DIEP 2011

XRAY: My weight is probably fluctuating because I am not doing any activity yet. I eat and I quess that has to process out. Yesterday, I ate mainly fruit, and this morning I weighed 209 lbs. I look good though! My PS told me to stop exercizing before I had my DIEP because he needed all my belly fat and he was right. I was so embarrassed that he could pick it up in his hands, but that is history now because he used every bit of it.You probably will not gain back all you have lost already. What you do gain if any, once you are able to get moving again, you will probably lose it fast.I will be sooo glad when I can start walking again. I know that I am healing from the inside out and I want to make sure that my insides are ready to take the pavement. I do not need any set backs.

grdnsive: I am happy that you are back on the June list again.

Lisa810: I am so glad that you are doing so good.

Susan - I'm more than happy to share my story!

One thing I would counsel, don't actively lose weight pre-surgery. They really do need all the belly-fat they can get. It's easier if they have more to choose from. They'll just discard what they don't need. I promise that you'll be able to exercise and diet post-surgery sooner than you think. (I didn't because my true nature is that of Lazy Slug, lol!)

So, all about me: Diagnosed with stage IIb invasive BC in my left breast in Nov '08. I was very large-breasted and there was a good chance the cancer was festering a year prior, even tho I was faithful with my mammos. I decided to have both breasts removed, despite their finding nothing scary in my right, healthy breast. Bilateral mastectomy was 12/30/08 with immediate reconstruction (expanders). Pathology showed in situ BC in left breast also. Only had 1.5 nodes involved, but they removed 17 to be sure. Went thru standard chemo from 2/6/09 - 5/13/09, with very few problems (other than the horrid, rotten hair loss of course). Had my exchange surgery 7/8/09 and was really happy with my perky C-cup saline implants. I could go braless for the first time EVER! Decided to go ahead with rads 11/09 on the counsel of my breast surgeon - my onc didn't think it was necessary. My PS said if rads damaged my implants, he'd fix them. Which is what happened. By 4/10 I had a nice case of capillary contraction in left foob. When I went back to my PS, we both decided a DIEP would most likely give me the best possible results (I have lower back issues and didn't want my core muscles messed with), so he sent me to one of the experts, Dr. Greenspun (NY + CT), who is pretty much GOD in my book.

Like I said I wound up a little bit bigger than I would've liked - borderline D, DD - so I went to try on some minimizers (because I threw my old ones away, of course). Even though Doc had lipo'd the sides of my breasts, I kept spilling over and out of the 36D's and the DD's. (I'm too self-concious right now to go to a professional bra-fitter, stupid, I know.) Somehow the underwire didn't "fit" properly under my left breast. Almost like the bra lifted my right breast, but couldn't lift my left breast to the same level. So I looked quite lopsided. My breasts are sort of round, I wouldn't say hersey-kissy ... definitely NOT flat. They sag incredibly naturally, not a lot, just enough. They also bounce, so I can't really go braless - which sort of bums me out - I felt so FREE last summer. My nipples are still rather large (another reason I can't go braless - the "headlight" issue) but Doc assured me they will shrink. I absolutely cannot wait for the tats - I hear the artist that does them is fabulous.

The only other drawbacks are the scars, of course - which will always be the trade-off, no matter how well they fade - and my right breast is a tad larger than my left breast. Though the nipples were placed in proportion to one another, and also proportionally to each breast, one sort of points out, the other points up. In my opinioni, certainly not worth re-doing. Hey, my old breasts didn't match exactly. And I knew going in to both types of reconstruction that perfection is not the goal. I look and feel like I did pre-diagnosis, which is a miracle to me. I don't regret having gone the expander-implant route first, I don't even regret opting for rads, because every decision led me to where I am now: healthy and au natural! (albeit hairy all of a sudden, grrrrr!)

Interestingly enough, I've gained about 10 lbs recently, and I have not gotten my old "Buddha belly" back - I've just widened at the hips and oozed into a muffin top. I succumbed and bought a pair of size 14 stretchy chinos, but they're looser around the waist and tighter at the hips. My belly still feels tight - which he said may last a year or more. My goal is to lose 20 lbs (to get closer to a healthy BMI - I don't want to have to EVER deal with cancer again!) and I'm hoping that will make my boobs shrink a little too.

