DIEP 2013
Comments
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I got so tired of dirty hair in the hospital--it was Thursday, hadn't had a shampoo since Monday morning--I leaned over the faucet in the bathroom, really ducked my head, so I didn't have to reach very far, and washed my hair. I couldn't blow it dry or style it, but just having it relatively clean made me feel like a new woman.
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Katy, I did the same thing at the hospital on my third day. Under the faucet in the sink and washed my hair! I felt so much better after that. It wasn't styled, but it was clean!!
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Ok. This is a stupid question, but here it goes. What's a wound vac?
Ok, now that I asked y'all can go ahead and laugh:) -
I'll be pushing my PS to okay shower at my appt wednesday. In the meantime, hubby giving me a sponge bath is not a bad thing (tee hee hee). Every other day, and washing my hair, too. I'm pretty tall so I just lean forward over the kitchen sink and he uses the spray handle to wash my hair. Even he noticed how it's easier to wash daily or every other day, instead of waiting. It was a week post op the first time and my hair was pretty heavy with oils.
We are getting some nice alone time this week. Kids last week of school before summer vacation, hubby off work. We are going to have a movie fest today - his choice of movies.
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I have decided that the "DIEP gods" try to be fair. Nobody to few are visited by ALL the "plagues" that DIEP can visit upon a girl.....but we all get something that is unpleasant or scary to deal with and we all have things that are easy or were expected but don't happen. I have the MELON SWELLING but I can walk fully upright 12 days after surgery and everyone told me it would be weeks before I could do that.
I am allowed to shower, but PS's say no raising heart rate or BP for 4 weeks.....So no exercise.
In the end we get to live to tell the tale and that's the most important thing of all.
Movie-- loved your Japan story....people are more the same than different around the world. -
Showers... Ahhh to do without them is just torture! My doc said no showers til all the drains are removed but I do anyway without getting the drain or drain site wet. We invested in a hand shower that switches from the regular shower head to the hand shower head that came with an additional mount. I switch it to the hand mount before getting in, and I have it angled in such a way I can lean over and wash my hair, condition in, ad wash my face without getting my body wet. Then I take the shower head out and wash my one good side and my nether regions. I can even shave! This second mount swivels so I can direct the spray wherever I want and it's on the shower door side down low, or I can move it if I need to. Think the whole setup was like $40. Worth it for me! Hubby had to help the first few times, but now I can manage on my own by looping my one dangly drain over my bad shoulder that doesn't get wet. Kind of an exercise, but it's so worth it to me!!
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Kuka, I also don't know what a wound vac is. That makes two of us that they can laugh at - LOLOLOLOL!
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I am pretty sure Florence Nightingale would want us to shower. Just sayin'.
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Back from yoga and all body parts are still attached and pointing in the correct direction!!! Soooo glad I went, another hurdle of recovery conquered, and another step towards normal. (yes.....I DO have a degree of normal, well normal for me
!) I had to modify some poses, but because of a pre-exixting shoulder issue, nothing really related to the flap surgery. I did bail out of lying on my stomach/chest though.....just felt not ready to do it.....does anyone have any guidelines on that from their PS??? I've just emailed mine to ask. Given the latest conversations, I won't be surprised if the feedback is all over the place again!Margaret77.....hmm, can't say as I'm aware of that anesthesia/dementia connection, but I think any surgical risks increase with age. I'm almost 63, and certainly wouldn't sign myself up for "elective/non quality of life related" surgery, but for me, the recon was to IMPROVE my quality of life, so no hesitations on my part. My PS stressed several times, that yes it is a long surgery, but not a "deep/intense" anesthesia. Hope you find some calming reassurance from your surgical team. Good to hear from someone in the UK....I think you are the first on this thread. Do you want to be added to our list?....I'm very interested to hear how your experience is the same/different from the rest of us.
