DIEP 2013

ssla01.....good to hear you're safe. Sending prayers to those who were in harm's way today.

Dropped by to say "hello" to all you lovelies......and I see that Nihahi is out on her bike, SBElizabeth has gone back to work.......people are talking about phantom itchiness ......(about which I am an expert.....have been having it right in the spot my missing left nipple would be.....). Will have to try scratching in the armpit..... . I also experience occasional phantom "nipple-shriveling" when I get out of the shower and it's chilly. Anyone else?



I, too, ditched the heavy pain meds at first opportunity....in the hospital, I was given a morphine pump and used it 3 times in 24 hours.....when I started to see bugs crawling up and down my walls, I pulled the plug. At home, I became weepy and combative.....due to the OxyContin and oxycodone ......I was off of those within a week......Tylenol extra-strength became my new best friend......



Best wishes to all going in this week......just follow Liefie......she knows how to do it right!



I leave for Japan on Friday.......nervous as hell........I hope those poor Japanese women don't faint, or think that I'm sporting the newest fad from America.......the Onsen will never be the same!



Namaste and God bless - Jackie

ssla01 - good to hear you escaped mostly unscathed. I used to live in Moore and this is at least the 2nd time I've seen that town wiped out. Glad I moved when I did!

Feel so bad for all those people in OK. We're having a tornado watch here today until 7pm. Several schools are already dismissing kids from school, so I'm going to go get mine and come home and get in the closet.

sheesh Kuka.....stay safe!!!!!!!

First off, those of you in the tornado areas, please stay safe! Can't believe the destruction and loss of life, and hope/pray it will dissipate very soon.

Second off, Beezuz, hope you are resting comfortably today!LyndaMarie, you are probably still in surgery as we speak - best wishes to you! Bailey and SheChirpie, I'm 5 days out, and doing just great. You will too!

Third off, Movie, hope your DD is better today? Was shocked at what she is going through at her young age?! Poor thing! You have to relax now, and start enjoying the prospect of Japan, okay Bellie? You're going to wow their socks off with your new DIEP breasts, not to mention the crotch eyes - lol! They ain't seen nothing yet!

Nihahi, DH and I had such a beautiful sleep last night after the boys phoned from Edmonton around 10 to say that they had arrived there safe and sound - phew! You are amazing - riding 18 km on a bike? You and sbelizabeth will inspire me to start looking at bicycles - lol! More on the other thread later.

As far as my recovery, I am truly amazed at myself 5 days out. Getting stronger every day, and this morning was able to bathe myself from head to foot, dry off and dress with no help at all. Moving up and down stairs with ease, walking around almost upright. Breast drain was pulled in hospital 3 days post-op, crotch drains are putting out very little. DH phoned PS office this morning, spoke to her secretary asking if he could pull them tonight. Waiting to hear back from PS. Expected to have the drains much longer, because with my mastectomy I had the drain for 17 days. Maybe my recovery is not typical, but I think that it really, really pays off big time to go into this fit and strong. The nurses at the hospital were surprised that I 'came back' so quickly with literally not the slightest complication, and referred to me as a model patient. As for me, I'm just grateful that it is over, and that it went so well. So pleased with the new boobie and flat tummy!! All of you still waiting, I sincerely wish you the same speedy, uneventful, boring recovery.

All you peeps down in storm country - be safe! Keeping everyone in my prayers!

Sbelizabeth, you crack me up! Glad work is going ok.



I'm 3 weeks tomorrow and am healing well. I have a compression bra and enjoy taking breaks and the pain in my breasts is getting better.



I'm getting port put in June 4 and will start 8 rounds of chemo soon after. It will be a long Summer/Fall, then this can be behind me.



I don't have phantom feeling yet, but definitely weird twinges.



I still need pain meds. Am working a few hours here and there, and DH and immediately family have been doing so much for me, my kids, very lucky.



Have a great night everyone and god bless! Lauren

sbelizabeth,



You wrote on your blog about your microsurgeon having to do a lot of cleanup work on your radiated breast as so much scar tissue was adhered (fried) to your chest wall.



Do you mind saying whether or not your breast surgeon placed a TE or small implant after your mastectomy in anticipation of radiation? I may have missed your post about your specific situation.



So glad to hear your return to work is going so well!

Pinkheart, my team, including breast surgeon, med onc, rad onc, and plastic surgeon, had a meeting before my mastectomy in April 2012 to discuss the best way to help me kick cancer to the curb.  The bs and ps were thinking an expander would be a good idea to help prevent some of the adhesions that eventually occurred, but the rad onc was 100% against it.  I had a nasty cancer.  Significant nodal involvement, with some cancer in a small area of my breast's dermal lymphatics, and he wanted the targeting of the radiation to be exact, intense, and perfect.  The goal was to zap whatever cancer nits might be hanging around WITHOUT cooking my heart or lung in the process.  So no tissue expander.

