DIEP 2013

Anonymous

Well, Miss Christina, after all that you've been through (including drugs!) and you post a nice, long,  coherent post that includes your story and well wishes for others......hmmmm....where is Wilbur and what have you done to him?????

Seriously, you sound great. Very happy for you. Can't wait to hear about the big reveal. 

Stage 87Q indeed!!!!

nihahi

christina....so good to hear from you...and you sound soooooo good! I'm with bailey though, seriously..... what have you done with Wilbur???? On all those meds, plus minimal sleep....he should be dibbing big time!

deb....chemo SHOULD be your focus now....think of the wait time, as giving the new boobs time to settle in. They are not going to surprisingly disappear one night, if you haven't had another surgery on them within a certain time frame!!!

Hugs to all.

mrtw43

Christina, I am so glad your surgery went well and you were able to post such a long note, you must be doing really great. I hope you are happy with your results and you are able to move forward.

mammalou

had my stage 2 preop. Doc says he won't touch my abdomen for a year since it just closed up. I'm not sure I ever want it touched again! I'm going to be getting a small implant, fat grafting to some spots, a nipple and he's taking away a puffy "cloud" I have under my good side arm. They think the lump I have may be scar tissue. I feel a little uncertain about that and will have to pursue it further. My lipo is going to be out of my medial thighs and that is the thing I'm most nervous about. So now, my trip to the Orcas Islands on the 7-11, then surgery on the 12th.

Jeannie57

Mammalou, it sounds very wise not to touch your tummy!!! I hope you come through it with flying colors and are happy with the results, healing well this time! I don't know what to say about the lump. My PS says to expect lumps but that is not at all reassuring....I'm sure scar tissue and fat necrosis can present as a lump, though. Enjoy your time in the Orcas Islands! Where are you staying? Envious.

butterfleyez

Christina what all did you get done for stage 2?

I think I did a little too much today (Lucy take heed) . I am sore and alleve didn't really do much for it. I was focused on standing straighter and being more independent. I stopped taking the narcotic on Monday due to all my intestinal issues. Tomorrow I will try to pay closer attention to my body so I don't take two steps back. I have one more week of definite help and I'm worried I won't be far enough to be on my own. Frustrating day

goldie4040

Christina, glad you did so well. Can't wait to hear about the results. Are you really going back to work next week? A week off would be nice.

Mammalou, wow...seems like just yesterday your wound wouldn't close, and look at you having stage 2. Yeah!!!!

I am pooped from the grandkids and Halloween last night, and babysitting them tonight so their parents could go to a movie. Then one of my dogs, a rescue with some definite personality disorders, got out under the fence again, and it took us 3 hours to find her. UGH. You would think that saving her life, keeping her fed, warm and safe would keep her from trying to get under the fence every chance she gets.

Cherrie

Mammalou-My last and final surgery I had fat grafting from inner thighs. It really wasn't too bad. I was able to do Tylenol and it got better every day. At one week out I was up to 2 miles of walking. Everyone heals differently from this too! Good luck! You will do well.

Janet_M

Butterfleye - Last week I suggested trying a 'child's pose'. After reading your post yesterday I realized I should have put in the disclaimer - Don't push yourself! Everybody is so different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. The frustration we feel at being slow and hunched is just part of the rodeo (to quote sbelizabeth) and it's best just to try to be patient and embrace the pace.

By the time your help leaves you'll be at three weeks, right? A lot of the ladies thought of Week 3 as a major turning point. I hope today is a better day for you.

LucyV

so glad things went well for you Christina!

I'm taking notes butterfleye.....rest today

Goldie - sorry about your dog getting loose! Sounds like a teenager!

Taking a nice shower today- that is my only goal!

Have a great one ladies.

christina0001

mommalou - an island vacation sounds fabulous! I would love to see a few pics when you return.

deb - so how is the chemo going? How are you feeling?

Yes, why has Wilbur not visited me? lol I feel so left out now. I've definitely felt relaxed, and whenever I take pain pills I tend to love my husband more. Which he deserves, he takes such good care of me, but I get a little moony-eyed and mushy with him. I'm sure he loves it!

Well if I remember right, for my stage 2 my PS was going to remove some side boob (she said she would probably excise it rather than lipo but she didn't sound 100% sure, I think she needed to take a look and see what was going on to decide. She was going to suck a bit of fat out from over my tummy incision in the hip areas, and also on the left side of my abdomen, and possibly use the fat on the inside of my new breast to plump that area out. She also noticed that my new breast was about a finger's width lower than my other one, so she was going to lift it a bit. She said between the lift and getting rid of the side boob, she may not have to do the fat grafting, she'd have to pull me up after doing the lift and side boob and see how it looked.

