DIEP 2014

All the positive reports is making me feel better.  Teacher, glad you are feeling good about what you see in the mirror.

Lemon, I have been trying to get my pre-op scheduled, but it's been a battle.  Will try again next week.  Don't know what the hold up is.

I feel like I have a million things to do all of a sudden, but then I spent the majority of the day on the sofa watching movie's today.  So.....

Janet, thank you for my new motto.  I like it.  And, thank you for hanging around to give us courage even though you are done with the worst part. Are you scheduled for you stage 2 anytime soon? I know you went to see your PS about it, but refresh my memory on what the outcome was.

Ashira, you are coming up soon. We are here for you.  Cheering and hollering!!!

Sorry for all the typos!

Goldie - Yes -  I'm scheduled for Stage 2 on May 27. Surgery is at 2 pm, and I'll have nipples by dinner. I'm also getting a little tweaking done on my dog ear. I'm very excited. 

Just think, by the time I get my finishing touches, you'll be well into your recovery, and enjoying brand new boobs that are 100% Goldie - solid Gold! 

Hi again everyone. I signed my consent forms for the bilateral mx and DIEP, and am now waiting to have my surgery scheduled. I have multifocal DCIS in my right breast. I also have extensive atypia, abnormal friends including ADH, LCIS, FEA.  Right now the left breast looks clear on imaging so no sentinel node biopsy planned for the left, but it will be done on the right. I am feeing a little anxious about the node biopsy and chance of lymphedema. Has anyone here had any experience with this from a SNB after MX and DIEP? Thanks so much!!

Jersey Mom....you are in the right place. Others will chime in throughout the day and week. I was a delayed mastectomy and delayed DIEP so my experience is different. You'll find lots of support here. Sorry you had to come looking but glad you.found us!

Another step toward the new me...wearing the binder only at night til May 1. It feels a little weird without it, but I think I will adjust just fine.

JerseyMom, I had SNB and BMX. I did NOT develop lymphedema but did develop cording on right side where nodes were removed. It went down to my elbow. When I was able to start working with my trainer, he led me through gentle stretches and massage so that by the time I had DIEP three months later, I had full ROM and no pain. Since DIEP I've been doing wall crawls and the same gentle stretches I did before to develop movement in my arms. Cording has not returned. 

Goldie, nothing wrong with watching movies. Do what you need to do to get through and enjoy.

Ashira, take it easy this week so you will be ready for your nap on the 17th.

JanetM, love the licorice baby blog!

According to dr, the belly pain I experienced last week was from doing too much, so I've cut back. I believe that dust is a protective coating for my furniture, except for the piano, and the dust bunnies under the bed can breed for all I care.

As the belly incision has healed more, I now see what dog ears are, or dog ear because only the right side has  that square look with a little flap, but it is my belly button that is taking the longest to heal. And someday I know I will be able to sleep on my side again. It was impossible with the TEs and since DIEP. Any ideas when that will be possible?

jersey mom.. I had BMX with removal of the sentinel node and 1 other node.  Fortunately no cancer.  I have had no problems since surgery.  In fact when I woke up I immediately raised both arms over my head and the nurses grabbed at them to push them back down.  Fact is, I could do it then and now with no pain or problems.  I've had to work at not raising them.  

Kim .. I will be 3 weeks out on Thursday and still have one stomach drain.  I can't wait to get rid of it.  I also get tired really quickly and was starting to wonder if it was just me.  Taking a shower and doing my hair exhausts me.

Hope everyone done is healing quickly and those waiting can stay calm.  The waiting is truly so much worse than the surgery and recovery.

Blessings to all.

Janet-Congrats on your date for your finishing touches! I am also enjoying your blog. Bye Bye SpongeBob!

Teacher- Free from your binder, did you buy Spanx or anything to step down from the binder to?

Wynne- You sound great, hope you get that last drain out soon.

I had 2 nodes removed and radiation to breast and my entire underarm due to a couple of micro mets hanging around but not in my nodes..(whew). My R underarm looks  like rolls of baby fat. I have no feeling at all, all the way down to my elbow on the inner arm. If I do too much my wrist and fingers swell like sausages. Most days its not so bad but my right hand, arm is always bigger than the left. The bonus is I no longer have to shave my underarm on that side, rads took care of it for me. My BS for diep is going to fit me for a sleeve after the surgery. Hoping/praying there will be no need to do a SNB on left.

Jeanie, no kidding about one node. I will watch myself carefully.

Wynne, it's ok to take a nap after showering and doing your hair. I did til this week. You are way, way ahead of me on ROM but I know it will come  as I work.

I feel I was very lucky to have the last drain out just after week 2 since the bmx drains were in for 26 days. 

Lemon, no binder during the day only. I have to wear it at night. No spanx during the day. I don't know if that is the norm or if I'm just lucky.

JerseyMom, I think different breast surgeons do things differently. My bmx incision was all across my chest. I did not have nipple sparing because cancer too close to area. I've thought about posting images but I'm not ready to do that. Once I heal more from DIEP I will but my healing is still a work in progress.

