that is low?. Hope everyone had a great weekend! It's a long weekend in Ontario so tomorrow is a holiday.

Ok off to milk my drains and empty them for the day.

Cheers,

Sherry

sherry35

Liefie- too funny, Wilbur bringing earrings to my fuba! As long as they have bling!

Oh Goldie- young and beautiful be damned! I think it's cute! Unless of course you go overboard!

Pattysmiles

Deb, I had a partial mastectomy for my first surgery, the margins were not clean, however I did have small area of clean margins, very small margin. Doctor wanted to go back in and take additional to make wider margins. I thought about it but wasn't happy that the 3 additional small tumors they found in my margins had not appeared on MRI. I would always be wondering what was lurking, so decided on double mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction.

My signature does not show a date next to that surgery as it is not scheduled yet. (I also could not figure out how to show both left and right for my mx and reconstruction)

Pat

Barbmal5

Thanks for the warm welcome!



Nihahi, my activity level is now about my norm, just over the past week I finally feel like "me". Looking back hard to believe. Numb in some places but that's it. Never had problem with ROM but remember my sx was prophylactic so no nodes taken & no chemo/rads prior. I do have a lot of "swelling", could be from all those Dairy Queen cakes &summer picnics but I'm sticking to the fluid from surgery story.



Goldie, your right. Everyone thinks once sx is over you should be back to normal. When my family acts like that I just threaten to flash them my scars. My son turns green at the thought. It's a good wake up for them.



Jeannie, glad you finally slept good. You actually sound like your doing very well. Give yourself some credit especially after all you've been through. I slept on my back for close to 6 weeks & then started modified side sleeping (supported with pillows) then just the past few weeks modified belly. Just be careful because you can't feel the pressure so readjust frequently. Of course after next weeks stage 2 I'll be back to the back. You should keep using your wedge to breathe better.



Bailey, I also had hip drains with a low incision. No hard, fast rules apparently.



Sbelizabeth - call your Dr!!



Geeze I love this group!!

goldie4040

Alrighty then, Sherry. I see vajazzling in your future.  Gee, and I thought getting a tattoo over my tummy incision was a giant leap....lol. 

I am hoping for a low incision too, Sherry, I am going to get personal here, because the tummy incision is what freaks me out the most, and it seems  to be the thing that gives the most problems.  Was most of your tummy fat low, and are you wider in the hips than most?  It seems that women that carry their tummy fat low have wider hips, where the higher incisions the women have narrow hips, and less of a waist line. I have heard talk about looking square after the "tummy tuck" part, and gals not being able to keep their pants up, etc.  It just freaked me out.  I have always been on the average to thin side till I got my menopause pouch, which is easily hidden and I can still wear fitted tops, until bmx. I don't want to lose my waistline to get breasts. Our, get a muffin top from the surgery.  So, I ask everybody how they feel about their tummy after surgery. Some are thrilled, some are not happy.  Where do you stand on your tummy? Or, is it too early to tell? I guess I don' want to give up anything else about my body that I feel good about to get breasts.  I am the most conflicted person these days.  I have too much time to think.

christina0001

I did get sent home today! DIEP was on Tuesday; they kept me an extra day and a half because my oxygen stats were running low, especially during sleep. But then I took a nap this afternoon and my levels behaved. So happy to be home! I'm quite sore but the medication is keeping it tolerable. Also itchy, can't remember if I mentioned it before but apparently I am mildly allergic to dermabond...

goldie4040

Barb, I am glad you joined us.  Another NOLA gal!  I bet you have awesome results.  I called NOLA, but they don't take BCBS.  Who doesn't take BCBS?  Ugh.  Anyway, I have several awesome docs to chose from here.  I am waiting for my expanders to fill up more now that I had another minor glitch that has postponed my surgery.  The more I fill these expanders the better my results will be. 

I will be going to NOLA to get my nipple tattoos for sure.  I am either making it a vacation with my hubby, or go with a few girlfriends.

