DIEP 2013

still chuckling....better check my post...just did some IMPORTANT editing!!!

Love you all.

LMAO Nihahi.....I noticed that, but got what you meant. Quite the surgery....and quite the picture lol! So happy to hear your sundress story....hoping to find my way into a few favorites of old as well!

Also to add to Janet's wise words, Robin, one step at a time.



Or:



How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, before you know it you'll be asking for a toothpick and on the other side!!!



Prayers for peace are with you!

SheChirple- Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Each of us have different situations so it can be very hard to know exactly what to expect, but I feel that getting the most info possible is the best way, aside from Xanax, to alleviate fears. I was given .25 mg, and have yet to take any. I thought it may be smart to have when the time comes.



Nihahi- I love the sundress story. That is what I am focusing on to get through stresses.



I read somewhere that you can sometimes give blood prior to surgery Incase you need an infusion. Has anyone else heard about this?



I got a few cheap zip front hoodies on eBay- adorable, used good condition-as well as a few cotton skirts. I thought these could be my post-op clothes so that if I stain them, I won't feel as bad. I have a cleopatra style chair that I think may be my best bet post-surgery, and have positioned it close to an end table facing the tv, so that's set. A friend got me the entire Gilmore girls DVD set, and another got me season 1 of white collar. I also have Netflix, and a ton of other DVDs, so I think I'm set that way as well. I belong to a CSA and get one chicken per week, and am freezing the stock for broth.



Good luck to those going in tomorrow!!!!! You're in my thoughts. Good vibes!!!!!!!

I am home on day 5 post diep. Yay! I feel pretty good, except that I can't move! Lol. When I get up to walk I can do about 20 feet and back spasms set in. Very painful. I have 4 drains that aren't draining all that much. They tell me that I got the extra tight, skinny tummy job because I basically didn't have too much fat. That was pretty surprising. So, in order not to rip open incision, they want me always at a 30 degree angle. Right ow it seems like I may never walk normal again.



My breast has developed redness and swelling above the DIEP patch. They put me on antibiotics as a precaution but they are thinking that my radiated skin is just very irritated because they had to lift it and put fat under it. That is the only thing not looking too good.



The doctors pretty much took care of everything I needed for this. They even gave me daily vitamins. The worst thing they gave me was heparin shots 3x a day. They hurt!



I can't wait to remove binder and bra!



All in all, for those coming, it was easier than I expected and I'm glad I did it !

Mammalou- sooooo great to hear how well you are doing!!! Giving me faith. )) what is heparin for? What size was your tummy? I wear a 12 now.



Janet- that was what I was anticipating too, wanting a cream. I have very soft and sensitive skin. So glad you have a "Jim"!!! ))) and yes, if you aren't feeling super needy, I'd say here comes recovery!!! Maybe a small outing is in your future?

Congrats Mamalou! Welcome to the other side, each day will get better and better from here on.



Im using silverdene creame on my incisions because they itch like crazy and also regular eucein lotion on my skin which looks like its peeling on my lower tummy. The itchiness drives me nuts but the lotion helps.

Hey, Sweetpickle, I had twins, too.  They went to 38 weeks and were born vaginally.  After that, my tummy looked like a topo map with the stretch marks and saggy skin.  No more of that!...although the stretch marks relocated to my gloobs...

Sbelizabeth- I went 38 weeks and five days and also went vag. It is weird to look down and not see the ripples of stretch marks and fat! LOL

Today I need some inspiration. I've googled images for diep over and over, I've read everything I can read and today I'm just thinking of calling the whole thing off! Did anyone else go through this? Is it a phase?

I want to start my new life and that involves a big move- 3 1/2 hours away. I can't do that until my drains are out, so I'm looking at mid August at the earliest.

I am worried about complications and not healing and waiting to go through this for nothing.

Uggghhh! It's always something isn't it?!?

RobinY - praying for you!  Call me if I can do anything for you!

