DIEP 2014

gila4936

A pedicure is one of the things that I didn't manage to get done pre-surgery. I wish I had, because my toes look so naked right now!

JerseyMomOf3

A little late with a four week post op update, but wanted to let all you ladies fresh from surgery or about to have it know how much better it gets after a few weeks!

Every week will find you doing more and feeling stronger. Some days are really good then followed by a day where I need more rest. 

At four weeks it has been a big milestone! I was feeling a bit blue weeks 2 and especially 3. At week four I started sleeping in my own bed at night and a couple of days later started driving again. I took it slow but it felt sooo great to do both of these things! 

I've been doing a bit more around the house so haven't been as diligent with walking, going to focus more on walking this week. 

My stomach looks amazing in the morning, but does swell later in the day. I switched from the binder to spanx during the day,some days I don't wear anything. I am still sleeping in the binder just because I want to help the swelling go down overnight.

I need less Advil than I did. My main areas of discomfort are the chest/ sternum, presumably where they reattach the veins and disturb those muscles. I also had BMX at the same time as DIEP and can feel a little sore and swollen still where the breast tissue was removed under my arms and across my chest especially in the afternoons/ evenings.

I am doing PT stretches which really help my chest muscles, arms, and underarms. I feel a big improvement in those areas feeling stronger.

My left breast has a really nice shape. There is a little fat necrosis on the side but PS said not to worry right now. 

My right breast is more asymmetrical. It looks more swollen and lumpy than the left, but that is where I've had two previous surgical biopsies in Feb, and had the SNB. PS says still a lot of swelling to go down so I don't see him again until end of July to discuss stage 2. I am guessing he can make them more even and shapely then.

I still have the steri strip tape on my abdomen so haven't even seen that incision yet. They told me the tape will just fall off on its own. I have dissolvable sutures but have had to clip some of the ends that were poking out and being annoying.

my prayers and best wishes to all the gals having surgery this week! Before you know it you will be posting your own updates as the weeks go by! Hugs to all.

Dyvgrl

hi ladies,

I'm 5 weeks post op now and still can't sleep flat. It hurts on my sternum more on the left than the right. Ugh! Anyone else having issues with that? I'm healing well but major swelly belly when I'm super active. Trying to pack up and move the house while hubby is working out of state has been quite the chore. I'm sure I'm over doing it but don't really have a choice at this point. Will be going back to work next week also. Ugh!

TinaHoff

I have also always appreciated Janet's signature line:

"Just because you're having a meltdown doesn't mean you're not coping."

Thinking about that gave me a lot of freedom to feel what I feel, and not beat myself up about it. Being angry, crying my eyes out, feeling terrified - none of that meant I was weak or couldn't do this.  I just allowed myself to feel whatever it was, then move on.

lemon68

To all of you having surgery this week you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I cant wait to see your posts when you are on the other side. ((hugs))

Jerseymom, I saw my PS on Friday and don't need to see him again until late July to discuss Stage 2 also He feels I am healing great. My left is very big and swollen but my radiated side the right is a lot smaller and perfectly shaped. No sagging at all, perky! He was surprised as he said usually the radiated one is the one to cause trouble, mine are the opposite. I am sure when all is done I will have a perfectly matching set. My SNB is sore as always and during the surgery they took another node (it was clean) and I have a dent, very tender area. PS wants me to go to see PT for a breast/lymphodemia assessment this week so I will go and see what they have to say.  I also like you had my BMX at the same time. Chest above breasts and between hurts at night mostly, tender to the touch, mine told me it is from the BMX and rib removal/shaving. He gave me 800 ibuprofen for swelling and more pains pills just in case but I have been good the past couple days. I am 6 weeks from my deip and 5 weeks from my revision. The revision in my opinion was tough a week after diep, felt like that knocked me back a bit.

I planted yesterday and today, little by little and it felt great! I hope you can soon see your tummy incision, I am sure it looks great. My DH says mine looks like a clown face... but that's okay, its no longer a roll of fat!

Janet_M

TinaHoff - I'm so glad you responded to that line. I can't take credit for it - but when I heard it, I too felt like it gave me a lot of freedom. After my diagnosis I was so far outside my comfort zone emotionally. I was crying a lot, and scared and not handling things as well as I thought I should have. I told a friend that I wasn't coping very well, and that's when she said 'Just because you're having a meltdown doesn't mean you're not coping'.  A light bulb went off, and I let myself off the hook. Everything from then on was just part of the process. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Besides... I'm glad I had my meltdowns. It just means that I was coping, and feeling, and releasing, and eventually healing. 

I hope you are healing too.