So today I am fairly sore. I did wake up once during the night to take a pain pill. I can take the oxy every 3 hours but I've only needed it maybe every 4-5 hours. I took a morphine last night (I am supposed to take it every 12 hours) but it didn't seem to do much; the oxy seems more helpful. Took an oxy and a tordol this morning about 45 minutes ago and I can feel them starting to kick in, but I am still pretty sore. PS said my most sore spot would be under my breast where she lifted it, because she would need to put a few sutures inside, and she was right, that is definitely where it hurts the most! Also I am rather itchy under this binder. On one hand I can't wait to take it off and take a shower tonight, but on the other hand, the compression is probably good for me. I didn't see PS after my surgery, she just talked with my husband, but she does want compression on my abdomen and a bra on 24/7 other than showering. She told him the compression undergarments are fine, which is great because I feel like a dork wearing a binder to work!

Goldie I could take a week off if I wanted to, but they said I should be good to go by Tuesday, and I try to be conservative with my paid time off. Who knows what I might need it for. Fortunately my job involves mostly sitting, and I can leave early if I don't feel well. And for me I tend to feel better at work because it distracts me from thinking about all that is going on. But I definitely am not up to snuff today. I'm okay when I sit but walking, even just getting up or bending, is pretty uncomfortable.

I'll be so glad when I am healed up for this! I don't expect much pain from the nipple procedure since my new breast doesn't have much feeling. Does that make sense? Did ladies here feel much pain from nipple recon? My PS won't be doing grafting, she just cuts a space on the new breast and makes a nipple out of the tissue there.

nihahi

butterfleyez....I remember a definite period of two steps forward, one step back at your stage. I think it's nature's way of making us take the time to let the healing process "catch up" with our expectations. It doesn't ALWAYS mean you overdid things, it's sometimes just your body's way of saying "hey, wait for me"!!!! When you have those days, back off a bit, and appreciate the reality of how far you actually have come, instead of looking at it as a set-back. Don't panic about where you'll be in another week...that is a millennium of time in the healing process for many of us. Taking advantage of help while you have it, might actually help you heal faster!!!!!

Lucy....funny comment re: dog=teenager.....has me chuckling...so true!!!! Enjoy the shower!!!!!!!!! Hope you have some lovely lotion for someone to rub on your back and legs for you afterwards! Mmmm such a wonderful feeling.

mammalou.....ditto what jeannie wrote....where in the Orcas are you staying? It's a hoped for destination of mine some day!

christina.....I think your wilbur time means compulsive typing!!!! Yeah Wilbur....keep those fingers tapping on her keyboard!!!!!!!!!

snowing like crazy here this morning.....another snowfall warning out for the weekend. I'm going to have another cup of coffee!!!

Have good days everyone!

butterfleyez

thanks nihahi

You are right again :-) today I spent most of the day being grateful for putting on my pants alone. That was major lol

christina0001

The big reveal - finally I got to unwrap the 900 layers of stretchy stuff, gauze and cotton to see how I looked after stage 2. I think my noob actually looks a little smaller than my natural breast, which was a little disappointing, but DH says it is hardly any different at all. The more I look at it, I think it just looks a little smaller because my natural breast has a nipple, and this one does not (yet). I also thought I'd look a little slimmer from the lipo, but it looks the same to me. Maybe I am a little swollen. My side boob is definitely gone, and that made me happy! I'm so happy to have all that padding off of me, I am so much more comfortable now.

goldie4040

Christina

I am sure your tummy will be swollen for a bit. I am almost positive you will be pleased when everything settles down. As for your foob, I am sure taking the side boob off made it seem a little smaller, and you are probably right about the nipple. It all will come together.

I am just glad you seem to be feeling so well. And, you got to unwrap yourself. That must have felt good? No compression?

nihahi

christina......2 days post surgery is NOT the day to decide if you are going to be happy with the final result!!!! Congrats on the "un-wrapping", it's gotta feel 1000% better, eh!

butterfleyez....independent "panting" is a huge accomplishment!!! woohoo!

MartyJ

Christina it can take 6 months to a year to see the final results of lipo. Patience!

Jeannie57

Christina, no compression?? I wish! My abdomen around my belly scar in the front is quite swollen still. PS "adjusted" it or improved it or something. I'm confident it won't stay that way....The steri strips are mostly hanging on there after two and a half weeks. I also see stitching poking through my clothes from my boobs and ab scar. Weird. I have lots of questions to ask PS on Tuesday. I wish I could post the picture of me, nude, with purple drawings swirling all over me pre-op that he drew. DH had stepped out because we were told we still had a long wait, so I had PS take photo so DH could see it later. Did he really do everything he drew?? I probably should delete that from my phone.....

