DIEP 2013

Cuetang

Nihahi-- glad you're feeling better and got a chance to take care of all the pre op stuff. I had a history of being really sick after surgery and they put a patch behind my ear and I didn't get sick at all this time.



Skigirl--you can get access to the picture site by sending a private message to nowheregirl (I hope this is what you're asking). It might take a while because nowheregirl is in Japan. You have to go through a few steps to get in.

nihahi

Hey Cuetang.....how's the healing going?? You sound good. 

Yep...history of post op nausea, vomitting, lowww blood pressure issues, shakes, so much fun!

Skigirl72

I did that and followed the directions. That's how I ended up at the 'donate' page. I'll try again. I have no problem helping with the costs, I just have no idea what a good number is.

Cuetang

Hi nihahi-- I have to admit, I hate my drains with such a passion. Hopefully the numbers of fluid output will go down by Friday so the PS will get rid of them! I find myself getting tired super easy and impatient on wanting to get back to things. Thanks for checking on me. You rest up and get better before your surgery!

Morningsun1

Debbie, at the donation page, keep scrolling down, you will see other stuff.

nihahi

Cuetang......drains.....oddly enough....my second biggest "YIKES" of this whole surgery. Here's hoping you're able to "down the drain" soon. 

Seagan...did you try work today? Just wondering how you're doing. Hope last night was better sleep wise for you.

Itmguy.....hope all is well for you, now that you're "done". 

Tammy..hmmmm....still in the recliner for sleeping? Maybe I should increase the rental length of time? We have a great mattress but not lots of extra pillows. Are you completely upright during the day or still a bit bent over??

Ironmag....sounds like you're doing wonderfully too! So helpful and encouraging to hear from you ladies that have been through this adventure! 

sbelizabeth

Skigirl, it's a litle confusing. Be sure you're telling it that you were born after a certain date, to confirm you're an adult.  Also, scroll to the bottom of your page.  A lot of the sign-in stuff can be out of range of your screen.  

Nihahi, I'm getting jazzed (and a little scared) for my April 15 surgery.  Pre-op jitters, I guess.  And some PTSD leftover from other surgeries, the ones that weren't designed to improve my body-image.  

nihahi

sbelizabeth.....absolutely, exactly how I'm feeling too. Kind of like all of a sudden I'm going a zillion miles an hour, but with the emergency brake on! We are so close in surgery dates, I'm sure we'll be in the same "place" for awhile! When chatting with the pre-op nurse today on the phone, I actually "snorted" when she said "....the night before your surgery, yadaydada.....have a good night's sleep! Yeah right, like THAT's gonna happen!

wraithg

yes cuetang , hate those drains. Nurse said I could take them all out yesterday but she thought they should be under 50cc and they should be under 20cc , so I got one out , two more to go!!The first week home wasn't too bad and I got out here and there. For some reason it seems to be getting harder. My tummy is feeling a little better but the breasts have more pain than before. They say I have to wait for 4 weeks to feel somewhat normal. First doctor apts not till march 28th.

Pamela44

My husband cut out a total of 5 sutures, they were too small for me to do it from an awkward position.  It was no big deal.  I put betadyne on the scissor, the tweezer pulls the string a little and then you cut in one place and pull out the string from the other end.  

You do not need to contribute to the picture forum to view.  Eventually I did contribute because I used it a lot and I wanted to help it to continue.  Whatever you can contribute is fine, even 5 or 10.00.  I contributed a little more, I think if I remember $25.00 but I am not sure. 

faith729

Nihahi perfect way to explain how Im feeling as well thanks for that! I chuckled a bit when I read that "zillion miles an hour with the emergency break on"

Today I went for my pre-op physical and to meet with the anesthesiologist. I feel so much better now regarding the long surgery and anesthesia. Fingers crossed that the blood work all comes back good to go.



Geralyn I hope those last couple of drains are out in no time.

Pamela your so trusting to let your dh do that with your stitches.. my dh is wonderful but I joke often that he has shrek hand so I doubt Id let him near me with scissors lol

wraithg

Hi faith, nurse must of heard you as my last two drains came out today. One of them took a little pulling but yeayyyy!!! I am going out today to museum , hope I can keep up but will sit whenever I can. I have been out to groceries and dog parks but nothing this long. 

