Charleston Bound, part 2

Don't know how many times I may change mind, but as of today, I am leaning toward Vinnie's 3D tattoo for my nipples. Pink did Dr K say anything about nipples?

Cascader - thanks for posting! It's wonderful to read about how much you love your results. You are a beacon of hope for those of us just starting out.



Pink - thank you for all of those details. I think best when I have more information...kind of like information overload . And reading about your pre-op gave me a good sense of how the process flows and what I can expect in a couple of months. Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a great outcome for this stage! Enjoy your beach day!

Just a note to anyone having their surgery in Charleston between April 3 and 5, traffic may be a bit heavy.  On Saturday, April 6 is the annual Cooper River Bridge Run.  There are between 35 and 40 thousand people registered to run or walk the bridge.  This is one of the top shorter distance running events in the US and attracts an international field.  There will be a total influx of almost 100,000 people in our cute little city.  The bridge will be closed from about 7 am til noon that day.  The runners begin in Mount Pleasant and end at Marion Square.  Lots of roads downtown are closed for the morning and many in Mount Pleasant.  There are ways around things to some extent.

Why, you ask, am I posting this?  Well, I just realized that my Stage 2 is the day before when the crowd is building to their maximum.  I am thinking it will be really interesting to see if my doc can even get from her condo across the penninsula on Saturday for a post op visit in the morning.  Yes, this is so large a community impact on a small historic city that our synagogue even holds services in a private home because no congregants can get to town on Saturday morning.  This is going to be interesting.

Catie - i will be at Roper downtown, across from Hope Lodge, but the race also effects East Cooper Hospital.  I am pretty sure that Dr. M is an early riser, so it may not be a huge problem - or not.  Your doc lives on James Island and would have to take a route around his elbow to get to his ear to get to EC before noon or 1.  It is just one of those things, but it really caught me by surprise.

Sewaneegirl - hope your trip goes well! Will you be able to check in her while away?



Hugs

Hi all



My Stage 2b (or i prefer stage 3) bilateral SGAP surgery went really well and only four hours this time.



Dr Kline kept me a second night because my blood pressure low, pukey, high pain, and my one and only drain filling fast. He did the major breast revision on radiated breast and did surgical work on the evil axillary cording of which mine was very different and he did a different approach. So most of my pain centered on right breast and chest wall. I will get copy of my operative note next week to get a bettet understanding. He has excellent dictation.



Lipo from tummy and knees to fat graft to breasts not a piece of cake for me either. A while ago i told nurse i only wanted one oxy but changed my mind after 30 minutes so we are just going with full doses till i discharge tomorrow. Really hope to get off oxy soon so I can drive around near and far.



PT wrapped my arm before surgery and again today. Dr K wants me to start therapy right away so i am starting it here with East Cooper PT-CLT and will see my local PT in about three weeks when i get home. Probs is my Summerville friend can only drive me on her day off which is mondays. When i went to HBOT therapy for 30 days after Stage 1, ACS Roads to Recovery drove me to half of the appointments. I may try that or just go twice here on mondays before i leave.



I think the shape of my breasts looks tons nicer but as we all know they need to settle after each surgery. So now they are both B cups Plus I will have two more fat grafting mini surgeries to go ... and who knows what else.

Betsy, have i caught up with you yet?



Almost forgot ... I dont have on any compression girdle!!

My knees were wrapped for 24 hours and my arm wrapped twice. My belly completely black and blue.



Was going to call my DH tonight, but since he is U Michigan alumni i knew better to not call during game.



Catie, I still hope to try to get together with you.



Marty, thanks for all your help and tips. My friend has only lived here 18 months so I've been able to fill her in. Good luck with your surgery too!

Pink... Sounds like you are indeed catching up.

Catie, Glad to hear you are getting your deposit back. Hope he is good to his word!

MartyJ, at least you know about the bridge run. Can you imagine someone coming in that has no idea what a big deal that is!! I'd like to do it next year after all this is over.

I am feeling better and stronger. I just get frustrated bcs I have always bounced back fast, but not this time. I still have vaseline gauze that I have to put over the nipple area on the left breast where he used the smaller vessel. It's not closed up or healed much, but it looks better. Everywhere else is ok.

I have large areas of fat necrosis. Dr. K told me to expect that on the left side, but the right one has it , too. In fact, right now both breasts feel like they are half-n-half! Dr. K said bcs of the small vessel that we would wait until September for stage 2. I hope he changes his mind & goes in to fix this sooner. I have no fat on my hips & legs, so if he cannot get enough from my stomach (which I do not think will be a problem), he will have to go to my back.

I'd like these to look more like breasts, although I will admit I like looking down and seeing something! But, only with my clothes on! These "flaps ain't purty", in fact, the hubby called them Frankenboobs....kinda made me mad, but I did not say anything because it is the truth!!

Jesk

Compressing pics in pp has no effect on quality. Worked in medical research and used it all the time. Link sounds interesting though.

Maybe some Saltine crackers, too ... It will get better but sounds like you need to lie down and elevate your feet for a bit, Pink.

Sewanee,

Did you put compression on your hematoma? Was it also at your drain site?



Stomach is already unhappy, and now gets to say hi to iron pills .....

Pink so sorry bout the tummy problems, hoping they soon ease up. I hate those nasty iron pills and I think Dr K only tells you to take them if you can't/don't eat red meat or you REALLY need them badly. I used to get shots for iron, wonder if that's a possibility?



You may be able to charge admission when your PP is complete and you are at the end of your BC journey - might be a new revenue source!

I may be really late to the game, but for any stragglers such as me, Dr. K has a facebook page= Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction & Dr. Paul Baron has one, too.

No compression, in terms of a garment. My hematoma came from a small artery that burst somewhere in my hip, 10 days post-op, for reasons unknown. Could have been compromised somehow when the flap was taken, could have been related to blood-thinner, etc. I heard a loud "pop" the night before and thought a stitch had burst. No pain and no immediate symptoms. About 15 hours later, bright red blood started coming out around the drain and in it too - not at a high rate, but really obviously a sign of bleeding somewhere around the surgical site in my hip. The dr had me lie o. That side to compress it and the bleeding eventually stopped. The hematoma was the residue that had collected inside and hadn't yet come out. After the episode a week or so passed before more came out around the drain site - this time, dark "old blood" colored. We opted to let it drain as it continued coming out, although not through the drain. Annoying but not painful and the drainage helped prevent really bad swelling although there was some swelling.i stayed on doxycycline and after a month it had run its course and finished draining. So my drain was in for about 6 weeks.