Jeannie57

Goldie, I can stand up straight. My tummy incision is about one inch above pubic hairline but I had/have hip drains, not FUPA fangs. My hips are not narrow, I've always had a curve. I like what I see in profile so far but haven't really studied straight on. I know I am still swollen. My blisters are healing up well. I don't know if I have fat necrosis yet. I read that it can form later, though. My left boob is larger, wider, lower and bruised. My cancer side-radiation boob looks great. My next checkup is in a month and I hope to see NO doctors until then. I am still surprised by how much more restored I feel, having warm, soft boobs. This would override any tummy issue for me, I think.

Jeannie57

Oh, Goldie, I had a low "belly-boob" but fat had formed in my upper abdomen, too. I asked about a muffin top but I was assured I wouldn't get one and I didn't.



Yay,Christina! I hope you have smooth sailing in your recovery. Good news from you, too, Sherry.



sbe, we sure would like to hear from you to know you're okay.

faith729

Goldie I personally felt like I lost my waistline at first then when I was given the green light to start running again I felt like I was getting it back a little then..stage 2 no exercise for two more weeks. So I'm only now just getting back to exercise. My main complaint is that my scar is high.



Re back sleeping. I have been a stomach sleeper or side sleeper my entire life but since DIEP 5 months later I'm still on my back ! I was trying out side sleeping again before stage 2 but it didn't feel right. Now I have a scar that runs along the bra line on my sides so that will mean no side sleeping for a while longer.



SBE fingers are crossed that you have already seen the doctor and that your doing well ! Worried looking forward to your update

sky78

Hi, I meet with the PS on Friday. Up until the other day, I thought I was going to have implants put in when I have my mastectomy in a few weeks. I finish chemo on Wednesday!!! Surgery will be either the last week in August or as soon as the PS can fit me in, the cancer surgeon said they will fit me in around the ps's schedule. Then I will have radiation. So, my question is, if I decide to go with the diep, which I'm now almost sure I want to do, will they still do the diep right away even though I need radiation? It just seems awful to have a mastectomy and have the drains and recovery, only to go through that all again after radiation? I've found a few posts that seem to suggest that radiation could wreck the work done from the diep? I mean I don't want that either!!! If I do have to wait for the dieo until after radiation, how long will I have to wait? Thanks so much.

sherry35

Goldie I am a plus size girl. Bigger hips and thighs, what I call my ass shelf, and muffin top and bottom. I gained 60 lbs during my 6 months of chemo in 2007. Was only able to get 20 off. I haven't had a good look but I'm pretty happy with results so far.

Had to try the flashlight trick last night. We couldn't believe it worked!

Anonymous

Sbel...what happened....thinking of you!



Nihahi and Movie - blessings on your trip this week! Sounds like a great time for you. We want pics!



Our class of 5 flapper girls - prayers for you and your doctors and nurses and your tribe who will wait for you while you sleep.



I feel so good today. I easily walked two miles while talking with friends and didn't think once about pain between my chin and knees lol! (Stupid feet killing me, but that's normal). Life is good.



Jeannie, Bluebird, Sherry and Christina, Damiana, Mammalou - healing thoughts and hugs!

goldie4040

Can't you wait till after rads to have your recon? I am not an expert on this, but I think it would be better than waiting for your recovery from a diep, and then have rads.  It would be postponing it just as long. That way the rads wouldn't ruin your new breasts.  They might make you wait a bit for your skin to recover from rads.

goldie4040

Faith, do you think it is swelling in your waist, or they pulled the curve out. 

About sleeping on your back, hopefully you will get back to sleeping the way you are comfortable.  But, just think of all the wrinkles you are preventing from sleeping on your back for a while..lol.  Trying to find the positive in all this.

Anonymous

Sky - welcome! Glad you found us. There are differing opinions on rads tx after DIEP. I am not sure if any of the regular posters here have gone that route or not somebody will chime in if they have.



Congratulations on reaching your last chemo! So happy for you! I had chemo first and then mastectomy with no tissue expander. My radiation oncologist didn't want a te in the way of my rads tx. That meant no option of implant for me...which was fine I wanted DIEP all along anyway. Then I had rads starting about a month after mx. Then had hysterectomy and oopherectomy. I then finished my year of Herceptin tx. My PS said I had to wait at least six months after end of rads tx for diep reconstruction. I actually waited 16 months. I was completely wiped out physically after hysterectomy. I needed time to build my strength, lose some weight and just regroup.

