DIEP 2013

hey folks. I joined & disappeared. Had my surgery(DIEP, rt breast) 12/5 & was in ICU for 66 hrs. Ended up having a depressed respiration. Still not sure if it was the anesthesia, Dilaudid or the combo. Either way I also had a crushing migraine and couldn't even interact with folks, read, watch tv for over 3 days. I made he nurses keep me in the dark. And I stopped pushing my pain button (to their chagrine) when I realized it relieved some of the symptoms.

That all said, I made it. I'm home. My foob is looking great. I'm standing, walking, up & down the stairs many times today. I never needed a walker. It's amazing.

While they were in there, they fixed a significant hernia I guess I acquired through my 4 pregnancies. I'm looking forward to swelling to go down & see what's left...

My one surprise is that I weigh exactly what I did the day of surgery. Is this normal?

Oh yah& one more thing. What's a Wilbur?

Goldie- haha I am so glad things are better now! I gotta admit I was getting pretty nervous about the lipo pain you guys have been dealing with!

Check wound care off my list! Done. First wound healed in four weeks and I also had a smaller one which healed in ten days. Yay protein!

I'm still trying to catch up!

Lahela- glad you are done and hope you are resting today.

Sbe- hope all your incisions stay closed!

Hugs to Deb

Kkmich-sounds like things have settled down for you...continue healing.

Well I gave up coffee for about 12 weeks and I had my first cup yesterday morning.Then stared at the ceiling last night for a few hours because I was still wired!

I'm home already! After one night in a shared room with a lady whose phone didn't stop buzzing all night and who snores louder than my DH, I decided I would be better off on my sofa with my family around me. Doctor said I have to take it super easy and will go back next Friday to have the stitches out and get the pathology report, then another follow up after the holidays to check on my fibroids. She said it turned out the cyst wasn't on the ovary, it was on the fallopian tube, but it was stuck to the outside of my uterus so one incision is quite big. But my belly is flat again, so I don't care about the scars!

Deb, Jeannie, all you ladies recovering or suffering through hard times, you are in my thoughts.

Hi ya Sisters!! I have been lurking again and letting the days go by. All of you are in my prayers, I would do a list but I don't want to forget anyone so I just put everyone in my pocket of prayers!

Snow has been coming down for a week now and it is so cold!! I put myself in the tub and hung the drain bag over the side of the tub. After getting out the tub while my hubby stood by, the bag touched my leg, I freaked and yelled, "Spider, get it off me!" You all would have been rolling on the floor laughing!! I do now. I will give you a chuckle but embarrassing on my Friday last week! I was sitting in my recliner, put foot down to go preheat oven, stood up and "pop"! I pulled my drain! How funny is that?! Anyways, we went to the ER(which I truly hate here) and an ultra-sound was done. Drain still in. Betadined me all over(at my request), bandaged me up and we went home. Not my idea of a Friday night date--sigh.

Tuesday, went for a drain check with contrast dye put in. All okay and even though I still have a drain but they switched the bag for a JP drain!! So, I am good to go see the sound of Music!!

I just can't believe how the littlest inconveniences can upset you internally. We go through all of this surgery, chemo, rads, and reconstruction and to get freaked out about a drain bag, good grief!!

PRMA called and said my DIEP will probably be scheduled for Feb. or Mar. of 2014! And forward we go!!

Cherrie, I really didn't need lipo, but he needed someplace to take fat for grafting, and after being told he would not touch my tummy in case I need it, we then decided on the two places I had something to give. A little on the inner thighs, and the flank. I have always been athletic and there wasn't much fat to take. This sounds so gross, but he said there was so little to take he was scraping the muscle. Maybe that is why I am so sore. So, since the inner thigh pad has always been my place I wish was gone, and now it is, it seems like everything fits better. Everybody's body is different. Usually jeans are too tight in thigh area and too loose in the waist for me, and my best friend is the opposite. So, we know if something fits me it won't fit her, and vise versa. So, yesterday when I tried on a pair of jeans that I love on a good day, but on a "fat" day they were just a wee bit too tight, and they fit better than they ever had I was really excited. I am sure there is swelling to go down yet, and 1/2 inch could make a difference in how clothes feel when they are on. I wasn't expecting to go down two sizes, etc. I am sure one day you will wake up and all the swelling will be gone, and you will be like BDavis, and go down a size or two. Lipo is a huge trauma to the body. I know there is going to be swelling. Gosh, I had swelly belly after my hysterectomy for nearly a year.

