Diep 2012

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  • texmingo
    texmingo Member Posts: 15
    edited November 2012

    That's the spirit Chris!



    I am "juicy" so they say, the other two drains came out at 1st post op, and of course, today is the day that FRED has decided to quit draining, and the PS is in surgery all day, so we will be parting ways on Monday.



    Also, I slept in my bed the day I came home, just had lots of pillows to prop me up, so you may be able to handle it as well. And only had someone stay with me the first nite home, and pretty much been on my own since, (do have ppl driving me to appts). And I was able to stand up straight in the hospital.



    I "trained" to get ready for the surgery, working out and losing 82lbs in the past year so that I was at my best for this adventure.



    You can do this!



















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

    Christine.. I am also not a recliner sleeper. I did sleep in the recliner while I was waiting for a new bed to arrive, but as soon as the new bed came, I was super happy in bed.

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  • CookieMonster
    CookieMonster Member Posts: 1,035
    edited November 2012

    While many people slept in a recliner, when I came home from the hospital from my unilateral DIEP almost a year ago now, I spent one night on the couch (recliner couch), but hated being alone downstairs so the next night I was in my own bed, lots of pillows and help from DH, but definitely better for me. Everyone is different, so it's interesting to hear all the different tales.

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  • dnadebbs
    dnadebbs Member Posts: 82
    edited November 2012

    hi chrishat!   i'm reading through your concerns and anxiety and i'm feeling your pain.   i also have some questions for you and the ladies here.    let me preface my questions by saying i'm currently scheduled for a Lat Dors on 1/3/13 and i'm reading everything about a DIEP to make me think that's what i want to do.   my problem is that i might have to travel for it and i'm not sure i can so.....should i just go ahead with the Lat Dors Flap?   is it so bad?   will it be ok with my radiated side?   what is so bad about going that route instead of a DIEP?   why are you getting the DIEP after the Lat Dors done?   maybe i missed that part.   

    i just really don't know what to do.   i read all the comments from the ladies who went through the DIEP and absolutely love it but is it really all that much better?   (i think i know the answer.....i just think i need more encouragement to really research more and find out how i can make it happen if i have to travel).

    thanks so much ladies!

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

    Christine, i was inthe methodist hosp in SA. They were wonderful! Everything was perfect.

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

    I didn't sleep in a recliner at all. Never went near one since neither we, nor any of our friends own them. I just piled the pillows and slept in our own bed... And I had a free TRAM with mesh so probably have more abdominal limitation that most of you.



    Managed to get back onto my sides for sleeping at about the 4 week mark which has been bliss! It was 6 weeks yesterday and today I almost feel NORMAL!



    Jenn

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  • chrishat
    chrishat Member Posts: 89
    edited November 2012

    thanks for the feedback everyone. my surgeon was adamant about the recliner...i am staying at a friend's house and she (surgeon) said i will have to rent one! so who knows why she is so insistent on it. i am expecting to not sleep that well for awhile, because really, who can sleep sitting up? not me.i'm a pretty high maintenance sleeper even without drains and a big belly incision. texmingo, wow, good for you 82 pounds! that's awesome! and i bet it will be such a relief to say goodbye to fred finally.

    dnadebbs, i am having the diep after the lat flap because my lat flap turned out really wonky and freaky looking. it does not resemble a human breast. i wish there was an option to share photos on this site becuse i would send you a pic! but that's not to say that other people/other surgeons could have a totally different outcome. i have a gfriend who had a lat flap and hers is rounded and soft, like a boob. mine is lumpy and has dents...like big creases...in it and the skin flap from my back poofs out so you can see it through clothes. it's just stupid.i've showed it to about 50 people and the general reaction is "hmmmm". i had radiation too which is why i didn't just go for an implant. i guess my best feedback would be, try to make sure whichever surgeon you go with has lots of experience. ask to see photos of his work. and for what it's worth, my insurance did not want to cover this texas surgeon because she is out of network, but i made a BIG stink and even though it took a couple of weeks and i had to write a bunch of letters, they gave the surgeon in-network status, so my surgery is paid for.but i am sure there are many happy lat flap ladies,i am just not one of them.  

