Diep 2012

Bdavis, the picture u saw , just showed my scar, the scars were red but no pain...then...

The incision just opened up now...few days ago, and I've been told to watch if I get a fever or if the area becomes red....it's neither right now, but it's a very open. Wound that due to the position I think it's going to be hard to close up. I tried putting steri strips but it doesn't stick well after I've put polysporin...

Red- PS had me stop with ointments and just use a dry guaze.

TexasRose my abdomen feels taut but not in an uncomfortable way. I found I was able to get upright between week 5 and 6. I worked hard at walking on the treadmill for at least an hour at a time at least once a week and was trying to straighten as much as I can without pulling on it. It was almost a magical transition between week 5 and 6. I couldn't and then I could. I was really pulled tight as I guess I wasn't as fat as I thought I was. It feels like a waistband across my abdomen now, at 10 weeks.

You're tough ladies, red, Kasey, bdavis et al! I am so glad I didn't have any of that wound-opening stuff. That would just do me in!

 Hang in there Red. Wishing for time travel for you. I feel so so very lucky that I haven't had any incision opening issues. Now if my back would stop hurting, I'd be much happier. (it's my upper back and totally unrelated to BC)

Day 11- I really wish I could always sleep so well all the time, but I know it's due to the pain meds and the muscle relaxers. I have been going to bed at 9:30 every night and sleeping through the night. I never do that anymore, so I'm enjoying feeling rested when I wake up.

DH is taking me out to dinner today! I'm excited about leaving the house to go somewhere other than the hospital. I'm glad the drains are gone. That makes finding something to wear so much easier. It's the first time I have left the house other than to have drains pulled. Of course once I shower, put makeup on and do what little I can do to my hair, I need a nap!

Some of you have been through so much with your incisions. I wish you continued healing.

I keep feeling my new boob with my arm brushing against it and think I have my prosthesis on! Three years with nothing there and now to feel something- priceless!!

My belly felt so tight last night, but better today. Last night I felt like someone was sitting inside my abdomen and pulling on my belly button. I don't really feel that today but maybe as the day goes on and I move more. My PS did tell us that he took every little bit of abdominal tissue that he could, so I guess that's why I feel so tight. My DH says I look like I'm standing up straight, but I feel like I'm hunched over like a little old lady. Oh well, it gets better everyday and totally worth it.

Debridement is basically the cleaning out of the dead tissue and wound vac is what they used after the debridement... It has a sponge sort of thing that was placed in the wound and literally has a suction device attached to it, sucking out the fluid. So I was sleeping with and 24/7 living with the vaccum for 5 days until my next surgery. ..(except for my shower). It was much neater and cleaner... I had been dealing with drippy gooey stuff and the wound vac took care of the problem. I will look for a picture.

I hate that those of you recovering are having so much trouble with your incisions.  I hope everything starts to heal quickly.

Ah, wound vacs.  I remember the days when I would actually put them on patients.  They do a great job, but the can be a pain in the butt.

Meegan- I am going to Charleston, we leave very early Tues. morning for a MRA appointment at 7:45. It is a 3 hour drive.  Then I have surgery Wed. morning.

Texas I am glad you are enjoying the feeling of having something there again.  I am hoping that after that it will feel better than what is there for me. 

mamachick, your surgery is the 29th? Anybody else this week? Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Take the Vitamin X or whatever you've got and it will be over before you know it and you'll be on the road to recovery!! Like Sadie said, you will hardly remember the time in the hospital.

sadie5254, so good to hear from you! Hang in there! Glad the infection is healing and you aren't in much pain.

dressager, How are you doing?

