DIEP 2013

Thanks Ruth, Aquaphore was my best friend during rads! Will hit the drug store tomorrow. SO sorry you are in pain but so glad you have an answer!

Hey ladies, thanks for the well wishes on the house! Found out it can't go through unless my soon to be ex signs off on it even though his name isn't on it! And if it does go through any monies get held in trust by the lawyer until our "issues" are finaled in court. Ughhhh! I'm so frustrated I had a cigarette. Now I'm mad at myself too!



Welcome to our newest members, these ladies will be invaluable! This is the best thread I have ever been part of!



Kuka, I'm glad bursitis was all it turned out to be. I'm guessing it was a shot of cortisone they gave you. I have bursitis in my hips and when I over do it I know it. Hurts like hell!



I think I'm about to open a bottle of ice wine and see who wins the voice!

Cheers,

Sherry



Good luck tomorrow kad and damianna. You will soon be on the other side!

I would love an answer to this as well! I just had my surgery last Tuesday and am trying to "stretch " a little every day. Looking forward to rejoining the land of the moving!

Damiana - 

I'm thinking about you tonight, and I'll be thinking about you all day tomorrow. The best part is waking up after surgery and knowing that it's done, then a few small steps, then the triumphant walk through the revolving hospital doors into fresh air. You'll do great.

It's so manageable, and there's so much pain management, and assistance. Time goes quickly.

I just got home today, and had a light dinner on the back deck, then shimmied into bed with my wedge pillow, where I am quite comfortable. As far as drains, sbelizabeth has a good option with the fanny pack, and is pretty accurate in saying there's no great solution.

I ordered a 'Jacki' which is a soft jacket with velcro bindings, and inside pockets for the drians. Liike almost everything else I bought, it is still in the bag with the tags on. In the hospital my drains were pinned to my gown and I was quite happy to let them dangle off me like sad old Christmas lights on Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

At home I'm wearing a cammi, and with three drains left, I've pinned them all to that. My pajamas bottoms keep the tubes covered, my robe keeps the balls covered, and going to the washroom doesn't require any adjusting. If I leave the house I'll put on a loose shirt and yoga pants, and keep the cammi so I can use it to pin the drains.

So I'm left with the Jacki, unused, and I'd like to pass it along to anyone who might enjoy using it. I live in Canada, so it wouldn't arrive in the US for a few weeks. If anyone has an upcoming surgery after July, please pm me and I'll happily send it along.

http://www.alittleeasierrecovery.org/

dyvgirl - My blood is boiling with empathy. I get SO frustrated at the lack of communication within the medical system. Meanwhile we put our lives on hold and do everything we can to stay on top of things. So frustrating.

Good night everybody, sleep well.  

Janet, thanks for the shoulder, I just needed to get that stress and monkey off my back before walking into a meeting with my whole management team. Ugh!!

One note to remember regarding drains. I had mine pinned to the waistband of my sweats, and of course forgot, racing to the bathroom from the gallons of water I was drinking, I yanked my pants down firmly and immediately screamed and hit the ground. I'm telling you, those stitches don't give!! I started leaking from the insertion site afterwards. Ugh! Remember that if you ever attach them to your pants!!!

Dyvgirl - I find the lack of communication to be a huge issue. It's good to lose the monkey.

Meanwhile - I've already shared my lack of management story on this thread a few days ago, but it bears repeating.

My BS didn't show up for my surgery! And nobody figured it out till I was already under a general. Two surgeons had to drop what they were doing and race over. I've yet to find out what kind of scheduling f*ck-up occurred with my 'team', so I'm just trying to concentrate on the excellent results. But, really? How do you miss a surgery? I'm trying to reserve judgement till I learn the details, but it better be a damn good excuse. If he was lying on a beach drinking a Mai-Tai, or anywhere within fifty feet of a golf club, I will lose my mind.

Goodnight, again.

Dyvgrl...lol.  I have a perfect mental picture.  Owwwwwieeee.

About the drains.  When the hedonistic experience of the first post-op shower occurred for me, I hung all four of the grenades from a ribbon tied around my neck, pendant-style.  This worked pretty well.  Just be sure the knot in the ribbon is tight.  A Dyvfrl-drain-yank experience in the shower would wreck your day.

Janet, I had a Jacki, too, and I wore it exactly once.  On the way home from the hospital.  But it was almost summer in California, so the Jacki was too warm.  I gave it to my sister, who'll have her DIEP in January, and she lives in Colorado, so I think it'll get used.  