Dyvgrl

crying is such a huge stress reliever. We all feel like we need to be strong and hold it in, but stress encourages cancer growth so reframe it like this. Whenever you cry, you are killing cancer! Let that sh*t out ladies!!

lemon68

Janet, I am not sure I ever told you how much I have enjoyed your blog. Thank you for sharing it. I have never cried though this process. I cried my eyes out during my DX and treatment. But from the day back in January I decided to do diep till now not a single tear. I keep waiting but honestly I think they would be tears of joy. I have teared up for others along the way and here on the board but not for me. My DH says I got it all out earlier, maybe he is right. I feel relief and pride in myself and I am amazed at all the sh*t I have done in the past 18 months! I know we ALL have emerged stronger women. xo

goldie4040

Janet, I have always like that line too, and believe me, I have said it over again in my head too when I am having a good cry.  So, Tina, we are all on the same page.  No judgement here.

Hope you all had a nice Father's Day.  My hubby had to work, and my son spent the day with his kids, so I used the opportunity to clean a bathroom, do some very mild exercise, and took one of my unintentional naps after I spent 30 minutes picking something to watch off Netflix...lol.  I can tell you the first 10 minutes, and the last 5 minutes.  Sometimes that is enough.

schocolate318

Hello to all I am due to have the Diep flap done on July 7th I am so scared and nervous.  My silcone implants have to be removed due to cc.  Any advise on what to expect

Jlg1067

schocolate318, I wish I could give advice, but I too am scheduled for July 7th.. I been on here looking around and they have made me less anxious about the process. I'm just ready to have it over and get back in tank tops and bathing suits..

Zenful

lemon, it's wonderful to hear that you are so happy with your decision. I completely agree. I am so grateful for making the decision to have the DIEP surgery. Never looked back. 

DeeW29

schocolate318,  I understand about the nervousness. I will be having my surgery soon. My oncologist said it's one of those things that we'll look back and say I'm glad I did it versus I wish I would have done it.

Teacher64

Schocolate318/Phyllis - when you have your questions ready, you will find that we will respond. I found that keeping a binder of info and questions helped me put things in order and put my mind at ease. I can't respond to having implants removed, but others can. DIEP was the best decision I made. We've all had questions and concerns but if you read past posts, you will discover that we are happy with our decision. We are here for you.

k79miller

DIEP was the best decision I made too.  It was rough for a week or so but definitely worth it.

Trinity0723

I haven't checked in for a few days so sorry for any important items I have missed. I will go back and catch up. 

I just needed to vent. I am in so much pain. I haven't even had my surgery yet. I have chronic pain and I stopped taking my tamoxifen two weeks ago. Since then my pain has just increased. I finally went to the hospital last night and had two shots of dilaudid. I take so much pain medicine that I'm worried about my pain after surgery. I don't even want to post what I take. Please pray for me to feel better and for things to go well with everything. 

Thank you so much girls!!!

goldie4040

Trinity,

I am so sorry.  What kind of pain are you experiencing?  Did they have any insight for you at the emergency room?  I wish there was something that could make you feel better. I don't expect you to tell us what medication you are taking if that makes your feel uncomfortable, but please be very honest with your docs.  It can mean a lot during the anesthesia process, and your pain management afterwards. I have heard of some women having a special pump just for their tummy incision that has a numbing effect. 

Staying ahead of your pain is probably the most important.  If advil helps, take it every 8 hours, not when you start to feel the pain, but before it get's bad, or if you are taking something else, the same thing, take it on schedule.  I don't know why going off the tamoxifen made you feel worse, I always thought it was the opposite.  Most are happy to be off it for a while.  Hang in there.  Talk to your surgeon and PS.  See if they have any insight into what's happening to you. 

The1toC

schocolate I am taking "cc" to mean capsule contrature. I hope your DIEP experience will be at least as good as mine if not better. I had severe cc on radiated side. Lost my implant and went back to the hockey puck expander. Now 1.5yr later had DIEP and am so happy! I can take a deep breath now without any restriction or TE pushing back inst my ribs. My shoulder is no longer pulled down toward my belly button. I have so much more freedom of movement. There is more than 95% relief of tightness across my chest.... I even had relief of a good deal of my lymphedema....I hope that helps give you an idea what to expect....Great outcomes!

trish01254

ten hour surgery.  Snb dye was injected after I ws under.   Woke up with pain at a ten.   Anesthesiologist gave me tap blocks that didn't touch the pain. Everything appears to be going ok except I'm still in hospital. Hope I get to go home today.  Wish I spent more time on the going flat thread.  This belly surgery is for the strong women.  I don't seem to be one of those 

Janet_M

Lemon - Thank you for the compliment. I love that your potential tears are tears of joy - that's fantastic! I was on an emotional roller coaster before my surgery, especially with the decision making process, but not there are times when I'm blindsided by feeling so positively gleeful that I chose this surgery, and that it's done, and that my breasts are full of healthy belly fat.  The relief is overwhelming. And I too am proud of what I've done, and proud of everyone on these threads who've committed to rebuilding - both physically and emotionally. 

