DIEP 2013

Thanks, guys. I am trying to look at it like Nihani said, not a total failure, if he doesn't think a revision of these will work.  I will have pockets for DIEP all ready to go.  What I am hoping is it's a lot like having an exchange with a tummy tuck?!  No? Since I had my bmx already there really shouldn't be any T-rex syndrome, right?  Just drains, and tummy stretching problems?  I am getting ahead of myself.  Maybe he can fix what I have going on here. Jeannie, Nihani, you both had implants/expander's replaced with your tummies, the upper body pain isn't as bad as mx, is it?

RHG, sorry you are having discomfort.  Since several other's seem to have had a similar reaction I wouldn't worry to much, but there is nothing wrong with putting a call into your doc if it continues.

Goldie... I had my MX and GAP flap in July 2011 and then a fix with the DIEP flap in August. I then realized the discomfort and heaviness I felt was all from the MX, not the flap surgery.

Christina! I'm so sorry! I hope you get out of there fast, hopefully tomorrow. 

Goldie, I don't remember my chest hurting from DIEP. I only remember being so thrilled to have soft warm boobs instead of TEs! You do guard your arms for awhile but I don't think I was really T-rexing it. I just didn't want to "dislodge" anything, even if it wasn't necessary.

Lahela, I'm ok. Vision in right eye still sucks. Fat necrosis on left side has pink skin over it ---not cellulitis because I've had it for about ten days. I see PS's PA on the 7th to see what we should do about it, if anything.  Nipples are scheduled Feb. 7th in the procedure room. I really don't want to go to the OR for necrosis removal for many reasons, but especially because a sudden drop in BP could cause the other eye to go cuckoo, too. Mine has been known to drop. I dread having to explain that to PS/anesthesiologist because so far docs look at me like, "huh?" I always get the weird stuff. Somehow I have five medical appts. and a procedure scheduled within the next six weeks when it is most inconvenient to have to pay insurance deductibles with DH out of work. He says he'd sell everything to take care of me so I'm one blessed wife, truly. Lahela, I hope you are all healed up by Thursday and can just move on and start the new year fresh!!

Whoa, I was just reading the Center for Disease Control's website (CDC) about how long/when people are contagious with the flu. The site stressed that people who have had cancer are more susceptible to complications from the flu, no matter when they had cancer, and should contact they're docs at the first sign of symptoms so they can get an antiviral and it shouldn't be the nasal spray form. Cancer sucks.

Christina - OUCH! I hope it settles down quickly and your labs come back okay!

Jeannie - your DH sounds like a truly good man. You are going through so much right now, but having him and your sons by your side must be such a comfort. I wish we had that magic wand already!

Movie - you sure did let loose with the funny faces! LOL!

Oops! Sorry Jeannie, I'm terrible at remembering things like that! I even have a list of my DH's nieces and nephews so I know who my mother-in-law is talking about! LOL!

I hadn't heard about the flu out break in Texas. Is it all over the state or concentrated to just one area? I had them give me a flu shot in the hospital after my port placement. I usually don't get them but I figured with chemo about to start I needed it. 

Christina- how are you feeling this morning? Positives thoughts being sent your way 

Great time with hubby!! Had a pre-chemo-moon!! Nice to get away for a night and just spend time together. We haven't done that since our third was born (unless you count our time together in hospital after DIEP... Ha ha)  and the baby is almost two!! 

Have a great Sunday ladies!

Jeannie, your husband sounds like such a sweetheart. Can't wait to hear about how your nipple procedure goes, I'm scheduled for the end of March and it's all I can think about.

I am doing much better this morning. The bleeding is just like a normal period now. They checked my blood levels again this morning and my hemoglobin is still low, but it is 0.1 higher than last night, so at least it did not drop any more. My pain is just tenderness right now, and very tolerable. The doctor should be in to see me any time and I expect she will send me home. I am ready to go home! Thanks for all the well wishes, I appreciate it. goldie - yes, the ob/gyn at the hospital said my uterus lining was built up from not having a period for so long, so there would be the chance of needing to do a D&C, but she did not think it would come to that. She was mostly worried I would need a transfusion if my hemoglobin kept dropping. They gave me IV iron last night and again this morning. I'll be making steaks for dinner tonight! Medically necessary, right?

Absolutely....steaks for dinner.....ask your doc for a rx....maybe your insurance will pay for them !

Thanks for the info, bdavis. I'm just wondering if I can trust my PS to fix it?

Christina- Hope you get put of there soon!! 

Oh, good idea, Bdavis.  Sharon, filler is a good idea.  Maybe fat grafting could fix it.  Then you could have a quick little office procedure under a local.  It's a pain that you have to deal with it because you thought you were done, but I think that sounds like a good option.

Oh, I knew what you meant, Betsy, but if you can get the fat grafting to take it's forever.  Most filler's have to be redone every 6 months to a year.  I have friends that get it in their faces and they are always having touch ups. But, it is a great idea, especially since Sharon had her tattoo already, and another surgery could mess that up. 

Are collagen injections forever? They might be. 

I have heard of them using alloderm for nipples, Betsy.  That might work too.

Okay, I have an important question for all ladies who ever suffered with iron bra before they had their diep.  My husband and I are at our wits end with my situation as it is right now.  I have suffered with iron bra since the day I woke up from my bmx with expanders back in April.  I suggested to him that we might open the door to thinking about diep again since this new surgeon is very open to working on women with not a lot of body fat, and since I have gained some weight I could very well be a good candidate for him to do surgery. My husbands biggest fear is that the iron bra would not go away even with diep.  I told him I had posted the question to the forum a long time ago, and the response I got was overwhelmingly "yes" my iron bra went away.  Some of you didn't even realize it till I brought it up.  I was hoping some of you might chime in again, and help us add a pro to our pro and con list.