DIEP 2013

Janet I love the story about your party. What a good idea about the pics. And I have to say that Jim won some big points!

I just came back from shopping with my 8 year old son. He needed some clothes to hang out this summer. Omg!! My knee is killing me!! It's now swollen and bruised. My DH said it looks like it might be a tendon. He's the nurse, so I have to go with what he says;). And on too of that I got sun burn today. I hope my ps doesn't get mad at me for letting my skin get a little red. Don't worry, my foobs and tummy were covered😜

Good night, Bailey, and all - sweet dreams!



Janet, tell your Jim kudos for the special picture! Will keep you in my prayers for your upcoming surgery!

Kuka...sunburn?  I thought pale was the new tan!  

When I was a teenager, it was the darker the better.  I used to "lay out" as we called it, wearing just a bikini and baby oil.  At the end of the summer my skin was wrinkled and leathery, but back then it recovered.  At my age, I wear sunscreen every day and lube up REALLY well before a bike ride.  

I went to PT this morning before work and brought my work clothes with me.  But when I pulled off my sports bra I discovered I'd forgotten to bring a regular bra with me.  So I wore my dress, with a white cardigan, sans brassiere.  It was so comfortable I might "accidentally" forget my bra tomorrow.

Hope everyone sleeps peacefully tonight!

16 days for me and I'm not doing much of anything to get ready. Not stressed about it either, but wondering if I should be. I figure I'll clean the house a little, pay the bills, and make sure my nice cozy bed is ready for me when I come home. I am going to go buy some baggy pants though.

SheChirple - Hang in there. One more day. You"ve come so far, and by tomorrow you'll be drain free !

I read about everyones preparations for after surgery, and most of you want loose pants to wear.  Why not a comfy loose dress.  With the velcro belt to hold the drains and nothing else around your waist it would seem to would be more comfortable...no?  I know the ones that have been through it can pass on great wisdom on these subjects. 

My nurse gave my husband two hospital gowns when we left the hospital after my bmx.  Those were great for him when he was helping me dress, and bathe.  I saved them for round two.  Also, we didn't care if something gross happened to one of those.  We would throw it in the washer on super hot water, and dryer to sanitize.

May I make a tiny suggestion - no asprin! Actually this goes for everyone.  Most of us don't even think to ask the doc if we can take asprin (and nsaids).  Kind of an everyday thing.  But they all can enhance bleeding.  So, ibuprophen is a yes, but asprin is a no.  At least for several weeks before and after DIEP, and while you have drains, unless your doctor tells you otherwise.  Sorry, just trying to reduce potential problems.

Dresses are a great idea - if you don't have ROM problems and can get them over your head (or step into).  Many of the docs are telling patients they can't raise their arms above 90, so consider that when purchasing.  

I ordered a long French terry zip up dress that I can step into and zip up. Hoping it will work good.

In hospital.....they checked my flap with Doppler device every hour for 48 hours. And I had the hot room with the hot air blanket (heat encourages blood flow). I don't remember but DH says after about two rounds of them coming in and untying the gown behind my head and then retying it I insisted they just take off the gown and leave me covered with just the sheet.



I do remember one nurse giving the oncoming nurse bedside report and her sort of whispering, "She prefers to just be naked under the sheet." So, full of narcotic-induced bravery and "don't give a damn" I said, "YES SHE DOES!". Lol! My family says they LOVE to come visit me when I am in hospital and under the influence....they say it's a really good show. Jerks. At least they don't tape me!!!

Mine were always soft, watery spots. Mine were large though...on my flat chest after mx....we could actually make a wave in them and hear the fluid in the pocket.



My advice is call doc office...better safe than sorry! IF it is seroma (and they can tell) and they need to drain it's easier smaller than larger, in my experience anyway. Can mean needle aspiration vs. drain....uninfected vs. infected.



Hope it's just minor swelling!

Nihahi- YES, I think a flapper girl convention is in order!

Nihahi - will check with him today. I go to see the BS for pre-op today also for my chemo port install so might have her take a quick peek and see what she thinks. My biggest problem with compression is that every bra I can find ends up with the seam directly over my incision in my armpit and the pain gets unbearable. Right now I have on one of those No Boundaries walmart version of a coobie bra - very little compression, but it's comfortable. I'm post op 3 weeks - so not sure how long he wanted me in a sports bra. I figure this is a sports bra in my book but I'll find out from him how important it really is. He put me on antibiotics for an additional week for this incision in my armpit because it's not healing right - well - yeah - everything rubs against it!! Seems like a dumb place to make an incision - but that's me!

Nihahi, will not exercise the arm until I get the go-ahead from PS. Seeing her next Tuesday. I'm just impatient, and hate the idea of being impaired in any way. After MX it took a while to get back full ROM, and it will come back. That rib pain is most likely from the artery connection during DIEP as you suggest.

SheChirpie, I sincerely hope you finally got some sleep. 'Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care' a la the one and only Shakespeare - for me it's always been such a fitting image of sleep. We so need it to be able to function, and it just sucks if we struggle to do something so essential for our wellbeing.

A flapper convention - what a neat idea!

Bailey, I was nekkid under the covers too most of the time in hospital. With the oxygen pipe, catheter pipe, IV pipe, and three drain pipes it was just way easier without clothing. When I woke up in the recovery room after surgery, I realized that I was naked to the waist with a male nurse sitting next to me checking everything every 5 minutes, writing notes. In my confused state I pulled up the sheet to cover the healthy breast - ever modest - lol. I'm sure that nurse and I won't recognize each other on the street - what a good thing that is.

Tammy, sans brassiere is the way to go. If I never have to wear a bra ever again, it will be lovely. Once my two girls are more even and similar, I'm going to burn the bra's . . . lol.

Only extra stuff I bought were two pairs of extra large pj's from WalMart that I wore at home the first week or so. The oversized drawstring pants worked well with the drains in my crotch. No panties either - that was the most comfortable for me.

Dyvgrl - the bra you are wearing should easily hold gauze pads in place over the incisions.  Since you are having healing problems, it is best if you can reduce the irritation.  I got the 4 x 4 size and it worked really well wherever I had a problem.  Also, did not use tape to hold in place.  My doc says "tape is not your friend" as most people have a reaction to it at some point.  

I need a new book to read....any suggestions out there?



Also, speaking of books, anybody read anything b/c related that helped you learn and/or cope along the way? Let's share!



And lastly, I think I am damn near as excited to go panty shopping with my new waistline and belly as I am to go bra shopping with my noobs!

I have the paper tape on incisions for six weeks to keep them flat instruction