Any DIEP sisters, feel free to ask here or email me at lgessner at yahoo dot come if you have any more questions - it's my pleasure to help ease any worries. It's truly a miracle surgery and I feel very lucky and blessed to have been able to have it.

Lisa: 

I'm 10 1/2 weeks post diep and my aerola created out of belly skin is slightly fuzzy! I'm sure that is what my belly looks like, I just never see it THAT close (I could ask my DH to check it out!).

My breast surgeon gives me a prescription for bras. After my mx I used it for two bras from nordstroms, but would work anywhere that works with your insurance - a bit of paperwork but it was worth it. They were so helpul and professional and it saved me from having to dig through bras trying to guess! I haven't used my prescription for this year; I'll wait until after stage two. The two from Nordstroms are nice & stretchy but also provides good support. I had to pay some but a lot less than full price.

Has anyone had their DIEP done by Dr. Stefan Hoffer at Toronto General Hospital? Have a consult with him in July. Was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer 2 1/2 years ago. I had double mastectomy and pretty much have decided not to reconstruct but I want to meet with him to finally decide. Thanks Lois

Thanks ladym. Best of luck for your upcoming surgery. I wish you a healthy recovery and will check in on the site to hear how you are doing. There is certainly a lot of great info on this thread for us to be prepared going into this surgery. Take care. Lois 

Hey Lisa, thanks so much for sharing with us all.  We all need to hear that six months from now we will be back to normal and will love our new bodies.  I am really not sure what I am going to do about nipples.  Because I have one side that is delayed and one side that will be immediate my PS will not do anything about nipples during stage 1.  I have plenty of time to decide.  I was thinking about tats without nipples to keep from having the headlight issue you described.  I figure I have enough things to worry about for now though.  My other dilema is also what size I want to be in the end.  I am a full D cup right now.  Should I stay my natural size or go smaller so I don't have to worry about sagging later.  What are the rest of you ladies doing?

My surgery is two months from today.  It seems like yesterday that I posted it was three months away.

Lori, you are absolutely right.  Girl, your flowers and your bathroom will still be there when you are finished with all of this.  Take a deep breath and give yourself time to prepare mentally and emotionally for the journey you are about to take.  I have to tell you, if the doctors don't give me plenty of valium for the few days before my surgery, I may very well not show up!!  If my anxiety increases as the surgery gets closer I don't know what will happen.  I may very well leave my surgeon standing at the altar!  LOL!!!  When you describe your thoughts and feelings about having one boob and being just a few days from having two you are describing me to a T.  I detest being so lopsided and I want CLEAVAGE!!!!  I hope the next two days pass quickly and peacefully! Just think about how HOT you are going to be a week from today!

Susan

Lori - I think I was adding music, charging my IPOD, & setting up an email notification list for my sister pretty much as I was walking out the door!

I guess we all do whatever we need to in order to feel ready; at some point it is time to go and you just do. I knew I would be okay no matter what, but also visualized everything going well.

I feel close to all of you getting ready for your transformation - it is a remarkable procedure! It brings back all the feelings I had in the days just prior. Excited and nervous all bundled together and trying to find the right blend of being present and somewhat distracted.

You are all so well prepared and informed - you will do fantastic! Keep thinking positive thoughts and realize how prepared your teams are and how you will just snooze away! It felt like no time passed between going nighty-night and opening my eyes to a new boob. 

Susan, really  -- only two months? It just seems like last week when things were up in the air . . time flies!  And you are doing so great with your walking routine - you got me beat . . gotta get my butt (& hips) into the gym again!

Kathy (finally, some nice weather here in the pacific northwest)

Mo.. are you in denial?? I think I would be if I had that much on my plate... Maybe you should find some helpers... line people up to help you, especially for the move. You are very brave to take on all this stuff all at one time...

Lori: There is no end to the things that need to be done when we as women have to be missing in action.I did the main things and one of those was having meals prepared and in the freezer for my return home,which worked out great. Had my room prepared for me to sleep in for the first few days and a few other things that I felt were important to me, everything else as I walk through the house on day 15 post-op, I just look at it and say oh well it will hold for a couple more weeks.

Mo: If you are like me ,some things I do best last minute. But you are going to have to start packing.

