DIEP 2013

I use plant based protein. It has hemp, pea, and brown rice protein in it. No soy no whey. I use fruit and chia seeds with it for my morning smoothie. Good stuff!

Goldie & Christina, I have ordered both the Bali 3484 & 3488 bras. The 3484 has two-ply cups & the 3488 has foam molded cups. That is the only difference I see. The 3488 is great for hiding headlights. I haven't received the 3484 bra yet to see what two-ply cups consist of - I'm thinking two layers of fabric. Thanks for the heads-up on these comfy bras.

The only thing I haven't tried so far is the domeboro. My RO won't allow metals on the skin and domeboro is aluminum. Once I am done rads, (which might be tonight since I started bleeding) I'm trying anything I can get my hands on.

DebDylan, your oncologist can cut your dosage by 20% if it's neuropathy. I did L-glutamine powder all through chemo to try to help (then also read the studies about tumors using glutamine!) and promptly switched to a prescription gabopentin (Neurontin) My neuropathy actually got much worse after I was finished chemo, so be sure to keep your doctor posted.

lahela, I had plantar fascitis and found that foot exercises/step stretching helped and I used to freeze a water bottle and roll it back and forth under my foot. I also bought a TENS unit and finally got the tendons to relax. Boy was it painful for weeks though! Wearing Dansko clogs helped too.

I just logged in after coming back from my first trip to try on a bra after my DIEP on 10/18/13. Sixteen bras later, I ended up with the very one you ladies suggested, lol! I was not sure that it was the same, but I unhooked it and sure enough it is the Bali 3488! And it IS comfy! But it was not fun at all to shop for a bra :-(

Sharon, maybe it could have been an PM, but everybody should know a recon nipple is on all the time...lol. I am glad I know now.

Yes, definitely lunch again when my recon is over. Between getting ready for Thanksgiving, and the surgery we probably won't be able to fit it in until then.

How you doing with your walking? I am going just about everyday!

BTW, your hair looks really cute.

Goldie, I'm meeting my workout partners at the gym Tues & Thur this week & need to start walking with my neighbor on other days. I've been lazy but need to get with the program because I'm the mother of the bride March 8! Plus I know exercise staves off recurrence.

Bluebird, my skin didn't start falling off until a few days after rads ended. That's when I used the domeboro soaks. I feel for you! Brings it all back.

I take Gabapentin (Neurontin) for chronic neck pain from a car accident. It helps tremendously. I take it at night and wake up well the next day. It is a anti-seizure med that is used to treat pain, also.

Goldie, nice letter! Maybe they'll send you at least a coupon!

RHGSR, the anticipation is scary. We have all been through those scary anticipatory times. And we are here, healing, encouraging others, some had complications, some didn't but we have been here for each other through it all and we are here for you, too. Just show up and when you wake up you may be repeating "Time for surgery!" over and over, like I was. Of course, our mascot, Wilbur, heavily influenced everything I said for several days....his last name is Dilaudid, I think.

DebDylan, darn, wish you weren't having these SE's and your decision was easier. My MO lowered the daily drug I took, Cytoxin, twice because I was having worrisome side effects. Even that was scary. I'll be thinking of you.

RHGSR I felt the the same way before surgery. A lot of the ladies suggested getting a sleep aid before surgery to ensure you get your rest. I think the anticipation was almost worst than recovery for me. We are here for you!

I have the same bra and I tried on at least 10 others. Bali is definitely the winner

Butterfleyez - Thanks for asking all the right questions.  A also feel tight and bloated when I eat or drink too much.  I thinks this is probably a good thing since I am now 15 pounds lighter than I was on Oct. 14.  I also tend to bend more when my stomach feels like that which makes my back hurt.  PS told me to start forcing myself to stand up straight. 

I don't remember what a Ken doll looks like since my daughter is 37 but it sounds like I have his stomach. I was pleasantly plump before surgery.  Now it looks like they cut off everything below the belly button.  Everything above it is still pleasantly plump and bloated.   

Moviemanic - Thanks for advice.  PS was out of town so I called my sister who is RN.  She said not to worry if it is still clear and does not smell.  I will see PS this week.

Lucy - I started driving short distances (10 min to store) as soon as I weaned myself off narcotics, about 3 weeks after surgery.  I was pushing it but I hated being stuck in the house all day.  The best part was being able to go to grocery store with motorized carts.  I felt so independent.  The hardest part is still getting in and out of car without assistance. 

To those who are planning DIEPS, you should take notes from our discussions and then question your BS and PS because they all have different rules.  Some people were given food restrictions prior to surgery, others were not.  Some people received surgical bras and binders after surgery.  I received neither.  I was given a surgical bra after my lumpectomy in February but I was forbidden to wear a bra after the BMX and DIEP. They put a yellow sticky type bandage on my breasts but nothing on my stomach.  The yellow bandages fell off after a few days.  I was required to wrap breasts and stomach areas in plastic wrap before taking showers during weeks that I had drains.  I did not wear a bra until the top drains were removed.  PS said that he does not use binders because they can increase chances of blood clots, especially in cases like mine were the DIEP turned in a TRAM on one side.  He said that I can wear binder or spanx type garments now if I wish.  All drs do not require sports bras but they all prefer wireless bras with support.  The amount of support probably depends on the size of the boobs.