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  • sptmm62
    sptmm62 Member Posts: 665
    edited November 2012

    Chris, I suffered the same anxiety when I finally got within a week of surgery.  It is completely normal.  I am now 2-1/2 weeks status post my surgery and had my last three drains removed on Thursday.  I did sleep in my recliner for the first two weeks, just because it was easier.  I probably could have slept in my bed after the first week, but I was more comfortable in the recliner, and less anxious.  But I have to tell you I feel great!  I have very little pain anymore, just a little soreness at the end of the day.  I am walking four miles a day, hoping to get back to running soon.  I have some limited range of motion in my arms, but can cook and perform all my activities of daily living by myself.  I have a PT regimen that was given to me to help improve the range of motion and it does get better every day. 

    All in all, it was not as bad as I had imagined it would be and I am very glad I finally did it.  Good luck!  

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  • chrishat
    chrishat Member Posts: 89
    edited November 2012

    oh my goodness, you cannot believe how good it is to hear that you are walking 4 miles a day 2 1/2 weeks out! that is really great. it sounds like you were in great shape to being with, and i know everyone is different....but 2 1/2 weeks is not very long! i have recovered pretty quickly from my other two big surgeries, mastectomy and lat flap...but each one is different and you never know.  did you have to be bent over for very long? my dr. said that my skin abdominal skin is thick and tight, not very elastic, so i should expect to take longer to straighten up. she even said i may have back problems from being bent over and she would prescribe flexoril(sp?). did anyone have that scenario? yuck, as i'm typing this i am having that adrenalin-i-just-almost-got-in-a-car-wreck feeling. but, i remind myself, two and a half weeks walking 4 miles...fantastic.

    this whole journey is not for the faint of heart is it? we women are strong.

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  • MENA1954
    MENA1954 Member Posts: 194
    edited November 2012

    sptmm62  I am so glad to hear of your speedy recovery!  I  never had any problems with standing up straight and  was doing light  house work after 1 week....of being back home.

    The PT came a few times but felt that we were just wasting the insurance's money because my range of motion was  just about on target and there was not much he could do for me .

    We must be grateful to Dr. KORN for doing such a wonderful job with the reconstruction!

    Mena

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  • Rubybleu
    Rubybleu Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2012

    Hello Ladies,



    This is my first post, so forgive me if it ends up in the wrong place! I am scheduled for a bilateral DIEP on November 20th and I am wondering if anyone has had their surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering? My PS is Dr. Joseph Disa. I am starting to freak out that I did not get a second PS opinion and any input on MSK and Dr. Disa would be greatly appreciated.



    Thank you!

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  • chrishat
    chrishat Member Posts: 89
    edited November 2012

    hi rubybleu,

    you and i are almost on the same schedule, except that i'm doing a unilateral. but surgery 5 days apart! are you nervous too?

    christine

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  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited November 2012

    Chriscat...I'm also on the Diep bandwagon.  I posted a couple days ago about spongy bed wedges, which took the place of a recliner for me.  I'm not a recliner fan and balked at my family wanting to rent one.  The OT suggested wedges and they were amazing, helping me to roll in and out of bed (and light enough to carry to the couch, chair). 

    Willy posted about seeing her body in the mirror...in its wholeness. The flood of relief and amazement I feel when I see myself puts a smile on my face...and my husband's :)  I don't have sensation, sometimes a little itch, but that doesn't bother me at all...nor my husband :)  If time goes by and some comes back...that'll be a bonus. 

    What we've gone through leading to diep has been all about fighting the most horrific enemy that threatened to take our lives!  Diep is our part of saying we won!  We kicked cancer's ass & we got our bodies back!    We'll all be praying for you!  It's a journey and we're all along with you for the ride!

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  • Rubybleu
    Rubybleu Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2012

    Hi Chrishat!



    So nervous! I am second guessing myself, my Dr.s, everything! Argh!





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  • Marcie47
    Marcie47 Member Posts: 248
    edited November 2012

    Ruby bleu and chrishat, we will all be traveling together down this road... These wonderful women before us have paved such an informative path, it makes it a smoother journey for all of us. I feel I have done my homework and listened to the great advise and now it is only a couple days or weeks to get there. Be confident in your choice, we have come through so much and are stronger than we ever knew we were! Together we can accomplish so much, nobody is alone in this journey:)

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  • Rubybleu
    Rubybleu Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2012

    Thank you Marcie47,

    You are so right and I appreciate your words.  This has all happened so fast for me and then we just went through hurricane Sandy with no power for 11 days....  I feel if I had had those days to research and prepare I would be feeling better.  This board is so helpful, that even as I type this I know I am going to push forward, get my house ready and get this thing done!  Thank you for helping me put things back into perspective.  I do feel supported by all the women who have traveled this road ahead of us and from others like you who are traveling at the same time as me.

