NOLA in September?

MAybe its an infection? Is it warm?

Not warm and not red. Just a little puddle of swelling in the area of where these pains are. Used to be during the night in bed. Now happening when I step up into vehicles, point the toe, etc. Kinda like a leg cramp but instead of cramp, like someone has laid a hot curling iron on your leg.

Nerve regen in your legs? Or in your breasts? It is shooting and doesn't last, just comes and goes, leaves a lingering tenderness but the burning is brief. I never considered nerve regen would be occurring in lipo areas...

happy holidays ladies! just back from upstate NY for christmas and wanted to wish everyone an uneventful healing and recovery! i am i guess 4 weeks out tomorrow? therabouts anyway and have to admit have been cheating a bit on the marena over christmas, taking a few nights off after eting too much....also took off nipple guard few days early, but mine is not a reconstructed nipple, rather an 'original' that needed some help cos it had gone flat..all seems pretty ok, though I am definitely more bloated in upper abdomen now than i was post-op - hard to tell if that is from eating or what, but weight is the same so go figure...from reading here it does seem that others have experienced at about 3-4 weeks post lipo some late stage bloating or swelling developing? tamoxifen is giving me hot flashes and some heart palptiations so I guess i wasnt post menapausal and have a bit to go there still too..sigh

Kbodie- I don't have any shooting pains in areas that were lipoed.  I don't even have any numbness in the lipoed area.  I have felt nerve regeneration in my reconstructed breast (DIEP side).  What I felt was very fleeting and not very painful - no burning. What I've experienced, as bdavis describes, is a brief shooting pain or also for me a brief mild electric kind of shock.  Also there isn't any kind of swellling  that comes with nerve regeneration.   I would  call the Center. (If it is bad I would even call tonight.)  No good sitting here guessing.   Tell us what they say. 

Good evening ladies - I have read so much I seem to forget. Did any of you but the comfy DOM to take with you to NOLA or just wear the DOM they gave you until 2 weeks and then switched?

I am getting a little anxious as my PS here was thinking maybe I should wait longer to do the BMX & reconstruction since I am only 3 months out from an ablation of my liver metastasis (from a rare non-bc cancer). But my cancer docs want me to do the BMX & recon sooner. I am set on doing the recon but have those "in the back of my head" thoughts what if it comes back and I have had this monster surgery?

Wish I had a crystal ball. 

Surfa - I'll put my "ref" on my door and I'll look for you too. Sending you a PM.

I thought the people here would especially appreciate today's XKCD comic:

http://xkcd.com/996/

ok, it is official. just did measurements and am markedly thicker around waist and upper abdomen than post-op when measuring for marena. hips and legs exactly same, but i had very little lipo done there, so that is curious. maybe we contract after lipo, swell and then hopefully contract again....?? either that or i am always going to gain in those particular areas lol

OMG... so sorry... But better safe than sorry... You can't catch a break here.

So it can be repaired with time.. thank goodness.

Here in NOLA.  Stage 2 is tomorrow with Dr. Trahan.  My breast already look better than what I first came here with - can't wait to see the final result.  So glad to have all of your support!  

KBodie: Glad you had your burning pain looked into and especially glad it's nothing more than a response to nerve injury.  Even though it's uncomfortable/painful, knowing what it is does a lot to relieve your concerns.  Thanks for reporting back to us so quickly!  Hope the compresses make a difference.

 Stacy called today and I was delighted to report that I'm back to feeling great, drains are out, swelling down and even though I'm only 2 weeks out, I'm delighted with the changes in my body already.  The breasts are identical now, nicely shaped, soft to the touch with no sagging.  My tats really add alot and yet I still have the ability to go braless without fear of nipple protrusion.  

I've got to say, that I am so glad I decided to go back for a 2B -- truthfully, I was undecided for quite some time, thinking that i was being too vain.  In clothes my breast looked fine but naked it was clear one was rather flat on top and the other a bit saggy.  Nothing I couldn't live with but in the end, I decided to send a photo and let Dr S decide.  Once he agreed, I expected nothing more than just tweaking the breasts but what I got was a wonderful contouring and removal of some of my abdominal skin so that he could lower my incision (bikini line now) and tighten the tummy area (along with plication).  I know others have said if they done it again, they would have NOT chosen the plication.  The pain for me really wasn't all that bad and the look is fantastic!  So my advice is to hold out for that "extra prize" -- these docs are amazing but sometimes it takes a few more times to get that final look we're after.  

My only concern is that last night I woke up to discover a hard knot under my arm (armpit).  Do I dare say "lump".  It is hard and about jelly bean in size.  Stacy wants me to keep a close watch and if it isn't better by next week, I have to get it seen.  I'm already scheduled to have a dark sun spot on my scalp biopsied next week. ( New hairdresser -- she noticed it and encouraged me to go have it looked at. )  I try to remain calm but wonder if it's ever really possible once you've had a cancer diagnoisis. 

 Good luck Joasta7!

Good luck Joasta!  Anxious to hear you on the other side!

KBodie, what a ride!  I'm glad things got checked out and are OK.  

Surfa, I do not have the tingling but I do have numbness in some of the areas lipo-d.  

I have caught a cold!  It's making me loopy.  Kids are sent off again to sister and parents (they live 2 doors apart).   Incisions look good and no fever.  I was surprised at how good I was feeling previously but this cold is knocking me over.  I got the Big Mug out to be sure I'm on top of fluids.  Most of glue flaking off.  I'm anxious to snip the knoted suture ends.  I know I can't get to them all, so I have to figure out who I'm going to ask to snip!  It's time to order the Marena.  I think I'll get one Marena and one Flex Support.  We'll see.  Nipples are still looking huge in the brown guards.  I almost can't even imagine them getting real small.  When I check on the right one it sort of lops down.  Hmmm.  Parts of my DIEP incision revision has thicker scarring already.  Looked that way right out of surgery.  I'm not worried but I'm pretty sure at this point I'll be having a 2B.  I'm set to wait a good 8-10+ months to be sure I'm settled though.  My right side, the cancer side, has some odd shaping that I don't think will go away.  Again, it's OK.  I'm just still thrilled to extra skin paddle is gone!

Oh, yeah.  I finally had my post-surgery melt down a couple days ago.  Boom!  Just a flood of tears.  I think it passed just fine.   I've been passing much of my recovery time on Pinterest.  I'm also getting my new ipad 2 this week.  Wooo!