Skigirl72

I felt like a new woman when I had my drains removed. I had 2 abdominal/ 1 breast drain. I took a few days to realize they weren't there anymore. I am 4 months out from surgery and I feel pretty good except for this whole chemo thing. I am looking forward to when my body settles down and the revisions are done. I want to feel comfortable again in my own skin...

Cuetang

Yay Geralyn for the removal of those drains! Take it easy today

nihahi

Faith729...go for my pre-op workup next Friday. So glad to hear you came away reassured, makes a big difference I would think. This morning, I was thinking about my "meltdown" day last week, and had one of those "ah ha!" moments, that seems to have given me a good shift in perspective. I was comparing how I felt now, with how I felt pre-mastectomy and chemo. Then, I was scared too, but also, very depressed and negative. This time around, just scared. Well for gosh sakes, who wouldn't be scared of this major a surgery, I thought! But, in no way am I depressed this time....this is a "choice", this is a huge step forward into putting complications, both physical and emotional behind me.....now I am back in the "bring it on" mindset! Makes a big difference in the fear factor for me!

Hope everyone has a great day, more healing, more comfort, more strength and energy. (((x))) to ALL.

faith729

Yay Geralyn! So glad to hear that.



Skigirl Im sure there is an end to the madness there has to be.. at least that's what I keep telling myself. Hang in there this is one strong group of women and your no exception. I hope I said that right lol it was meant to be a compliment anyway.



Nihahi same here I hadn't compared till I read your post but Im glad you put that out there because it did help to see the difference.

sbelizabeth

Nihahi and Faith, I'm with both of you.  I'm asking myself...have I waited long enough after treatment?  Will it have any effect on (please, dear Lord, no) recurrence?  Have I chosen the "right" plastic surgeon?  I'm not journeying to NOLA as so many have, maybe I should?  Will I wind up with a big infected necrotic blob sewn onto my chest that will take thousands of re-do's to fix?  With all the radiation damage, is there any chance I can wind up with anything but a Franken-boobie?

Not that I'm wound up or anything! 

nihahi

sbeliabeth.....I have sent you a PM. 

There will always be chances to second guess ourselves. But I think we are all intelligent women, who have thought things through, done our "research", and made the best choice for "US". Any surgery has risks, and that is a valid fear, but fear won't make any difference in the outcome. For me, the deciding factor was....would I be happy going forward, if I didn't give it a try. After almost 20 years of implant issues, the answer was an overwhelming NO. I WOULD NOT BE HAPPY WITHOUT TRYING.

I'm sure every woman has these thoughts, no matter where they are treated. At some point, you have to let go and trust the surgeon and his knowledge and skill. In the meantime, we can keep throwing "life preservers" to each other, as we are all in the same stormy seas, and totally understand the emotional process. Hugs to all.

KiwiMum

Hi ladies

It was 6 weeks ago today I had my DIEP surgery and I'm great.  I had my 6 week check up yesterday and the surgeon was pleased with my recovery.  I'm off pain meds, swelling is continuing to go down and I've been cleared to start exercising (gently) etc.  I also no longer have to wear this surgical bra 24/7.

I need to continue taping with Micropore tape for 3 months

My stomach swelling is also decreasing and I can pretty much fit back into my clothes.  My PS is assuring me my stomach will be smaller than before!!

I can progress to actual bras, with underwire!!  I have not worn a pretty bra for over 2 years.  Since my MX I've had a few mastectomy bras, which are functional and hold my breast form, but certainly weren't pretty!  I can't wait to go shopping!!  I can also buy a swimsuit without a pocket ... and might even try a bikini to showcase this flat teenage tummy.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you how thrilled I am with my results and happy that I went through with the surgery. The scale of the surgery sure did scare me but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Stage 2 will be scheduled for approx 6 months from now.  My recon side will be reduced slightly to match my natural/lifted side.  I also prefer the fuller top part of my new breast and my PS assures me he can lipo some out of the recon side and stuff it into the natural side to give it the same fullness.  I hope this makes sense.

