DIEP 2013

krissy42

Cherrie - I told my nurse I look like a Ken Doll and I'm not sure she got my point. I may have had alot of fatty tissue below my incision right above my pubic area, and now that the belly fat is gone I noticed it more. Did the doctor lipo your Ken Doll area? was that part of the revisions? 

mammalou

I think I need to check out a Ken doll, cause I can't picture it. As far as ab problems... My belly button is shifted one full belly button to the right. My PS says it is from scar tissue in my tummy. Because of my wound healing issues, I have a ridge of tissue above where my abdomen opened up. I don't like it, but I don't know if I will ever want to fix it if I have to wait a year.

Jeannie57

Bluebird, have you heard of domeboro soaks? You buy them at somewhere like Walgreen's. They provided some relief for me when it got really bad. That and going topless.....

Mamma, my PS swore to me after my DIEP that everybody's belly button is off center. I just stared at him but wished I'd said, "I am 58 years old and I'm very familiar with the location of my belly button, thank you very much!" Mine is more to the left now but in the big scheme of things, not impt. to me.

Krissy, my PS did lipo my FUPA in stage II, his idea. I was pleased to get rid of some of that puffiness. It didn't cause much pain at all and wasn't a big deal to recover from.

Kat-ski

hey sisters! I made it to SA. I did a big boo and did not put my compression sleeves on. I have put my left for tonight. I swoop my grandson in my arms!! When we made it home, Trevor was full of smiles. I am going to just love on them.

I hate the Houston airport. Even though I requested as stance, I was transferred 4 time. And rod the train with luggage behind me. Quite the experience. My arm are sore but I felt bad for the two little Laddies trying to get their connections. Due to the grace of God my flight was delayed 30 min. I thought I had my energy back--not. So now it is time to re-energise myself. Hugs to all! Kat

Jeannie57

Kat, please take care of your arms, even if it means wearing your compression sleeves for longer than you want! Take it from me, LE is not something you want to risk or mess with. I have it in both arms.

milkyway2

what  type of bra i will need after recontruction 

mammalou

just laying here feeling bloated in my deip stomach and swollen in my lipoed legs. Feeling a little beat up by bc and reconstruction and feeling like it is going to take my body a long time to feel normal again. Do you ever just feel tired?

Jeannie57

For sure, Mammalou.

butterfleyez

Christina I am using pure Shea on all the skin surrounding the scar. It helps I guess for the surrounding skin to be moist. Although my scabs have fallen off of the abs they told me to weight and don't massage it in but lightly rub.

What's a FUPA?

Mamma.. I know I'm still early in the process but I def feel tired of it all at times. I seem to trade one thing/pain/concern for another. I try to remember the advice I got here that this is a marathon and not a sprint.

Sometimes I just find myself consumed with worry. I'm worried about the number of women that end up needing a hysterectomy after this and the tie to the tamoxifen.. The other breast.. Using my arm etc etc etc.. One thing I know is normal from being here is that it's one day at a time and we are entitled to feel whatever we feel. ❤

Milky Way the hospital gives u a bra after surgery and then you transition to a no wire sports bra

christina0001

milky way, once I was done with wearing the post-surgery bra my PS gave me, I started wearing (and still am wearing) a bra by Bali's. It's style number 3484 (just had to order two more so I have the style number fresh in my mind!). They come in sizes S-M-L-XL and are very soft and comfy. I got mine at JCPenney's... I think Goldie here wears the same kind and she got hers at Kohls. I would definitely check them out, that was the only bra I found that was comfortable after DIEP. Definitely no underwire, and I think having something with clasps is easier than a sports bra to pull over your head.

mommalou - OMG tiredness is what you get with your new DIEP breast(s). For me I think this was mostly due to the fact that I could not sleep well, and that adds up over time. It does get better though!

Kat, take it easy, I hope you feel better today.

Jeannie - now I'm going to have to go see if my belly button is centered or not. I hate the pink ring I have around my belly button from the surgery. Hoping it fades well.

butterflyeyez, I've been thinking about trying shea butter, I read an article about it in some woman's magazine and it sounds wonderful. Might have to pick some up when my cocoa butter runs out. Yeah I am blaming the tamoxifen for my giant uterine fibroid. But my mom and my aunt took tamoxifen for 5 years and they never had that sort of trouble. And it's got such a great track record for preventing reoccurrence. Tough choices we have to make, right?

Cherrie

ha ha! My belly button is off to the right. It isn't that noticeable, but then at 59 I don't wear anything that would show it.