Liefie....soak those strips, girl, it's time to unveil the "new you"!
re: male/female PS.....I put a look of amazement on my male ps's face when I asked him about wearing a backpack and any issues it might bring to the flap.....his jaw just kind of dropped....and he said "gosh, I never thought about breasts and backpacks"! It was quite a funny conversation after that, me explaining how the chest/arm straps fit, him looking at his chest/my chest, trying to visualize it. Gotta keep these people on their toes!!!!!!
I'm starving, so off to get something to eat..have a good sleep Movie....glad you're back with us.
ps.....I SO do NOT consisder myself to be "elderly", even with grey hair and all! I gladly accept any senior's discount offered, that's as close as I come to accepting my age!!!!!
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Well, a wound vac is something you definitely do NOT WANT TO GOOGLE prior to getting it put on you! I had a very soppy innards, I guess, and not only did I fill the drains a lot, but I dehisced twice (stitches came open once on one side then weeks later on the other side). Anyway THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO MOST OR ANY I'VE HEARD OF BUT ME!!!!! SO Don't worry that you will or could have these things happen to you!!
The wound vac is a contraption that promotes healing through negative pressure. Basically it's a machine that looks the same size as a medium sized purse but has one side that is a motor and the other side that acts like a JP drain (sort of). This needs to be attached to you by your Dr. and instead of the drain trying to pull all the liquid out - this does it by negative pressure. You constantly hear something that sounds like a heartbeat or breathing and a heartbeat so it is really calming and makes you sleepy. If it malfunctions alarms go off though!
The Dr attaches black foam with other stuff I couldn't see to the wound and then large sheets of plastic that CANNOT GET WET are cut to completely cover the area. Now, if these were waterproof, it would be great, but when you get them wet they act like cotton candy and Saran Wrap - not good! There is a tubing that is attached to the black foam and it goes to the purse like thing (should I write manuals for this kind of stuff??? LOL)
and basically pumps the same kind of stuff you see in the JP drain, but faster.
I have to say as a disclaimer, I went into surgery with too high of a BMI - and thus the soggy innards! Since I've worked to get almost 50 pounds off (pre surgery weight) and hoping to get about 10 more. So, again, I'm in my 60's, BMI was way high, and it usually doesn't happen - so don't get freaked by it!
I heard someone say once, why doesn't God tell us what's going to happen in our lives. And the answer was that we would be afraid to live the next day! (But HE always puts something or someone that will help us just when we need it the most - so faith and hope we can do something!)
My journey is not typical for most, but pretty much standard for me - so I roll with it!
Googling the night before they put on the wound vac was one of the dumbest things I've done! My DIL and I were freaked - but it was truly no more horrible than getting an Ultrasound. Pretty painless. Just a nuisance having to carry the purse like thing around. They have a battery pack that you plug in at night, so you need to put it next to you and plugged in and then unplug when you go anywhere. It goes into a purse like container, or a big old fashioned camera case type thing. I felt a bit vulnerable when at Walmart thinking I could get mugged and they would rip off what looked like the camera bag but be surprised to know it was a bunch of 'sludge' kinda stuff and had tubes that went into my body instead of a good Nikon! -
I re-read my Wound vac explanation and need to clarify - the concern at Walmart was because I was standing outside by myself waiting for my driver (DIL) to pick me up.
The wound vac is emptied without having any sort of 'dumping' to do, as the vac has a plastic case that snaps into the motorized part and that sort of contains and holds the 'gunk/sludge' stuff. That part is cool. An alarm goes off if you don't change it often enough as well. Then the alarm can go off all by itself - just because!? That was a pain.
One good thing - is that at Hope Lodge I felt so bad being there so long - thinking I was taking the place of someone who needed the room to go back and forth for chemo and rads (which I had done previously so had a very strong compassion for both) but since the contraption was worn on the outside it was evident with my 5 feet of tubing, and the hissing/breathing sound the machine makes that I was truly in need of lodging as well. -
Liefie, thank goodness I wasn't the only one! Lol I feel less stupid now that I know I wasn't the only one that didn't know.