Jeannie57

Sky, my Ps wanted me to wait for six months after rads before DIEP to give my skin the best chance. I actually waited nine because I had 3 more months of chemo after rads and wanted to be strong for DIEP. My skin healed great (and my skin fell off after rads!) and there were nice big blood vessels there for the ps to use. Try to take the long view. You want a good, healthy result and it's worth the wait and hassle. I know that's easier said than done, though.

Barbmal5

Goldie - I am 5'3".......ok maybe closer to 5'2 on a good day, and was 132# before surgery but decided to "grow" my new boobies & promptly gained 12#s. I'm short waisted & I've always carried my weight mainly in my lower belly so after sx I was absolutely tickled by my flat belly. I do kinda get the sponge bob thing but I think in stage 2 they will tuck in the hips & lipo things & give you your curves back. I'm going to need to do my part & start up some Pilates or yoga to firm things up & keep things where they need to be (but not at the level Kuka does!).

I also have BCBS (federal).



What's the flashlight trick?

nihahi

Good Lord.....spend a few hours away and I end up pages behind!!!!

sbe...Defo do NOT like the sounds of you last message. Like the others have already said....get things checked out! I don't think you can rely on "feeling" yet in the new boob to help rule out cellulitis. Could be a dermatitis...have you tried a new lotion or cream lately???? Please let us know you are ok.

bailey...movie and I are meeting up on Aug. 17. I am still doing flood relief work until then. How neat to read your message of how great you felt after some "fun/rec" time! Time and healing does amazing things!

jeannie....I am SO glad to hear you got some sleep, and that you are feeling better. LOVED the earring story!

Too tired tonight to add much more....hello to the new ladies, hugs to all.

goldie4040

Barb, you and I are just around the same size, 5foot 3 inches, usually around 127 pounds. PS had me gaining weight too, and last weighted in at 136. I am long waisted, and have never had any muffin top, etc.  I had a c-section, and then with menopause I put on a nice little pouch, but I am also lost a little bit of the curve I had my waist from menopause weight too, and I don't want to lose more of it.

I don't know why I gained the weight.  He said when I lose it again I will also lose it in my boobs, but I guess it's easier to move bigger amounts of fat?  He also told me if I wasn't happy with the size he could put a tiny implant under neath during stage 2, but it wouldn't be under the pec muscle. That would work for me.  I would like to be a large B.  How about you?

goldie4040

Sherry, you are cracking me up.  Glowing in the dark now...lol.  Speaking if glowing in the dark, Kuka has been quiet all day.  I guess she is getting ready for tomorrow, and probably a little scared. 

I hope everybody scheduled for tomorrow does awesome!!!!!

sbelizabeth

Hi, everyone.  Thanks for the concern and well-wishes.  I actually had this same thing happen last winter, on the weekend (of course) so there was no doctor in an office and I had no intention of going to an ED and dealing with health care providers who are clueless.  So I've waited it out today.  If there's still fever/flaming skin/spots in the morning I'll call first thing. 

I don't think I'm contagious, but gosh...I spent last night at my son and DIL's house, playing baby nurse for the night.  It wasn't until I got home and undressed for a shower before I found this weirdness, and I pray I didn't transmit anything to the baby!

I so hate being sick.  Just hate it.  I'll update when I know anything.

Jeannie57

sbe, I hope you get answers first thing in the AM! And that the baby is ok. Sounds like you may have picked up something from there.



Goldie, my ps suggested losing then gaining lbs. to make the blood vessels in the belly somehow better. I think I did lose then gain but I don't think I had much control over it. I think the pneumonia after chemo played a role for me.

faith729

Goldie I think they both pulled the curve out and swelling is contributing also. Just yesterday I did 10 crunches for the first time ...10 and today im swollen quite a bit. The swelling always throws me for a loop and im beginning to wonder when that will finally stop. As for sleeping im actually beginning to feel more comfortable on my back propped up a bit. It's funny that you mentioned the wrinkles I just literally said the same thing to my dh yesterday while we went for our walk too funny