A FUPA is your pubic mound. (Pushin Cushion, Hooha,) this is what my PS called it.

Kat- Be careful with your LE. Jeannie is right.

Janet_M

Mammalou - 'Shifted one full belly button to the right' had be laughing my head off in bed this morning. I don't even know if it was meant to be funny, but I can sure relate. I'm one full belly button towards my head. If I close my eyes and point, I can pinpoint where my old belly button used to be. I don't hate it - but I don't love it either. I feel like I'm wearing old man pants that have been pulled up way too high.

Bluebird - Have you tried aloe gel for your burns? I only had minor burning, but I found the aloe wonderful.

I've also got that dark pink ring around the belly button. Will that ever go away?

goldie4040

Good morning ladies.

Christina, you and I are using two different Bali's. My style number is 3488, but when I leave here I am heading straight to the Kohls website to look at yours. I love mine, but they are a little high in the front, and sometimes I want a bra that doesn't look like I have a cami on. Women who are bigger busted than I am don't find them too high.

FUPA=female upper pubic area.

Mammalou, it's sounds like the down period comes a little earlier with stage 2. Hang in there. In a couple of weeks you will feel so good. I believe the soreness from the lipo is the worst part.

When I hear the stories of the discomfort of lipo I wonder if I should skip it with my exchange in a couple of weeks. It was offered to be to do fat exchange. I guess I could wait to see if I really want it, but I just not liking the idea of another surgery, and anesthesia again anytime soon.

goldie4040

Hmmm, just went to look at the difference between the Bali bra 3484 and 3488, and for the life of me, I don't see a difference. They are both called Comfort Revolution, and the one I get says it's the "U" design, but I don't know why. Either way, the are the most comfortable bras ever.

nihahi

11/20/13 RHGSR (BMX with Diep)

11/22/13 bdavis (Diep Stage 2c)

This weeks ladies.....safe surgeries and gentle healing to you both.

You all were busy yesterday!

lahela

*playing catchup as best I can after a busy few days*

RHGSR - I'm so sorry to hear about the rough road you've had this past week! We'll be in your pocket this week for your surgery. Sending you and bdavis healing thoughts.

My belly button is like yours, Janet - one belly button north of the original! I kind of wished they hadn't bothered... but I guess it would look too weird to not have one at all.

My Bali bras are the 3488. They are so comfy, but the L, which fit perfectly when I first wore it, is now too big. I'm trying to find something locally, though, because ordering online means I can't try it on.

I'm sure there were more things to respond too, but my brain is non-functional today. Foot still hurts (and I tried to reassure myself about the non-likelihood by googling "heel bone mets" and one of the first hits was an article about a woman who had BC mets in her heel...) and my neck is killing me so I will be so relieved on Tuesday when the doctor tells me there's nothing to worry about. I know, logically, that it's unlikely, but my 2am brain wanderings always go down the "worst case scenario" route!

Love and hugs to all!

goldie4040

Lahela, I know your neck and foot are just the typical aches everybody has, but I get it. I worry too. Every little thing just can't be as simple as it use to be. Tomorrow you doc will put you at ease.

As for the Bali bras, I have a medium and then had to get a large as they expanded me. I am hoping to wear a small when I am all done. I have only gotten a beige one, and a white one, but they have some really cool bright colors I would love to try.

LucyV

I has the worst night. I was freezing freezing freezing and convinced myself that I must be burning with fever. My temp 95 degrees? (Guess I was freezing). I was also convinced that my ab incision was red in another area and felt sick and nauseous. Didn't sleep all night. Then I realized it was the first night I didn't take ambien. Wonder if that had anything to do with my weird night?

I am still wearing my surgical bra but I think I will order a Bali bra now so I am ready. Do you usually go to a wireless bra? Does it have to be sports bra like or can you just do any wireless?

Sending positive vibes to RHGSR and bdavis. Best of luck!

Janet_M

Lahela - I had what I thought were heal spurs. Or Plantar fascitis (I don't know how to spell it). But it was so painful to walk, and my sister had it too. She gave me a bunch of leg/ankle/foot stretches that helped tremendously. I hope it's something that simple for you too.

Dyvgrl

Ladies,

I just went to kohls online and got 3 Bali 3488 bras in colors. They were on clearance for $15.20 so thought I'd stock up. The person looking for a deeper cut should check out 3463, it looks like it has a lower cut V. Hope mine fit!

Anonymous

Hey debdylan! I am catching up too,after a very busy week.  I am sorry to hear you are having chemo troubles. Praying for an answer that brings you peace.

