Diep 2012

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2012

    Temp bak to 101. (&bad spelling) they initia

    lly thought it was pnemonia. But then thought that shadow was from rads. Dh going togetmy levaquin filed.

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  • jenlee
    jenlee Member Posts: 504
    edited October 2012

    Oops, that's right, can't do it twice if you've already used the DIEP donor site.  Wonder where in the world I got that idea?!!

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited October 2012

    I have heard of women who have had a half DIEP... I wouldn't want that.. can you imagine how that would look.. but one woman did it and had the other half done a few weeks later. Not sure where she went.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited October 2012

    OW to the concept of doing one side at a time! Imagine the pain and drains twice...



    Rest up Fran...



    My abdominal scar is dark purple while my breast scars are already white. Anyone know if this is the norm?



    Jenn

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    My abdominal scar is still purple. I have some hard lumps under it as well. Anyone what those are about?

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited October 2012

    My ab scar front and center is pinker than any other scar... all other scars are basically invisable now...

    After stage I, I had a lump right in the center. I asked my doctor about it and he said it was the left over belly button. I asked for it to be removed during stage II... It was, and no more hard lumps.

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2012

    Is it normal to have little to no appetite? I just ate some potatoe soup and yogurt. Mom keeps pushing food on me. Been using my IS every hour, walking down halls, so tired.



    BDAVIS- i know you are at nola. But i hate hate this abdominal binder they have me in. I have to wear cotton tshirt under the compression bra, cotton, then binder goes over the hip area. It allways rides up.



    Which one do you ecommend frommarena line. My insurance pays 100% for dme. I just have tobe comfortable

    The full body suit with legs, is the crotch area big enough to do your business?

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  • sandpiper1
    sandpiper1 Member Posts: 952
    edited July 2014

    Fran my Ps had me cut a panel off the binder cause it was too big for me.

    I have that same "lil lump" mid incision. Thought it might be left over belly button thread. But weird how it just showed up in the last week or so. Still bothered by abdominal swelling 3 months out.

    Cant wait to see Ps next week to move on with stage 2.

    Never had any problems with incisions but have pin head sized opening at the midline with the nubbie. Had some scant oozing.

    Otherwise I feel so good.

    Hope to wrap this all up by years end. Starting the big T on Sunday.

    Ok.........I guess this is never really done. Not for a while.

    glad to hear Jen & Fran are doing well. Hugzzzzz

    :)

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  • michellej1980
    michellej1980 Member Posts: 342
    edited October 2012

    fredntan - I haven't had as much of an appetite since surgery, but that's probably because the hospital food put me off eating! I also have had very loose bowel movements too. It's only now starting to settle down.



    My abdo scar is amazing. It is so tidy and clean. There are no stitches, apart from dissolvable ones internally but the external incision was held together with 'Prineo' tape which I gather is a new thing. They used it for all my incisions. Only downside is I still keep finding sticky bits all over me!

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2012

    I feel so tired. I want to go home. Just took two valium. I have done my IS today.walked halls of hotel. Eating very little. Have lost 10 lbssincce leaving hosp 13 days ago. Only had 99 temp today. I want this all to be over am so tired of this bc journey. Boobs look good. Just no energy. Having little pity party.

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    Sandpiper, I started the big T 3-4 days ago. I generally feel kind of bleh. I hear it improves thank goodness. That is so weird about the old belly button at incision. Maybe we are just realizing because some of the swelling is down now.

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited October 2012

    Fran... I bought the Marena that went from just below the knee to up to the breast. The picture shows it going up to mid abs, but it actually goes all the way up to the breast. About the crotch, I found that I could pee ok, but not do all my business... Other brands of girdles seemed to have a longer slit... Other people though say that they feel the crotchless opening is big enough. And I bought the one that went below the knee cause I had lipo on the inner knees. Perhaps you should look at their stage I girdles that have zippers. Do you still have drains? If so, it would be too uncomfortable to pull the girdle on without the zippers.

    http://marenagroup.com/garmentstore/product/tabid/199/p-99-2nd-stage-girdle-with-medium-legs.aspx

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    Fredntan, it is a long journey. You have to just try your best and know that some bounce back faster than others. I didn't turn that corner until week 8. I remember feeling just like you are right now. Still do sometimes. When I am done for the day, I am just done. Can't go any more, do anything, run one more errand. I am done. So bone tired. It's frustrating. Hang in there!