We BC.org ladies rock!

goldie4040

trish, I felt the same way when I woke up.  I couldn't believe how my tummy felt.  I knew I had been pulled very tight, don't know if your are experiencing a similar case scenario, or not, but I hurt!!!!  I could not stand up.  I could not cough without taking my life in my hands, and I thought I would die.  But, I didn't.  I took longer than most to stand up and I am still tight, and my tummy is not comfortable yet, but better.  You will get there.  Don't push it.  Everybody is different.  I made the mistake of comparing my situation to others.  Finally, somebody very wise helped me make a more reasonable comparison, and I woke up to the fact that what I had done was different than what that "other" person had done, or what you had done.  We will all heal at different rates.

Also, don't forget, a bmx at the same time as your diep makes it even a harder surgery than a delayed diep.  A bmx in itself is painful, and restricts range of motion, etc.  Please be kind to yourself.  Take some time.  I am the most guilty of wanting things to move quickly, but patience will win out in this circumstance.  In the meantime, vent vent vent!!!    We are here to listen.

Today is my six week anniversary, and I had to get dressed for an appointment and the waist of everything I own is too big.  There is something to look forward too.  Hang in there.

Dyvgrl

hi ladies. Have major swelly belly after a busy garage sale weekend. Gonna take it easy today before I head back to work tomorrow. I'm 5 weeks out and feel pretty decent. I can't lay down flat yet which makes sleeping well difficult. It hurts in the sternum area on the left. Really annoying. I CANNOT wait to sleep on my side but I'm not able to do yet.  Still dealing with minor scabby issues but healing well otherwise. Hope everyone is doing well. Take your time to heal ladies!

jmb5

Oh my! I'm 5 days behind on the board! We had our local Relay for Life over the weekend, and I'm a team captain, so there was lots to do. Can you believe I stayed up all night long?! Relay means a lot to my family. Thought you'd like to see a picture of us from that night. 

I am updating the surgery list today. Hope everyone is healing well and feeling better.

 

Teacher64

jmb - love the picture

thinkpink4ever

Nice pic, jmb!  Glad you managed to stay up all night long - that IS pretty amazing!

One love,

tp4ever

gosleyj

Help! I need some information. I'm going out of my mind today.

I will be having Unilateral Mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction on July 9th. I was scheduled for July 2nd but somehow the OR is no longer available for that day. I've read a lot of information from various hospital websites about length of stay in hospital, time drains remain in, when you can travel and return to work. My question is directed at those gals who have had surgery in other cities and returned home shortly after leaving the hospital. Most sites I visited have said that hospital stay will be between 4 - 5 days (mine said 5-7 days) and that drains are in for about 2 weeks. The same sites said that you can fly or travel 1 week after surgery. When you return home, who do you receive care from if you need the drains removed or other care?

This is why I ask .... My plastic surgeon here at West Virginia University (in Morgantown, WV) leaves at the end of July for his new job. I'm scheduled to leave for Las Vegas on July 26th where I will stay for 2 weeks -- returning August 9th. With the surgery rescheduled, I now only have 17 days (instead of 24) between surgery and flight. While in Las Vegas, we will have a car and a VERY relaxing place to stay.  We have done this trip at the same time for the last 12 years. And this year we have friends coming down from Canada for the second week. We all have non-refundable airline tickets and lots of expenses that have been prepaid. It will honestly be more relaxing and less stressful to be there than home.

If I postpone the surgery on the 9th until I come back, my surgeon will be gone and I will have to travel out-of-town to have surgery and then come home after 'x' number of days to recuperate away from the surgeon who performed the surgery. And, the mastectomy will be further out from diagnosis than my oncologist is comfortable with. My husband and I have had plenty of experience with medical stuff while out there. Ten years ago I had a lumpectomy in January, followed by 8 rounds of chemo and 6 weeks of radiation. I literally jumped on a flight just hours after completing my last radiation. Also, though it was not me, two years ago, my husband was on a really nasty IV antibiotic for the entire time we were in Las Vegas which I gave to him twice a day thought a PICC line. We also had to care for the PICC line and get weekly blood work completed. We're no stranger to tough-times while out there.

Any advice would be much appreciated!!!! I'm so nauseated right now ...  

TLeighMD

Here' s one from the trenches. Had bilateral mastectomy with immediate DIEP last Thursday, June 12. So I'm almost through my fourth day. Surgery at KUMC by Buescher and McGuinness. At this hospital they put you in the burn unit b/c that particular staff is trained specifically about assessing tissue health. 

Everyone has been amazing and the flaps are healing nicely. My only advice up to this point--if you can take it--is to prepare your body like a soldier prepares for battle. The healthier you are, the faster the recovery. Additionally, eating real food will help stave of the constipation which comes with all the surgery meds. 

