DIEP 2013

Just a quick check in tonight:

peacelovedogs.. I've asked the mods to change the dates for you on our list. Sorry if I missed an earlier message from you. Nerves are to be expected I feel, for such a significant surgery, and we each have our unique worries and issues. Sounds like you have done all you can to organize stuff at home, now you need to do the best you can for YOURSELF, and I agree that means asking for some anxiety meds. They sure helped me.

Cherrie...Sounds like you're feeling a little better?? Hope you just keep improving. You're not alone in the hotel room are you?????

Lmo and Kuka...sounds like you're doing great too. Energy gets zapped by alot of different "triggers", small kids at home being a huge trigger, I should think. Rest when you can, be proud of what you can do each day, look back, and see how far you've come since the day after surgery.....small steps add up to progress too, doesn't have to be giant leaps forward every day!

sbelizabeth...I've sent you an email.

Liefie....please keep the cougars over there....I'd rather meet a bear (in fact I have, several times) than a cougar on the trail. I know they're around here......just don't want to deal with one.

fredntan....LOVE the mindset of "the doors are locked"....too clever!!!

Gini....Hope the walk went well, and the rain held off for you and your fellow walkers.

Have good nights everyone.

Thanks Jeannie for the explanation... I wonder then why they don't just use an implant to hold the place. That would avoid fills and messing with the muscle, and yet keep the skin intact.... right? Or would the implant just slip out of place? I didn't have delayed DIEP or radiation so I am just curious.

Kuka21 - The soreness on the sides of the breasts does get better. I still have some tender areas, but at almost 4 months they are starting not to be noticeable unless I press on them. I guess these were the areas where the put the instrumentation in when they were putting the new foobs on because that is the tender area. You are doing great if you are doing what you are doing post-op. It is a slow recovery, please give yourself lots of time to heal and enlist the kids to help.



Peace - what part of Fla do you live in? I used to live in Orlando (kids still there) and West Palm Beach. I was told that it was okay to take sleeping pill the night before, and even for STage 2, I am going to do it. Plus a glass of wine (bad, yes, I know). You have a lot of on your plate, I am glad you have a good support system!

Happy Mother's Day, especially to those of you who battled BC and endured all that goes with it, while managing a home with small children.  My twins were 30 years old when I was diagnosed, and it was hard enough for them, but moms who needed to find ways to explain and manage the disease, fatigue, baldness, surgeries, etc. to little ones deserve a special medal.  

Peacelovedogs, my PS offered me presecriptions for ativan and a sleeping med at my pre-op visit.  I don't believe ANY PS would say no to your question.  And it's a very good idea to be rested and relaxed going into this adventure.  

Cherrie, good thoughts coming your way.  Time heals.  

One more week of goldbricking, I think, and then it's back to the office for me.  In the meantime...sleeping in, biking, shopping, making dinner for DH, having a great time! 

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers!

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow DIEPERS!

Checking in. No pain or nausea right now. However, I can't keep my eyes open. All I do is sleep.

I did mine in oct. finished rad may4th. PRMA will do at 3 or 4 months. My skin was ready. I didnt know any docs would do so soon. so I didn't start scheduling until sept. I needed to get it behind me. I couldn't wait the 6months to year local docs were saying. I thnk NOLA does 3 months. I'm not sure. Betsy will know

Happy Mother's day to all you lovely ladies! Mine was a bit lonely without any children living close by, but they have all phoned me - they know what is good for them!

Cherrie, sleep is good. Glad to hear you are doing much better now.

My PS wanted to wait for DIEP longer after rads. It's going to be about eleven months since rads ended for me. Seems different PS's have different ideas . . . oh well, it is what it is. Have to trust them.

Cherrie - get your rest while you can....! My afternoon naps are long gone.... Rest well!



Damiana - my PS also said it would be a 6 mos wait if I did rads. If you are confident with your surgeon, perhaps it's worth a question if HE is confident that 3 mos is enough time, based on the number of DIEPs he's done?



Betsy - My PS once explained the history of implants to me, that they originally were not put beneath the muscle and all kind of problems ensued. So I think that would be the same here. Need the muscle to hold them in place. Also, even with a skin-sparing MX, I think they remove a fair amount of the skin, and since it's not being immediately replaced by belly skin they need to close and then expand the skin slowly. Too much at once can lead to issues like necrosis, I think.



Faith - would love to have you join us at Komen! Why not this year....? It is June 1 - I can't run this year, only walk... would you be up to it?? I did it last year mid-chemo, in the pouring rain!



I hope all the moms had a lovely Mother's Day! Mine was spent on the soccer sidelines. First we drove up to the northern border of CT, and then ended up on the southern coast! Thankfully no rain and a lovely day spent with my DDs. One win, one tough loss, but great games!



Hugs,

Jeannie

Surgeries this week are: peacelove dogs and Weerah.....best wishes to you both for successful surgeries and easy healing.

Damiana9....besides the differences in PS protocols, there are differences among us all of type and duration of tx's, rads included....then throw into the equation, the fact that physically, we respond/heal differently too. Why not ask your PS his reasons for telling you why he feels that timing would work for you? If you are uncomfortable with his explanation, ask for more info, or get another opinion.

ckmoss....congrats on the smoking cessation! That is a huge accomplishment!!!! Again, every surgeon has his protocols.....talk to your surgeon about his.

Cherrie....hope you woke up feeling so much better, and ready to go home!

CKMoss, I don't think all is lost for you as far as DIEP is concerned. You accomplished a wonderful thing when you stopped smoking. I have never smoked, but have seen the struggle of people trying to break the habit. Congratulations! You may have to wait longer before DIEP to give yourself the best chance of success, and to give your body enough time to recover from smoking. The ability of the human body to heal itself from all the abuse we throw at it is simply amazing, and it will be worth your while to exercise patience here. Maybe start eating as healthy as you possibly can, and start exercising if you are not already doing so. Talk to your surgeon as Nihahi suggested. Good luck!

CKMoss - Congrats on quitting smoking.  I smoked for 25 years and quit 20 years ago.  Talk with your surgeon about DIEP and how long you need to wait.  Most of our surgeons even recommend that we not be around second-hand smoke. Besides creating challenges in re-connecting the tiny blood vessels, smoking/smoke influence healing/scarring.  But, quitting improves all your life!

Hi ladies just checking in to se how things are going with everyone ! Today was my first day back to work in 6 weeks and it went better than I had expected. I am a nanny for a 3 year old little girl and she is sweet but doesn't handle change well. To my surprise when I got here this morning she was really excited and had decorated the house with pictures for my welcome back morning cute !



gini23 im not sure if I would be ready to walk that far yet ? If you have an extra minute would you be willing to pm me the details of the walk?

Faith, I'm heading back after this week, and that will be five weeks off.  But I'm not chasing children, just sitting at a computer!  Take it easy with the kiddo kapers and take a nap when you get home.

Two legless reptiles with buzziness on the trail this morning!  DH 5, Katy 8!  I also encountered a small gaggle of women that always walk on Monday mornings, with whom I'd become friends years ago when I used to have every Monday off work.  We had a long chin wag about breast cancer and I showed them the new flat tummy and the frankenboobies.  They were absolutely amazed.  None of them had any idea that breast reconstruction could be done other than using an implant.  

My last week at home.  Actually, I need to get out of here so I will stop internet shopping.  It's just too much fun.