Catie, thanks for the explanation. You poor thing. That sounds like a pain to have to carry around. -
My sister had a wound vac right before her double mx. She'd developed a big abscess in one of her breasts and after the surgeon opened and drained it, they put a wound vac on until she was stable for surgery. She said it was painless, but felt like it was trying to suck her boob into the tubing. Weird.
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Kuka, it was more of a nuisance, especially when I'd be eating a meal at the Hope Lodge and hook the 'bag' with the wound vac in it around the back of the chair, then forget about it and try to get up - still attached by tubing from my body to the chair at the table! That was the hardest part (and the not taking a shower or washing my hair).
I have to admit, I said something I thought was clever at the time, but now am regretting it, but it's out there, so will say if I offended anyone with my comments - and that could be any of them - it wasn't my intent! Truly just sometimes being tongue in cheek and winding up with foot in mouth! -
Kuka, reading Catie's explanation, I just realized that we should thank our lucky stars that we did not need that contraption. Drains were enough to deal with for me - lol!
Ninahi, only two small strips left on the breast. Hope they'll be gone by tomorrow. I'm seriously considering putting some polysporin on them to soften them up. Glad to hear you survived the yoga! I totally understand the not lying on your stomach - guess it's just normal to want to protect the DIEP baby.
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Liefie, thank goodness I wasn't the only one! Lol I feel less stupid now that I know I wasn't the only one that didn't know.
Catie, thanks for the explanation. You poor thing. That sounds like a pain to have to carry around. And yes! The drains alone were enough for me!
Nihahi, the not laying in your stomach is a rule you have yourself or are we not supposed to? I'm laying on my tummy right now as I type this. Only my tummy, but not my breasts. I have my back arched so that my boobs don't lay flat. But if this is a rule, does anybody know why and for how long? I've never asked my ps because I didn't think I would want to lay on my tummy, but now I have zero pain.
No running for me tonight. I overdid it last night and almost threw up by the time I made it home! So the elliptical is going to have to do it for now. -
Catie....wound vac eeuuww! You're obviously a trooper to get through that!
Kuka...it's not really the tummy I'm concerned about, but for some reason I'm leery of laying on or putting body weight pressure on the new boob. Can't really explain the hesitation, but it's certainly something I'm not comfortable with trying without getting the ok. I think I read in another thread, that lying on the new boob is a no-no, but don't remember for how long. It really is the first "hesitation" I've had in getting back to normal activities, and I think part of the "mental issue" comes from how painful it was to lie against the implant contracture I had, pre-surgery.
Liefie...defo putting polysporin on the steristrips will do the trick. I was given instructions to do that on the steristrip on my face last week, and the next day, it slid right off.
Kuka....you watch yourself on that fitness stuff....slow and steady girl!!!!
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Help!
Well I'm back and freaking out a little bit. Who here has experienced fat necrosis? Because I just felt two little lumps and despite my BS's warning that should I find a lump - don't freak because it's fat necrosis . . .I still had to freak. If anyone has gone through this - please tell me what I should do. Freak out or calm down. My DH came into the bathroom felt my new found lumps, said yes, they are lumps and SHE TOLD YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND NOT TO FREAK!
I have to freak because that is who I am. And I am triple negative and well, you all know about us - we are supposed to be just ticking time bombs for recurrence. So I am assuming the worst. . . 2 months after chemo and 6 weeks after BMX and DIEP . . .which I know makes no sense but STILL.
Other than this - I am doing great. I have been working out on the elliptical and my girls don't hurt that much at all, have totally evened up, and my scabs are all gone now - just nice pink scars.
But now lumps.
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Dear friends...my son sent me a photo he took in the recovery room, and since I can't yet figure out how to post it here, I put it in my blog. Just as soon as I stop laughing I'm going to kill him. Click on the blog link in my signature. Katy
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Katy that is so awesome! My twins are identical (not sure if yours are) and even at the ripe old age of 6 - we can see that they are turning into very different but very amazing little ladies. One will one day run Apple and her identical twin sister will marry a man with staff!
