DIEP 2013

Bailey, I had surgery 5 weeks ago and developed blisters, one on each side, while at the hospital. I also been treating then with silvadene. The one on the right side it's almost healed up, but the one on my left side it's about a quarter size and still trying to heal. It's not discharging any more oozing, now it just bleeds when I clean it. I went to my ps today and he said he's surprised that it hasn't healed yet. So now he wants me to put gauze on it soaked on saline. If that doesn't work we will have to do skin graft😞. We also talked about what else we'll do. Lipo of the tummy, lowering of the incision, fat injections, reconstruction of the nipples and lipo of my double chin. But none of this can be done until my blister heals.

Katy, how long did your blisters take to heal? I'm hoping I'll be able to have stage 2 by August.

Just got off the phone scheduling my stage 2.  I was hoping for mid to late July but they didn't have anything in July and I couldn't do the two dates available in August so I'm scheduled for September 5th.  Amazing I'm not too upset about the delay (in my mind).  PS did say that waiting longer to help "things" adjust is better for her.  I was just hoping that if I needed a 2b it could be done this calendar year but now I'm thinking I may wait at least 6 months to 8 months to let "things" adjust.  I just didn't realize this process would take so long.  I thought I'd be "done" by now.  Oh well, all is good and I'm healthy!    

I didn't have to wear any compression garments with my first surgery but scheduler said I will need to bring one to the hospital the day of my stage 2 surgery.  She's sending me the information about what to get.  I guess it's the fat grafting.  Oh well, another plus it won't be as hot as in the heat of the summer.

Thanks for sharing your blister stories.....makes me feel better knowing others have had same experience! It appears to me that the blisters are on the part of the radiated skin that they sewed the flap to....I wonder if that has anything to do with it? Regardless, thanks again!

Catie, I wonder if I can ask my surgeon about repara and maybe I can use it too.

I really hope we don't have to do the skin graft:(

Bailey - mine was on my radiated incision line.



Kuka - it is called Repara, Calcium Aginate - I just googled it to make sure, sorry for previously saying the name wrong - you can google as well to look it up.



Hope that helps !

Bailey, if it seems upsetting and of concern to you, go to her office and let her have a look. I'd rather be overly cautious than regretful and there is no substitute for direct observation.



At four weeks out, I'm still feeling very sore. Especially right breast. Guess this is normal? I start chemo next Thursday and am a little concerned. Last time I started chemo I was in physical fighting shape. Working on my mind set now. I honestly believe our bodies will follow our minds.



Good night friends:)

Both my ps' s have seen the amount of blistering and swelling and are unperturbed. I was just looking for confirmation from other patients who may have experienced the same things. So far y'all have commiserated with the blisters so I am feeling better about that.

Robin....the picture forum is a great visual resource. It is "partnered" with the boards, but actually is a separate "site" managed by one of the ladies. To get access, you send a PM to nowheregirl or timtam. It is the same person, but she seems to have two identities. She is based in Japan....and seems to have a schedule that means she checks in for messages at irregular intervals. She will eventually send a PM back to you, with instructions on how to get access. It does take time, and I think she also has a rule that you have to have been active on the boards for awhile, before she grants access, to keep the "lookyloos" out of a very personal, private site.

Physio on my shoulder/axilla went ok today. He didn't do much, but I was sore by the time I got home. But he is confident he can help, and he knows my shoulder issues from pre-surgery, so I'm in good hands. 

Question for the ladies who did "mandatory" compression. When you had the ok to stop using compression, did you taper off gradually, or just peel it off and kiss it goodbye???

Sorry to all the ladies having blister issues, I'm wondering what the cause is???? Glad to hear that they all seem to be healing up well.

Catch you later.

Goldie4040, I am scheduled for a delayed DIEP in August so I am also interested in hearing what other's have to say. My TE's were inserted (under the skin) last week when I had a second MX so I am just getting started. My PS said I would have a better end result with expanding the side that was done in December (long story).



Ann

I had my diep surgery in March of this year after having a masectomy on my right side in 2010. I didn't have any other reconstruction. My breast looks good to me after seeing it flat for 2 years. So far I haven't had any complications. I wanted to wait till after chemo and then the next step was reconstruction. I have my stage 2 on June 17.

Heavenschild - sorry you are having some bad days.  I'm 11 weeks out and I still get pains especially in the morning if I sleep wrong.  I get twinges in my abdomen too at the end of the day.  Some days I just seem to have to take it slower.   But I look back and see how far I've come and I feel a lot better.  

heasvenschild....sorry, I think I ate most of the cheese yesterday, with MY whine.....Hope tomorrow can be put in the "good day" column. Is your pain muscular, skin or nerve??? Any relief with different bras or positioning??? Sure wish it would settle down for you.

