DIEP 2013

ssla01

Christina, Mammalou, and other show have the nerve pains, Nihahi save my sanity with her tapping solution. It is in this thread somewhere or you can pm her for a complete description. Basically, you start tapping on a part of your skin that wasn't affected by surgery (for me that was near my neck) and just start tapping with your finger down toward the nerve pain area. It helped me and after a few days, didn't need to do it.



Sherry, I think it is time for you to pitch what we call in the South, a Hissy Fit! Good grief. Hope they get the vac back on today.



Love seeing photos of you Sisters!

kuka21174923

Hello ladies! Sorry I haven't posted, I have been so busy with going back to school stuff. But I've been reading so that I wouldn't have to play catch up. Sherry I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Call supervisor and make sure they only send you competent nurses from now on.

Curly, good luck with your appt. Let us know how it goes.

I'm doing much better. I guess after a week and a half if being in discomfort everything starts going back to normal. I got the tape off my incisions and replaced it with silicone strips. My ps recommended it for the scars. He said is the only thing out there that really works! My gloobs look better, but I know they still need more time to settle. It seems that most of the fat grafting took and hoping it stays that way. During the weekend I got some of my old pants out that I hadn't worn since I got pregnant with my 3 year old. Omg! They fit! I was so excited! I was going to start the gym last night, but DH got home late, so I'm hoping I'll be able to do it today.

You ladies have a wonderful day!

Tracy516

Hello ladies! Trying to write while I'm not in pain from my breast to these Bobwired incision by my vag!!!0uch!!!!

Healing good

No fevers

Need to eat more but not hungry!

Still in hospital .

Since Thursday



Wish everyone well

goldie4040

Sweetpickle,

Sounds like you are doing a little bit better. 

Christina, the nerve thing does pass, hang in there.

Tracy, I hope you get to go home soon, you don't sound happy in the hospital.

Mamma, how are you?

Where are Nihani and Movie?  Did they decide to never come back?

liefie

Tracy, yes, those vagina fangs are brutal, and we hope they can come out soon. You've been in hospital what, 5 days today? At least you are forced to behave quietly, eh? A good thing.

I'm also getting a little worried about Nihahi and Movie. Maybe they are still sitting at Wilbur's feet, enthralled by his charms? LOL.

christina0001

sherry that is awful about the wound vac. Frankly if they don't get things fixed fast I would seriously consider switching agencies. Be sure to let your surgeon's office know what is going on. They may want to intervene on your behalf. 

sweetpickle and mommalou - thanks for the reassurance. The invisible thing that has been stabbing me with an ice pick went on break late yesterday afternoon and has not returned. I hope it stays away! ssla thanks for the tapping suggestion. That sounds easy enough and I will definitely try it if the pain returns.

curlylocks - I hope your consult goes well today! 

kuka - how wonderful to fit in old skinny jeans!!! now that's a great feeling!

tracy - sorry you are still in the hospital. I hope you are feeling a little better every day.

I'm off to get my hair done today. First time in about two years. I finished chemo at the end of May 2012 and I think I finally have enough to make a bit of a style. I'm going to see about going a little blonder, too. I'm so excited! Going to wash my hair before I go because there is NO WAY I can bend backwards to have my hair washed at the salon! Just thinking about it makes me cringe! lol

goldie4040

So, Liefie...we didn't have an ETA on them? 

Hang in there everybody.  It's going to be a good day.

Anonymous

Go Christina! As much as I was ok with the losing my hair part of chemo....I had a lot of fun with it. I wore all three colors of wigs and three different lengths...and when it came back in enough I had it dyed blonde....Then red....and then back to brunette!!! I am seriously considering going blonde again! I showed a pic in my blonde wig to a girlfriend the other day (who wasn't around in my wig days) and she said, "Who is that? She looks really familiar?" Hilarious. Have fun!!

sbelizabeth

Christina, have a blast with the hair! 

When mine disappeared, I had no idea what my "real" hair color was, because I'd kept it highlighted and blonde for so many years.  It came in gray.  It was a nice gray, and I left it that way for many months, but I just decided it made me look too old and washed-out.  So...back to the bottle!

Speaking of bottles, I have a question for all of you.  We're told to limit our alcohol intake to help prevent recurrence.  For those of you who enjoy a glass (or two) of wine, have you eliminated it from your lives altogether, cut back to X-number of glasses per week, or just enjoy your glass of wine with dinner every night and figure life's too short to miss its great pleasures?

Tracy516

Crying... They are sending me home on Vicodin not perks.... But the perks bearly works. Need them before every 4 hrs!!.. Ugh now

Gonna talk to nurse!! What do you think?

