DIEP 2011

rayofsun · February 2011

Hi Rachael. I was treated at at joes in balto for chemo....mercy doc is Dr Chang for the diep...and now I entered a her2 study at Hopkins. I live in pikesville /Mt Washington area.

Ray

scubacat · February 2011

dee, the one thing you need to prepare for is lower back pain. I went to see my trainer at the gym and did 2-3 solid weeks of lower back exercises to try and improve that. It was still pretty painful first 5-7 days! It wears you out. As mentioned there are some good items on here ref what to take. One of my chosen items was a hydration pack. It saves reaching for ice-chips & water and silly bendy straws, if you have one it's a great item to take to the hospital to have next to you and the nurses will fill with iced water. The tube can be over your shoulder and very easily accessilbe during those first few days! I loved having mine for bmx and diep.

vmarie, I took Tamox all the way through. PS said do not stop (as did Onc.) Hospital gave it to me which I was in there - although I took my own in!

dee7493 · February 2011

Rachel such helfpful information great web/blog

vmarie: thanks I ordered the bra - great price!

scubacat: hope you are feeling good. I suppose the back pain is from bending over being so tight in ab/tummy? Though I have been going to excercise classes I looked up back strengthening excercises on web and going to include in workout. Hydration pack sounds good - & could use when all healed for my walks. thnks so much.

Have a wonderful weekend !

dee7493 · February 2011

V Marie we are in the countdown week! Are you all set with pre-op tests, insurance, I am feeling good but starting to have moments of feeling scared emotions for such a big operation and extensive mending.

Just winding down work and want to prepare home, spirit and body best as I can.

Though we are all survivors, we breast reconstruction sistas and warriers to the tenth power!

Dutchy · February 2011

I had diep stage 2 on January 31st and am healing well. For some of you ladies that do not know what stage 2 is and the following is how it went for me. I had dog ears removed. Dog ears are the fat pouches you may be left with at the top or the bottom of the ends of the abdominal scar. Some people may call them muffin tops. What he did to me was cut them off, refine my ab scar and then lipo'd some of my hips but not enough. I want him to do some of my thighs too but not sure if that can be justified with the insurance company. He also did lipo on my breasts as well as gave me the lifts on both of my breasts which are both diep breasts. I wish I had gotten more lipo and am contemplating asking him to lipo more when I get my nipples, on stage 3 as they were delayed because I got both of my breasts lifted and he did not want to do both at the same time. I think he only plans on using local anesthesia for the nipples but when I see him on Thursday I am going to ask him to do more lipo and that will probably require general anesthesia again. According to his coordinator they have 4 stages but I have no clue what the 4th one is. Anyone else have DIEP stages 3 and 4? Anyone else have bilateral diep, lifts and one smaller than the other and if so what was done? Good luck to all of you ladies going up on Diep Stage1. It is bad the first days but then it gets better. Now I barely remember the pain and see it all as managable with good pain management. I took my vicadin loyally and it really helped me.

Evelyn

mamaoftwo · February 2011

Dutchy and others who did Stage 2- can you share with the rest of us what your restrictions are after stage 2? I'm referring to exercise, running, lifting, driving, etc. Thanks!

Dutchy · February 2011

mamaoftwo, My stage 2 was done by Dr. Festekjian, the same one who does stage 1. They basically give you some of the same restrictions as stage 1 but mine only lasted about 2 weeks although I find if I overdo it I am having pain in my abdomin and my breasts. I was able to go hiking last week and went for 5 mile hike in hills and 3 mile hike in the desert. Last night I went dancing but must of raised my arms too much and shake my hips a little too much as I was feeling pain after about 4 fast dances. Walking is really great and as with stage 1, I contribute my walking 3 times a week for at least 2 miles to my good recovery. The more you get up and move the better it is for you. At least that was my experience. I was able to drive after a week and a half but not comfortably. I went back to work at 2 weeks and my job requires driving and the first two days I was exhausted but have adjusted well and Monday will be the beginning of my 4th week. I am not a runner so I can not comment on that. I was able to shower on the 3rd day and that is also when I took off my bandages. I am still wearing a binder and tight sports bra with zipper up the front much of the time. They did suggest Spanx but I find them hard to get on. Not sure how anyone wears them after Stage 1. I am able to lift the laundry detergent bottles (big) but I am still careful. I think you are not suppose to lift for 6 weeks but not sure how I was to go back to work at 2 weeks and not lift...although I do still ask for help if I feel I am straining. I really let my body tell me the limits. If it does not feel good or feels like something that may cause me pain later then I do not do it.

pupfoster1 · February 2011

So weird how different the tx's are! They sent me home with NOTHING on, which I've continued to tolerate just fine, although I've worn a cami w/a shelf bra in it and on ocassion a sports bra. They also decided not to put me in ICU the first night, although they were checking me EVERY hour (so much for sleep) as their new SAT's monitor for the flap kept saying my levels were dropping, even thought it looked and sounded (they check the veins and arteries w/a doplar) fine. I did however, have a bad reaction to the pain pump by day three. Throwing up for about a day until they got me switched to oral pain meds.

Sharon

P.S. Ladies, the www.1uponcancer.com site is great. Not just scary bc stuff, things to make you smile too! Good to see you here Rachel ::))

pupfoster1 · February 2011

Oh, I forgot to ask,

I know they told me 6 weeks until I can sleep on my sides, but has anyone else heard differently? Just wondering what the concerns are (hernia, etc???) as my back is killing me from sleeping on it all the time.

