DIEP 2013

Anonymous

I want to wear a flowery dress and a big hat and go to high tea and eat scones! Dammit.

Gini23

I must have 3 different pages open on my iPhone, ChromeBook, and iMac...  I'm reading all over the place for when I fell behind on various days!  So forgive the time-traveling here, just wanted to comment on a few of the many wonderful or not so wonderful things happening the past couple weeks.

Liefie - just read your post about kids arguing.  I love - " Just say, 'This is between you two. You sort it out.' "  It will come in very handy with my 12 & 15 year old DDs.  I also love reading about those of you with adult girls who are so wonderful to their mommies now.  I look forward to that day!  We are still in the "insult mom at every possible moment" phase...  

Relocated -  At my BMX I had 1 pos node that showed signs of chemo treatment (meaning no more live cancer, but treated cells were evident.) Did you do neoadjuvant chemo (before surgery)?  My docs were wishy-washy about the need to do rads or not.  They said if I'd had 3-4 nodes, definitely.  If 1-2, not so sure if benefit outweighed risks.  They finally came back and said "we are leaning towards recommending" rads...  I opted out.  Everyone's journey is different and you have to make the right choice for you - but maybe it's worth a second opinion. That being said, many of these lovely ladies have done the rads and moved forward later, and you can do that, too, feeling confident you have done everything you can to kick BC's ass.  I did end up waiting 8 months anyway, for various reasons, with my TEs in prior to moving ahead with the DIEP.  Yes the TEs were tight, but when all was said and done, it worked out just fine and I am thrilled with my end results.  

Jeannie - just read about your fun (NOT) trip to the ER... glad all worked out to be ok!

Mammalou - so sorry Hawaii had to be cancelled!  It is one of my dream trips.  Maybe we need to make a flapper sisters plan to meet there!  (During a school vacation for all of us teachers!) I also had a pain where you describe - above and to the side of belly button.  I thought it was where they took the vessels from...? Sometimes it was VERY painful when I bent a certain way.  It did go away!

Nihahi - loved your "light" poster!

Deb - This is a bit back, but your ex sounds like an ass and so glad he is out of your life!  (And I barely know you....)  With or without looks - we all have so much to offer!  And truthfully - my DIEP breasts are better than my 43-year-old-nursed-2-babies ones, so I have no complaints!  It is not always a smooth or quick road, but it is temporary - hang in there.  Kuka - I am not even afraid of the mirror anymore!

I can't read about Saint Wilbur without picturing the pig (from Charlotte's Web) with little wings....  

jlbloom

Bailey, Pioneer Woman made scones on the food network yesterday.  They looked so good!

Gini23

2Timer - and all the new gals - welcome aboard the DIEP train...  you can do this.  You sound so strong.  ((((x))))) hugs.  

Gini23

Marty - OMG everyone was commenting about your DH and I just now read why.  I hope you are both recovering well!  

Gini23

On the t-shirts - I would totally pay for one!  If we can find an online site (like CafePress) we can post the link and order whenever.  

Faith - I see Carty on Thurs 8/22...  you around??

Bailey - my Stage 2 was about 2 hours - general anesth.  Much MUCH easier recovery.  But he did not touch my ab scar much - just to reduce dog ears.  I imagine having the ab scar moved would be tougher recovery.

Underpants - I loved the soft paper undies in the bathroom at the hospital!  Even took a few pairs home.  Then I went back to bikinis so they hit below my incision.

Frankensurgery = front end reallignment!  LOL Janet.  I still love that one!

Anonymous

Great Gini....now I am singing Cat Stevens Peace Train, only it's now and forever more DIEP TRAIN....oh I've been smiling lately, thinking about the good things to come....ride on the DIEP Train...

Gini23

Weren't you looking for a Woot Woot, Bailey?  

I often described this whole BC journey as being shoved on a train going one direction that I couldn't get off.  Though, retrospectively, I feel like I WAS able to detour the train and take the direction I wanted.  (No rads, DIEP instead of implants!)

Quad City DJ's C'Mon N'Ride the Train:

Woo woo...