I saw one of the Bali bras in a store yesterday.  It was not padded but was double layered and stretchy.  It is identical to one I bought from Hanes.  Balis has better selection of colors. I decided against sports bras since it is uncomfortable to pull anything over my head. I also found a comfortable one from Playtex.  I need a lot of support because PS must have put all of my pleasantly plump stomach fat into my existing droopy breast skin.  I went from a 38 full C (with side boobs)  before lumpectomy to a 38 small C after lumpectomy to a 40DD after DIEP.  I have already told him that his revision surgery will include a breast reduction.  These are definitely too heavy when I lay down.

Christina  - I am glad that you can enjoy your hair.  I refuse to go wigless until I can use dye. I have 2 inches of silver on my head which is totally unacceptable at my age.

HUGS AND PRAYERS TO ALL.

milkyway, I would order the large. If you order from Kohl's there is never a problem returning them if they are the wrong size.

BTW, when I went to the corporate website of Bali to send them that email I was able to see that Hanes, Bali, Barely There, and several other's are all owned by one company, "Hanes." So, if you find a bra that seems almost exactly the same but itls made by Hanes, then it's very possible it is the same bra with a different brand name on it.

Chrstina, good luck today. I know you are anxious to get those steri-strips off.

Gwenny, I am pretty sure what they mean by looking like a Ken doll is that when the tummy is pulled tight the FUPA area looks more pronounced, like a Ken doll with no genitals, just a mound.

RHGSR, your surgery has to go perfectly. You have been tested to much in the last couple of weeks. The worst is over. Like somebody else said, just show up, and the rest will fall into place.

milkyway2, another good thing about those Bali bras is that you don't have to pick a band & cup size - just S, M, L, XL. And they give you a very nice chart to let you see which size you need based on your bra size.

I have also lost weight ( I had it to spare) since surgery and I was starting to get a little concerned. Good to see I'm not alone and ill embrace it and hope for another 10lbs lol

I also have soreness in the center of my chest. I read here that its prob cartilage they had to cut during surgery. By the end of the day it hurts for a Tshirt to touch it. Hope that goes away soon. I have physical therapy scheduled this week and my first meeting with the MO since surgery. Any questions i should have for him besides how long ill be on tamoxifen? Ill be in charge of driving myself to appts for the first time this week so if you're in the Houston area stay off the road! Lol

I'm jealous. I hear all this talk about stage 2 and my PS says they don't do those unless there is an issue. I have dog ears and he says it's just me being fat. He leaves next month so after chemo (and after I lose some weight), I'll try asking again for something to be done about my sides. Not really worrying now with me needing to lose at least 60lbs. Not much room for complaining. Plus chemo is making me gain weight. I'm trying to eat well but sometimes (well most times) I end up eating stuff I really shouldn't.

I still have issues with areas on my abdominal incision -- it just won't heal completely. With it being on the pant line things just keep getting re irritated and the incision is still tight even after 2.5 months. On a good note my new breasts have "fallen" a bit so now I have and underside so to speak. In other words I can put my hands underneath them. I hope I am making sense; they can flop a little. Anyway hope everyone is doing well.

DebDylan - gee whiz, you might have less stress if that doctor's office didn't take a week to call in your scripts! I'd be stressed and angry too! How to manage stress... for me I just try to make time to do little things for myself regularly. Like pampering myself. Also my work is a big destresser. I'm a social worker so I spend a lot of time every day helping other people. For me, helping other people makes me very grateful that my life is no worse! I would recommend volunteering to anyone, if they have the time to do so. It feels so good to give back.

2timer, I gained weight during chemo too. It was so frustrating but at the same time I just kind of mentally gave myself permission to go with it. Seemed easier at the time. Of course now that I am trying to lose the weight, I regret not trying to watch my diet a little more! I wonder if you lost some weight, if it would make the need for some revision surgery more obvious to him.

Very frustrated with my stage 2 follow up appointment today. Everything is healing well, which is good. PS wants to see me again in another four weeks just to check on the healing. She said a couple of weeks after that I'd be ready for my nipple procedure. But then I went and met with her PA to schedule the nipple procedure. The first available appointment is in late March!!! ARGH!!! They put me on a list in case their is a cancellation, but that list was really long too. ugh... So close to being done, this is torture... LATE MARCH for pete's sake!!! *insert temper tantrum here*

Mammalou, you are only 7 days out of stage 2. Give this time. I am one year out and except for numbness, they feel great. My tummy feels tight, but then I dint have two rolls on it anymore.