Curlylocks

My consult went well with both the bs and PS.  I love my PS, he isnt bad on the eyes either:)  I am a DIEP candidate, lots of belly fat.LOL.  It was funny sitting on the exam table and he is pinching my belly fat, he says squeeze the fat between your fingers and that will give you a good idea how big your breasts could be....what a conversation to be having as my hubby is sitting there thinking god knows what!  

One thing that I didnt know is that the DIEP takes a small piece of your rib on either side to access the blood vessels in the chest area, ouch...

I dont have a surgery date, but do know that I will be escalated due to my strong family history.  The Plastics Surgeon is gonna talk to the breast surgeon and get back to me by the end of the week with either a date or timeline.  It will be done within the year most definitely and perhaps moved up to within the next six months...we will have to see.

Patience is not one of my strong suits:(

Tracy I would talk to the nurse and tell them that the vicodin is not doing the job for you, they should accomodate.

I guess I will be going back and reading all these DIEP threads in detail or maybe I shouldnt....

Hope everyone is doing okay.

Michele

goldie4040

Tracy, yeah to going home.

Christina, when you get your hair washed at the salon just put your heels up on the chair when you lay back.  It works.

Curlylocks, glad you like your surgeon. Most important part of the experience. I have heard about the rib thing, but I don't know if they do it to everybody.

I had lunch with a lovely lady whom I met on here, and she lives very close to me.  My BFF and I met her for lunch.  She had a complication free stage 1 and stage 2a.  She looks fabulous, and will be having stage 2b next month I believe.  She uses the PS I am currently with, and I flip flop about him because he missed my liver lesions on the CAT scan.  But, he has done a very nice job on her.  She has a perfect belly button for sure...lol. 

It is so awesome to see women who have come through chemo, rads, and recon and still look awesome, and have such great vitality.  Everybody out there having problems, hang in there. It can be done, and you can feel great.

Jeannie57

Sbel, I try to hold myself to two alcoholic drinks a week, as per my BS's suggestion. I did read an article lately about a study showing that drinking alcohol for post-menopausal bc women showed no increased risk of recurrence---or something like that!! I will try to find it, maybe. Friday margaritas and wine with dinner once a week for me....so far.



I'm feeling your pain, all those with open wounds, pain, problems recovering. One truth is that time always passes. I hope you heal sooner rather than later!



I had a PS checkup today with the PA. She says my swollen bits are within the range of normal, don't seem to be seromas, and my ab incision is healing well. She said I would probably be more comfortable with the binder still. sigh. Hate that thing. The lumpy boobs are probably a combo of normal inflammation and fat necrosis. if it doesn't reabsorb with time, it will be fixed during revision.She said I could use the elliptical now and light weights at 6 wks. I am at 4 1/2 weeks now. So after a rough start with 2 ER visits after surgery, I am now in a pretty good place. I was so thrilled to hear the word "normal!" It's been a long time since I heard that.



I hope Nihahi and Movie didn't have bear encounters!

goldie4040

PS: I have completely quit drinking.  I am not saying I will never drink again, but right now I always seem to have some drug in my system, and I am just not ready.  I do not believe a glass of wine a day, or a margarita here and there is going to make much difference.  Unless you are going to go completely vegan, and macrobiotic then what's the point.  Everything we eat, or drink has something unnatural and bad for us in it.

ssla01

Tracy, it may be your turn to pitch a Southern Girl Hissy Fit.



Sbe, I haven't had anything to drink since surgery. It's not that I'm against it, but I've been on antibiotics forever. I think in moderation will do me fine .... One of these days.

sherry35

Well, my wound vac is back on track! After a frustrating couple days perhaps I can now move forward! Finally got a nurse this afternoon who knew what she was doing. I called the health care company today and let them have it- in a most polite way of course!

So, onward and upward I hope. Congratulations to the new flappers that have made it across.

I was going to go get my hair washed and straightened today but it wasn't in the cards. My aunt washed it for me. Just as good.



MOVIE AND NIHAHI- put down the Timtams, step away from Mt. Wilbur and come back to us!

Cheers,

Sherry

Moviemaniac

Hey Flappers......back to civilization......wish I could have stayed in Glacier for another week......so many trails......so little time! Had an AMAZING time with Nihahi, and her British friend.......I was sitting on the open back of my Jetta wagon, just waiting for two women that I had never seen before, and up walk Nihahi and her friend Ade....she asks if I am Jackie.....and after a minute I felt like I had known her for years! Such a great person! Had an absolute blast hiking with them, and by the end of the second (and last day to see her) I was wishing that we could have spent more time together! I actually DID see a Grizzly, and we all saw Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goats......but only my DH was lucky enough to catch a moose.......he was hiking faster than we were, and by the time we had arrived at the "moose" spot, he was gone. . The girls were kind enough to enable my TimTam addiction......I picked up 5 packages! Yum!! Nihahi and Ade stayed an extra day, so she may have other stories to tell....but I was very sad to say "good by". I believe that she took some awesome pics, and said she would post them.....