1-Come on, ride the train, hey, ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train, hey, ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train, woo woo, hey
Ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train
Woo woo, hey, ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train
It's the choo choo, ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train, it's the choo choo train
Come on, ride the train, it's the choo choo
Ride it, woo woo
Come on, ride the train, it's the choo choo train

Morningsun1

go Gini, go

Anonymous

Woot woot!

sweetpickle

Lol Gina, been a while since Ive heard that one!

ssla01

Back from the doctor. Left drain is now firmly stitched back in. Ouch!

Tracy516

A high tea sounds wonderful Liefie!!!

DIEP Train!!! Lol yes..

Imagination; luxurious train with recliner seats and high tea and a nurse offering Wilbur inducing meds. Scones too. Yum.



6 DAYS til my DIEP;)

TGIF

sweetpickle

Ssl- any word on how much longer you will need to have it?

FierceBluebird

Congrats Deb!

ssla01, I guess it's better to have a drain than the fluid buildup. I'm still leaking like a bucket with a hole in it and now the incision is starting to come apart to let the fluid out. But those drains did suck!

Gini, I know have that song stuck in my head CHOO CHOO!  Thanks for the flashback! I was a skating fool back in the day. Great song!

I wish my hair would come in faster. It's coming in white/gray with little swoops all over. My husband calls it "Angel" hair.  A nice name for a crazy look.  I'm only in my 40's, too young for white hair! If it was longer I would get it colored. I tried  a natural shampoo-out color, but the white hair wouldn't take the color.  Sigh, I'm finding patience is not one of my virtues!

Happy Friday everyone!

Gini23

Tracy - great image!



Ssla - no words.... But fluid better out than in!



Bluebird - My hair grew in more grey at first. Now however it has less grey than it did before I had chemo!! Keep the faith.

Anonymous

Jbloom- I am NOT old enough to be on Femara (47)(or maybe it's a maturity thing....idk)...but I am on it and have been since my hysterectomy/oopherectomy in March 2012. I get the "hell flashes" and night sweats, too. I have a list of other complaints about the side effects as well....but the one check mark in the "good" column (prevents recurrence) trumps everything I hate about it. I am afraid I "couldn't live" without it...so I "live with it". But oh! how I curse that little yellow pill some days!



Tell me about your trial.



Hair....in my experience Herceptin girls get slower hair growth PFC....Then it picks up post final Herceptin. So, I was fuzzy headed for almost a year PFC...Then it took off. Curly for a few months but normal color (dyed it blonde...Then red...Then brunette while it was coming in lol)....Then it went back to straight...I was so sad. Loved the curlylocks look!

Anonymous

Speaking of curlylocks...Michele posted the other day that her consult had been moved up to 8/14....yay! I love when waiting time gets cut down! Good for you!

liefie

Okay. Scones are baked, came out looking good, ate three already - lol. Now for the decoration, which is not my strong suit at all - cream and fresh strawberries. Just went outside and picked some fresh flowers to put on my hat, but in this heat it will be a miracle if they are not totally wilted before I get to the party. Will keep them in ice-water till the last minute . . .

We should organize us a high tea party somewhere in Hawaii - wouldn't that be fun?

Ssla01, you are one long-suffering, strong woman!

kuka21174923

Just got back from the movies with the kiddos. I did ok, but maybe it was too much sitting at once. My tummy feels very tight now.

I still don't like the shape of my boobs. I know it has only been four days, so my question is, do they change much between now and when everything settles? How long does it take for the swelling to settle?

Typewriterjenny

Sharon- Glad you are all patched up!

Tracy- 6 days over here too!

YES! I would love any excuse to dress up and have tea! I'll bring my corgi, and pretend I'm the queen

goldie4040

For those of you that don't know I was born and raised in NYC.  So, sometimes things come out of my mouth that I can't even believe.  I have lived in nice and polite, to the point of being phony, Texas for 30 years.  

