DIEP 2013

Jeannie57

Janet, you are funny! We gave our tent to our daughter, knowing we didn't want to do THAT again. Renting a very small motor home/van sounds better to us now though tons more $$$$. Good grief, we should enjoy life the way we want to!

Typewriterjenny

Tracy- I showered days 4 and 5 in the hospital by sitting on the bench and gently scrubbing all I could reach. The most important parts are reachable, and the shampoo ran down my back which cleaned it good enough. After, I air dried a bit sitting wrapped in a towel then the nurse put lotion on my legs for me. Tea tree oil spray on my feet here and there felt great too. Needed someone to do that for me. I used dry shampoo the first few days and it took the excess greasy feeling and itch away.



My shower is upstairs here at home so I've done sink baths so far. Tomorrow is one week so I may attempt stairs very slowly with help. The only issue I have lifting my left leg is because at a certain height my drain gets pinched.



I have drains pinned to my binder but that never stays in place and keeps ending up with the bottom of it touching my belly scar area. Ugh!

hrf

Removing ovaries doesn't get rid of estrogen. What happens is that the adrenals then start producing estrogen. It happened to me so I know for sure.



No one ever said anything to me about using rib bone. I don't think that happened.



I got a script for percs but am doing ok with xstrength Tylenol. Hate the fang drains. The foobs feel very strange and are swollen. The left is much more swollen than the right.



First thing I did when I got home was take a shower. What a relief. Expecting home care nurse this afternoon.



Moving very slowly and a great deal of fatigue.



Wonderful to read about the hiking trip. Sherry, I hope you are better.

nihahi

Some proof for us all, that there IS life, happiness, friendship and fun AFTER all the tears, pain, and recovery. ps.....Movie is the blond bombshell, I'm the greyhaired Canuck.

1

Anonymous

Curlylocks:  I am two years out from the double DIEP surgery, and I can tell you that not all docs will take a bit of a rib for vessel connection.  Mine said he took a vein from under my armpit as I emphatically told him he could NOT use the artery from my chest. They ask that because if there was a chance of heart surgery in the future, they would need to preserve it.  He did take I think a small bit of muscle also from my belly.  It just amazes me still how they do this -- was 12 hour surgery and only later did I learn my tiny vessels would shut down more than once so had to be re-hydrated.  What's more amazing is how I found the courage to go through this !!   

Cherrie

What wonderful pictures of you hikers. Have never been there, but hope to do some hiking or sight seeing next year when I visit my son in Seattle. Maybe we can do a group hike next August for those that live out that way???? You girls look wonderful and healthy. Yay! Towanda!!!

Moviemaniac

Nihahi-photos are great! Even DH doesn't look like the creeper WE know him to be!

Jeannie-second photo shows Nihahi and I with MT. WILBUR is background.



I would love a group meet-up in Glacier next August....but Nihahi MUST bring Ade along......she is a hoot!



Mamma-I PROMISE your wound WILL heal.......and Tammy will second me.....she had to let hers grow in on its own, too. (((Hugs)))



Janet-you ARE crazy, girl......no more sleeping on an air mattress! Book a room!



Sending love to all.....XOXO

goldie4040

HRF, is your sister with you?  Doesn't that first shower feel wonderful?  Sleep, sleep a lot.  BTW...you can do those drains yourself at your own leisure instead of waiting for a nurse to show up just when you finally fell asleep.  My husband loved to do the drains.  He was like a little chemist with his measuring cup, and ledger paper with columns, and dates, etc.  It was funny.  

