DIEP 2013

sweetpickle

Sbe- Glad to hear that you get to go home!

Cherrie

Rest well Deb Dylan. We are all thinking of you.

Tracy516

(((((DebDylan)))))) healing vibes!

Jeannie57

Yay, DebDylan!

Sbe, so glad you can go home tomorrow. Yours is a cautionary tale for me since I have LE.

Marty (I think), I live about 30 minutes or so south of Mt. Vernon. Are you familiar with the area?

kuka21174923

Yay Deb! So happy for you. Now rest and take it easy😄

kuka21174923

Sbe, the hair and make up didn't work? Maybe you should've had your DH bring you the red heals! Lol. Get better!

goldie4040

Great news about Deb.  Send her our regards.  Hope she is up to talking to us soon. 

hrf

Great news, Debdylan. Looking forward to your first post here.



Sbe, glad to hear you will be going home.

goldie4040

Since the subject of hair and make up came up, when can you raise you arms to blow dry you hair after diep. After my bmx it was actually good exercise.  I have a bob, you all know the kind, every bodies got one, and it takes a good 10 minutes with a round brush and a blow dryer.  I could not do it the first two weeks, but after that it was a good stretching and strengthening exercise, but I know after diep there are some restrictions. Just curious how long I will look like crap again.  Thank goodness for my DH, no matter how I look he finds something nice to say.  "Oh, I love your hair natural. Or, you look better without make-up, etc." I would say, "that fine, just let me know if I start to stink."  Lol.

I was on the TE forum, which I visit sometimes for any info on keeping these things more comfy, and they call the after bmx, or exchange look (because you cant use your arms) the T-rex syndrome.  That cracked me up.

sweetpickle

Goldie- I dont have much hair right now but I wasnt comfortable raising my arms until week five or six. Everyone is different though.

kuka21174923

Goldie, my BS didn't do a node dissection, so I didn't have much restrictions with my arms. I would say that after week 2 I was able to pretty much do everything I needed with my arms. But that was because if the mastectomy, the ps only gave me the no weight lifting restriction. And this time he didn't give me any. Although I think he wasn't thinking if everything he was going to do to me. Other than moving the flaps from tummy to chest, I think he did the same stuff that he had done from DIEP. So I really don't understand how for second stage I only need one week recovery even though he cut my stomach open again and reopened the incisions on my boobs, untied them to bring them closer together and lifted them. But I guess he didn't think I needed that much time during second stage since I really didn't need it the first time.

Marty, did you think that your ab incision hurt worst during stage 2? Maybe is because I already had scar tissue there, but I can feel it this time! The good thing is that I don't have that tightness on my breasts any more. Y'all have a good night!

nihahi

OMG....I've been reading forever, just trying to catch up with all the news!!!!!!

Faith...hugs and prayers going out. You can do this!! Hang in there.

Deb....good to hear the news...hope things continue well for you!

Lahela....I was in hospital for 7 days too...needed those 7 days, but sure was ready to leave on the morning of day 7!

sbe...You have learned a hard lesson....but hopefully all is well now???? Bet you can't wait to have some grandma time again. The news tonight was about more wildfires in California...stay safe!!!!

Marty....keep healing.....for both you and hubby.

Movie....I'm so blinkin tired, I might sleep all the way to Glacier!!!!!

Liefie...you're supposed to be "hinging from you hips, not bending at the waist" anyways in that yoga pose. Regardless....the hard tummy gradually disappears. My iron plate is now about double the size of a twonie...getting softer and smaller everytime I check it!

I have been reading, ladies, just cannot keep up with posting until after I finish the Red Cross work. Hugs to all!!!!!

liefie

Yay, DebDylan! So glad you are a flapper now! Rest, heal and recover well.

Sbe, happy that you get to go home. Hope that pesticide does its work!

Nihahi, will hinge from the hips next time, and see if iron plate is happier then. Lol.

nihahi

remember Liefie....it's not how "much you bend", it's doing as much as you can, using the correct "technique", that protects your body, and gives the benefits of doing yoga!

goldie4040

Gee, Kuka....I swore you told me you had a few nodes taken. I must be thinking of somebody else. 

Sweetpickle. Sorry about your hair.  Is is growing back in pretty quickly?  Take Biotin Forte.  You can get it at the Vitamin Shoppe.  It really helps with getting your hair to grow back stronger. Sweet, have you been give the go ahead to do the stretching exercises everyday.  I do mine three times a day. It amazes me how much more I can do every week.  I don't test my ROM everyday anymore because it got frustrating. But, once a week a do a little test on myself to see if there is improvement.  Today I was able to lay on my side with my elbow bent, and my hand holding up my head.  I have been wanting to do the comfortably for a while because it's the only way I can do some pilates moves I love for my butt.

goldie4040

My postive thing for the day is that I can lay on my side with my elbow bent and my hand holding up my head, and I can do my pilates butt exercises.  I couldn't do it a week ago.  Come on ladies.  Something positive for the day.

ssla01

Positive......I'm glad both drains don't have to be stitched back in tomorrow, just one. :-(

I think I'll take my grumpy self to bed. Goodnight my insomniacs.

liefie

Who's still awake? It is so hot here that even the ceiling fan in my bedroom does not really help, even at full speed. How am I going to sleep? Another cold shower may do the trick . . . this time I won't even bother to dry myself off. Will just let the fan dry me - lol.

goldie4040

I am up too, Liefie.  I took too long a nap today, and I am paying for it now.  I have to be at the docs early for a fill...ugh.  I hate when it hot, and you can't sleep.  I use to wet a towel, and lay it over my naked body with the fan on.  I was much much younger when I use to do that, but it worked.  I remember doing it when I was pregnant with my son. How hot is it where you are? It is 100 here, but we have central air.