That being said, I know many other women who have had a tissue expander in place during rads and did just fine.  I think my rad onc was very conservative, and very goal-oriented toward my surviving the cancer as well as surviving a very aggressive course of radiation.  In fact, that's specifically what I told him, to consider cure to be the goal, with the cosmetic result to be secondary.

I'm thrilled that this surgery not only gave me a boob-like bump and I don't have to wear a prosthesis the rest of my life, but the painful, stuck-down tissue that affected my shoulder and neck range of motion was removed.  I still have a big, adhered radiation wound scar behind my arm that will need to be addressed, and that's in this year's plan too. One day at a time.

Nihahi, I'm wearing flip flops today.  No meetings, and I have blisters on a couple of toes.  I wonder where they came from?  Oh, well.  "Beauty knows no pain."

LMO, I had blood drawn yesterday and I missed my little port.  They removed it during the DIEP (from the underside!  No new scar!).  Placing it was absolutely no big deal, and I came to think of it as a tiny friend that protected my veins and helped me through the chemo.  My own chemo experience was a interval in my life when I was supported, encouraged, protected, and occasionally emotionally carried, by friends, family, and caregivers.  I was humbled by their love and desire to help.  I hope the same for you, dear sister.

Happy Hump Day, everyone!  (That means it's Wednesday, in case you thought it was something else.)  Katy

Dyvgrl--I can so relate.  I went into my lumpectomy thinking my cancer was smaller than a tic-tac, no big deal, and it just didn't turn out that way.  It was hard, looking ahead to all the treatment I would be required to endure, but one day at a time...putting one foot in front of the other...it was accomplished. 

Much better taking your time and taking things in the order recommended, like you're doing. 

Dyvgrl......there's nothing at all wrong with being optimistic, as long as you can temper it with a good dose of acceptance and fight. We certainly do ourselves no good, by expecting the worst. One day at a time......or sometimes, one hour at a time. You'll get there.

Sbelizabeth.....hmmm, blisters.....hard to imagine where they've come from (snicker, snicker!). Bet you looked smashing yesterday, and flip flops today sound just fine.

Liefie....woohoo.....just one drain to go! I lived in my pjs too the first few days at home. Then started getting dressed, so I could walk my laps is the condo hallways. Just back from another bike ride, got a few sprinkles while riding, but it has started to rain now, so I'm glad I went earlier. 21km today.....more of a bird day, than flowers. Saw my first black headed herons!!!!

Time now to do the boring stuff like housework. Keep walking!!!

Dyvgirl, I guess it's the Elephant diet - and how you eat that Elephant - ONE BITE AT A TIME!!!



I drove for the first time since my latest surgery today - big deal for me as I have two painful areas that fell like I've got staples in me but aren't staples but inside sutures that are very much like wire but not - and supposed to dissolve?! I'm good with that, and will be patient but had to nix the Loratab and Vallium in favor of getting myself behind the wheel in case I need to make a very speedy trip to hospice for my dad. Happy I made the transition, ibuprofen and tylenol not cutting it, but remembering the reason is my motivation! Sad day as my driving took me to a card store to buy DIL, GD, birthday cards and my oldest GD a graduation card!!! I had a store credit and bought my dad a Father's Day card - it just said the perfect thing, then choked up at the counter when paying for it = hoping I get to either give it or send it to him (7 hours away)!



Pity party over, sorry!

Catie, good for you on that Father's day card. They so appreciate receiving it! Like sbelizabeth, I wish I could send my dad one, but he passed in 2006.

sbelizabeth, I share your intense hatred for drains, and I'm so relieved that I'm losing them so soon after surgery this time. DH is a fam. physician, so pulling drains is not a big deal for him. Will tell him he won an award though - lol! I just did not want to wait till Friday when I see the PS, because there was very little output in that drain since Sunday. Hear you about the memory issues, and admire you girls who work so hard. Guess we'll find out in a few weeks' time what I did and said while under the' influence' . . . lol!

Hello All - I'm 4 weeks+ now.  I am getting back to my normal routine - volunteering at the school, not having to nap during the day, running errands and making dinner.  Stay-at-home mom stuff.  It feels good to be back.  My belly button is very hard - is this normal?  My PS saw it last week and remarked how great it looked.  It doesn't look great to me!  My scabs are starting to really come off and everything looks like it is healing well.  I am really tired at night and have an early bedtime still!  I'm like my kids - except I actually sleep!  Can't wait until week 6.  I get to start working out again - modified of course.  

I know people have been talking about Week #2 and depression and emotional outbursts.  That was me, too.  I think a lot of it is coming off all the meds - so much is in your system and you really don't realize it.  Also, it is quite the emotional crash after the frenetic build up to the surgery.  

Also the elephant in the room analogy was pretty much bang on.  I went through a lot of "what if it comes back" in Week #2 and my DH just let me freak out and sob.  Said I had to get it out and get myself to a place where I could live with it.  It took a lot of soul-searching, prayer and finally a very angry letter to God. Yup, I wrote a letter - 4 pages typed.  I gave it all up to God and decided that when the elephant gets me - I'm handing the elephant over to God to deal with.  I'm doing my best to do all that I can.