Diep 2012

Cherrie... You will love NOLA...

Judy... I had mine revised, although I did not have dog ears after stage I, but after he lipo'd the love handles, I think he removed some skin and just cleaned up the scar... I also had lots of lipo.... breast lifts, butt lift etc... I was back at work at two weeks, but could have gone sooner... I had my surgery a week before Thanksgiving so I benefitted from Thanksgiving break. After lipo, (at least the amount I had) it hurt to move for like 3 days... as long as I stayed still I had no pain... but the recovery was quick... I wore compression for 2 weeks 24/7 and then another 4 weeks during the day... this part was optional, but my PS said it would give better results.

Thanks Betsy, I'm only having lipo to reduce the DIEP breast to where I want it to be (he left it big just in case of radiation), he says it'll probably be just a couple of days of recovery, I hope that's correct as I'm returning to work the following Monday (procedure is on a Thursday).

Bdavis......I live over on the Northshore and actually had my surgery at Fairway Hospital. I do consider myself VERY lucky to be so close to such amazing doctors.

Yay for date, LuvRVing!

Wrsmith2x......



No secret to my recovery, I am just very lucky that I haven't had any complications and have healed really well. To be honest I am pretty surprised at how well I have done. I was really nervous about my surgery because I had such a horrible recovery from my weight loss surgery 2 years ago. I did start back to work but just half days and I work in the billing office of a doctor's office, so I am just sitting at a computer nothing strenuous. I hope you start to feel better soon.

Glad to hear everyone is doing soo well. Mrssmith2- I took 6.5 weeks off and asked for an additional week so in all 7.5 weeks. This week is my second week back and am just slightly tired. I am an orthodontist assistant and can perform all my duties but have some trouble reaching over far distances.

 I STILL have 2 areas that I am packing. My surgery was 1/18/12!! I am BEYOND sick of this so I asked about going to a wound care team. I was told they prefer I not go to one esp on the breast since they seem to be more drastic in their treatments and to just give it more time. If in a month I am still not healed the PS said we'll have to take some action then and assume healing will not take place. I am seeing 'some' improvement. I actually go to a local PS here tomorrow a.m.. I am seeing a zipper effect taking place on the breast with a small deep area left...Maybe he'll clean it up? A couple of weeks ago Dr. Craigie cleaned it up some and those areas are almost healed. My tummy area though is about 1cm wide and 1inch deep.

Mary- I have missed my baths sooooo much and can't wait till my tummy incision closes so I can bask in the glory of my tub. LOL!! 

I took 10 weeks off from work.  Was originally scheduled for 8 weeks off, but needed more time to recover.  I also have a long commute, so I did a slowly return to commute schedule where I worked at home 4 days a week for a few weeks, then 3, then 2, etc.  Next week is my first week back up to 4 days in office and 1 at home.

My left (cancer) side seems to still be shrinking/moving unfortuantely.  Because of issues we had with healing after BMX and because I noticed changes still at 2+ months, we schedule Stage II for later than most, so not till June 4th, which is about 7 months after BMX.

And, sorry forgot who asked, but no, usually nipple recon is not done with Stage II, usually it's done after so the PS can be sure they have settled into the final position. 

Yikes, now you all are worrying me.   I'm thinking 6 weeks....I need to check in to my short term disability to see if I will be able to use it (I didn't add it until AFTER my BMX last year so who knows).  I'm mostly just worried because I don't really have any coverage for my job and I am an "at will" employee.  Breathe....all will be okay!

julianna51_ Dont worry. As you know everyones recovery time is different. I had Diep done on Feb 20th and was back to work after 3 weeks. I could have went back sooner but I got pneumonia during the stay at the hospital and I just couldnt shake it! I was in panic mode just like you before my surgery. However, once the tubes were removed and I started walking around a little more, things started getting better alot faster. I still have some days where I feel really sore but work is definitely managable for me. Just take it one day at a time. Have faith and Im sure you will do just fine.

