DIEP 2011

sohard glad you are doing great and sitting up.  don't run around that nurses station and overdue it.

Betsy-glad you got the dead tissue taken care of.  So sorry you now have to go back again and have diep but it will be worth it in the long run. Good luck

Sohard, you go girl!!!  I was so upset in the hospital because there was NO WAY I could sit in a chair or walk the day after surgery.  I had surgery on Wednesday and other than going to the bathroom I could not sit up, walk or anything until Saturday.  I really had to take a deep breath and realize we all heal at our own rate.  It sounds to me like you are doing fabulous!!  In a couple of days you will be amazed at how good you feel!

Betsy, goodness, I am so sorry.  You are going through a lot in a short period of time.  As you know, I was totally flipping out before my surgery.  The first couple of days are tough because it is so hard to do anything for yourself.  After the first couple of days it gets better by leaps and bounds.  I am praying hard that this journey gets much smoother for you very, very fast!

Norma Jean, still no news from you.  How are you?

Susan

@Susan, geez less than 10 cc's isn't much.  Your PS is strict.  I thought having less than 30 cc's was tough to get to.

SoHard, good going!

Betsy.....poor girl.  It seems like it would be pretty rough to have a DIEP when you haven't complely healed from removing tissue on the hips.  I might be doing the opposite, having tissue taken from the hips after having failed tissue from the DIEP, but my tummy is healed.  Did they take the tissue evenly from your hips?  I don't want to achieve even boobs by creating uneven hips....

Alex... Hip flaps are a breeze... I have had no pain at all, and they took the same from each side, one flap for each breast... The down side of hip flaps is drains for 6 weeks and wearing a girdle... But you get used to it... I am 4 weeks out and no problems...



The good thing about my diep, i think, is that they only need to supplement, so hopefully i won't be too tight... I probably lost a cup size or two from today's procedure, not the whole thing... My right breast might now be a B/C instead of a D... My ultimate goal is C.

Sohard, you GO girl!  I can't believe you're posting already!  Keep pushing that button for thos pain meds.  They'll take them away soon.

Betsy, I'm glad things went well today.  I'm sorry there's more to do.  It sure has been a journey for you.  Take care of yourself and give yourself some down time when this is done.  You're going to need to re-group and enjoy normalicy.  Meanwhile, I'll be keeping you in my thoughts as you get things fixed up.  You'll get there, I know.     

Yay Norma June!!!  I am so happy to hear from you!!  I was the same way.  In the hospital my laptop was too dang heavy for me to hold and posting from my phone was a pain in the patooty.  Girl, I remember getting out of that bed the first time too.  But you are right, it got easier every single time.  I am now two weeks and two days out and I feel great!  I don't know about you but I LOVE my new boobs!!!

Susan

Miss Sohard---I told you that you would fly right on through.  Dr. Wu doesn't mess around.  Glad to hear you are up and around.  Driving will take some time---for now, enjoy being chauffeured around and waited on hand and foot.  This is your time to be a princess!!

BDavis:  Glad to hear that you were able to get things fixed up.  I agree--this is the summer from hell.  That just means that every summer following will be SO much better.  Keep the faith!

sohard-so glad you are doing good

Norma June glad you are home doing well and sorry about the puppy.  I would be the same way.  My little dog is my girl and spoiled rotten.

@Susan and Betsy,  Yes, I am seriously considering hip flaps.  My Noob is rock hard and it has been 2.5 months since my surgery.  Betsy it makes sense that they would take from both of your hips for a bilateral but mine is unilateral, so I don't know what the protocol is.  It seems like it would be important to have balanced hips and therefore justified to have tissue removed from both but this is something I am going to have to find out.  I go back to the PS on Sep 19.  I might decide to live with the hard noob for many reasons but I guess I can sum it up by: enough is enough.

I really don't know what will happen.  My PS is very well respected in my area and he is not making any promises that it will soften.  He did say he is with me for the long haul, but that one day I may get tired of having a brick on my chest.

after having the diep 2weeks ago, i notice i cant eat the quantities that i was used to eating before, or i really pay for it with a tight bloated very uncompfortable stomach. yes i am still constipated from the meds, however my meals portions are so small my hubby thinks im dieting or starving myself, has this happened to anyone else?

Hi susan.. Feeling well today although did have an hour of nausea... But fine... I am mentally preparing myself for my next surgery tuesday... When i have my diep flap.



About appetite... I have so far only had hip flaps and my appetite is much lower, so maybe surgery is an appetite suppressant? And then add in the diep for added suppressant? I will know more about that next week.

Hi everyone! I made it to the other side. Ibam just down the hall from sohard and she looks fantastic! She has a huge, beautiful smile on her face. I am doing great. The day after surgery, I sat up in a chair and it was very difficult getting in and out of bed. Yesterday they removed the catheter and the pain pump. I feel so much freer. Still have an iv for some antibiotics. Walked around the hall a couple of times. They have a walker here which makes it pretty easy. Got up and went to the bathroom all by myself last night, didn't need any help getting in or out of bed. Still pretty sore getting up and down, but I think the premised is working better for me than the pain pump. Going home on Sunday. It is true, I feel a lot better each day. Can't wait to get these 4 drains out and this pain med thing that is hooked right into my incision too. But really feeling great overall.

Betsy, sending you good thoughts that everything will go super smoothly from here on out.

It will be interesting to compare notes with you nj and see how similar our recoveries are.

Crimson, dr. Wu does rock!

Betsy, my PS says it will either soften or it won't.  He doesn't seem to think there is anything to be done about it, other than light massage.  I was scheduled for surgery to remove necrosis at one month out but that was cancelled because I was improved.  My tissue is alive, just hard. 

I am happy to hear that so many are doing well.  Keep it up!  Betsy....sorry you have to go through more but I hope everything goes great.

NormaJean....happy for you.  Home.  What a great place.  I can relate to you also, in that, I too went 3 years without any breasts.  I had DIEP 3 years after y diagnosis.  It's quite exciting, isn't it.  Praying your recovery continues to go well for you.  God Bless.

Sohard....happy for you too and that the surgery is all over and you are doing well.  Praise God.   Praying also your recovery continues to go wll.  Blessings.

 Mary Jo