DIEP 2013

Good luck this week to moviemaniac, marieann1020, toronto-girl, and sbelizabeth. Heal well my friends!

Carmelle, at 10 weeks I think I was doing some light jogging/aerobics, and not for any extended periods of time, maybe 15-20 minutes. Zumba sounds like a lot to me BUT I am bad at exercising in general. No harm in trying it and stopping if it feels like it's too much.

Jeannie, sorry about your eye. >:( Seems like some of us just can't catch a break.

Bailey, can't believe your incision opened up! Yikes!!! Hopefully it closes up quickly.

Donna, I bet you are right, eight weeks over the holidays will fly by. Then you can spend several weeks just relaxing and healing.

Goldie good luck today!!! Finally it's your turn!!! Looking forward to your first update to us.

Kat-ski, ugh that rots... I hope things turn around for you after this.

Sharon, loved the quotes!

Gotta run... I think my cockatoo is chewing up my bathroom cabinets... *sigh*

Goldie -- best wishes for a smooth procedure and a great outcome.

Ocean -- that is fantastic timing -- long enough to get the important things done and not such a long time to stress about it. 

Wishing everyone else a wonderful day -- its a gorgeous bright sunny day here in Toronto -- temp is hovering at just about freezing -- wish I was off so I could go walking:)

Ridley

Goldie, movie, marieann, toronto-girl, and sbe - thinking of you all and sending all my healing thoughts to you and to Jeannie and Kat, too!

Ocean - a bit of a shock getting such short notice, but like Ridley said, soon enough to not have too long to dwell, but far enough to prepare.

Finally got through to the receptionist at the gyn's office - they had my number wrong so were trying to get in touch but couldn't! She says I have to go to the onco-gyn at the hospital because they may decide not to wait to get the cyst out. And of course I found that out about ten minutes after they stopped taking phone calls for appointments for the day. I'll try again tomorrow...

Ridley.....I'm sending this weather your way.....nothing personal.....but it's cramping my style!!!!!

deb......THIS TOO SHALL PASS.......{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{X}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}............are you trying to hydrate lots....might help the fogginess.

Best wishes to everyone this week, especially movie and Goldie right now.

Deb, drink anything you can! Well, go light on the margaritas.... Hope you feel better soon. Your last chemo is this week!!!!yay!

February 7 is nipple day for me! I hope we can afford it, we shall see.

mammalou... My understanding is the compression helps in two ways. It helps reduce swelling and it helps the tissue adhere. So for example, I just had a revision on my buttock where I had a psuedo bursa (a pocket that had filled with fluid from seroma or hematoma and then formed scar tissue around it). I asked my doc if I could resume lymphatic massage, and he said not for 6 weeks because he didn't want the area sheared. It takes about 6 weeks for the tissue to adhere and heal in place. So rubbing in my case would be bad and could cause pocketing. Compression helps keep the tissue where it belongs, adhering it to itself for a smoother outcome.

So if you had lipo in thighs and are having an abdominal discomfort, cut the garment so it just compresses where needed. After my stage 1 I felt quite bloated and with each subsequent revision have felt and looked better and better. I think with the abdomen it just takes a lot of time to heal.

I am back from the biopsy. It wasn't as bad as I had imagine! Thanks for being in my pockets. I have a drain on the site and hopefully this will take care of any fluid. If this doesn't work, it is surgery(according to breast surgeon) and I will have an open wound to take care of. I know many of you have had open wounds but taking care on one really scares the willies out of me. Wilbur was my friend for about two hours today!! So, now the plan is to get down on my knees and pray hard that this drain works. BS said reconstruction might have to be put off and I am actually okay with it. I know it will happen just later.

I had to chuckle at the procedures of the hospital. I had a surgical wire biopsy, took about 15 minutes to prep, felt like one minute to do, and 10 minutes of clean up. I get upstairs to my room and started getting vitals checked every 15 minutes for two hours(so much for a well deserved nap). I said to the poor student nurse that was stuck with this task, that if I was an outpatient, I would be home blogging w/o out this. The RN pulled her out after an half-n-hour. lol lol

thanks bdavis... It helps to know the reason why you do something.

I'm tired today of being responsible. I'm going to sit on my couch and refuse to cook dinner.

Hi everyone

It has been about 3 months since I had my diep flap surgery (unilateral ). I haven't posted but read your messages daily, I get strength from all of you (for which i am very very grateful) and follow everyone's progress

My recovery was going well up until about a week and a half ago. I felt sharp pain on the left side of my abdomen. I had a CT scan which showed a 2x2 cm mass (not even close to the incision and belly button- PS said he did very little work on that side), been to the ER because the pain was so bad and had an aspiration done today. Aside from the pain, I've had no other symptoms (no fever nor vomiting). Unofficial opinion from the radiologist is it is not a hematoma nor an abscess because he sucked out very little fluid-just a little yellow pus. Official results to be available in a couple days.

Has anyone else experienced this? It is puzzling that the pain and mass appeared so long after the surgery - I'm assuming it is related.

Thank you in advance for any input you can provide

First, welcome Donna!!! You have come to the right place.

No word from Movie?

Well, I got home about 1/2 hour ago. I think the thing that hurts the most is the harvest sites for my fat grafting. Wow, not fun. I remember Kuka complained about that, and she didn't complain about much. Compression makes it feel better, so that will stay on. Right now the foobs are swollen, bruised and still have ink on them. It will be a while before I know if I am happy. My doc is so cute. He would only take fat from inner thigh, and flank area "just in case" we get to do the DIEP some day in the future. He admitted to being perplexed at how little fat I have on my body, even with the weight I have gained.

I am very stoned on anesthesia and hydrocodone. So, off I go to enjoy this feeling. They gave me something for nausea this time. What a difference. Wilbur is sitting on my shoulder still...lol. Now, if he could whip me up some fetticini alfredo, that would be awesome.

oh. My. word........Wilbur has taken up residence in my HEAD........dog ears :GONE.........fat in flanks: GONE.....FAT in stomach/side areas, and FUPA: GONE Nips and Areoles: INSTALLED......my brain.....who the H$$$ knows? Or cares? High as a kite.....will stay with Wilbur tonight.....sweat dreams everyone........

XO

Movie.....so glad to hear from you, but when I read all that was done....I'm now AMAZED to hear from you!!!! Hang with Wilbur....rest....recover....we'll be here when Wilbur moves on.

butterfleyez....I had some cording after my surgery too. I was very upset about it, as that shoulder had been nothing but trouble even before the flap, but with time, effort and a very good physio.....the cording is gone, and the shoulder is not limiting me except in some very specific circumstances.

You ladies are wonderful!! I am scheduled for DMX/DIEP next week, but I feel I am getting more confused every day. Let me know if I have this right, DIEP procedure is supposed to leave the muscle, if they take muscle it is actually a TRAM? Also, I saw some posts about mesh being used, is that common? Can it be used in DIEP and TRAM procedures?

Goldie - You are the most articulate stoned person I have ever met! Welcome home. Also, you have the presence of mind to realize Wilbur would be even more beneficial if he knew how to cook fettuccine alfredo. I hope you sleep well tongiht

Movie - What a day you've had! Congratulations on the nips and bye- bye dogears! Wilbur will see you off to sleep.

Donna - Nice to meet you. Welcome. Things may certainly be different for you this time round. There will also be the added excitement of all you have to gain from this surgery. Waking up with boobs, and all that fun stuff. Don't underestimate how much difference six months makes to our frame of mind.