DIEP 2011

just did a quick search - Granzow is mentioned in many posts . .happy reading! You can also private message women who mention him . . often they will fill you in more specifically via private message.

No worries . . . many women here on the forum to support you as you go through this!

kathy 

hi there

 those of you who are doing vitamins and homeopathics....how long did you or are you going to stay on the regimen? I've been taking the oral arnica, and alternating arnica gel and vitamin E on the incisions (and alternating aspirin days with tylenol days since I'm still uncomfortable). It'll be 5 wks for me on Tuesday. some days it's hard to be patient. want to feel "normal" again. hope the rest of you are feeling well.

 xoxo

mgm

I am 4 weeks, and have really almost stopped the arnica... mostly because I can't see bruising anymore, so I don't think about it much. I use the brown tape on the incisions (just started a couple of days ago.

Goldlining,

When I had some healing challenges--some skin died on one of my flaps-I spent a lot of time researching the whole wound-healing process, just to understand what was going on in the body as my wounds closed, very slowly over time.  I bumped into one study that was quite interesting, demonstrating that aerobic exercise speeds up wound healing.  I have to believe that speedy walking that's fast enough to elevate the heart rate does the trick.  So, that's wonderful news for those of us who have the love of activity, because diep brings a passel of healing, whether we end up with extended healing challenges or not.  BUT, ask your PS about guidelines for when it's OK to break a sweat, because I know that some PSs advise being careful during the early weeks about that, as we do not want to over-tax the spankin' new blood vessel connections.

I started walking at an accelerated pace at about week #3 or #4--can't remember exactly now, but I was walking multiple miles at a no-sweat pace within two weeks.  The amazing Bdavis has posted that she logged an incredible number of miles in an organized walk, within a short time post diep. So a walking goal is realistic, and good for you that you're already planning on it!

I can find the aerobic exercise/wound healing study and post details at some point, but at the moment I'm at a hotel with DH, the night before my 6 a.m. Stage 2 surgery in a city three hours from home. So I won't be on the Internet for a day or so.  But if anyone is interested in that study, say so and I'll find it and post details in a few days.

Good luck Goldlining...and good luck getting real sleep between now and then!

Carol

goldlining - 4 sleeps away for me too. We live about 15 minutes from the hospital (at least double during commuting times (which is almost all day, I live in Los Angeles) but my in-laws live about 4 blocks from the hospital so we're staying there the night before. That way DS can sleep while DH and I go off to the hospital and then DH can come back once they wheel me away and take DS to school. 

Best wishes to all surgeries this coming week. I'm going to try really hard NOT to think about this upcoming surgery tomorrow during our family day at Disneyland. Then it'l be back to the worry.

Speedy healing to those done with surgery and lost of sleep dust for those anticipating surgery.

I'm not sure we'll ride it, don't know if the young 'un is tall enough. (he's only 8 years old) You're welcome to ride in my pocket on all the rides though.

If it's 48" then he's good to go. 10-25th percentile means that 90-75% of boys are bigger than that. While he's little, he's big enough to ride it, now it's only the 52" rides (Indiana Jones) that he can't go on. Cool!!

Thanks Kay - I'm hoping that it's exactly the perfect distraction for us all as once surgery hits our lives will become much less fun. Doing this while we all still can.

I've joked that I might get very grumpy if I don't have internet access soon after surgery, so I suspect I'll be on pretty quickly, I may be totally loopy, but I'll be online.

First shower yesterday - so exciting!!!  For me 10 days out.  I'm going back to PS this afternoon to see what else we can do about this infection in the left (cancer breast).  Feeling a little stronger each day, thanks.

mgm.. It is scar tape.. Only to be used 4 weeks post surgery... and since they were revising all scars, I did not use it after stage I, just stage II.

Betsy - showed my PS and his assistant the silicone nipple protector - they loved it!

Reading Mama; isn't that first shower after surgery THE BEST!

Many hugs at my PS today . . . I'll see them in a few months for my tattoo and a few months after that for follow up but today was the first visit where we weren't planning for the next surgery. If you have to go through this, so great to have a team that cares and does their best for you. I think my first visit with them was October 2010; they feel like my extended family . . .  . my PS is only to second to my DH for number of times touching my boobs . . not sure how that figures into the mix!!

damn, my boobs look good!

he he . . .

Kathy 

beacher.. as far as I know, I am the only NOLA person on this page... there are many women who have chimed in with various PS around the country.

I love my PS; he is Dr. Louie with University of Washington. He was fairly at UW new when I first met him; I watched an online video of him talking about DIEP and had a feeling he was the guy for me and meeting with him confirmed it. I consulted another PS and met with him twice before I made my decision, so three consults with two docs before choosing. I asked them both a million questions, even ones that felt uncomfortable to ask . . how many have you done, how many failures, how many complications, what kind. My first consult I was timid, but got braver with number two and three consult.

Go to the forum search page and try several different ways of searching for surgeons in your area and then send private messages to women asking about their experience. Call the major hospitals and ask who performs DIEP, contact your local teaching hospital and ask them who does DIEP in the area; call PS offices and ask if they do DIEP and how many they do. 

There are many good one PS's all around the country. Women that love NOLA, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it and you might get the idea that you are crazy if you don't use NOLA - that is how I felt at one point, but I realized that I didn't want to fly out of state if I didn't have to and that I needed to make the choice was right for me personally. When I talk to women, I always mention NOLA because of all their experience but there are several good options here in Seattle and in California.

Try to breathe and tell yourself that whatever choice you make, it will BE the right choice for you.

Complications can happen anywhere  . . . even NOLA; all you can do is to do your homework, prepare yourself as best you can and then do what you can to prevent infections and other complications. Forum like this draw women with complications because they are looking for information and support, so that will create the impression that infections happen more frequently than they actually do when you are looking at everyone who had DIEP.  Your doctor will know what to do if it happens. I had four surgeries and no infections; it is more common to NOT have any complications so the odds are with you, especially if you do what you can . . . keep warm and but everyone about hand washing including yourself and family . . .you only have to be diligent until things heal over, so the window for infection is relatively brief considering.

I had significant necrosis but that is no one's fault and I am quite happy with my outcome  . . I had some disappointing days but I have made peace with my outcome. There is no perfect decision, there is only the decision that is best for you based on the information that you have available to you. 

Maybe take a day or two off from thinking about it and try not to read the posts that talk about complications; If you know that DIEP is the right way to go for you, focus on finding your doc and getting a date.

CookieMonster 

My 2MX and double DIEP only took 7 hours.  I think you'll be surprised. 

beacher-

i went with Dr. Lee at Kaiser West L.A. Big surgical team, cause it's a teaching hospital for USC's plastic surgery dept.

no infections or complications, wonderful staff.

he's been doing these for years, trained another PS there, a woman named Dr. Poh.

good luck

mgm