DIEP 2013

Goldie - Happy Birthday to you, Happy BIrthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Goldiiiiiiiiiie, Happy Birthday to you!

MartyJ - Your last post was really great. You have a really nice way of phrasing things so everything falls into a gentle perspective. And Dyvgirl - I don't think there's a single one of us who hasn't ranted inwardly or outwardly on many occasions. It's a good thing. And nobody is judging.

Jeannie - I really rooting for a happy ending for your vision. I haven't been writing much lately but I'm following along and willing good things to be sent your way.

Oooh Kat, sorry about the cellulitis. Ugh, and on Thanksgiving! Sounds like you are keeping a great attitude though.

Goldie, happy birthday!!!

Dyvgrl, indeed, chemo was no fun...  I don't miss those days of being out of breath and feeling like an old lady. I remember trying to mop my kitchen floor and having to stop and take multiple rest breaks. It is rough stuff. And does it help? Who knows for sure. If my breast cancer doesn't come back, do I thank my genes, the chemo, the rads, the surgery? If it does come back, was it because I stopped the tamoxifen? Because I didn't have a bilat mx? Because I eat sugar, was overweight, didn't eat organic? Definitive answers on this road are a rarity. No, no one can possibly understand how maddening these choices are, unless they have been through it. Making the best decisions we can and finding peace in our choices and whatever life deals us... probably the best we can hope for. But vent away until you find your inner nirvana.

RHG - I hope things are "moving" for you... ugh that is no fun.

Going off the grid ladies....I'll be hanging out in the mountains until Sunday night. Stay well, I'll be thinking of you.

Oceanwarrior, I meant to say "Welcome" and hope you stick around so all these wonderful ladies can help you get through your diep. You have been through the worst, the diep is your bonus prize!!!

Goldie - Happy birthday! I hope you had a lovely day!



Ridley - I'm Australian - we spell like the British I hope your pathology report brings positive news.



RHG - I'm so sorry you're dealing with this dreaded aftereffect of surgery. I used lots of powder lax dissolved in warm water - it was the only thing that worked without feeling like my belly was going to explode.



Kat - healing thoughts for you!



Dyvgrl - chalk me up as another angry one. No bone scan for me as they only do it here if you're symptomatic (they say they're trying to minimise irradiation) - that means when I get pains in my bones (like this heel thing, which I still can't walk on), I worry because I don't know. I just want peace of mind and, like you, to make decisions about my body with all the information I can.



Ocean - welcome to the thread. I hope we can answer all your questions.



Jeannie - I seem to have missed the eye thing - I'm sorry you are dealing with yet another thing! *hugs*



Calling my gyn today - sharp abdominal pain where my ovarian cyst is and extreme swelling for the last couple of weeks and getting worse - I look like I'm 5 months pregnant! I wonder if they'll still agree to hold off on the ooph until February... PS is going to have conniptions if they do it sooner.

Sending you the biggest {{{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}} Jeannie!

Lahela, I don't like what's happening to your belly! Hugs to you!

Lahela, I can't imagine your poor tummy so swollen, especially since they felt it was too tight to even operate on. Ouch!!! I hope they figure out what is going on soon.

Joined: Nov 2013 Posts: 3

I am looking for a DIEP surgeon in the Pittsburgh area -need UPMC doctor -any recommendations? I had a bilateral mastectomy in 2011. When I started all of this treatment for breast cancer, I did not have enough belly fat for tram flap surgery so I had expanders w/ silicone implants. I now have tons of belly fat after surgeries, chemo and hormonal therapy and have never been happy w/ my implants. They were never big enough and now I need a revision. When I went to my plastic surgeon to explore options because I was not happy about size and shape - my plastic surgeon gave me a script for a mastectomy bra . I do not want to wear a bra - I have implants lol I do wear a bra every day though w/ FOUR bra pads in each cup to make my breast look proportional to the rest of me. Since, I need another surgery and I have enough belly fat, I am considering the DIEP. I have consulted w/ a plastic surgeon in the Philadelphia area but do not think I can get my insurance to approve him because he is out of network.

I would appreciate any recommendations - thank you

Kat and selizabeth.... I haven't been on this thread in a while, but read about your cellulitis woes. I had my first bout with cellulitis last March. Mine was on my lower back/upper buttock, right where my GAP scar is. It was the doctors opinion (since the location was odd) that it had to do with lymphatic flow (Or lack thereof), which is related or can be related to nodal removal, or lymphatic interruption. In my case, not nodal removal, but rather cutting through major lymphatic channels. I now have a prescription to take at first signs of redness. After healing, I started with a lymphatic massage therapist at a PT office. She drained my pockets of lymphatic fluid, which if it builds up can grow bacteria and turn into cellulitis. Interesting thing happened this September. The same spot developed a swollen area. Long story short, after aspiration and then surgery to remove the sac, my doctor told me I had a pseudo bursa, probably there since January. He said any amount of fluid could have caused the cellulitis. It has now been removed, and I am hoping the risk of cellulitis has been reduced.

So... sorry so winded. But do consider a lymphatic massage, and if the problem persists, consider an ultrasound looking for pockets of fluid that could be aspirated.

yes to success on the intestinal front! Good approach with the kids.

Welcome Oceanwarrior.

Lahela, I hope you enjoy the weekend...and get some answers next week.

RHGSR, so glad the kiddos are home again.

TammyT,

Thank you soo much !! I was just given his name by my gyn/onc dr I am considering going to see him. When did you have your surgery & how many hours was it ? The doctor in Philly seems to have much shorter surgery times than the doctors in Pittsburgh He always works with another surgeon and because he does way more of them then the doctors here in Pittsburgh.

I cannot afford to go out of network and I do not think UPMC will approve the surgeon in Philly I am a nurse so you would think I would have inside info but truly I would rather hear from the actual patients Through all if my treatments and surgeries I feel like I need to hear advice from people who have actually lived through it or experienced it themselves. This is such a big step to take - when I went through this originally I felt rushed to pick a surgeon and just have the cancer removed quickly I had my expanders placed at the same time I had the mastectomy. Having this surgery is not urgent. I can take more time to ensure I get the best plastic surgeon and hopefully be happier with the results

Thank you again for your help I would love to meet you !!

Kelly

Ken Doll Fupa Lipo. ....My doctor's nurse indicated that laser hair removal of the raised pubic hair line would be a cosmetic thing, not covered under insurance. I'm due for stage 2 in January and if I still look all weird in the pubic area, I'm going to ask my PS to fix it. Does anyone know if this will be something that won't be covered under insurance?

My PS wanted to do a scar revision of my abdominal DIEP incision in the very middle of the scar, so he raised the FUPA to minimize the puffiness. It is not a deep cut - only superficial, so healing is a breeze. I think some also lipo it.

I personally don't understand why insurance won't cover laser removal of pubic hair that ended up in the wrong place due to the DIEP reconstruction. Insurance covers everything else, it seems minor for them to finish the job & let the poor women that have pubic hair growing on their flaps or abdomen get it removed without having to shave in those spots forever.