Today is Day 12 for me. Went out to dinner yesterday with DH and then we walked around Target for a bit. It was so nice to get out to somewhere other than the hospital. The weather here has been just great the last few days and I love walking when it's pleasant outside. It was kind of hard to walk all the way around Target, but I did it. And took a nap when I got home! lol  I was not standing up real straight by the time we got to Target, but I feel much looser this morning. Not nearly as tight in the abdomen. I'm trying to walk as much as I can. Still wearing the binder. My PS wants me to wear it for 6 weeks. I have been taking it off for a few minutes each day just to give myself some time. It's beginning to bother me as I loosen up a little and feel better, but I will wear it as I want the best outcome I can get. If my PS thinks that means wearing the binder, then I will wear it.

I'm still wearing the dreaded velcro front closure 'bra' that was given to me in the hospital. I have been out searching for a front closure bra without underwires. This task has been surprisingly hard. Any brands you recommend?

Well surgery was Monday and I made it home on Friday. I must say this has been the hardest thing I have ever been through. I ended up with pneumonia on Tues and a Kidney infection along the way too. So this made a tough recovery much worse. I still hurt a lot in my abdomen but on a brighter note my boobs look great. I just keep having hot flashes and feel like my boobs are on fire. Has anyone else had this? Still scared to have these drains removed but so ready at the same time.....hopefully they will be gone after my appt Tues. Thank you so much everyone.

I cant wait to see my PS tomorrow, my incision opened up, and i can see flesh, its 2cm long and one cm wide.

Green/yellow stuff thin fluid comes out - only a little bit, it smells a little...

and it doesnt help that i have a muffin top that makes it push open.

im on antibiotics just in case if it is infected. It went from yellow to pinkish now,,,suggesting it is healing, but personally i think its too wide and they have to close it up.

Red, mine was quite wide (it gapped open and I could see layers of flesh).  My PS would not close it - he said it had to heal from the inside out, like a bullet wound.  It ultimately did ... we packed it 3x/day with wet-to-dry dressings and it seemed to take forever.  However, one day we noticed some progress and then there seemed to be a tipping point and it just closed up right away.  But it is quite intimidating and upsetting while it is happening to you!

L

yeah, that's the problem with keeping the incision moist. Technically that's they way to get it to heal well, but with big incisions you do run the risk of unzipping.  The best thing is to keep it clean and dry.  Betadine is great for disinfecting, those non-stick dressings I mentioned are good at keeping dry gauze from sticking.  You just have to be patient until your body gets a handle on it and stabilizes it. One perk from that non-stick dressing: it helps the scar to heal flat.

For those of you having problems--I highly recommend visiting a wound clinic at a hospital near you. Of course, clear it with your doc.  But often surgeons are great at the cutting part and not so great at the healing part.  Wound care docs are trained to support surgeons in that aspect.  They know the latest "tools" in the wound-care arsenal and are the best people to help get your wound closed as fast and as safely as possible. 

It might be difficult to find one near you, I live in Chicago and it took me a while to find one (two, actually).  They are usually staffed by only a few people and located in the basements of hospitals. But those docs are treasures, really.  I had my incisions open up and saw a wound care doc before the openings got too big, and they healed well.  I also learned of wound care supplies I had never seen that were invaluable to me the second time around.

Google "wound care clinic" for your city and see what comes up. You should be able to find one on your insurance plan. Your surgeon can fax over your records.

Good luck everyone, I know how stressful this point in recovery can be. But you'll get through it.

Oh, also... up the Vitamin C and protein in your diet, take supplements if you have to.  It'll make a difference.

Also... whoever asked about the yellow stuff... that's called "slough" and it's your body's way of filling in the space. Unfortunately, it will keep your body from growing skin there to heal the wound. If there's a lot of it it will need to be debrided for the wound to progress in healing.  Wound care docs are great at getting that process started and keeping the slough from coming back.

red: have you tried wearing something that's smooth and stretchy like Spanx? If you get a garment that is smooth from right under your breasts to mid-thigh then there won't be anything putting uneven pressure on the wound. If you put that on after the wound is dressed it might help keep everything in place and on the same level.

jesk- I have spanks.......i stopped wearing those, but, possibly after seeing the doc tomorrow might have to wear them again.