I'm likely one of the more "delayed" recon than most of you. Original mx was 1991. Stayed flat for a couple years. First implant lasted less than 2 years before it ruptured. Second implant didn't rupture, but developed significant capsular contracture and actually ended up "bowing" my ribs and affecting my shoulder musculature. I'm now not quite 7 weeks post recon, and have thought things looked great even before leaving the hospital, and things just keep looking better and better. Don't worry about delay vs. immediate.....you can get awesome results regardless of the timeline. 

sweetpickle....I know it doesn't seem possible, but usually, post surgery pain doesn't seem to be a huge issue. The first couple times getting in and out of bed, and the first few walks, certainly weren't comfortable, but for me, were not eye-bulging painful either. I felt more weak and exhausted, than pain. I had a pain pump (morphine) that I only used a few times because I couldn't handle the nausea it caused. I was doing pretty good on regular tylenol, only as needed (usually after a long walk), and at bedtime to help settle to sleep, before I was discharged. Hope that helps set your mind at ease. The most help I needed was getting "started"...in/out of bed or chair while in hospital, but could do it independently before I went home. 

Hey, Movie...are your fingers too pruney to let us know what it's like to skinnydip in a Japanese hot spring?  

At least if it's chilly when you get out of there you won't have the shriveled high-beam thing going.

Lol! I think we are all excited to hear about Movie's adventure.

Heaven'sChild, I for one am glad that we can express the good and the bad.  No-one wants to hear all the YAY, GOOD, Excellent, it's a breeze, if that is not the truth.  There are a few truths.  DIEP is a major recstructive surgery.  DIEP, therefore, has many faces, with many outcomes. 

That said, even my truth changes from day to day.  It is why I keep a journal. I am 5 days into hell. That is a strong word.  But for this moment, right now, thatis how I feel.  I also feel the worst is behind me, and in 5 more days I know I will be saying "it's do-able", you'll get through.

I have been home for about 2 hrs.  I do NOT want to discourage anyone, so I'll tell you all the complications and how I felt at the time.  But, with it all behind me, I will say "it's do-able" and I do beleive that I will have no regrets in the long run.

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I arrived at the hospital 5:15 am Friday.  I was pre-admitted, so literally just showed my ID and was shown to my pre-op room.  They processed me in without a hitch. By 7:30 they wheeled me off to surgery and my hubby went to work (I insisted he not sit through 12 hrs of surgery).  My surgery ended up 13 1/2 hrs and I was awakened in ICU just after midnight.

ICU was labelled "hot room" and ws 80*, as promised.  I had prepared for this, as I live in a dessert, so no problem.

I was on morphine drip, no problem. I also knew I had catheter, but always felt like I needed to pee, and could actually feel when I was peeing, even with catheter.  Well, GOD BLESS with with the gift of a raging UTI and my period!!! Yes, ladies, I have 4 drains, 2 of which are in the pubic area and I have my period.   These are things I was not prepared for, but we handled it. Nurses in ICU are wonderful.  Not embarassed enough, now they are changing maxi pads for one of my heaviest ever periods.

Sunday I was moved to my regular room, also 80* and fine.  This is a brand new hospital, opened May 7.  Many of the staff this was their first shifts in the new hospital, so they were unfamiliar.  That's okay, we could work through that, too.

By monday my IV alarm was going off constantly.  I would hit call button for nurse.  It would take 40 minutes for nurse to come.  Yes, 40 minutes. By the third or 4th time, I was NOT being nice to my nurse.  R U F'in Kidding me?  This is psychological turture.  She showed me how to turn off the alarm! Uh, NO....find the reason and fix it.  She refused. I yelled at her.  I told her I would NOT lie here in a state of the art hospital and be tortured.  She threw all her stuff down on my table and walked out.  Nobody would answer my call button.  My alarm was going off.  I was so desparate I called my sister at home and told her to call the hospital and tell them that the patient in room 734 was going to leave (and some other non threats).  It worked.  The charge nurse for the floor was in my room w/in 15 minutes.  We talked, I cried like a baby, then I got mean.  I reminded her that I am an attorney, for the State.  I thanked her for fixing my alarm, and moving my IV which was the problem.  I also made it very clear to her that, yes, she had fixed that problem, but she had a bigger problem.  She has a new staff, in a new hospital, who has not been properly trained on the new equipment and that I would be initiating a Dept. of Health investigation.  Not a threat.  This I can do.

It didn't get much better from there. One nurse coming on shift was taking report from the departing nurse and whispered to her, but within my earshot, that she didn't know how to use this particular IV pump.  That's ok, I figure, they have to learn sometime. At least she asked for help.  I was shocked when the departing nurse just handed a peice of paper and told her "I don't know either,just look it up here".  Ughh............

There were some WONDERFUL staff, who made me feel safe.  There was alwasy one superb and one sorry excuse on each shift.

There was a dispute about my pain medication at a couple of points, but we got those worked out.

I did not lose very much blood in surgery, but my sat was low going in and never really recovered, so I did get 2 units post op.  I've never received blood before and it was a weird feeling.  I would have to describe it as pain, because it was more than just uncomfortable.  But, if all this other stuff had not been going on, I'm sure it would have been much easier.

I was walking when they moved me to my regular room Sunday and can walk as far as I want now.  No problems.  My low back does ache from being bent over, but they discharged me with a walker.

So, a few bad expereiences, felt like I was in hell.  But, it was just a build up of sleeplessness, pain, equipment issues, personal issue, my period, bladder infection and, oh yeah, I had this surgery!

My incisions look good.  Want to laughhh....?...TMI...I have pubic hair on my boobie! About a 2" triangular patch has pubic hair.  LOL

On that note.................goodnight.  Tomorrow is another day.

Find the laughter to get through the pain, and there will be no regrets.