With 2-1/2 weeks still to go before my surgery, I have waaaaaay too much late-night time on my hands to scour the internet for more and more DIEP information. Last night, I found a website on-line that has a very easy to follow description of the actual DIEP surgery (including short video clips). Even though we are knocked-out  for the whole thing, we ought to know what the team of doctors are doing to us for 10 hours. The website is:   http://www.breastflap.com/reconstruction-techniques/diep-flap-description.cfm

Dr. Keller is not my doctor as he is in NY and I'm on the West Coast but he has a very informative website.  (Thank you, Dr. Keller). My own PS is excellent and he and his office staff are very helpful and willing to answer all my questions but, truthfully, I am ravenous to know every little detail and don't want to be a pest. Hope this link helps answer some of your questions too.

Lilyn, I was booked to consult Dr Hofer yesterday but when I got there, the receptionist sadly asked "did no one call you? He isn't even here today". (Um, if someone had called me, why would I be here?) Anyway, I walked back to my office in shock because I've been waiting so long for the consult and very wound up about it. All my schedules and plans both personal and work are on hold pending a forecast of my OR date. But reputation wise, I have a student who works part time in the unit and says wonderful things about him, so am feeling pleased that the BS's regular PS referred me to him, and I'm looking forward to my consult this upcoming week (ahem, hopefully this week). I plan to run all summer (won't lose a darned ounce, no worries, flap volume wise) and strengthen the abs but I want to be sure I have the cardiorespiratory condition for the long anaesthesia (plus I want this running medal: http://is.gd/k6J3m8 ). Any time after Labour Day is good for me. (But if not, then maybe better early 2012. My work is cyclical so scheduling to avoid peeving my colleagues is a real source of stress. And no, they have no empathy or accommodation beyond the letter of the law.) Admittedly, the drains are the worst. But the uncertainty and waiting are surely the second worst, I think.

@SAMayoFL - Susan, rest assured the website is informative to read even without the short video clips which are OPTIONAL. To watch them, you have to click on them and agree to the graphic warning. The video clips are close-ups of surgical instruments separating the vessels from surrounding tissue and then connecting the two ends of the vessels together. No spurting blood but it is somebody's insides. If you get queasy or might freak out, don't click on the videos. We have plenty of anxiety as it is without adding to it. 

There is plenty of helpful information to read and diagrams on the website WITHOUT having to watching the video clips. So, go ahead, it's safe to view the website.

Hey ladies, if you are talking about the Dr Mark Smith from Beth Israel Hosp videos, be aware that there are 2 versions. One is "Live from the OR " and lasts about 45 min and is VERY graphic...definitely not for the faint of heart. You could practically do the surgery yourself after watching! Haha. SAMayoFL -- don't even consider!

Want to wish our girls - Xray Lori (Mon) - Alexanjb (Weds) - Misszed (Fri) - the VERY BEST with their surgeries this week. It will be over before you know it and you'll be on the road to recovery with your FABULOUS new NOOBS. We'll be anxiously waiting to hear how you're doing. {{{{{ Hugs to all }}}}}

Hi All!  I just returned home from the weekend at Camp Good Days and Special Times.  It was great.  BUT.  I really am not used to being around such a crowd 24/7.  There were 38 guests plus staff and volunteers.  8 women in my cabin.  Lots of snoring going on.  My dogs are traumatized from my absence and of course off I go again on Wednesday for the surgery. 

I met a woman that had a reconstruction from my PS and she showed me her noob.  It looks normal.  Thank goodness!  But she did say that she was given an epidural.  That is the first I've heard anything like that.  She is an RN so I am sure she knows what she is talking about, but maybe she had special circumstances?  She said she never got out of bed the whole hospital stay.  This was 3 years ago.  She also said to take the whole 8 weeks of disability.  It sounds like most on here that have already gone through this have done better than this?  I don't really want to watch the video of the surgery right now.  Maybe AFTER.  I came across it in my web surfing a few weeks ago but decided against watching it.  I have my limits.  Of course I am curious too.

There was also a woman at camp that had the flap taken from her inner thigh and she said she has a problem with hair growth.

Lori-light the way!  I have a few things to do prior to the surgery too, but whatever will be, will be.  And I guess mainly we have to show up, we probably won't need that much at the hospital.  I know whatever preparations I make I will still be coming up with more things I think I should do or bring.

I don't have valium to take prior but I do have some ambien!