Yeah, the hiker's are home with proof they went..lol.  You both a strong gorgeous women, and the guy ain't bad either...lol.  What a beautiful place.  Welcome home.  Thank you for sharing.  You are right.  There is life after BC!!!!

sweetpickle

Beautiful pictures Nihahi and Movie! Looks like fun was had by all. :-)



I am still having a hard time getting up from a seated position but its my hip joints that feel frozen up. It has brought me to tears more than once and when its that bad I need help even standing. I know this is from chemoand being in bed for the better part of seven months, ugh. Im moving around more now though so hopefully it will get better.

kuka21174923

I have a question for those of you that had have a plication. Did you experience heartburn? I've been having heartburn ever since my stage 2 and it doesn't seem to be going away. It only happens when I lay down, and it is worst if I lay on my right side.

sweetpickle

Kuka- I havent noticed any.

Jeannie57

Kuka, I suddenly have heartburn and don't know why. I didn't have plication.



Yay for posting the photos! Mt. Wilbur looks very intimidating. My Wilbur is very friendly!

You both look great---can't help noticing the great boobs!

sbelizabeth

Movie and Nihahi...GREAT PHOTOS!  Love the hair, and the hats!  And the turquoise of Movie's shirt matches the beautiful turquoise of the lake!  I'm still aching with envy.  Let's plan a gang-hike next year, with all of us.  We can compare "girls" and have a great big chat on the trail. 

Kuka, I've had chronic heartburn and have taken omeprazole for years, so I can't tell you if it would have been worse after my plication.  But it kind of makes sense.  Everything's squeezed a bit more, and it might take a while for your stomach to jostle around and find a comfortable place.  If it's uncomfortable, try an proton pump inhibitor (like omeprazole). 

Shelly--my understanding was that if I ever needed a coronary artery bypass graft (HEAVEN FORBIB, THAT'S WHY I DRINK RED WINE), they could harvest and use a vessel other than my internal mammary, which is what is used for the DIEP). 

Back to work.  Sigh.

hrf

What a beautiful picture of the hikers!



Goldie, my sister is with me and she knows how to do,the drains. The nurse came today and she attended to,the wounds. Took off the tape, cleaned, put polysporin etc. she said that the skin on one foob (exactly the spot that was cold) is raw and broken. It is not infected and I hope it will heal.

sbelizabeth

Goldie, lol...my husband was exactly the same way with the drains.  I didn't dare touch them myself.  He was in charge.  It was scientific.  All the clean equipment lined up on a clean white towel, freshly washed measuring cup, computer spreadsheet, the works.  I was secretly snorting with laughter each time, but he's been an absolute gem throughout this BC rodeo.  

Every day he holds me and says, "We will be just fine."  On my darkest, scaredest days, he's been my light bulb.  

sbelizabeth

Hey, Movie, does your hubster hike in Chacos?  How does he keep the dirt out?

nihahi

sbe......have you given up on work today????  hehehe....sigh, I'm still doing laundry!

jlbloom

Wow!  I've sure missed a lot these last few days.

I love the pictures all of you have posted.  Sbe - the before and after picture are very inspiring.  Movie and Nahiha, it looks like it was a great trip.  Like Jeannie said, nice boobs!

My surgery was the same day as Jeannie's and I'm back to work.  I have a superficial blood clot in my lower right leg, so I get to give myself Lovenox shots for the next week.  I am NOT a nurse.  My husband is willing and ready if I can't.  Maybe it will help that there is no feeling in a good portion of my abdomen.

My heart goes out to all of you that joined this group with surgery last week.  My healing has gone very well, so I hope you see big improvements very quickly.  The first shower is the best.  It really does get better every day!

Thinking of all of you!  ...Julie

Tracy516

The mountain pictures are inspiring ladies!!! Beautiful mts and yes boobs too;)



SHOWER was great. Had pouches for drains and the heat on my shoulders took some swollen down.

FANG drains suck!!! I just want them out!

Food tastes ok...

My kids start school on the 4th and 9th and this will be the first year I can't be with them on the first day.. Maybe the 9th..I will strive!!



hrf I am glad you are doing well.

goldie4040

jBloom, it is awesome you are back at work.  How did they find the small blood clot in your leg? I am surprised you did't come home from work and just go to bed.