    If you have any advice on preperation, I am all ears Smile

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

    Christine... I had a wedge pillow that my husband used many years ago.. I used it under my knees so I wasn't laying flat on my back. It was perfect. And the only pain I had was back pain, and I was prescribed Flexerol for that pain.. It was sort of short lived, about a week, so not so bad.

    Ruby.. I live in NJ and had considered MSK and Disa, but had heard that MSK does cancer great but aren't the best at recon, and the hospital is too rigid. That is not to say you won't have a great experience. I did consult with Dr Allen in NYC, but there were things he said that bothered me (You can PM me if interested) and ultimately decided to travel to New Orleans. I beleieve if you search DISA on this site you will get a thread about him.

    And Christine... about pictures, there is a picture forum... just PM nowheregirl and ask her about it.

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

    Ruby,

    Dr disa was my ps during my initial sx. Dr morrow. Was my bs.



    I hate to tell you but i had horrible experience at msk.

    The rooms are doubles. Bring earplugs or pay extra for private



    Ask what pca you will be getting. I had morphine pca in texas. Last year at msk i woke up Disa told my dh i would have pca/have lots of pain after rt mast and TE implant. And that I would need to stay two days. I also had lidocaine ball n texas to abdominal wound. Any way i woke up last year asked where my pca was, nurses responded"those are reserved for bilaterals".



    Ted hose and scd s should be placed on your legs pre sx.

    If you are going to be at msk, have family member stay with you. I found the nursing care horrible.

    But if you have someone to be your advocate you should be fine. Dr disa seemed like fine dr. Dr morrow was in charge of my care. I probably got on my nurses bad side from beginning with my pain. I had a lot of anxiety back then. Maybe i was a bad patient. Idk.



    And pca pumps fluid should always be run from pump, not by gravity



    Sorry to worry you more.

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  • cg1234
    cg1234 Member Posts: 181
    edited November 2012

    For those of you preparing...I got a lift recliner but found it uncomfortable for sleeping. I ended up in bed with lots of pillows and was happier to be next to hubby.



    Sptmm62, I'm so glad you got rid of the final drains but am jealous you are already doing 4 miles a day! I'm able to sleep fairly flat now but by mid afternoon I get more swollen and tight. I've noticed more soreness in my breasts and where the perforators were taken in my abs even though they were free flaps. I think just because nerves are waking up again but I was pulled pretty tight. I am working on rom too. It's only been 2.5 wks but I'm a little impatient and wish I could get back to my old self soon.

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  • ymac16
    ymac16 Member Posts: 138
    edited November 2012

    Hi everyone. A quick note to let you know that my surgery was successful! I'm still in hospital but will hopefully be going home tomorrow. Still very sore but have walked around the hospital floor today and have been sitting up most of the day and am now on solid foods. I had a pretty bad cold leading up to the surgery so my other complication is I've been coughing a lot which has been painful. Also, didn't quite have enough abdominal fat to fill the skin after the TEs were taken out so kind of flat chested now but so happy to no longer have the TEs and to be on the road to recovery!

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  • willy5js5
    willy5js5 Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2012

    Ymac Yvonne, welcome to the other side. Smooth recovery and wishes for each day getting better to you!

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  • cg1234
    cg1234 Member Posts: 181
    edited November 2012

    Woohoo Yvonne! Hope they gave you something for the cough and its better. Hang in there and you'll be home soon.

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

    Glad to see you are doing OK Yvonne :-)



    Jenn

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  • BarbaraJo50
    BarbaraJo50 Member Posts: 108
    edited November 2012

    Ladies, I am one week on the other side of a bilateral Diep. I am so glad I choose this surgery. LOVE my surgeon, Vu Nguyen.Traveled four hours to McGee Women's in Pittsburgh. I have to say anesthesia kicked my butt. By Thursday I felt great. Thought I was prepared with colace...it wasn't enough. Spent the weekend in pain. I can stand up straight. I think it is because I had ample belly fat. Oh yes the belly pain ball was wonderful. I had delayed surgery and am 53. Best to everyone. Thanks for all your help.



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

    Thanks ladies for your prayers for my friend Nancy... She had surgery today, and unfortunately she has brain cancer. I am beyond sad.