Lahela... If it helps at all....I had terrible heal pain all through chemo and to this day. Although it tends to wax and wane in severity, it is never gone. At its worst I am limping and having DH rub my feet every night. I did have it on tamoxifen and now on femara. It is better the more I stay off my feet and when I am on heavy duty pain killers (periods of surgery recovery brings sweet relief lol). Day to day I don't take any pain killers....I should, but hate to take MORE drugs. I hope you able to figure out what it is (or what it is not!) and soon. Hugs honey.

Dyvgrl

debDylan,

Glutamine powder worked wonders for me during Taxol. I never had neuropathy during AC but I'm sure it works just as well. My naturopath insisted I had it daily without fail. It took it away completely as long as I didn't miss a dose. I put a heaping tablespoon in my morning smoothie or juice. Had to be cold for some reason. But it was wonderful and is all natural.

nihahi

lahela....the neck/shoulder pain is SOOOOO common to anyone that develops foot issues. If your foot hurts, you are going to be walking with a different posture/gait. As soon as the "foundation" changes, there will be reciprocal "changes" all the way up your body. Your knee, hip, spine.....everything can be affected, by a sore heel. It has NOTHING to do with being full of mets. I know how automatically our minds can take us down the "dark road"....try to turn your thoughts away from that path!!!! (((((X)))))

Debdylan....great to hear from you! Hope things sort themselves out, and the answer to "should I/shouldn't I" becomes clear for you. I have "heard" many discussions on the threads about vitamin B12 being extremely helpful in minimizing chemo neuropathy issues. Maybe something you could discuss with your docs??

Zenful

You could also try alpha lipoic acid (which is really an enzyme) and Vitamin B-6 for neuropathy. I took L-Glutamine during A/C, but switched to alpha lipoic and b-6 during taxol after reading that tumors actually use l-glutamine to grow. I still had my tumor so didn't want to take any chances. I only have some slight to numbness in my toes, but hoping it goes away. My MO was fine with both.

nihahi

oops....thanks zen....yes, I meant B6, not B12.

milkyway.....maybe check with your PS office about the post surgery bra. I don't think Canadian hospitals are quite as "free" in handing out things like bras and support garments. I was told to be bra-less for about 2 weeks, then, what ever I wanted to wear, as long as it wasn't overly tight and definitely wireless. Amazingly, some women find themselves in compression bras post surgery, so it really is just protocol differences, no set rule. But I do think the wireless thing is pretty universal.

Lucy....hope you're feeling better today????

goldie4040

I know it's not something everybody is supposed to do right now, but when my plantar fascitis acts up, and I usually have fairly mild symptoms, downward dog yoga posture works wonder's for me. I have never gotten my heals completely on the floor, but who knows, someday. I do downward dog right before I go out to walk, and it helps heel pain tremendously.

Dvygirl, I saw that on Kohl's today, and I was so tempted, but I am not buying anymore bras till I am done with surgery. I know you will love them. What great colors did you get?

Dyvgrl

Goldie,

I got a turquoise one, a mauve one, and a yellow one. Hopefully they are way more comfy than what I have now!

goldie4040

Dyvgrl, that sounds so awesome. A lot of times I will wear a bra and let the straps show, especially with a boat neck top, or something big enough that is falls off my shoulder, and I would love those cool colors, but right now I got to stop spending money on clothing I might never wear again. When we were at my pre-op the other day I told my surgeon I wanted to stay the same size I use to be, and he said he wanted to go a little bigger. My husband said, "no. do you know how much money is hanging in that closet waiting to be worn again?" And, I agreed, I want to wear my favorite stuff again. I wonder if I had a woman surgeon if she would be that hung up on size? Men are men no matter what profession they are in, and they all like a good size boob...lol.

RHGSR

Thank you everyone for the positive vibes. Only 3 more sleeps ( how my children tell time) until surgery. I'll be honest... I'm terrified.

With all our trouble this week I'm having a hard time sleeping. My kids are petrified after the robbery. My husband is stressed to the max. I feel so bad for him.

So we are down to only 2 out of 3 kiddos still sick. that is some progress :0)

Milky Way - great bra question. I made notes for later. :0)

Kat - those flowers are gorgeous !

What kind of protein powder should I use in the green smoothies I plan to drink after surgery? I'm assuming I need to have one without soy?

MartyJ

RHGSR - you might try egg protein. It doesn't smell great, but once it is in your drink you don't even notice. I use it instead of soy or whey proteins. Of course you might want to eat a bit of protein if you need to chew. For healing, 90+ grams of protein is good. Not too hard to do.