DIEP 2013

I just wanted to check in and give an update I am 4 weeks and 2 days post diep and went back to work yesterday with no issues. I am a director in a school district so I do not have a physical job. I am able to wear my work clothes and even went out after work and wore jeans! I am wearing a compression garment but I have not had bloating issues except those associated with my cycle I can sleep on both sides my diep breast is on the left. I also have had no issues with my incisions and my foob is soft. I wish all of you coming up a successful surgery and smooth recovery...not regretting this for a minute

Jackie, I agree and it IS priceless. When I had my UMX last Dec., my friends were such a blessing. They got together prior to my surgery and planned a month long calendar of 'meals on wheels" for my DH and myself. It was wonderful. I would love to do something nice (and fun) in return for their kindness. Ann

Gotoell - it sounds like you are doing great! Thanks for the update. I'm off work another 2 weeks, but think I might be ready soon. I'm getting a bit bored.



I did go out to my friends 40th last night and had a great time. I even managed to make it to midnight!!

PinkHeart

Thanks for note back - I don't think my PS can do SGAP - He is the ONLY one in my area that can even do DIEP - going to another city about 90 minutes away this week for 1 more consult..hope to just get clarification from a center that does more Flap procedures if it is even possible or I will have to abandoned the whole idea and go back to implants....was trying not to go that route...but as I told my husband today...none of this is what I would have chosen anyway...so just have to make the best of it and carry on.

Chrisitna

Hi, all! I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon (so was there for a total of 3.5 days). The transition home has been easier than I expected. The couch with a wedge pillow and other pillows actually works better in some ways than the hospital bed did, esp. getting in & out. And I've been able to do the stairs just fine, albeit slowly. I use them as part of my walking path every couple of hours, too, because our old house doesn't offer much space to walk and it's been too icy & snowy to walk outside. I may venture out there tomorrow anyway - I need some fresh air and a walk that's not just circles in small rooms!



Pain has been manageable with Percocet; I just need to make sure I eat something with it.



My main issues right now are a drain site that hurts - it got jiggled too much as we tried to figure out where to place the ab binder thingie, I think - and how/whether to wear a bra and binder. Both invariably end up shifting and irritating the drain sites. I feel best when I wear neither, just a loose-fitting zip-up fleece jacket that has handy interior pockets that I use for the drains.



Does anyone know how necessary a binder and/or bra are at this point? My new girls are small enough that extra support doesn't feel necessary, and the ab binder doesn't seem to do much comfort-wise for me, except perhaps when I first get up from lying or sitting down. I'll ask my surgeon on Monday, but am interested what others might know (guidance from surgeons on this point seems to vary a lot).



Otherwise things are going well so far and I'm very grateful. I need to watch doing too much too soon. When I first stand, I feel stiff and tight, bit after a minutes of slow walking, I feel remarkably good. Until my back starts yowling, that is, from all the hunchback action.



Thanks again for all the support. I look forward to helping others more as I get lucid again!

So....more advice wanted. Some friends and I are planning a girl's getaway in early June....my surgery is booked for April 12. I really do understand that we all recover differently, but just wondering what the "veterans" think might be my activity level for some mild hiking by that time? I'm pretty fit going into this, but do have a weak back and shoulders if stressed. Also...anybody have experience with wearing a backpack after surgery? Not worried about the long-term, but wondering if for the first few months the pressure from the shoulder straps and hip belt might be ill-advised.

Keznick...hope you got those drains out like you wanted. 

Nihahi-

I had a ss ns umx with immediate DIEP reconstruction. My surgeon cleared me to run 6 weeks post-op. He actually cleared me at 5 weeks to run, but at 6 weeks to wear a bra (no binder/no bra surgeon), so 6 weeks to run with my sports bra.

Ran 6.74 miles that first run. Started chemo that week and ran through chemo too.

Yes, everyone is different, but want to encourage you that activity is possible! Push yourself physically in these weeks leading up to your surgery. Go into it strong )

Seagan... I wore a compression girdle and it was good in that it held the drains in place all day long. It was a stage I (had zippers on the side) and an open crotch. So I would shower, put on the girdle with pads around the drains (an ABD pad with a slit cut in it to surround the drain), zip up and leave it for 24 hours. You can bathroom through the whole. Plus the girdle gives added support. Many women like the support and have trouble giving it up even once the drains are gone. Plus, it prevents seromas and swelling.

