Diep 2012

fred, have you tried bio oil.  It has lightened my scars a lot.

I had my DIEP in 2011. In the last 6 months I have gained approximately 15 pounds (been too busy to walk this summer and I could keep going with the excuses).  Has anyone else gained 10 pounds or more since their DIEP and if so, is your stomach/DIEP incision giving you more pain?   My stomach/incision was never completely pain-free but it is getting to be quite painful.  I am so hoping I can stick to healthy eating and walking to get rid of my added weight.  I am one of those people that it seems when I gain weight it all goes to my stomach or hips.   

Hi all. Just wanted to say in spite of the scar and abdomen tightness that every day I am grateful for having the DIEP. Celebrated last night after a great check up with MO. it always makes me laugh when he compliments me on my boobs. Hope everyone is enjoying the start of fall.

Anne

Rest and heal. Lots of protein and multiple washcloths and fresh towel daily. Yes things will improve at stage 2 with fat grafting. Hang in there.

I'm almost at one year and they look really good. I still have a bit more scar tissue on the bca side because my surgeon was probably more aggressive on that side, but I expect it to soften and fall eventually like the other. My dermatologist gave me Skin Medica scar recovery gel to help with the pink scars from revision. Been using it for over a month but not sure it's doing much. You can find it on amazon. Otherwise I got discharged from pt and have noticed much more strength in abs. I feel pretty normal!! Nips in nov then tats with vinnie in the spring. Fran, glad yours turned out well! Hope everyone else is feeling good and enjoying fall!

Imagine my excitement when I just logged on and saw my buddies on the last page!!!!   I haven't been on with my diep sisters for way too long!   One of these days I'm going back to catch up...but know that I think of you always   

I'm plugging away...trying to stay healthy so my liver behaves!  I've lost 33 pounds, hopefully just due to good food and exercise, but you know how the pesky mind can make one worry.  I have a good appetite and everything else functions well, so...

I had scans...yesterday, I guess, since it's 12:30 am in WA.  I am praying tumors that had shown such good reduction in June have disappeared even more!!!   I should hear something tomorrow.

I have to say that sometimes I'm ever so thankful for diep, other days not so much, and that's pretty much exclusively because of the fascia tear.  My toobs are good...very good...I was so happy to be able to swim the first summer in 3 years, and my suit (a hand-me-down from a daughter, since the beautiful one I bought 3 years ago is too big) hid my port just fine, so I felt pretty normal.   My scar is disappearing...in some spots almost gone...but it's been almost 15 months.  One spot that stays pretty pink is part of a stretch mark (it's 40 years old so it's probably not going to disappear now!).  It still bugs me that it's soooooooo crooked!  Maybe when it's all faded I can get over that     Anyhoo...the fascia tear that causes the bulge is just ugly, but the ps is adamant about not wanting to do surgery to fix it...he says it'd probably need mesh, which doesn't always take, and even if I'm able to go off chemo (praying for NED!!!!), he still doesn't want to compromise my immune system.  I get it...and probably agree with him.  I'm just tired of limiting my full potention (LOL) without being able to use my tummy muscle to his greatest extent (again LOL!!!).  All I really want to do is throw my grandkids around and do yoga!  

My tumor markers have been super great & so onc decided to scan me only 3 months after last scan...hoping to see more good results.  IF I do become NED and get to take a break from chemo, I will be one happy camper.  BUT...I'm still happy...feeling good going to 2 weeks on, 1 week off of chemo.

You're probably saying...she's back & just as windy as ever.  Hope, hope, hope you're all doing well & I will keep better track of you!!!   I'm on the stage 4 boards most of the time....but never forget about "us!"   I'm going to catch up    Here's to being well & happy! 

