DIEP 2013

Barbmal5

How about I talk to Angelina and ask her to fund Goldies retreat?  I'm heading down to New Orleans Monday, maybe I'll just swing past her and Brads place and finalize the plans.  She didn't have a DIEP, straight to implants.  Maybe she didnt have enough donor sites.  I'll have to let her know I know somebodys sister who will be willing to donate.

Faith, so sorry to hear your news!  We're here for you, anytime, always know that.

jlbloom

Oh mammalou, I'm not sure seeing muscle wouldn't make me pass out.  Hoping the healing is fast.  I have great respect for you teachers.  I'm so glad God led some to be teachers and nurses.  I work with computers.  No yelling or bodily fluids!

Goldie, I'm want to go there too.  How nice it would be to be surrounded by people that do understand!  I would sure miss my DH.  Maybe it can be a resort for families, too.  Great idea to have Brad and Angie sponsor our resort, Barb. 

Bailey you are so right.  This group is a wonderful blessing.

Sbe, I'm going to have to checkout Soma jammies.  They sound wonderful!  Hope you are home soon.

Praying for you all.  ...Julie

Tracy516

Good luck lahela !!



This time next week!!!!!!;) trying to not worry!

ssla01

Deb Dylan, how are you?

Janet_M

Faith - So sorry for your news. I'm sending you my inner warrior.

Typewriterjenny

Faith- You can get through this! It sounds like you have a great support in your DH.

Sweetpickle-Very interesting. Curious to hear what they tell you.

SBE- Awww! That's so sweet!

Sending you good vibes Lahela!!!!

Wishing strength and soft hugs to you all.

goldie4040

sweetpickle

I don't know what your doc did, but I am sure the story can be told from your symptoms, and even a simples\ sonogram of your tummy area.  He has to tell the truth.  I have been told, and I could be wrong, that plication is usually at stage 2, if necessary.  I don't know how many pregnancies you have had, but it it possible that he got in there at the time of surgery, and realized he would be doing it anyway for stage 2. If your muscles weren't cut you should be able to sit up easily by now, etc.  I think you are right to ask for your surgery report. 

goldie4040

Barmal, Angelina wouldn't have a diep. She needs her body as perfect as possible for her career.  They even did a very special and technical procedure to preserve her nipples and all their feeling.  She did not have an actual mastectomy.  She didn't lose any skin at all, and told the NY times, that she has virtually no scar that might scare her children.

But if you tell her our plight, she might donate, but I don't want the place to be in New Orleans. To hot, and damp down there.  Now, if Brad were going to stop by once in a while, I might consider New Orleans.

sweetpickle

Goldie- Im sitting here now, he is running thirty minutes behind, lovely. I still dont bend very well and either have to use my elbows or grab behind my knee and rock myself into a sitting position. Below the tummy scar is loosening up so that is something I suppose.

goldie4040

That sounds strange, Sweetpickle.  If your incision is healed, and your muscles weren't touched (i hear they can get sore from teasing the vessels out, but that should pass quickly) then you should be able to sit up easily.

Hey guys, chime in here, I haven't had my diep yet, should Sweetpickle be able to sit up easily by now?

christina0001

sbelizabeth - that's kind of funny about the flowers! I can't believe the guy didn't want them because they were not "manly!" lol

sweetpickle, how upsetting, I would be upset if I thought my doctor did something to me that I did not want. I really hope that is not the case. I'd like to think we can trust our doctors but who knows... I hope he did not do anything you did not ask for.

Had a really bad night last night. The pain was the worst it's been (it's been controlled for the most part) and pretty bad last night. The medications would just not work. I have no idea why. It's much better this morning. I sure hope that does not happen again!

goldie4040

Lahela, sleep well today. I know with all the awesomeness they have going on at the hospital that you are going to be fine.  Keep us posted when Wilbur let's you.

Kuka, either you feel great today, and you a doing something you are not supposed to already, or you are sleeping in, which is what I would prefer to hear.

SBE, it sounds like you benefited from that man being a crab.  Good for you, and sorry for him. He sounds miserable.  I feel sorry for nurses that have to take care of people like that.

damiana9

sweetpickle- I have read on websites for tummy tuck that mesh is typically used for plication- so I don't think it is too abnormal especially considering you had a twin pg. I am still not that agile either



Mammalou- I am sorry your wound is even bigger. Are you noticing it filling in from the packing at all?



Kuka- yea, glad you are feeling so good!


SBE- you should send that guy a 6 pack of beer with a balloon! haha! Any info on when you get to leave?