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2012

    Thanks beckers.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited October 2012

    {{{{{{{{Fran}}}}}}}}



    I have days forward and days back Fran. It's pretty normal and we are allowed an occassional pity party :-)



    Jenn

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  • regenschirm
    regenschirm Member Posts: 82
    edited October 2012

    Hang in there Fredntan.   I know exactly where you are.   For me magic turnaround was week 3.  The binder from PRMA gets easier to wear.  Maybe don't fasten it as tightly.  I also did the tshirt underneath.  Once the drains are all out you graduate to a girdle (they will give you a pamphlet).   I got a spanx knock off (assets) and also a flexees one.  The spanx one went down my thighs (I had some swelling at the top of my right leg).  It WILL get better.  Keep up with the respiration exercises.   My temperature would go down when I did nebulizer treatments.  And then back up.  I ended up with a UTI (the cipro didn't work and my at home doc prescribed augmentin that finally kicked it).  But I caught a flu bug on top of the recovery so it did slow me down.   Rest and hydrate.

    I am just now 5 weeks-back to driving.    Still tired and sore.   Not looking forward to going back for the right one but hey I will do what I hafta.   Just had the imaging yesterday.  Fingers crossed...

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  • regenschirm
    regenschirm Member Posts: 82
    edited October 2012

    I lost 15 lbs in the weeks after surgery.  Stomach so tight really didn't want to eat.  Had to force it until about the 4th week.  Try to make the food  you take in count (like high protein).  I definitely had low appetite those first weeks though.

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  • mommaof4
    mommaof4 Member Posts: 62
    edited October 2012

    I have a question...  My abdomen is pulled so tight and I feel like my upper abdomen has a burning sensation inside...  Almost like a scrape or rug burn on the inside.  Has anyone else experienced this?  I was feeling great but slept most of Monday and Tuesday so I think I might have started doing to much to soon.  I also have such a tight feeling it's hard to eat anything other than small portions (not bad for me as I would still like to lose another 10 lbs).  I'm just wondering if the tight feeling subsides?

    Fredntan- Hang in there.  We definitely all heal differently.  This DIEP has gone very well for me but last year it took me about 12 weeks to fully recover from my mastectomy, it was horrible.  I slept in a recliner for 3-4 weeks and could barely move.  I still have days where I can't take one more second of bc interfering with my life but tomorrow is always better.  Hope you are feeling much better soon.  Hugs <3

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    Mommaof4, the tightness does subside. Not sure if you pulled something that is causing burning. I couldn't stand up straight and the PS didn't want me to for weeks. It still hurts to lay flat on my back when sleeping.

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2012

    My pity party over.

    What would be good things to eat

    Sweet potatoes, baked fish, maybe steamed spinach, boiled eggs

    Nothing with cheese-constipation

    Oatmeal? Greek yogurt

    Steemed brocoli

    Seems like things i have to chew like salads just dont appeal to me

    Baked apples?

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    Think of high protein for healing right now. I tried to get 100 g. daily. Had protein shakes. Drank lots of water. I had almonds, string cheese, cottage cheese, hubby made me eggs for breakfast a couple days a week, tuna sandwich, fish, chicken, chilli with beans. My appetite wasn't that great either.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited October 2012

    What Beckers said - you need high protein options to aid healing. I have some protein bars to have with my cup of tea in the afternoon even. I don't want to be wasting calories on useless foods...



    Jenn

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  • AnnAlive
    AnnAlive Member Posts: 450
    edited October 2012

    Mommaof4 -- I am 3 months post-stage1 and have that same feeling of burning/stretching on my upper abdomen, even though it feels numb on the surface. I too am wondering when that will go away. I thought my case was exceptional, though, because I had necrosis in the middle of the abdominal incision that eventually led me to a wound care center to have it debrided -- took about 11 weeks to close. I think I was stretched too tightly. My abdomen still has that feeling that something is pressing in hard at the middle of the incision, and I feel better eating small portions too -- uncomfortable if I eat a larger meal. I have heard that all this loosens up, but I don't know when. My stage 2 is in December when my large scar will be revised and hopefully not too tightly. I think the usual answer to the tightness is to give it time.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited October 2012

    Can I just have a whine here please? I'm sure I'll be over it at some point but today I took the last steristrips off..



    I am so dissapointed at the size of the breasts I have come out of surgery with! I was very clear to my PS at all points, even as I was being wheeled into surgery, that I did not want to come out with anything more than B/C cup sized breasts. I am not a small petite woman but I have always had smallish breasts for my build and I was happy that way...