Jeannie57

I am up with the windows open and fan on, but it seems to be cooling down now. I'm just too tired to go to bed, lol!

goldie4040

So, I am still awake.  It's after 2am. Watching bad tv.

MartyJ

Deb - way to go girl!!!! We are proud of you.  

Jeannie - I just have a high school bff who lives in Mt. Vernon.  Haven't been there yet.

Kuka - I don't remember the tummy hurting worse after Stage 2, but then I have a lot of area that is numb.  My doc had me wait 8 weeks before exercising.  When I did, I had to wake up the muscles that had been plicated.  Not in a special way, just using them gently and building up.  You will recover in a different way from the Stage 1.

Okay, I am getting up and going to get my DH.  Something tells me that this is gonna be a real interesting day.  After the car lost power on the big bridge yesterday, I awoke this morning to the chirp of a smoke dectector needing a new battery.  If it is not one thing it is another.  Must be someone trying to remind me how good I have it!  At least I slept last night.

Bailey - love it when a Michigan girl uses y'all.  So inclusive!

Barbmal5

FIVE MORE DAYS!!  I cant believe I'll be going back again when I just started to feel like ME again.  Ahh well it'll be worth it.

Goldie - My positive is I get to go on a Swamp Buggy Ride and a Haunted Tour before my Stage 2!! My sister, (one of the fun ones) is going with me.  Might as well do some bouncing and screaming before I have to hit the recliner again.

Kuka - I believe the difference with the healing times between Stage 1 and 2 is that in Stage 1 the main concern is the survival of the flap.  There needs to be a lot of internal healing going on with the blood vessels, nerves and soft tissue adapting, attaching and growing into the new space.  Stage 2 is more on a surface level.  Even though there is definitely still pain, tightness and weakness associated with both I think the second stage healing is quicker.  Anyone who had a plication during Stage 1 with everything else is a superwoman in my eyes.  That's where I'm anticipating the most trouble.

After my DIEP I had no decreased arm ROM or strength and no core weakness, but they didnt touch my abs and I had no nodes taken. 

Have a great morning sisters!! 

jlbloom

Happy Friday everyone!

Bailey, thanks for the good news on DebDylan.

After my DIEP I was able to wash my hair as soon as I came home.  Other than that I was supposed to keep my arms at shoulder height and below.  My PS is fairly relaxed with some things.  I need to get a compression garment after the last drain is removed.  What is everyone wearing?  Are they the panty compression garments?

I started Letrozole yesterday for the clinical trial.  I did wake up in a pool of sweat last night.  I can handle that.  Is anyone else in this group old enough to be on an aromotase inhibitor?

Julie

sweetpickle

Goldie- I have been doing the arm streching and my ROM is pretty good now but I havent been doing any tummy streching which I plan to start now.



Sorry that some of you had a hard time sleeping, I hate those nights. I kept waking up last night because I would roll on my side and my hip incision would pinch. It feels like there are still stitches inside in the very end if the incision. Sometimes it itches like crazy. I also have a super sore spot on my rib where they attched the mesh. I miss being able to get comfy in bed but Im sure it will be better in the next few weeks as I work my muscles.

sweetpickle

Shoot forgot to mention my hair. Its coming in nicely now and I have started to go out without a hat or scarf. Its

also coming in blonde which is super freaky....lol I thought all three of y blonde kiddos got it from dh, apparqntly I will be dirty blonde for a bit. I plan to go red when it gets a little longer.

damiana9

sweetpickle- hooray for hair!!!!



arm ROM- I had some ROM issues after diep, but it resolved pretty quickly. Definately didn't last as long as the stiffness after mx/te placement

damiana9

Yesterday kind of sucked. I have been doing research online for DAYS- because I have this dang bulge on my tummy. The PS said it is from pulled stitches but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why it would cause pain and a bulge near my belly button, rather than down where the stitches were. Till I found out that THOSE weren't the stitches he was referring to apparently. They took that little piece of muscle, and that is the exact spot that is bulging. He stitched the muscle together there, and that is what ripped open. It was starting to feel a bit better, but now it is hurting pretty bad again- even when I am sitting still or lying down. This makes me more sad that I didn't get a true DIEP. And I am scheduled for surgery next friday- just for the boob. I am really hoping that I can somehow talk them into repairing that as well. I don't want to wait till december to get it fixed, it hurts too bad- and I am certain it won't get better. bah! I sent an email yesterday afternoon to the PS office, and I am hoping to hear from them today but I might just go ahead and call them to see if they can add that to the surgery. I hope it doesn't result in me having to go to his office again early next week- I don't have time!

jlbloom

Damiana, that sounds painful!  Hope they can get it fixed for you next week!

liefie

Goldie, thanks for the sleep advice with the wet towel - will remember that. It did cool down later, and I slept well actually. It has been 33 to 35 degrees C here for about a week now. My bedroom is at the top of the house, so very hot, and we don't have aircon there.

Damiana, ouch! Hope it will be resolved quickly, and to your satisfaction.

Sweetpickle, yay for the hair! My hair took a full 8 weeks PFC to even start growing, and I remember how elated I was to see that first peach fuzz appear.

Today is International Women's Day. So congrats to y'all (nod to Bailey)! A friend of mine 4 houses down is celebrating it with a real English high tea in her garden this afternoon. We all have to dress up in flowery sundresses with big hats, and I have to contribute dainty lemon scones for the occasion. Will be fun.