Also do any of you have the "muffin top" flap of skin over where your belly incision is? Mine is starting to flatten out a bit, but I'm wondering if they will address that later down the road. Seems very strange and uncomfortable. My next PS appt is in March.

Thanks!

Sharon

Dutchy · February 2011

Pupfoster1, I had the dog ears also known as the muffin tops and they will get rid of those at stage 2, at least my PS did. They may also use lipo there.

patientq · February 2011

i am two weeks out and just heard i should get some kind of girde thins which i did....am wondering when all the swelling goes dosn because the new breast looks too big!! also after what they took off the tummy i am thinking i should be in smaller pants but that is not the situtation either!

Dutchy · February 2011

patientq, the swelling after stage 2 is just starting to really go down and Monday it will be the beginning of my 4th week. I think my right breast is still swollen and bruised from lipo which was done to get it more the size of my left breast but I also had lifts on both.

I can not remember when the swelling went down with stage 1 but I also thought I should be a pant size smaller but that did not happen. Not yet but I think as the swelling from stage 2 goes down so will my size in pants...I hope.

marxi · February 2011

is your tummy flatter though??????

blondie45 · February 2011

Does anyone know the answer to pupfoster1's question regarding sleeping on our backs? I think that will be the hardest thing for me.

patientq · February 2011

faltter tummy yes, but the whole thing still does not look that great

mamaoftwo · February 2011

Pupfoster-- I was told no back sleeping for 6 weeks; I think the concern was that you end of partly on your stomach and crush the new breasts. Good luck, I hope the back pain goes away for you.

Marxi - just to reassure you, my tummy is much flatter. It's like night and day actually. That's a silver lining in this process.

Evelyn - thanks for all the information about stage 2. Sounds like you had lipo to remove fat from breasts, right? I wonder how different that is from someone who has lipo to add fat and contouring? I didn't realize that another two weeks off from work might be needed! I was thinking doing it on a Thursday or Friday and then return on Monday. Maybe that's not realistic.

Laura

marxi · February 2011

i wondered if my question sounded vain or inappropriate...but, part of the appeal of the DIEP is losing that little roll...

blondie45 · February 2011

marxi - I believe we are having our DIEP surgeries only 1 day apart and we both have fibromyalgia. I didn't know you also had that. I am having a HORRIBLE flare right now with lots of pain in my upper back between my shoulders and upper arms. Have you found anything that you think helps a lot with the fibro?

marxi · February 2011

i've been having bad flare for 8 days now. worried about how this will affect me next week during and after surgery. i also have RA and that's been active, too. no, nothing at all helps with fibro. i tried cymbalta once two years ago and had a horrible reaction to it and haven't tried lyrica. i have high pain levels but am concerned about mobility following the DIEP. yikes. what date is your surgery?

Dutchy · February 2011

Some women do not need the whole 2 weeks off but I do not think doing recovery in 3 days is enough time off for recovering from stage 2, but everyone is different. How much time did you need off for stage 2?

XmasDx · February 2011

Marxi you are March 1, correct? Blondie45 are you that week also then? I'm having unilateral DIEP on Feb. 28th. I'm getting nervous, but I had an abdominal CT last week and the results came back good to go for the DIEP, they mapped out the vessels so hopefully that will shorten surgery time. I don't think my surgeons have done very many, but I have confidence in them.

Yesterday I was bloated and uncomfortable (wrong food?) but it was making me really nervous thinking about how miserable I may be after the surgery. I'm starting to really understand how not being able to stretch back/ stretch your stomach could really start to hurt your back. Does anyone have any tips for managing that feeling?

Dutchy · February 2011

XmasDx, Lots of pain meds worked for me for stage 1 and 2, but don't overdo it. Lots of walking helps. Cannot stress walking enough.

marxi · February 2011

xmasdx, yes, mine is scheduled for march 1st. i will be thinking of you on your surgery date. i have been so anxious about this that i've been eating and eating and have gained 5 lbs! i have been experiencing all kinds of gastro-intestinal symptoms, too.

blondie45 · February 2011

marxi and XmasDx - my surgery is on Feb 28 (the day before you marxi and the same day as you XmasDx). I am starting to not be able to sleep already.

marxi · February 2011

blondie, let's keep in touch. i am not sleeping either and wake up in a panic wondering if i am doing the right thing...yet, moving forward in every respect. please feel free to pm as i want to support you and together we can prepare for this! Smile

marxi · February 2011

xmasdx, please feel free to pm if you want to. i can't think of anything else but my surgery at this point. how are you doing?

blondie45 · February 2011

marxi - will do, good luck.

pupfoster1 · February 2011

Oh, thought I'd warn some of you ladies if you are coffee drinkers like me. They didn't tell me I couldn't drink REAL coffee after the surgery, and the nurses weren't sure when I could start again. Something about the blood vessels constricting (or the opposite, can't remember). Anywhoo I had some pretty serious rebound headaches just about the time the nausea from the pain meds hit---about day 3. So just be forewarned to wean yourself off ahead of time. BTW I was able to drink it again about a week and a half later.

Take care,

Sharon

marxi · February 2011

no coffee? Cry

blondie45 · February 2011

I was actually told no caffeine including chocolate for 30 days after surgery.

DIEP 2011

Comments

Pupfoster-- I was told no back sleeping for 6 weeks; I think the concern was that you end of partly on your stomach and crush the new breasts. Good luck, I hope the back pain goes away for you.

Categories