    I woke after surgery with these giant breasts sitting on my chest! Everyone said "wait for the swelling to go down". Well, I am 3 weeks past surgery today and there is no swelling. And these things are still huge. I have to wear a bra 24hrs a day for 6 weeks except when I'm in the shower. I went shopping for the bras last week and had to buy D and even a DD one - and these bras are not loose, they are firm. :-(



    I hate this size. I can already feel my back straining to carry them and I don't want to have to spend the rest of my life buying bras with "serious" straps and structure to hold these things up.



    I can see that they are in scale with my build but this is not what I wanted. Guess that's what you get for letting men do the job...



    Here in Australia the recon is not all one price. Each surgery is a seperate charge and even if we could afford for me to go and get these reduced I can't afford the TIME it would take. My job employers have been very accomodating this year with all the leave I have had to have away from my full time job for surgery and chemo and appts. I know they are at the end of their patience and I would likely not have my contract renewed if I keep disappearing off...



    Jenn

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  • cg1234
    cg1234 Member Posts: 181
    edited October 2012

    Hi Jenn, I'm so sorry you didn't get the size you wanted. Have you talked to your ps about it yet? How long did it take others here to reduce swelling and settle down to a final size?



    Your right, it's no fun thinking about another surgery to get it right not to mention the time and cost. I bet they just don't think about that, and then it's so frustrating that you were ignored. I would be pretty upset too!

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  • texmingo
    texmingo Member Posts: 15
    edited October 2012

    I am post op day 6, and feeling GREAT! The surgery was 9 hours, had to make the foob larger than originally planned, and according to the ps left 2-3 extra boobs in the OR! Been home since Tuesday afternoon, only had someone stay over the 1st nite home, and home health care 1x a day. I really think it helped that I got physically prepared as well as mentally, for the ordeal. Planned for worse and hoped for the best.

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited October 2012

    Jenn, my surgeon says it takes 6 months for the skin to tighten and for everything to settle down to final size. Can you get an opinion from your surgeon to see what she/he says?

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  • Beckers
    Beckers Member Posts: 1,883
    edited October 2012

    Jenn,



    I had bilat lumpectomies and was swollen much longer than that for that small of a surgery. I actually cried when I first sat in front of a mirror after my DIEP. I told my hubby, "What am I going to do with these big ol' tattas?" with tears streaming down my face. He was laughing. They have become smaller over these weeks. I have only been wearing nylon sports bras. I have no clue what size I am. I would guess C. I hope you shrink some!



    Congratulations Texmingo on having your successful surgery! I'm glad you are doing okay on your own.

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  • Jennt28
    Jennt28 Member Posts: 2,021
    edited October 2012

    Thanks guys! Just getting that all out on "paper" helped and your replies are lovely.



    My follow-up appt with the PS is on Monday so I will be able to ask him then about size and revisions. My left breast has a "pointy dart tag" at the end of the side incision (lollipop incisions with the tail out to the sides) which I think will be an easy slice and stitch fix. Apart from that the only thing that needs doing is the nipples and I know that sugery won't happen until early/mid next year.



    I have another surgery already in the queue as I have a cyst on my right ovary that has moved from simple to complex. I am seeing the gynae at the end of November with a plan for single ovary ooph in early/mid December (I work for a university so we have a mandatory shut down from the 18th December and I'm hoping to schedule the surgery as close to that date as possible to avoid many more medical leave days. Should be interesting for the gynae trying to get past the mesh now in my abdo (I had muscle sparing free TRAM) - but my PS knows about this and will liaise with the gynae about the best way to do this. Not looking forward to another abdo surgery though!



    Jenn

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  • regenschirm
    regenschirm Member Posts: 82
    edited October 2012

    Feeling sore tonight.  Probably overdid it some.   Wishing I could get off this train about now.  I am so grateful to be able to know you ladies here.    Just reading Jenn's last post -seeing how far you've come!  And yet still some hurdles to get through--we are all tough as nails.   I had a bilateral oopherectomy back in April.  Wasn't too bad to recover from since chemo had already shut things down.  Just another thing to cross off the list.

    I see the surgeon next week for plan B (and the right side).  Looks like some good perforators (at least from what the nurse read in the report).  This is good news.  We'll see what the options are for GAP donor sites when we talk to the docs.   

    Tired...

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