DIEP 2013

I could have dvy but I wanted C's

Nihani, the throat thing can take a few days. Hang in there on that.  You must have shivered so hard you clinched all  your muscles up.  I bet that is why you hurt. You have any muscle relaxer's hanging around. I would take one if you do. 

When you feel bad look at your foob and it will give you positive reinforcement for your temporary discomfort. 

Movie, usually Mucinex works great.  Sorry.

movie,

I don't know if you would try an old fashioned remedy.  Have you considered an onion plaster http://www.ehow.com/how_5535296_make-onion-plaste...

or maybe a mustard plaster?  http://www.naturalremediescenter.com/4177/mustard...

And final thought Manuka Honey!

I have never tried the plasters though I do recall my dad doing them when I was little...his mom grew up on a farm, so i am sure that's where he learned it from. (No internet back then!)

Hope you feel better soon.

Pat

Patty.....hadn't thought of those.....yet!  

 However, on the Manuka Honey....I confess that I have been smearing it all over my scabby, new areoles (skin grafts), and I gotta say.......they look pretty amazing!    (The Manuka honey is also a PERFECT solution to keeping the nursing pads with the hole in the middle STUCK to the right place on my foob....so the pad protects the fipples......ingenious!)

Maybe I will absorb some of it through the skin.....it is right above my lungs.......(just kidding)!

XO

Bailey,

That's good. I just want to feel as close to the old me I guess. Flat tummy will be a huge plus regardless of cup size. C's would still be proportional but any smaller and I'm gonna look very bottom heavy! Lol

those of you who have had phase 2.... Do you all have tummy revisions too? I was heavy to begin with but now I feel line I look funny cause my abd is big on top. I would love more work on my tummy. Especially if the muscle tightening was included (after 3 Csections and the DIEP my muscles are shot). 

 How many phases are there? 

Oh Nihahi, I am so sorry you are in pain. I wish the pain meds would help you for a few days. Lay low girl and this too shall pass. Have hubby make you a hot chocolate and slip a little Baileys in it. 

Going to a life coach today. A specialist with exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Part of a program called "ON TARGET LIVING". It is about a lifestyle not a diet. My upper abdomen is quite puffy. It is either fat shifted upwards or lymphatic issues due to big incision. My compression also puffs this area up. I leave for Florida is 1.5 weeks and the compression is not going with me. It will be almost 4.5 months by then. All for a little inner thigh lipo. 

Nihahi,

Gentle hugs for you. Ugh, it really sucks to be so sore!! I don't do well with anesthesia either. Not looking forward to being strapped down for so long. My arms killed me for days after my mx and that was 5 hours, not 10-12. Oy! Take it easy and move a little bit every hour. As much as it hurts, moving really helps you heal faster. 

Do they not lipo the upper abdomen area when they pull it down? This could be a problem for me lol. My PS here did tell me it wasn't like a traditional tummy tuck. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he wanted me to lose weight first. Ugh. 

I do believe they lipoed the upper abdomen too. Not sure however. I would call your PS and ask this question. 

cherrie- on Target Living! Sounds good. Make sure you give us some helpful hints. I swear I wake up every morning and check to see if my stomach is still flat.

Bailey- hope your parents are doing well. Can't believe you endured that whole odyssey with a drain! Sure you will be happy to get rid of it.

Sharon- happy for you!

Nihahi, so sorry you are hurting so much! I am praying it is short-lived. Healing hugs to you! 

Cherrie, you have been such a faithful compression-wearer. Maybe everything will settle down after you are free of it? Hope so. A life coach sounds great! I am signing up for the 12 week LiveStrong program at the Y but it starts only ten days after I get nipples so I'll have to take it easy at first, maybe just show up.

Deb, life is just so hard sometimes. Turning things over to an attorney sounds like a wise step. Thank goodness you have a job to go back to, even though it's not ideal. I'm glad you feel free to express yourself here because we want to be your cheerleaders! We all think about recurrence but as Sbel has said, the elephant in the room shrinks to a mouse sometimes and that makes it easier to live with.

Sbel, thanks for the Manuka honey suggestion. Movie, too! I have some but haven't really known how to use it. By the way, the ScarFade took the purple right out of my road rash scar!

Dyvgirl, my PS sculpted my tummy with lipo in Stage II. I remember being concerned about the upper abdomen before that. It's fine now. My ab area is soft and there is probably more fat that could be removed but I figure it's up to me now to take care of it. 

Deb, no, nobody hires in December. He has a ton of contacts in this area so we'll just have to wait and see. We have COBRA benefits for now but they are very expensive.

Stopping in real quick to say Hi!!!  Off to take grandson to see the movie Frozen.  It will be fun.  Haven't done anything with him alone in a while.  

Nihani, I wish I had something to say about the muscle pain. Gosh, the way you are describing your neck pain reminds me of when I had whiplash.  I literally had to pick my head up with my hands.  I really hope you get some relief.  Gee, and I though lipo was bad. Sounds liked they dropped you...only kidding. It's so cold there I can't imagine putting ice on anything, but give it a try.  I bet you start feeling a wee bit better every day.

Curly, how are you today?  I am thinking about you all the time.

Donna, I know what you mean. I stopped Tamoxifen for surgery, too. Avoiding blood clots is the immediate concern. Just trust that your previous treatment kicked cancer's butt, if you can.

Donna --  I stopped tamox for two weeks prior to surgery and started taking it again the day I was released from the hospital, so off it for under 3 weeks in total.

I thought one of the reasons that they want you off it is also to maximize the chance that the flaps survive (e.g. If there were clots in those reconnected veins/arteries, they could put the flaps at risk.).   This is just what I recall reading somewhere - no reference for you.  I'm sure your PS could provide a better explanation.

I understand the fear of stopping it.  It's the only treatment for me aside from surgery.

Ridley