DIEP 2014

bdavis,  I am amazed you were able to walk the last three years with all of your surgeries and complications. The timing must have been just right. I am so sorry about your friend. Cancer blows, no matter what form it takes. Thanks for raising all that money, too.

Oh, Goldie. FBC means f*ing breast cancer. I have never been a swearer until cancer found me.

I have our 60 km walk for women's cancers in Toronto to thank for many things,  I have done it for the past 5 years, and I have made some wonderful friends, who have been so supportive through my diagnosis, surgery, etc.  I'm heading south out of the cold with two of them in a few days for a week of recuperating in the warm weather.  One of highlights of the resort for us is that we can walk on the beach for an hour each way.  I also attribute all of the training for the walks with getting me in pretty good shape for surgery.  It has been a big blessing in my life.

On a sad note, we buried my cousin today.  She passed away earlier this week from brain cancer at age 57. She beat the time predictions of how long she would likely survive by more than a year and I marveled at how she lived her life after diagnosis - she definitely made the most of time she had.  She received all of her treatment at the cancer hospital that the Toronto Walk benefits, so she will definitely be in my thoughts during the Walk this year.

Goldie - that is a beautiful clock.

Ridley

Ridley - so sorry to hear about your cousin.

Ridley... OMG... So sorry. My friend has glioblastoma. Was diagnosed Nov 1, 2012, so its been a little over a year. Just recently she has lost use of her right hand, and has issues with speech from two previous surgeries. I adore her, and it breaks my heart for her. She has such a great attitude though. Just last fall she and her wonderful husband had a vaccine made using her tumor and blood. She had to fly to Europe to get it administered. She has had 4 doses so far. And had good MRIs until this last one which showed growth.... UGH.

Last week, I lost a classmate to BC. She was diagnosed November 2011... so it was really quick. And totally caught me off guard.

Jeannie... Yes, I walked my first walk 7 weeks post DIEP. I made it 23 miles that year. In 2012 and 2013 I walked 32 and 26 miles... never made it the full 39.6. My feet just can't take it. Doesn't help that I have plantar fasciitis.

The vaccine is not FDA approved. They paid for the whole thing out of pocket. We used to get together every month, but I haven't seen her for a while now - maybe October or November?... but I have been going through a lot personally (son transferred colleges this winter and my husband is leaving me) so I have been preoccupied. But I don't want to look back and think I didn't spend enough time with her.

Jen...one way to check for spreading of pink or redness is to draw a line around where it is right now so that you know if it's spreading. 

jmb... Sounds to me that its probably normal being a little over a week out... you will be swollen for weeks. But to ease your mind, perhaps try to get in on Monday. I agree that on the antibiotic it is unlikely you have an infection. And the fever could be related to lung function. Make sure you are using your incentive spirameter for breathing. And I suggest not touching your breasts. You will have hard areas for weeks or months. That is normal. But remember, the important thing is the blood flow be strong. No massage or pushing the tissue.

I wish I read all of the wonderful suggestions you veterans posted prior to my DIEP, which was done on January 16th.  I recently went to the ER after feeling horrible and to me seemed like my abdominal incision was opening (just didn't look right to me). The aggravating part of it was I contacted the PS office during normal hours to speak to the nurse because im no expert on what it should look like to see if she could give me some direction. She told me to take a picture of it and email it to her, the worst part about it all is she NEVER contacted me after receiving my email. To add salt to my wound I called the PS office to make my post ER follow up appointment and was put off for another week. Im just so frustrated at this point its like the office staff doesn't care, I've never had PS before so I don't know what a healing wound is supposed to look like. Sorry for rambling im hurting and just not used to being so dependent. Still can't stand up straight!!

The ER docs said it looked fine just granulation tissue setting in. They also just gave me some antibiotics.  That was my biggest scare, didn't want the incision to become infe

jmb- I think you should err on the side of caution. See someone tomorrow. 100 is a fever especially if you are on Percocet which has Tylenol in it. The Tylenol is helping to keep your temperature down. I was on antibiotic and got an abdominal wound infection. The antibiotic I was on did not cover the bug I got. I always say trust your gut and if you think something may be up make them see you.

jmb- maybe they will be able to meet you today. Will be thinking of you and hope you get some answers.

Gentle {{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}} to all the ladies having issues this weekend!

Sorry to read of the tough times for so many, and I hope things start to turn around towards the "better" side soon, for those fresh out of surgery and those having to get through other potholes in life. 

I hope to be around, the day someone announces "cancer can now be cured". Someday....it will happen...it HAS to. We've all had too many people we love touched by and/or taken by various kinds of cancer. It never gets any easier, and often makes us "catch our breath"...no matter how far out we are from our own dx.

jmb....I do hope you are seen by someone quickly to sort things out for you. Your drain output sounds really low...has it always been low?? Most protocols would have pulled them if they were only putting out 2.5 cc's. They do get "gloppier" as time goes on....make sure you are stripping them well, until they are removed. Fingers crossed for you that everything settles down. 

shantab....it IS too early to be trying to be straight up....you'll get there as your body allows it. Try to eat well, especially good protein amounts, to help with the healing.

beebop...are you feeling crummy physically (like you're ill) or post-event crummy?? Many people go through "slump and dump" intervals.....give your mind and body some credit and compassion for what you have been dealing with. It truly is a journey of 2 steps forwards, 1 step back, and sometimes a whole lot of steps sideways.

I think it is a more difficult "comparison" for those who have immediate recons, as the physical memory of what we expect a breast to feel like is so recent. Given that the flap is "our own tissue", doesn't mean that from the very beginning, a flap breast will feel/behave like a normal breast. It won't....it has a lot of healing to do. I think most of the veterans will tell you that things get warmer, softer, "looser", etc with time, but once again, with almost everything related to bc....we have to get through the "waiting period". Better to focus on resting/hydrating/moving within guidelines/nutrition/ and taking things one day at a time.