SBE, DH's can be wonderful, when they are not driving us nuts, but as the keeper of the drains mine was something else. The funny part was when he had to go back to work, and it became my job once a day.  He would check my work. I was a little embarrassed when he brought his spreadsheet to the nurse at the PS's office, but she was extremely impressed. 

MartyJ

Julie Bloom - with the lovenox, it is really easy to do and doesn't hurt.  Just don't rub the injection site after.  That will make it sting more and have a greater tendancy to bruise.  Don't know why, but that is what the literature said and it sure is true.  I have two large bruises from rubbing when I forgot.

Love the hiking photos.  Y'all look fabulous!

Jeannie57

Haha! My husband had his excel spreadsheets for my drains, too. My PS wanted a blank copy. He is not an engineer, he's in marketing. He is just very attentive and caring.



Julie, I'm so glad you feel well enough to work. Hopefully the clot will resolve quickly. I am still getting tired from trying to return to every day life.

ssla01

Love the photos Nihahi and Movie. You are both beautiful survivors.



Julie, my dh gave my Lovenox shots in the back of my arm.



Tracy, I didn't have fang drains, I had hip drains for 8 weeks. I think ALL drains suck. I'm so praying that I don't have them when I come home from stage 2.



Sbe, we are due another Aubrey photo!

sbelizabeth

Ssla, I'm so glad you asked!  Here is Aubrey Rose at 2 weeks.  She is a big, sweet strawberry.

ssla01

Beautiful!

goldie4040

Hehehehe...she is so cute!!!!!  

Jeannie, our hubby's are all anal retentive, but what would we do without them?

sherry35

Sbe- Aubrey is beautiful, she has changed a lot already!

Jeannie- I'm with you, there is NO WAY I could go back to work right now! My surgery was 11 days after yours. PS says my infection and now open abdominal wound has put my recovery back at least 6 weeks!

Jlbloom, how did you or docs discover your clot?

Mammalou, I don't know how you are working- you are a true inspiration to me!

Movie and Nihahi- beautiful pictures of the mountains and your hiking! You all look great!



Knock on wood, nothing new went wrong today! Yay me!

Sherry

Anonymous

Holy moly I caught up....you guys left me in your posting dust this week!



To those in your first few weeks ....patience patients....you are healing!!! And beware the three week slump where your brain starts telling your body it's tired of all of this...and your body can't keep up. Lots of us have felt down during that period...it's normal and should pass.



Those struggling with open wounds....you are on my heart every day. Sending healing prayers...My lips to God's ears!!!



Sbel...polka dots are my fav...Aubrey is beautiful! And I know I make a lot of tequila jokes but I don't drink much of anything. Maybe a couple of glasses of wine a month....I try to save it for when we are out or on the rare occasion I am home alone with a good book! Onc said keep it down but live life, too. So I do.



Movie and Nihahi.....Awesome pics! So happy you were able to meet and in such a lovely place. I would LOVE to meet up with y'all next year....I'll just fly in and rent a car...maybe anyone from this side of world can fly in to central location and I'll rent a van and drive us in. Woot woot, TOWANDA!

Cherrie

Aubrey is a sweetie!



Amtrak goes to Seattle from Michigan and you can get off in Glacier. The Seattle area may have some good spots too. Jeannie is from there. I thought Mid- August or September would be great! It could be an adventure. I think hubbies would be welcome. Oh my I would have to get in much better shape!!

Jeannie57

Sbel, your strawberry looks delicious! She looks more aware of her surroundings.



Sherry, I am so sorry about your delayed healing. I wish I could change it or at least give you a hug! Mammalou, you, too.



Tracy, you sound better! It gets better as time goes on.



I would love to meet up for a hike or whatever! With my bum neck, though, carrying a pack is a painful proposition. Hubs usually carries mine.



Hi, Hrf and TypewriterJenny! Thinking healing thoughts for you!