Wow! Even with national holidays and heat waves...this thread keeps on truckin!!!! I'm probably gonna miss somethings, but here goes.....

for those who's dates are getting closer, and the "should I" thoughts are getting louder.....of course, ultimately it is your decision and this is not a mandatory surgery. Lots of us have had those "put the brakes on this whole thing" feelings. Take some time to really think through why you decided to go this route in the first place. Are you wanting to get rid of or avoid implants? Are you wanting to maintain or regain the look and feel of more natural breasts? If these are your reasons, then this likely IS the right choice. I truly understand how massive this surgery sounds.....but try to remember, the length of surgery is not because of how MUCH is being done, or how perilous your chances of survival, but because of the microvascular connections. MICRO.....intensive, time consuming work for your surgeons, not so much for your body. When surgery is over, you are not having to heal bones, muscles, heart, lungs, etc. You are healing skin, some blood vessels and purging the drugs from your system.

transfusions....my ps informed me pre-surgery that the need for transfusion may be needed but was certainly not the norm. He said I would lose blood, as with any surgery, but likely I lost more during my unimx. I never needed blood, but am taking iron supplements for a couple more months.

mammalou....I had a fragile back going into this...and although I was pulled extra tight (every doc and nurse commented on it, so I'm believing them) was able to get upright within about 2 weeks. HOWEVER.....until I could straighten up to a certain point, I REALLY benefitted from using a walker with wheels. It allowed me to take some of the strain off my back, while also increasing my "distances" of walking. I also was taking Flexeril, a muscle relaxant to help with back pain.

goldie...yep, I went into surgery hoping for a Diep, but knowing that might not be the case, and ended up with what is classified as a muscle-sparing free Tram. My PS doesn't do scans pre-surgery, but makes the decisions based on what he actually encounters once things are open and visible intra-operatively. I guess it depends on how much you trust your PS's skills, past history, and flap outcomes. I had and have complete trust in mine. We had long talks about how active my lifestyle is, what I wanted my "quality of life" to be post-surgery, what my wishes were, size and symmetry wise, but most importantly....flap survival was numero uno on the must have list. He felt my diep vessels were of the size and "alignment" that taking a sliver of muscle around them, instead of teasing them out of the muscle completely, was the safer choice for me. He has done other flaps successfully as true dieps, so I know it was not a question of HIS abilities. I have had no issues with flap survival or healing, and have found no changes in what I can do physically AT ALL. I don't believe that one surgery fits everyone, and have no regrets about the choice my PS made, other than knowing that to some people, it may be considered to be "second-class" recon....not true, in my case. However....there is NO WAY I would have consented to the possibility of a pedicled Tram, which is a very outdated and full of complications type of recon.

OMG...this heat must be making my brain melt....sorry for the rambling on......don't know how you southern gals survive this kind of weather!

Yep, Nihani...it was you who told that story about the tram flap.  You are inspirational, and always make me feel better.  Thank you.

Moviemanic, thanks for the reminding me of the reasons I should have the surgery.  My husband, and I are actually making a pros and cons list as we think of them.  We are still leaning towards the DIEP, but we do have a question for the PS.  Would it be better to let my expander's get bigger, and have as much skin as an immediate reconstruction, or just go ahead and have it in three weeks?  I figure if I let the expander's get big enough for the look of an "immediate" recon I would have to wait till around October.  That is a long time when Iron Bra is sooooo annoying, and painful.

Thinking of everybody having their procedures tomorrow.  Keep us posted on your progress as soon as you can.  We will be thinking positive thoughts for you till then.

I went to the dentist today to have my teeth cleaned.  The hygienist got all upset with me.  I have a habit of flossing after I get in bed, and evidently while I was stoned on my pain pills I flossed to hard and cut my gum pretty badly.  I notice something was weird the other day.  I won't go into detail, but it is gross what I did.  So, now I am on salt water rinses, and careful dental hygiene on top of everything else.  Note to self: No more flossing while high on pain pills!!!!!!

Also, another uptight situation.  I have been going to this dentist for 20 years.  They all know about my bmx, and when I get there it's like they being extra special nice, and giving me the VIP treatment.  Very nice, but sometimes you just really want to fly under the radar for all the everyday normal stuff you have to do.  Does that make sense?

In less than 12 hours I'll be sleeping again.  gulp.

Robin hang in there ...it will be fine take deep breaths and before you know it you will be on the other side.



GOLDIE and Sherry - I had implants first for three years. I hated them tjey fell under my arms constantly. They didn't look or feel like my old boobs I was so depressed. .was afraid that was how they were supposed to be. Finally decided to see new ps and she confirmed that my first ones were done incorrectly. Now I am not saying this happens to everyone just letting you know that I have only had my new gloobs? For little over a week and absolutely love them. In the end everyone needs to make the choice that best suits them but try to remember why you thought about having the deip surgery in the first place.

Goldie-

Plus No more flossing on pain meds can only imagine. .hugs



Hugs and good wishes to those going in this week.



Going in tomorrow to get more drains pulled I know at least 2 for sure will see about the other two- excited!

Goodnight