I had my 2nd round with fat grafting on 8/30/13.... he basically sucked out my muffin top and injected into the reconned breasts on both sides to fil in initial dents ( I have Dr Sameer Patel of Fox Chase Breast Reconstruction-Philly)... the right side (cancer side) was so marred up and wrecked from rads it was impossible to fill it in---but I now have 3 months to break up the scar tissue and get the radiated side properly able to be worked.... I am now doing castor oil packs to break up the scar tissue. I also hear it will rid the liver of excess estrogen too so its a bonus. My right breast is stuck to my chest wall, extremely painful and the cording is horrible.. Hopefully this + lymphatic therapy will work

Ronniekay, so good to hear from you! We are always thinking of you too. Hope, hope, hope all goes well with scans. It would be great to get a break from chemo and have more free time with your family. I bet those grand kids are getting big and harder to pick up though! Keep us posted.



Lilacblue, I'll look into the cream you mentioned. I think it will all fade eventually, but it just takes me longer. Has it helped you?



Beckers, I was so tight that we did a lot of just stretching at first to improve flexibility then moved up to small ab work like holding in my belly button and releasing. If you pm me I can scan in my exercise diagrams and email to you. There are also some little leg bends and lifts to increase core stability. I couldn't even do them at first but they're so easy now. It's been great to see progress!



Mandala, hope fat grafting did the trick! I didn't have much that stayed, but am still pretty happy with results. I finally went through my dresser and threw out all my old bras. I don't know why I couldn't do it before, but I kept thinking maybe I'd be able to get back to my little A cups again. (Or maybe it's the difficulty of throwing out all that money! Lol!) Anyways, I guess I've accepted these new girls for the long haul even though they are different/bigger....along with my behind for that matter! I've really gotta get back to running! Haha!



Good weekend to all!

Mandala, I hope the caster oil packs help. Regarding the painful cording -perhaps a physio-and or massage therapist can help?  I found this link: http://plantspirit.massagetherapy.com/benefits-of-castor-oil-packs

Cindy, yes, I have found Essential K has worked best for me help get the red to fade and some of my hip-to-hip scar is turning white - finally.

The swelling from my 2nd stage 2 on July 31st. has finally subsided and the whole fo my left diep breast has gone soft again. The circular disc of skin that the nipple was made from was reduced to match the size of my normie right areola.  That small circular reduced areola area indents in and I hope it pops out, over time. PS said it would. The fat grafting on my hips have healed very well this time - the bruising nearly all cleared and thank God, no seroma on my right hip to drain, like last stage 2.  I'm still wearing shape wear and sleeping bra.  The shape wear helps with hip senstivity when wearing jeans and I've always felt more comfortable with some compression on my diep breast. 

Beckers! How are you? Had surgery in July to remove the excess left over and they didn't remove it all, so have to go back for more surgery. Then in August, a Seroma from the July surgery busted open the incision on the right side. Eeeek. All is okay now. Still not smoking though, although want to at times.

Jill, all the best to you for a full and complete recovery, glad you are happy with diep2 outcome and thanks for one more bit of info regarding diep.

It's good to hear updates from all of you! I've been traveling for work/fun in holland and belgium and celebrating the one year mark. It's hard to believe sometimes what it was like post surgery and how much better everything is now! The girls are so much softer and natural looking, and with pt, I'm about back to normal! I'm getting stage 2b on the 21st. I hate thinking of another bout with anesthesia but need to nip a little more dog ear on one side and see if he can lipo a bit more under arm boob. I've gone back and forth on nips. Any suggestions? Have nips made any of you a bit flatter or do you have regrets? I was so bummed to hear my ps is starting a practice all the way in Fort Worth next month, so I feel like I need to get this wrapped up now. I could get another ps to finish the nips but you all know how hard it is to start with someone new. Will see I guess. Just need to make a final decision!

Hope all of you are well! Any news from ronniekay?

Jill, that's helpful to hear! I'm a little flat in the middle too, so I was hoping it might improve the shape. I can't complain much...they look good. There's just something about missing the nipples even if I won't feel them.

I'm having DIEP surgery at NOLA on January 8. I'm on tamoxifen and herceptin. Is it standard to take a break from both the month prior to surgery or not?

Here's the link:

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/736412?page=844#idx_25301