I had some connectivity where I was staying, so I read, but only posted once, after we had seen Mt. Wilbur (which is awesome, by the way). Not going to try to respond individually......exhausted from 650 mile drive.



SO glad I was able to go to Glacier before I go in for stage 2 in early September.......the memories will have to carry me through surgery AND recovery.......



I hope those of you with trouble healing (like open wounds, etc.) know I think about you every day.....I was there. I am also proof it DOES get better....you will too.

So glad to see the progress others have made.....more energy, drain-free, etc. proof positive that improvement come with time.....



I have missed being a part of this thread......missed you all, too. Nihahi and I talked about all of our friends here, and you were with us in spirit! TOWANDA!



XOXO Love to all

Namaste and God Bless-Jackie

sherry35

Welcome back movie!

sbelizabeth

Welcome home, movie and nihahi!  We have SO missed you both!  How thrilling to see a grizzly--from a reasonable distance!

goldie4040

Sherry, thank goodness. You should be so much better in a couple of weeks.  Get your hair straightened? For who, the visting nurse?  LOL.  Relax, be natural. I would love some curls.

Movie, welcome home.  Sounds like you had an awesome time.  Time for rest, and reflection now.

sherry35

Just for me Goldie. I do it on a regular basis myself and just thought I could treat myself to something nice.



So question. I'm running a low grade fever again. At what point do I head back to hospital?

Moviemaniac

Sherry-how high is your fever? My PS said anything up to -100*is "ok".....101*and higher not good......remember that fevers tend to spike in the (later)afternoon and evening,too. I was on anti-biotic AND anti-fungal at same time....and spiked low-grade fevers all through that.....nothing big or bad enough to send me back to Dr. Then, I just had to keep open wound sterile for 3 weeks.......then re-suture, and another course of anti-biotics AND anti-fungal.....just to be sure the Nasties didn't come back.... I hope this gets sorted quickly for you!

Moviemaniac

Meant to add, when in doubt, call your PS!

goldie4040

Sherry, you go now.  Do not wait like SBE (hate to mention names). Go now.

You are right, just for you is enough.  Now, just for you, go the the ER, or call doc on call, at least

christina0001

bailey - lol @ your friend and the photo

sbelizabeth - I told my onc that I enjoy drinking occasionally. I don't drink often, I might go a few months without drinking, and then drink a couple of weekends in a row. I might have anywhere from 1-3 drinks. My onc said he did not have a problem with that in the least. And I don't worry about it. My mother RARELY drinks and she got breast cancer in her 40s, I got mine in my 30s... I really don't think it has anything to do with alcohol, at least in my situation.

curlylocks - glad your consult went so well! Yeah the rib thing grossed me out; when PS brought it up I told her I really did not want to know. She said I won't miss it. Haven't missed it so far.

tracy - that is total BS, I got sent home with oxycodone and morphine. I would have a fit. 

jeannie - so glad your check up went well!

sherry - so glad the wound vac is finally working out! The fever is worrisome. Do what feels right to you. If it were me I would call PS's office and ask to speak with the on-call doctor, and see what they advise.

movie - welcome back! Glacier Park? I've heard it is amazing. Perhaps you can post a few photos if you have a chance, I would love to see them.

Got my hair done today! I've never had short hair before now. I showed the hairdresser some photos of short hair I liked, and told her I wanted something blonder too. So she went with it. It's not a hairstyle I would normally have chosen for myself but it does look cute, and at least I have a style again, which is so nice.  Bonus: still no more sharp pains! I do not miss them at all! I have my check in with my PS tomorrow morning.

sherry35

Thanks for all the advice. I called PS and she said if it went over 100 to go into emerg and have them call her.

It was 100.3 at 6:00 when I took some Tylenol. Lots of hydrating and fever is now gone! Thank goodness!



Christine, your hair sounds cute!

Goldie, I really hope you get your date soon. You have been so kind and understanding to everyone here! Thank you!

Thinking of you all!

Going to try and sleep .

Sherry

goldie4040

Christina, good for you. Hardly three weeks and you are out having your hair done!!!  Go girl!!!

My mother had breast cancer and never drank, and so did my aunt and grandma.  Nobody drank.  The only thing we had going against us was genetics.  This is interesting, my great aunt, my grandma's sister, had a hysterectomy at 30.  She lived till 104. We were all estrogen receptive.  Unfortunately, she never had children, and grew a mustache,  but she was never sick a day in her life. F..king estrogen.

ssla01

Sherry, take care of yourself. Hope you are fever free in the morning.



Goldie, I will be ridding myself of ovaries and estrogen during my stage 2 surgery. I will be relieved. The estrogen positive part scares me.

goldie4040

SSla, you are a brave girl.  Have you been through menopause?

ssla01

No, still ovulating.