Nihahi, I am also a hiker. I realize my recovery has not been the ideal (with the abdominal infection), but my advice to you is to plan to hike, but have a back-up activity you can do in case you are unable to keep up. My usual hiking/walking pattern pre-surgery was 7-10 miles per day. I figure that even though I am actually 5, going on six weeks out, I am behind a few weeks due to the above-mentioned infection. I think age has to factor into it. I am 58, and in reasonably (ha ha) good health, and this has knocked me for a loop.....I am hopeful that I will be able to take a trip to Yosemite this fall. My usual destination is Glacier National Park in Montana.....but I cannot conceive of hiking those trails (with the possibility of bears around every corner :-p -I couldn't run fast enough to not be the last one in line!). So Yosemite it is....and it will be lovely. I hope it works out for you, as there is nothing as wonderful as being out in Nature-it just feeds my soul in a way that nothing else does. My long-term plan is to hike the PCT from the California/Oregon border to the Oregon/Washington border.....maybe next year. :-)

Seagan - Wow -  I've been following your progress. Sounds like you're doing great. You mentioned that your breasts were 'small but cute'. (Yay!). Are they smaller than before? I was under the impression that it takes a few weeks before they take shape - so I'm really glad to know that they're looking good. 

Nihahi - I love the 'sisters not twins' thing too. My PS i s so calm that he makes all this craziness seem quite normal. I went to an evening of reconstructed breasts here in Toronto, and several surgeons spoke, and we had the privilege of meeting/seeing/touching some of their handiwork. One of his collegues said 'We want to give you breast that make you so friggin' happy'. Brilliant! I wrote a little bit about it here.

http://balderdish.blogspot.ca/2012/10/sisters-not-twins.html

I'm still waiting for my surgery date, so these success stories really keep me going. Thanks,

Janet

 hi ladies!   sooo excited to read all your posts.   i am thinking i'm going to try to have the DIEP surgery done myself.  I tried a regular TE bilateral on 1/3.   unfortunately, i had so much infection that on 1/30 they had to remove them both. was very sad but glad to not be in so much pain.   i was hesitant about it to begin with because i had finished radiation 6 months prior and although i healed fabulously......i had read and heard that this wasn't the optimal surgery for women who have had radiation but because it was less invasive and my PS said she was confident it would be great....i went with it.  WRONG!   so now i'm back to square one and even worse.....my radiated side looks awful.......still swolen....and still kind of red.   very tender and sensitive and the scar tissue underneath is horrible.   sooo disappointed.   my PS wants to try again in April.    I think not.

so the DIEP was originally the surgery i wanted but was scared that there wasn't a doctor in state i could go to that had the required experience.   well....i found one and i'm getting a second opinion on 3/7.    what i would love is some help with what to ask.  i've done my research as far as what it entails.   watched a video of the surgery on youtube.  and checked to make sure externally i am cleared to have this type of surgery.   i just want to make sure i'm choosing the right doctor and if there's anything i need to be aware of when i meet with him.  

thank you so much for your help.....i sincerely appreciate it.

ally

I would also want to know how much microvascular experience they have, and the same for the surgeon who will be working with him during the surgery. Ask which hospital he uses, how much experience the nurses who will be caring for you have with post-op flap patients. Ask about post-op followup, how often, stages, and photos of others he has done if possible. You certainly want to like he listens to your questions, doesn't try to avoid any answers, and doesn't try to rush you into decisions that you might not understand. You could always put his name on here, and ask if anyone has any knowledge/experience with him. It's a place to start, but you'll probably come up with more questions each time you think about it. My doc typically sees patients 2 to 3 times for presurgery Q and A, and made me feel like he would sit there and talk to me and my husband as long as we wanted to. He's a super busy surgeon, but once you're "in the room with him" you are made to feel like you're his main focus of the day. It also helps to have a good feeling about his office staff....how do they treat you, how comfortable are you. You need the technical info and you also need the personal comfort level too.

dnadebbs - are you sure about that name?  The Arizona Medical Board lists him as a gastroenterologist.  You want to be sure that your surgeon is board certified in Plastic Surgery and should have extensive additional training in microsurgical procedures.

omg!   totally wrong doctor!

Dr. Lewis Albert Andres!     thank you for correcting me!  the other dr is in Prescott as opposed to scottsdale.   kinda close but not really!   lol!

curveball...........you're right....i had figured that out as well so its on my list of questions.   it could also be the clinic itself actually does that many surgeries per year.  who knows.  i'm not going to guess.   but yes.....this is why i am asking for all the questions......and thoughts........

thank you soooo much!

ally