So, I go the the PS office today, which is at a huge hospital, and people come there for other reasons besides BC recon.  Some people actually come to get procedures to look younger, or better.  Anyway, my nurse comes out to get me, and we have become friendly, and I say." shit, what kind of laser thngy did they talk you into?" She as all red, swollen, lumpy, and really looked bad.  Now, I don't just say this so she can hear, but I guess everybody else too.  Well, it turns out the poor thing was having a horrible allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and came to work anyway because she knew I was driving all the way in for my fill.  Ugh.  Now my face was red!!!!!! So, then the woman sitting near us decides she can start talking to my husband about the filler she just put in her lip, and it just got worse from there.  Finally, somebody said to him, "what is your wife her for?" Don't forget, he is from NY too, and he says, " to get her boobs filled." He said the look on the woman's face was priceless.  

Liefie, you already gave us a positive thing for your day by baking scones...yum. You too, Sweetpickle, your hair is coming back. Yeh!!!  Gini is feeling positive, she is singing...heheheheh.

Gini, on the tshirts, that sounds great.  Can you send me the link to the site? 

We still all have to agree on a slogan.  I liked "Where there's a Wilbur there's a Way." And, then somebody had a really nice idea for the back where we have the pink ribbon logo, and it said something about being a survivor.  I am going to have to go back and look.  I should have been taking notes, but I've had so much on my mind. 

goldie4040

Somebody else had a slogan that cracked me up, it was something like, " yes these are fake, the real ones tried to kill me." It's a little rough, but I thought really funny.

christina0001

LOL @ Tracy & the Boboli... I definitely had days like that leading up to surgery... nerves make me kind of witchy I guess... bless my sweet DH for loving me.

I'm 10 days post-DIEP and today is a GREAT day compared to yesterday. Yesterday I was hurting and overall felt very depressed. I was questioning if I should have even had the surgery, if it was worth having such a major surgery "just" to have a natural set of breasts. Today my pain levels are much better, my itchiness (from the allergic reaction to the dermabond) is just about gone, and I slept really well last night so my energy level is much better. I straightened up the house a little today, and walked up and down my driveway twice for a little exercise.

I hope those of you who are recovering, are feeling well, and those of you waiting for surgery are feeling emotionally prepared for it. I remember being surprised at the emotional toll the UMX took on me, and I'm wondering if this is not going to be similar.

goldie4040

Damiana, He caused the problem, he has to fix it.  My PS told me if they got in there, and something went wrong and they had to revert to free tram then there would pig skin reinforcement used to patch the area.  He said he never goes in thinking that's what he wants to do, but if you have one side done, and all of a sudden you don't have a viable vessel, even thought it might have looked great on the CAT, then they might have to take a tiny sliver of muscle, and he said he would also patch it to prevent any possibility of hernia. 

goldie4040

Yeah, a positive from Christina.  Glad you are feeling so good today.  I remember with my bmx, one day I just turned the corner, and I was better.  That anesthesia just kicks your butt.

Typewriterjenny

Goldie- I like that shirt!!!

OOOoh... We should start a roller derby team!!!

Christina- So glad you are felling better today. I'm up and down about this. I'd be much better if I knew about the nodes, but I have to have faith. I'm having a bunch of "I just want to watch TV and zone" moments.

goldie4040

Sweetpickle, you know what drives me crazy about the ROM of the arms, it's just when you think you have it all back you go to do something, and realize you are having a hard time.  There is a yoga move I still can't do.  I don't know what it's called, but you put one hand behind you back from the bottom, and one over your shoulder and you should be able to grasp hands.  LMAOOOOO....no way I can do it.  I know I use to be able to. Oh, and lying on my side with my hand propping up my head, couldn't do it till this week, and I still can't do it for long.  

damiana9

Goldie- before living in TX, we lived in Virginia for a quite a few years, and in NJ for awhile too- definately a different 'personality' than what you see here!



Well, I talked to the nurse (dr is not in the office today- he does surgery on fridays) and she said that she would talk to him about it today and see if they can do something about it next friday- she will call me back on Monday to let me know what he thinks. I feel better now that I have talked to someone about it. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that he will fix it friday. Not looking forward to recovery from abdominal surgery again but I am not all that mobile right now because of the abdomin thing anyway....

kuka21174923

Remember how I said my boobs sound like they have water in them? I called my ps just to make sure that it was ok and he said that its not normal. I have an appt on Monday and he's going to drain the fluid then. He said if anything changes during the weekend to please give him a call right away. So he's going to deflate me? I can just see my boobs deflating like a balloon! Not happy about this at all!