Well, before surgery I had a little bit of LE. After surgery it got better. Until last week And now it seems to be worse than before. I need to wear my sleeve all the time- ugh! I am also not down any weight lately- I guess it's time to hit the gym. I went for my preop on Tuesday for my surgery next friday. He cleaned the wound again and made it bleed a ton- blech! He said he is going to do a bit of reshaping, so it will be more than just stitching up the hole. He is going to completely open up the top incision and get rid of the boob fat in my armpit, then clean out the necrotic spots and move my entire flap over a bit so that the final result looks nice- he needs it moved over because of the boob hole I now have. I also learned that my tattoo is not really placed where my nipple will go, so that might look kind of weird. I am really hoping he can just get rid of that part of the flap so it doesn't look really bad.

mccrimmon324

Morning ladies, I had a question for you. I had a bilateral mx w/tram flap recon 2 weeks ago today. Am doing quite well. I had radiation on the right breast just about two years ago so the skin is pretty nasty looking but improving. I do have spot where I have some oozing from a suture area. I know my ps said that it was ok on monday but it seems to be increasing. I do have a call in to his office, just wondering if anyone has had this happen to them as well?



Thanks,

Heather

Anonymous

I was plicated at stage 1...not sure about mesh...I have seen my report from microsurgeon who did diep, but not from PS who did tummy tuck. Plication will make it difficult to sit up....I am 11 weeks out and can almost do it, but it hurts!

kuka21174923

Goldie, I've been up making breakfast and cleaning the kitchen. I've stayed in bed the two day that ps told me, so I've done my part. I'm not really in pain, but the ab incision pulls when I stand up and walk. So I guess I'm doing it all over again. Same as the first surgery.

Sweetpickle, you should be able to sit down just fine. I'm sitting on my bed right now Indian style. My ps gave me a plication during my DIEP, but that shouldn't make a difference in how good you can sit. I would ask your ps if he ended up having to use any if your muscle.

Janet_M

Mcrimmon32 - I had some oozing as well, about 3 weeks post DIEP but it was minimal, and the explanation was that my body was expelling the sutures. But any increase in oozing is certainly worthy of a call to the surgeon.  On a much lighter note- what kind of dog to you have? I enjoy looking at the big snout in your avatar.

Goldie - I'm chiming in on the 'sitting up debate. MY BMX/DIEP was one week after Sweetpickle, and I'm sitting up easily. Getting out of bed still requires a bit of choreograhy, but not pain. Everybody is SO different though, and I had no complications. You mentionned plication, and I don't know what that is. But I agree with Goldie that if you had no insult to the muscles, sitting up shouldn't be such a challenge. I really hope you get some answers, as well as relief.

sbelizabeth - Who's your hospital neighbor - Archie Bunker?

mccrimmon324

Janet,

Thank you. Im pretty sure he said all was fine! Just sitting here waiting for a call. Just makes me nervous. My original lumpectomy had gotten infected and delayed chemo, ended up with with a wound vac.... needless to say i get nervous of complications.



That dog is Hoover he's an austrailian sheperd and he was quite comfy suggling between us in daddy's arm pit getting belly tickles. We have no human children and he is spolied rotten along with our other dog

Anonymous

Ok, maybe we have some confusion, I can sit just fine and do so all day at work sometimes....it's going from lying down flat on my back to sitting up in bed that hurts because of plication. I can sit in my chair and then stand up easily.

mccrimmon324

I had the tram flap/tummy tuck. What's plication?

kuka21174923

Bailey, that sounds like what I went through. It would take me a little longer to sit up from a lay down position, but mostly because I wanted to be carefull and not ripped anything open. I had a plication without even knowing that I had it done.

Sweetpickle, ask your ps. You shouldn't have that much pain anymore. I think with DIEP I stopped pain meds after 3 days and with stage 2 I stopped on day 2.

kuka21174923

Mc, a plication is when they take your ab muscles and tighten them. They put a mesh to keep them in place, usually where you used to have them before pregnancy or weight gain. A lot of women call it the mommy makeover.

mccrimmon324

My ps said they had to put mesh in my abdomin I wonder if this something like plication

sherry35

Ok, so I've been laying low lately because I didn't want to be a "debby downer". It seems it's been one thing after another with few good days. This morning I pulled the stitch out that was holding in one of my drains. It now has to come out. I can't stand to look when dressings are changed because it gets worse every time. I'm so swollen that these things are all up in my face and getting in the way. I'm so worried about infection and incisions opening that I can't get a moments rest! I hate feeling this way!

I'm thankful to have my mom and my aunt here to help me with daily life!

Cherrie

Sherry it is ok to complain. We have all been there and this too shall pass. It is hard to heal, have pain, drains, etc without having down days. It is wonderful that you have great caregivers.

sbelizabeth

It’s another beautiful day on the 2^nd floor of my hospital!  I just wish I were outside in it.  My plan is to be showered and all tarted up with some mascara and a blow-dry when my doctor makes rounds, so I won’t look sick enough to keep. 

