Charleston Bound, part 2

Kimber, glad you got it checked out so now it can go away!!

Glad all the post-op gals are doing great!

Liz, I am next!  I have not decided on plication yet...going to let the expert, Dr. M, make the decision!  I will have scar revision, tatts, maybe some removed from the upper pole of my breast, and some fat injected in the side of my breast where the fat neurosis dissolved, and lipo, lipo, and more lipo!!!!  This is it!  Sorta bittersweet...wish someone from our thread would be there at the same time, but I guess that is not going to happen. 

 Glad you have got your surgery scheduled...Ashley has been great to work with so far!  I cannot believe you finally got rid of the Spanx.  I think you win the award for wearing Spanx the longest...I am going to tell Dr. M she needs to give you some type of award...LOL!!!!

Kimber...how are things going???

Sandy

Wow, Sandy, you're a week away! Charleston should be beautiful for you!

Brenda, glad that you're doing so well! Keep moving, but listen to your body and get rest, too. You don't know you've overdone it till you overdid it!!

Spanxless Liz! Whoo hoo! I know I should have stayed in mine longer, but hot flashes just seemed to dictate that...

Just finished radiation a few weeks ago and I start seeing the PS next week. Had BMX in Jan with TE's following chemo.

I change my mind about every 10 minutes about what type of recon to have. My PS told me I am not a candidate for TRAM due to not enough tissue ( although I see plenty everywhere I look below the waist!). And I don't think I want abdominal surgery anyway. Sometimes, I think I want a TUG. Other times, I think micro fat grafting, like that being done in Miami, is the way to go. Sometimes, I think maybe I should just go with implants. I've pretty much eliminated the fat grafting. So I am left with the other 2 options. I'd rather not have implants, but also don't want to have more scars and more loss of sensation than I already have from MX (and previous lumpectomy, reduction, and lift). Then there's that lovely port scar.

Anyway, I have 3 questions for you lovely ladies that have been to Charleston:

How did you decide to have flap surgery VS implants, how did you decide between Charleston and NOLA, and did anyone have/experience any return of sensation/transfer of nerve tissue as is mentioned on their website?

Any help is greatly appreciated. My local PS is not a microsurgeon and I don't think he's giving me all the options.

Thanks to all of you, I continue to learn so much from this community!

Pink Butterfly- it's a shame that plastic surgeons who don't perform microsurgery won't explain it as an option. New York actually passed a law that women must be informed of all available options. As to all of your questions and concerns, I recommend that you call Dr. Kline. I know he will talk with you and make sure you have all of the information you need to make an informed decision. And he's super nice, too. You can call Gail, the office manager who can hook you up with Dr. Kline. Their number is 843-849-8418. Keep us posted!

Hey Pinkbutterfly, actually better-body has a great suggestion.  My husband and I actually did just that.  He was totally against the DIEP surgery as he felt like I have been through enough this past year.  Dr. Kline told us about implants and the DIEP surgery.  He was a great resource.  At the end of the conversation my husband told me to book the surgery.

Best of luck!

Susan

Pinkbutterfly, I totally feel your pain!  I had a right mastectomy and I am numb all the way around the incision, into my armpit and the back of my arm.  It's been 9 months and I have not regained any sensation.  I don't know about the tummy incision because my surgery is scheduled for August 9. 

Good luck with making your decision!

Susan

Spoke with Dr Kline yesterday. He really seems to be everything you ladies said he was, stayed on the phone patiently answering all my questions. Learned more from him on this phone call than from my PS, who actually gets paid to give me advice. I learned that TE's are not helpful when you want to have flap surgery, and can make things more difficult by creating concavity in the chest wall which then needs more tissue to be filled. He advised me not to go for fills, which I was starting next week. REALLY glad I called. Perfect example of 'what you don't know can hurt you.' Guess my PS was setting me up for implants, and here I thought I was still in control of my destiny. Sent him some pictures, can't wait to hear what he says. Although, looking at those pictures, I see plenty of donor sites. Yikes!

Tina337,

Sorry to hear that you had problems. Sounds like you are at peace with your decision, which is the most important thing.

Thanks, SAMayoFL. that is good to know. I had a not-so-great experience with the hospital where I had my mastectomies.

I also talked with Ashley, Dr. Massey's assistant today, and she had a different take on the TE's and expansion - said I should probably go ahead with it ( so my PS is somewhat redeemed in my eyes, I guess there is some subjectivity in this "art"). Will be having a phone consultation with her next week.

What I really want to do is go to Miami and have FG with Dr. K, but a trailblazer I am not! I look at my kids and think, this is all just peripheral, don't want to take any risks. Just want to feel whole again!

Pinkbutterfly~I started with implants about 12 years ago and lost all sensation in my right breast.  That breast always looked terrible, so after all these years, I now had the DIEP two weeks ago.  I'm very happy.  It's not easy surgery, but every day gets better. It's wonderful to touch my breasts and feel the warmth that I never felt before with implants.  Dr. Kline is a genius.  I had to have reconstruction three times with implants because there were so many problems.  Now I have my own tissue back and I feel normal again.  I even have cleavage and haven't even been through stage II yet.  None of my other plastic surgeons in the past ever told me about my options.  Good luck to you.

Hi Susan,

     Hi Susan, how are you?  I'm lounging around the house watching old movies and eating ice cream.  I'm sooo glad I have the whole summer off.  I'm feeling fine, but sleeping a lot.  The only discomfort I have is a tight feeling on top and bottom of the stomach scar that feels like a sunburn.  Yesterday I spent the day with my little nieces, went out to lunch, went shopping, and danced by the pool with them.  Today I'm paying for it. Hahaha.  I've been on the sofa most of the day watching TV and eating chocolate icecream.  I know what the other ladies mean now when they say you have good days and bad days after DIEP.  I wouldn't call this a bad day, but I won't be dancing today. I walked around the block this morning, but it was a struggle (too hot) and I'm still tight around the middle.  I'm going to stay in and be a couch potato for the rest of the day.  Call if you'd like.

Brendaclee,

Yes, my abdominal area still feels tight at times. Especially so when I turn over on my side while sleeping. It is getting less and less as time passes. Listen to your body, as you've found out, it WILL tell you when you've overdone it.  I haven't done a whole lot of stretching, and I'm sure that would help, but after you've healed up a bit.

And chocolate ice cream is a great reward for having gone through DIEP!!!

Jacee - I get a lot of slightly painful pulling in my hips when I try to sleep on my side.  I'm thinking I need to get back into yoga - sooner rather than later.

Thanks Kimber3006.



Not knowing much about surgery before this all happened, I had this mistaken notion that plastic surgery was more advanced than it really is. You hear so much about facial surgeries, cosmetic tummy tucks, etc, never once considered that scarring and permanent numbness could and did occur.

Great to know these things in advance, so thanks for sharing your experience.