I will try to keep posting throughout recovery.  Administrators --let me know if it is not okay to post my pics here.

Best of luck, TLeigh.

Edited by Mods to remove photo.

Dyvgrl

gosleyj,

I had a uni mx w/DIEP 5 weeks ago in Seattle. There's no one up here who can do the surgery so I had no choice but to travel. I was down there for 15 days post surgery before traveling home. I was in the hosp for 4.5 days and stayed in a horrific hotel (you get what you pay for!) in downtown Seattle before going further out and staying in an Extended Stay - who by the way offers free or discounted rooms through the ACS. Give them a buzz 2 weeks prior. Anyway... I had my drains out 3 days before flying home. I was told I could fly with drains if I needed to. Fortunately mine weren't producing after 10 days and they were all out. The doc pulled the Doppler wires out at the same time. I was really nervous to be away from the doc since there's really no one here to deal with me if something did happen. Fortunately at 5 weeks out I'm ready to head back to work, haven't had any skin issues other than minor scab annoyances. So, I'd say don't stress... Go with the surgeon you feel most comfy with and don't worry about traveling. My flight was 3.5 hrs - I insisted on first class lol but it was fine, I slept and watched a movie and managed just fine. Hubby had to lug all the baggage and I went home and crashed in the recliner. Take your pain meds 1 hr prior and make sure you have a lymph sleeve on if you need it. 

pollyanna5

I'm just popping into update that all went well.  I had 11 hours of surgery, spent a 3 days in ICU, then regular room and came home yesterday evening.  But the two hour drive home, seeing the kids, my SIL having a miscarriage, and getting home has just tapped me out.  

My mom has the kids for the week, the flaps took, the abdomen is doing well.  I had 3 drains removed before leaving the hospital as the output was almost new.  

I didn't realize how different the flaps would feel.  They look a bit frankenboobs right now, scars, bruising and incisions (and no nipples yet).  But, even pulling a shirt on, fabric touching them, washing up, etc, feels very different.   I think that is the nerves only in the skin?  

I had some bleeding yesterday, not much, but when I changed the dressing, there was seepage, which looks like it was fro the drainage holes.  I did too much yesterday, so I am paying for it today, but I am behaving today.  The 2 hour car ride was hard.  Also, I felt really good in the hospital, but I was on a lot of morphine, now just tramacet at home and tylenol (ibuprofen? not sure which is which).   It's good, but not as good as the morphine!  It is a reminder to rest!  

Waiting on home healthcare to come and change the dressings and check the drainage tubes.  

Things at home survived without me, but were a bit messy and the dog messed in his cage a lot.  So, mom cleaned that up,and tidied it up a lot.  Friends came in from church today and cleaned up, and mom has the kids at home with meals brought for her.  

It's been crazy.  i'm so sore and tired!  My f/up  appointment is this friday, July 2 with the oncologist.  They took two lymph nodes, one on each side.  

That's it for now.  If it's incoherent, I'm a bit drugged up today.  Will be in touch!

pollyanna5

Not sure why, but the surgical floor was packed, so you had to take
what you get room wise. In ICU (it was both men and women), that was
odd. And one of hte ladies was crazy nuts, and for some reason, the
nurses kept giving her the phone to make calls. There were no cells,
computers of TVs and she could call people at late hours, early hours it
was nuts. She was there with pancretitis that went wrong. The lady
next too me finally spoke up to the nurse and to her, and it stopped.
THen, when I was doing better, I was sent to a ward room, as it was
packed on the floor. Never had that before, and it was co-ed. Never
had that either (granted I've only stayed on the ob floor before,
generally no male patients ). it was weird. The man next to me had a
colustemy bag/surgery that went wrong and it leaked, and stunk. Then
he passed gas. a lot. and swore. a lot. it was very weird!

I
mostly slept, got up and walked, and slept. The staff said I healed
quickly and well. I went home sooner then many do. The nurses and
doctors were awesome, just lots of people on the floor. I had many
visitors it was quite nice.

My kids classes sent cards up. ONe
mom stopped by on her way up north with them. They were hysterical and
entertaining. My kids go to a christian school, sl they had written
verses on them, and some of the choices were hysterical.

A few friends, and family stopped in.

I
was also surprised at how dumb I was after 11 hours of general
anthestic. Also, I couldn't talk well until Saturday as I was intubated
so long. I had brought some books I was ready. I like heavy history,
but I was way to dumbed down to read them this week. Even magasines
were hard to head!

My PS is bind the abdomen and not
the breasts, but no bra right now. The binders get kind of funky after
24 hours, so they sent me with a second home, which has helped. I
don't think there is too much swelling. I look smaller.

When
I woke up I told my mom, I thought my tummy would be smaller and I was
disappointed in that. She laughed and said, you came in for the cancer
to be removed, which it was. The tuch was a side bonus!