Lahela, sleep well and dream of beautiful new girls!

Marty, I hope you and your husband have smooth recoveries.  You’ve always been such a blessing to us.

Damiana…you tattoo is not really placed where your nipple will go?  I’m not following you.  Did you mean areola?

Sweetpickle, I have a BIG 3-ring binder where I keep hard copies of absolutely all the medical stuff that applies to breast cancer.  Pathology reports, operative reports, scans, labs, ekgs, everything.  I take this binder to my doctor visits, where it’s been beyond useful.  Don’t hesitate to ask for a copy of your op report; it’s YOUR information.

Sherry, complain away.  Try to distract yourself a bit—a short stroll, a good movie, whatever takes your mind off worrying about healing.

Maybe I’ll get out of here tonight after a final dose of IV pesticide!

damiana9

sbe- Hope you get out of there today! I used to have a flower tattoo on my tummy. When I had surgery, he had moved that tattoo to my breast. WHen it was all swollen it looked (to me) that it was right in the middle and would be exactly where the areola/nipple would be, but now that swelling is down, I can tell that the flower tattoo is above where the areola/nipple will be.



I am looking online at DIEP and Muscle sparing free tram (this is what I ended up with) because where I had those torn stitches/hematoma/ abdominal bulge- guess what, that bulge is right where they would have taken the muscle from. Ugh. I have no idea what that means as for what they can do to fix it.

sweetpickle

Sherry- So sorry that happened, complain away, its good to get it out.



OK, here is the skinny...... I got my op report and I did have a DIEP so no muscle was touched, they did do the plication and mesh because my tummy was a hot mess from twin pregnancy and he likes to do that while he is in there instead of stage two. I am able to sit no problem, what I have a hard time with is sitting up from laying down. I can feel the edges of the mesh and my muscles are to weak to pull myself up.



His solution to me today was that I need to massage and desensitize my stomach. Well hello? Why didnt anyone freakin tell me that before? I did that with my chest and its feeling great now so I will start doing that with tummy. He also told me to start exercising again, I told him I stopped because of pain and he said to try alleve. If it gets to bad then Ill reschedule my appointment with pain clinic but hopefully I wont need to do that.



Stage two will be lifting and lipo along with ooph. He said my mesh should be disolved by the time I do ooph surgery and stage two so it shouldnt interfere. Lemme just tell you that I love my ps and thnk he does great work but it is hard talking to him. I always feel like Im making something out of nothing but to me its something, does that make sense?



Anywho, will resume my walks tonight and plan to pick back up on housework which will help get me moving. Once Im moved into the new house I can check out some classes at the Y, they have some specificly for breast cancer patients. Thanks for hanging with me girls, you are the best!



Hugs to our newbies and Speedy Recovery.



Ooooo, can Wilber say Speedy Recovery on the Tshirt? :-)

FierceBluebird

Faith, special hugs to you. I've known a few people who have had their thyroid removed and are cancer free. So sorry to hear of your extra burden though.

love you!

Moviemaniac

Faith-sending lots of healing energy your way......so tough to have to deal with this on top of everything else, but I no doubt that you will pull through, and do it with style! After all, you've survived DIEP.........((((HUGS)))) to you!



Sbe.....I am sending healing energy your way, too. Here's to going home, TODAY! You DO sound like you're feeling better.......



Labels, thinking of you, and hoping for smooth sailing through DIEP waters...............



My plication is scheduled for stage 2...... Not happy about the fact that it involves cutting clear down to muscle AGAIN......Mammalou, I really hope I don't join the dehiscence club for the second time this year......I admit it.....I am very worried I'll get a repeat performance out of my body......



Jeannie, hope you are doing better today.....we really should schedule a lunch in Centralia some day.....it would be fun to meet you! We could compare scars....



Sweet pickle...best of luck on the stomach muscle improvement.....you are making me nervous......



Marty, hope all is well with you, and DH, and that he is resting comfortably, so you can, too! XO



Goldie, you sound less crabby today.......(((hugs))) going out to you.



My youngest Lab is in surgery as I write this, for a mast cell tumor that is malignant......

Bailey, I need you to make me laugh!



Nihahi, get ready, girl! Montana will never be the same....after us Flappers get done with her!



Kuka, bluebird......keep healing, my friends......XO



Okay.....I tried to do this all at once, and I can't remember names, so just know that I love and appreciate ALL of you, because without you, surviving DIEP would be damn difficult!

XOXO



Namaste and God Bless - Jackie