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  • RonnieKay
    RonnieKay Member Posts: 2,067
    edited November 2012

    bdavis...not the news that was hoped for.  Hoping for peace and as much quality (not the right word, but..) time for Nancy, her family and beloved friends...with a few little miracles included!

    cg1234...You're doing great!!  In this political time, I bet you'd find the majority not doing 4 miles at 2.5 weeks...it would've been awesome but hey...walking to the mail box and back made me want to do the happy dance!!!

    ymac...ugh...I had the cold before surgery and all the staff agreed I'd be okay...saying I was having stage 2, not stage 1!  They said with stage 1, a cough would be quite painful....I'm SOOOO sorry you're having to deal with that and I hope they're giving you something to stop it...what's one more drug, right!!!   Other than that...woohoo...you're walking and getting home will be a huge healing factor.  Also...my TE breast (only 1..the other taken at diep) had a bit more skin and just to let you know, at stage 2 they were able to add fullness to the top and whole breast and actually took a bit of skin underneath the breast to tighten it up a bit.  It's amazing how they just improve with time!!!

    Barbarajo...WELCOME!  So glad you're healing well.  I had enough fat to stand up straight from the beginning, which made me quite happy after hearing that that's one of the most challenging parts of recovery for some gals. 

    Ah...keep forgetting the "I'm 58" line to my posts...wonder why...LOL!!!!

    Take care all!

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  • jenlee
    jenlee Member Posts: 504
    edited November 2012

    Betsy, so sorry to hear about your friend! Nancy will be in my prayers, as will her family and her good friends like you.

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  • ymac16
    ymac16 Member Posts: 138
    edited November 2012

    I'm home from the hospital!! Got home late afternoon yesterday and am happy to report that I'm feeling well. Of course I'm still sore - my cough hasn't completely gone away so that continues to be an added source of pain, but overall it's all tolerable/manageable. My mom has come to stay to help out - she's a former nurse so she's taking care of the drain management (thank goodness) and making sure I eat. My poor husband is trying to manage everything else - getting the kids to school and their activities, running any extra errands to pick up things I still need. But everyone is happy that I'm home - my kids hung out in my room with me all evening until bed time and were right back in to see me this morning.



    For this of you with surgeries upcoming and wondering if you've made the right choice, all I can say is that I have ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS! I really never doubted my decision before the surgery - I hated the TEs so much and couldn't wait to have them removed. While I think I look like Frankenstein right now with all the scars and weirdly patched together body, I know that in the end, it will all look fine. And, when we were coming home yesterday and hit a few bumps in the road, I told my husband and daughter, knowing it was going to sound kind of funny to them, that it felt so good to feel MY OWN TISSUES jiggling - they both laughed at me and my daughter told me I was weird.



    I also have to say I LOVED my PS and the hospital I had the surgery. For anyone in the DC area, I highly recommend Dr. Kathy Huang and Suburban Hospital. Huang is such a top notch surgeon, I think the world of her. And the entire staff at Suburban was excellent - kind, caring and so friendly. Despite the hellacious 13 hour ordeal, I'm doing fine and my outlook is so fantastic.



    Now, I can't wait to take my first full shower in way too many days and move around the house a bit today. Oh, I think you all have been sharing your age, so mine is 46.



    BTW, bdavis, I'm so, so sorry to hear about your friend with brain cancer. I'll keep you and her in my thoughts.



    Take care all and good luck to those with upcoming procedures.

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  • cg1234
    cg1234 Member Posts: 181
    edited November 2012

    I am at 3 wks now and have a q about the shape of my new girls. They're wider and flatter than the old ones so it feels like there's more tissue under my arms and round the edges but less in the center (kinda like a big bagel for lack of a better description). Is this normal? The swelling and softness are so much better but I wondered if they eventually fall and fill out in the center...or am I in for a little more work at stage 2? I know it's still early but bras fit so weird for now.



    Betsy, thinking about you and Nancy.



    Great for those of you just home! I'm getting around so much better now so it will come soon for you!



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  • michellej1980
    michellej1980 Member Posts: 342
    edited November 2012

    Cindy, I know what you mean. The nurses did say to me that the PS could do some 'sculpting' later on but already I feel my boobs settling down. They are a bit flat which I guess can't be fixed without surgery but they feel as if they are more forward facing than they did previously. For ages I felt like I'd got underarm boobs!



    What I find freaky is that my boobs are easily mouldable. Like if they are squashed in a certain position for any length of time, they stick like it and don't bounce back!

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