Well, Movie is happy, I'm sure, since her Timbers just scored a goal against our Sounders. 1-0.

nihahi

11/5/13 Atown (BMX with immediate Diep)

11/7/13 brooklynne (uniMX with immediate Diep)

this weeks "dates".......safe surgeries and gentle healing to you.....let us know how you are doing, how we can help or support you.

christina0001

goldie and Jeannie, yes I am to have compression on at all times but it is okay for me to take it off to shower. I am quite miffed, I can't sleep tonight and I weighed myself around 3am and I am up 5 lbs! I'm sure its swelling but still, ugh. Thanks for the words of wisdom, I thought I'd immediately look trimmer after lipo. I had no idea it takes so long for things to settle in. I will be patient.

Can't lay on my right side, or my DIEP breast hurts. Can't lay on my left side or my hip hurts; she lipo'ed from that side and removed the tiny dog ear that was there. I am so tired. Ugh, I hate not sleeping! Although I hate to complain, this is SO much easier than after the actual DIEP surgery.

Good luck Atown and Brooklynne this week! You will both do great!

LucyV

Christina- stay away from the scale! I made the mistake of stepping on the scale five days post op. Ummmm up ten pounds! What! Happy to report it's all gone now. Hope you get some rest today.

mrtw43

Christina, I am 5 days out from nipple recon, and I don't have any pain in that area. Every once in a while I get a little feeling like pressure but it is not really uncomfortable. For my nipple recon and areoloa recon, my ps took a quarter size peice of material from each end of my belly scar, and that is the only place I have had any discomfort. But I will say, after 24 hrs of surgery, I don't even take Advil. I know everyone is different, with varying levels of procedures, but that was my experience.

Speedy recoveries to all having surgery this week.

butterfleyez

I never knew that lipo was so involved! I mean the commercial cosmetic advertisements make it seem like its a miracle painless fat removing process that takes 5mins. I guess that goes to show you can't believe every commercial you see. I'm sure it will all settle great Christina.

Thoughts and prayers for Atown and Brooklynne this week

butterfleyez

mrtw did you have stage 2 in aug or you didn't need it?

nihahi

christina....hope you manage to catch up on your sleep tonight. Maybe the poor sleep is an expected part of recovery, and that's why it's recommended to take a bit more time off work than you are planning??? Don't know....just my thoughts.

I agree with Lucy....toss the scale in the basement and shut the door. It is not your friend right now.

Marty/cherrie....question for you long term compression gals. Does your PS encourage you to try to maintain muscle tone while you're in compression for that long? I would think that would be an important thing, but you don't mention it in your compression advice??? Again, I don't know, but am curious.....must be the cold temp and sideways snow outside my windows this morning....I find myself wondering about things! Maybe I'm wishing I headed south about 3 days ago

MartyJ

Nihahi - we are encouraged to begin walking as soon as we can. When to begin exercise depends on the procedure. With the initial DIEP, I walked (building up from around the floor the first 10 days to several blocks by 3 weeks and on) but waited to exercise for 12 weeks. This gave plenty of time for healing inside and outside. After follow-up revisions (fat grafting), I walk as soon as I can and begin exercises after 4 weeks (gentle then on to full steam). Our doc wants us to keep in shape, but reminds us about the internal healing that we don't see.

nihahi

Interesting, marty...yeah, I meant the compression after lipo, not the initial flap surgery. If you're in compression for 6 months, I would think you'd have to be vigilant not to let the muscles become dependent on the "garment support" to maintain tone. I remember how weak my back was, after just a few weeks of light compression. I would think the pilates type of isometric exercises would be a good fit, without interfering with the lipo healing????

SheChirple

Hello, Ladies. I've been busy for quite awhile. It is impossible to keep up here! LOL

I am now 5 months post op Stage 1 DIEP. All incisions are healed. I have one small spot on my right side incision end that developed a small blister and now has a little scab, but this, too, shall pass.

I am finally 100% pain free!!! Yipee!!!!

I have slight discomfort in the abdomen, over the incision, on the left side where I have an area about the half size of a soccer ball that swells daily with fluid. It's like someone cut a soccer ball in half and slapped it onto my belly. It's soft and squishy, like a fluid pouch. It goes about 50% away when I lay down at night. But, by afternoon it's swollen again. In email correspondence with my doctor, he says to not worry, it's just fluid build up and reabsorption and it should take 6 months or more to stop doing this. He recommends I keep wearing compression until this stops. I have to admit, on days that I do wear compression (spanx) all day, it is not nearly as bad. But, Grrr.....

I see my PS again in about February to discuss Stage II lift, pull togehter, coning and lipo. We'll see.

nihahi

shechirple.....compression/massage/compression/massage/repeat.......

MartyJ

Sorry, Nihahi, I misunderstood. I have not had a problem with the compression affection muscle tone, but then I do wear it when working out. I am now working with my DH's physical therapist who gives him exercises for both of us. When I take off the compression I am not feeling unsupported, just a bit fluffier.