Sweetpickle, my knuckle-dragging days began to wane around three weeks post-op.  I think this is a pretty common time for all of us.  I started riding my bike on day 11, but I'm very used to riding, and for me, it was easier than walking, with the bent-over posture and all.  

Bailey, I had the same skin peeling stuff going on.  I even used my Clarisonic in the shower on it a little.  With some moisturizer, it cleared right up.

For you sisters who are waiting for you DIEP surgery, let me just say...this surgery was a huge, wonderful, positive, giant step forward for me.  After all the biopsies, surgeries, pathology reports, slashed chest, burning radiation and bags of chemo, DIEP gave me back a sense of being whole and beautiful.  That, and a flat tummy, is worth a lot!

I know my surgeon had to initial my breast on the side I was having surgery on before anyone on the floor would touch me. I saw both my BS, PS, anesthesiologist and recovery nurse before anything happened. So, can't imagine they'd continue. Who knows? I would flip my lid for sure!!

Thanks, sbelizabeth! I needed that! I do have a question. Since my current Buddha belly which I abhor extends above my belly button, am I going to have a muffin top with a tummy tuck??? I've been walking, ellipticaling, and crunching but nothing changes. I suppose I am getting stronger, though, there is that!

jeannie- I had the same thing and mine was gone and perfectly flat when I woe up. They also relocated my belly button after the tuck. Looks awesome even though Im still about 40lbs overweight. I plan to drop those pounds in the next few months.

Thanks, its what Ive called my daughter since she was born however now w just call her pickle. Her given name is Sara but she will always be my sweet pickle!

Damiani: I had the OncQ pain strip/pum post op, which comes in a little fanny pack.  I used that fanny pack for my drain bulbs.  If I had not had the OncQ, I would have just used regular fanny pack.

I used the walker for a couple of weeks.  I am now 3 +  weeks and walking fully upright, without the walker. I'm planning to return to work next monday, 4 wks 3 days post op.

I appreciate everyone's positive "it was worth it" "no regrets" attitudes.  I'm just not there yet.  I want to put out a hand to those who might not be 100% on board with those statements, that you are not alone.  I have my moments when I think this may not have been worth it.  I have to put it in perspective and know that I need more time.  I am 3+ wks post op and doing better every day.  But, I have had a rough road from the beginning. I am generally a positiv eperson, and I plan to be 100% positive when all this is done.  But, sometimes I sit back and wonder why all these ladies are doing so well, and so positive, and I'm just not there.  So, I just want to say that it is OK to NOT be 100% sure. There are doubts, Some days more than others.   Don't want to be "Debby downer", just being real.

shechirple, thanks for your last post....you're not an anomaly.....and you certainly are not a "downer"! We all heal differently, start at different levels of stress, health and fitness. and all have different life issues of work, home, kids, etc. Everyone's "timeframe" to reach the various "targets" are unique to us, and it is important to hear from all. I hope you don't feel your experiences are any less valid than other flappers! I cannot imagine having to go through this with small children, pressures of work, travelling away from home to get to the surgery location....yadayadayada. I think I have had it easy, the rest of you are the heroes in my mind!

Shechirple - yeah....what Nihahi said! You have every right to where you are...physically and mentally and emotionally. For crying out loud, you got your period in the hospital after surgery. That would have just about done me in! We should all go at our own pace. There are no prizes for meeting some milestone before somebody else and no demerits for not. Everybody has their own story.

jakig....I was NOT impressed the first time I looked at my belly button post surgery. It was over an inch off centre!!!! I thought....what the h**l was he thinking!!! Barfing then occupied my attention for a few days, and the next time I took time to ponder it, it had moved more midline!!!! Then I realized, that the tummy swelling and boob swelling were distorting things. (I am a uni flap, with a lift on the other side). Now, everything is lined up just where it belongs. I bet you find yours migrates too! Probably different techniques out there, for mine, it is my "original" button.  PS cut around it when doing the flap, then poked it through the tummy skin after it was stretched together, and restitched it to the new tummy. Looked oddly misplaced at first, but now, either I'm getting used to it, or tummy is relaxing and contours around it make it look normal. My flap incision lines, sound similar to yours...I had some stretched skin from the alien implant, that was incorporated into the new boob.

40cc for the day, still sounds a bit on the juicy side for the drains. Most protocols are for under 30.