Morningsun1

Very well said, nihahi. My decision process was a lot simpler than some of yours. Nevertheless, as you said, I did my research. At every choice point of the process, I choose the one that I strongly prefer. Here they go,

1. Lumpectomy or Mastectomy? Mastectomy won (my sister's experience: lumpectomy+radiation but DCIS came back within 6-months)

2. Single or bilateral? Bilateral won, for I hate mammogram

3. Recon or not recon? Recon won, I don't want to be looking at two holes on my chest for the rest of my life.

4. Tissue based or implant? Tissue based won, I hate having two cold foreign objects sitting on my chest.

5. Donor site: it’s a no-brainer, the site that I have the most to spare

Bottom line: I believe that I did my best and the rest was not in my hands.

I am completely upright during the day, but my tummy does feel tight.

nihahi

KiwiMum and TammyT......great news from both of you!!!!! 

Morningsun1

Great to hear your good progress, Kiwimum. I had a bit more complicated recovery, but still like you said, no regret and would do it again. Best!

faith729

Kiwimum you sound great! When the time comes I say splurge on a couple of expensive pretty bras you certainly deserve to.





sbelizabeth hang in there. All those thoughts your having are natural but try to take deep breaths and like nihahi said try to trust the skill of your surgeons and trust that you've done your best to learn and understand everything you can about the process. Tomorrow will be better. Expect waves of emotion they are bound to come but you can always come here for the support you need.

wraithg

TammyT , I totally agree with all your points. Those are basically what I came up with too!! The only difference is that I had the lumpectomy and radiation in 1998 and a small tumor showed up this year so I said lets go for the full monty in hopes that it never comes again. Faith and cuetang , I am drain free and went to museum today. couldn't stay long but it was nice to go somewhere other than a dog park or grocery store. Kiwi mum your posts give me really good hope for all the positives of this procedure and nihani it will be over before you know it.

Moviemaniac

Wow! You early post-surgery ladies are kicking serious butt! ;-) I cannot believe how mobile you all are! (Of course I was laying around with a blown-out abdominal incision....one of the lucky few!).



I am one day from being 8 weeks out, and I echo Tammy's reasons for choosing this, and I also am VERY happy with even the "early" results, and would do it again in a heartbeat!



Nihahi, Faith, SBElizabeth.....I remember being where you are now, and the fear/anxiety meter was off the charts! I didn't know about this site....wish I had found it BEFORE surgery! I have no doubts that you will all do well.....it is a long surgery, but I bet none of you can touch my time......;-) NIhahi, I DID sleep the night before.....having trouble sleeping now, if I roll too far one way or the other. I am side sleeping, but barely...noobs are still pretty sensitive, and if I roll too far, they don't like it!



Kiwi mum, I have been jealous of you from the get-go....you were so fast to heal! It must be the beautiful part of the world you live in that's responsible for that. :-)

KiwiMum

Moviemaniac

It's certainly been a beautiful part of the world this summer.  We have had the best summer EVER.  It's amazing how the sun can lift one's mood and make things seem right in the world! 

Summer is just around the corner for you ladies ... and we'll be remembering this one for years I'm sure!

Moviemaniac - I'm pleased you are happy and your ab incision is healing!

nihahi

Hey Movie...you can keep your marathon surgery time..I have NO wish to match THAT record  Given what you've been through, I think you're doing pretty amazing too!

I am a terrible sleeper, under the best of conditions....have trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep, even after a wonderful day and being bone tired. So the night before surgery....nope, can't see it happening. We will likely have to be up around 4am anyway, as the hospital is about an hour away, and I have been told I'll likely have a 5:30 "check-in" time. Not really thrilled with that, as my PS has told me the first OR doesn't open until 8:45...so really, why so early???? Not like they'll be doing tests or prep or anything!!!!!!

Kiwimum, enjoy your weather, it's still friggin cold and snowy here!

Cherrie

I was allowed to take melatonin up to surgery time due to sleep issues. (5mg) It did help. Not every night, but there was improvement. It may be worth a try if your surgeon allows it.

Cuetang

I took ambien the entire week up to my surgery and my doctors didn't care. It really helped since I was a nervous wreck the entire week and I got at least six hours the night before surgery because of it. I had to leave my house at 5:30am the morning of the surgery.

nihahi

Was this something you were taking for awhile before, or as a pre-op thing?