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Kuka - I didn't know either. You were just brave enough to ask
Welcome back Movie! What a beautiful story.
Sharon -
Katy - he looks like a lot of fun, but I'd kill him too! Lol. Surely you must have some awkward ones of him for your revenge.
Sharon -
Love the photo of your son!!! Can only imagine the moment - LOL!
HHcats - I had a PAP flap (replacing a failed flap) in January. I found a lump as well at the 12 o'clock area in the new flap. I made an appointment to see my BS just prior to fat grafting and stage 2 revision of incision from stage 1. The BS' PA saw and felt the lump (as did my DH at home) and then did an US. She then told the BS who examined me again and did his own US as well. They both agreed it was fat necrosis. This BS specializes in bc and his wife is a radiologist MD as well - so I totally trust their opinion - and know its hard not to freak out when you feel it - but they do happen. If you are truly worried you might want to check with your PS again or BS! Sorry you had the lumps though! -
I would venture to say none of knew what JP drains were pre BC, either. It's all a journey. Always ask.
As for bathing, I think we all just find a way to do what we gotta do! Florence Nightingale would, indeed, want us to wash.
I rested alot today. Cut way back on pain meds, just by resting and not doing. I'm doing much better at just letting hubby do it all. That is SOOO hard for me.
I got flowers from work today, so pretty. A perfect get well soon card,too.
Question about drain placement: I just think mine are weird and wondered what others had. I have four drains. One at the armpit side of each of the new girls. The other two are strange. I thought they would be placed at the public area, like at the fold. BOTH of them are in the pubic mound, literally right between my legs! Is this usual?
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sbelizabeth, that photo is hyterical. I would have knocked him up side the head, except you can tell he is so excited you are okay. From reading your blog it sounds like you are doing great. It helps me to read your story and know that when I have my DiEP in early July that I too will be happy. I am also having a delayed surgery, and have been scared, and a little angry that I would not get the best results possible. But, your story has given me hope. I wish you a continued great recovery.
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sbelizabeth.....hysterically funny photo....your son looks adorable, but I'd also be plotting revenge too!
HHcats....sorry to hear about your new "wrinkle"....understandable that you're worried, but try to trust your surgeon. He has the experience to know the difference.
sheChirple....based on the many differences we have discussed already....I bet crotch eyes have no fixed address!
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Hhcats, please call your ps tomorrow. It's always better to be safe than sorry. Praying for you tonight that its nothing bad.
Katy, I know people have posted pics in here with their comments, so how do you do that? -
sbelizabeth, that photo is adorable! He is obviously so happy that you are okay! I'm amazed they allowed him into the recovery room. My DH asked very politely if he could see me for a few minutes, and was told no exceptions were being made. He was allowed in for a few minutes last year after the mastectomy, and immediately noticed that I was dangerously overheated. They had to cool me down with icepacks. This time he had spent the whole morning wandering through the Butchart Gardens in Victoria to pass the time while I was in surgery. This is not easy for our loved ones.
SheChirpie, my crotch eyes are pretty low down too. Don't know how usual this is, but I figure as long as they don't interfere with any of my essential functions, it is okay - lol. Once it is healed it won't matter much where they are. Those are my battle scars, and I wear them with pride - LOL! I can just imagine the fun if a group of us should ever get together, and start comparing our DIEP scars . . . will be hilarious.
HHCats, try to relax. I am sure it is nothing serious.
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No drain stripping this time, either. But, drain stripping would not be a problem. I can reach there pretty well.
I just got back from the local drug store. Against PS advice, I removed all the loose dirty bandages and covered up my incisions with fresh clean non-stick pads. The exact same ones, just clean. I did not pull anything loose that might have been 'attached' to a wound, nor did I clean or touch anything. Just removed the sweaty, dirty pads and replaced with clean ones. I feel better.
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