LOL, Lucy. It hurts, but it goes away fairlly quickly.

Kat ski, glad you are okay. That is funny about the "spider drain" but not funny about pulling it. Ouch.

Lahela, glad you are home and resting. You are too nice. I would have shut off her phone! As for the snoring, oh well, can't be helped I guess.

KKmish, sounds like you are doing great!!! Sorry about the migraine and the initial breathing problems. Glad that is behind you.

sbe.....AAACCCKKKK....nope, you're right.....it'll never work

does anyone know if the radiation tattoos can be removed? I have 1 that is higher up that I do not like. I am thinking of asking after diep is done with & I am going for my nipple tattoo. I was thinking that the same person doing it, may be able to remove it.

Donna, I was just at my dermatologist and asked that question. She said laser would not scar. I may look into that. Let me know what you find out. Mine is show able in a bathing suit. Right in the cleavage.

Thanks Betsy. There may be hope for my thighs yet.

Katy- you look so happy in the Hampster Tube. Good for you!

Katy - great shot. Love the hamster tube. You look so happy.

Sharon - I need to chime in here about the scar and the nipple. You might really want to give the scar some time to fade before getting the nipples. I am a natural redhead and my scars were much darker than my skin tone or the color of my original nipples. These were scars from my original recon 28 years ago. I ended up having the worst treated with a pulse dye laser about 4 years ago and it really helped it lighten and flatten. Now I am not saying you should wait 28 years, but has it been a year since the scar was opened the last time. Since it is going directly through the nipple location, you might want to give it more time to lighten.

I actually have been giving this a lot of thought lately as one of my scars goes right across that same line. It is very dark and somewhat thick. Since I have another revision to go, she is going to raise the scar a half inch and lower the scar on the other boob the same amount so they will be even.

hahaha.....LOVE the "katy in a tube" photo!!!!

mammalou - my onc's FNP did lab work on me and my liver enzymes were elevated. I know now that this can be caused by about a million things. She is very cautious and sent me for a CT of my liver and surrounding area. It was completely unchanged from the one they did a year and a half prior, when I was first diagnosed. So a few weeks after that she rechecked the liver enzymes, and they were totally fine. If your liver enzymes are elevated and you are worried, talk with your onc, but apparently it's not unusual at all and can be caused by so many things. I tell you what though, after they came back elevated and while I had to wait for the CT scan and results, I was sick to my stomach. I was terrified I had liver mets... I was really angry afterwards and I haven't been real keen on getting lab work done ever since. Next time I see my onc I want to talk to him about that.

kkmich, oooh I am so sorry you went through that after surgery. Sounds like you are doing great now! I've always weighed a little more after surgery.

lahela - woo hoo for flat belly!!! Crossing my fingers and toes for a very boring pathology report.

sbel - I love the image of the spider with the long eye lashes! I will try that next time I see one. Spiders freak me out big time. and lol'ed at your hamster tube sign!!! Cracking me up!

bluebird - love the nails! lol @ your last photo!!!

Sharon, once Marty said it, I remembered...the pulse dye laser (which they have at UTSW) is an awesome laser to get the "red out" so to speak. I have had that laser too for a few red dots on had on my face (sun damage), and they are gone. Sharon, I saw your scar, and it might be just the thing to lighten it. Dr. T doesn't know too much about the lasers, but you can ask for a consult with the laser girl at the PS clinic, or go over to the Dermatology Dept and get it done there.

I wouldn't rush the tattoo, especially since your nipple came out so well, don't tempt fate, and go into the tattooing to quickly. But, I really believe the pulse dye laser could help you big scar on the top of your breast, and they have laser's to take off tattoos also. I had a coworker who had a tattoo taken off her ankle several years ago.