I think the key element of "going back to work" is how much you can control your pacing. If you can rest when you need, you can do some things as soon as your brain will let you. I found I could do little bursts of work, even a week after coming home from the hospital, but I did it on my terms. (Indeed, HR forbade me to do it so I literally was on my terms, sneaking around to go into work.) Due to HR rules that I had to see the surgeon before I came back, I was "off" 10 weeks but when I saw him at 3 weeks, he said I could run at 6 weeks so I did. That created the irony of running a half marathon while being "unfit for work" that consists of sitting on a chair looking at a computer 80% of the time. Apparently HR still hasn't reached the doctor, so they're crabbing about me coming back now at 13 weeks, without that. I told them, phone him again. Geez, do I have to do everything? Let's trade. HR can have cancer and *I* will call the doctor.

Don't take my experience as typical ... I was on the far end of everything. My BMX + DIEP took 20 hours and I was in the hospital for 4 days because the dilaudid they gave me for pain gave me hallucinations and didn't take care of the pain. I am also an asthmatic -- the asthma stayed well-controlled throughout, but it is a factor in my fatigue levels. I also have a-fib, and while that also remained completely controlled, the meds I take for it can make me tired. And I am 54. I just wanted to let folks know that there is a HUGE range of recovery time, and it really just takes however long it takes. I felt very inadequate when I read of people going back to work in 3 weeks -- I still had drains at 3 weeks and my ab incision was beginning to open. But it just takes how long it takes -- we are all wildly different, even if we have the same DX and the same vital stats. And even if you are at the far end like I was, you will still recover and feel good.



L

Kaseymomto2boys,

I am so happy to hear you say that, even with the complications you have had.Good to know you are healing, our bodies are amazing aren't they?  Our journeys are all so different, yet the same if that makes sense. I especially like hearing that it is a doeable surgery as i nervously await my June date.(SGAP) Have you been happy with your choice of surgeons?

Guess I need some reassurance about now, as so few are scheduled with the Charleston group, most going to NOLA.

Cascader- I am a Craigie/Kline girl. You will do great. There are 2 ladies in my support group who had SGAP by Craigie and Kline also. We are all VERY pleased with them. Those 2 ladies are complete with surgies, tattoos and look great! I have my stage 2 scheduled July 31st. If I wasn't packing 2 areas I'd sometimes forget that I've had the surgery. Life has resumed and is normal. Last week was week 2 back to work and I am tired but heck I'm always tired. My 8 and 6 year old boys wear me out running here and there. Good Luck to you.

Mamachick- glad you are doing well. I agree the sooner I got on Ibuprofen the better. The pain pills held me back but I took them until I needed them then switched. Dr. Craigie had me stop the Valium because It seemed to make me VERY emotional. Do you have a stage 2 scheduled yet? Mine is 7/31.

I have also felt inadequate sometimes when comparing my healing to others, but I have learned that I heal at my own pace and I'm ok with that most of the time. We are all different and our circumstances are all different. Before my surgery, I had just turned 50, was in pretty good shape physically and was very healthy. My 2/14 surgery was delayed and I have been cancer free for 3 years. Tuesday will be 6 weeks and I am doing great. I am fortunate that I no longer work outside the home, so that is not even an issue for me. I am struggling though with the large amount of gardening and landscaping that I need to be helping with right now and I can't. I did some weeding yesterday and there are some things I can do, but I don't feel ready at all to haul wheelbarrows full of mulch to the beds and mulch them. It's just too much for me right now, but it makes me feel guilty that I'm not helping. I am lucky that I really haven't had any complications besides the one area of necrosis that has healed nicely. Most of the scab came off Friday night. I only had my drains for 8 days- I feel VERY lucky about that!  

I really feel like I have turned a big corner in the last few days. I tried on some real clothes yesterday though and I still don't feel comfortable at all in jeans. How long did it take to get back into real clothes? I'm getting a little tired of the sweats and yoga pants and as I get out of the house more, I need to wear more regular clothes.

Continued healing vibes for us all! Be kind to yourselves.

One thing that appears to remain a constant, in spite of differing recovery times, is that everyone is happy with the results and would do it again in a heartbeat if they had it to do over again.   That, to me, says volumes.   I will continue to hold on to that in facing my fears of the surgery and recovery time.   I'm 52 and there are many days I definitely feel it but on other days I feel on top of the world.  Last year, before my BMX I was in the best shape of my life.   I've kind of let that slide throughout recovery and radiation but am focusing on being the best I can be these next couple of months. 

I am so grateful for this site and each of you that I can share my fears and get so much support.  It is amazing.   Much love to you all!

Juls