Lemon, have you seen an LE therapist who can massage you and teach you manual lymph drainage massage? Also, in my experience, not all doctors know, care or have accurate information about LE. An LE therapist is your best bet, as is the info on breastcancer.org, The National Lymphedema Network and a group LE women on here started, something like SpeakUp-StepOut.org or something like that. It is probably in the LE info on here. 

I don't write much on this thread anymore (trying to move on) but lymphedema is an important subject to us. I have learned a lot out of necessity!

Welcome new flappers! You will find lots of wisdom, support, and good information here!

I found this great resource, thought it was worth sharing, a good section with resources on financial stuff. http://media.cancercare.org/publications/original/178-helping_hand.pdf?1380649327

Katski I am sorry about your kitty and the rough time you have had after surgery. I am just now catching up with the posts and saw a little farther down that you had a better day. I love the vision of you and your peeps driving around in a convertible with the sun on your face!

Wiynne50 thank you for your feedback and glad things went smoothly! Love to keep in touch!

MartyJ, thanks for the name on the target pants, and recommendations to make frequent stops/walks on the way home!

Bluefox, glad things went well! Sonone how are you doing? Too funny, I see Wilbur as a cat too!

Teacher happy late anniversary! A little celebrating with wine seems most appropriate! And great news about your cardiology report!

Sorry some of you have been dealing with the dark financial side of all this medical business. It is appalling that someone would charge interest on a medical bill and even more appaling that someone would be rude on the phone regarding medical billingl. I'm with SBelizabeth, getting to a hospital administrator and then escalating as necessary might get someones attention. It is too bad that any of our precious effort should be spent in this way. I had an issue with my insurance refusing to pay for the genetic testing (was approved) and then denied. Very expensive test. The diagnostic company ended up paying for the test in the end but some gray hairs were obtained in sorting it all out.

Lahela good for you for changing docs! And a little feedback is good for anyone, right??

Etoile yay for being on the other side and feeling better.

SBelizabeth your plan sounds great, so excited for you! I don't know about you gals but it sure helps to have a roadmap.

K79MIller, sorry you had post op issues. Scary how quickly you can spike a fever and end up in the ER. How are you doing now? Thanks for the driving (home) tips. I think we are going to break it up coming home over 2 days. How long were you in the hospital? Was the 17 nights total, including the day or two pre op? I may need to contact the place we are staying to make sure if we need to stay more than a night or two more we can.

Goldie/Lemon I am still out here. I too am starting to be in "panic" mode. I have had trouble sleeping and feeling nervous about what needs to get done around the house and to get ready for this trip and surgery. I do take comfort knowing that you two will be out there that day doing the same thing. I keep thinking about what I've seen many times posted on this forum. All we gotta do is show up!

Janet M thanks for the good post op fashion tips and input on keeping it calm! I have been using some guided mediation the last few days and it has helped. I have found a few button up tops that are a little big on me and a nice color. I like cammis too. Going to pick up a few before surgery. Also found some maternity pants, read somewhere those were comfy. I buy everything at the thriftstore so won't feel bad about taking scissors to anything that needs "modifying"! LOL!

Optime love your positive attitude and thinking! Ashira, thinking about you.

You gals are awesome! 

jerseymom- I had DIEP on left side only and was told they could not do nipple sparing because the lesion was too close to the nipple. My incision was around the areola only, which amazes me. I was concerned about how much skin would be grafted from my stomach to my breast but it's only the nipple area and eventually I'll get a tattoo. All of the rest of the skin on my breast was preserved. My PS ( in Boston) said that it can vary from person to person and depends on how the mastectomy goes. Best of luck to you with the surgery.

This stage 1 is still doing very well. I am amazed at how well it went. They look so great already and it wasn't bad at all. I went to two grocery stores today in a rain storm. Happy!

Jerseymom- Thank you, its minor compared to all we go though. I am doing nipple sparing, fingers crossed I didn't breast feed and I really want to keep them. I have to go a cup size smaller but I am fine with that. As soon as I wake up I am going to be peeking to see if they are there..lol

Jeannie- Thank you, my oncologist denied the lymphedema. My PS and new BS immediately said that was what it is. I look forward to getting it under control after the surgery. Thank you for posting here, miss seeing your posts. Always giving such great, warm advice. XO

GeorgieGirl- I keep telling myself to just get though Easter and then get nervous. I have pre-op the day after, my mind is going so fast. Overall I am still feeling so good about it. When I imagine the drive there (only 30 minutes) I feel so nervous, I cannot imagine the traveling so many of you have to do. I am going to take my tablet so I can check on you and Goldie.

Teacher- I want to post my pics too. I hope I still feel this way once its over. Although I think I mentioned I was horrified by the naked before pics on Friday. I love hearing you are out of the binder during the day, good sign!

BeeBop- Good to see you. How are you doing? I know you were doing much better, still doing well?

tbradyful- Wow, less than a week and out shopping and a grocery store? Glad you are feeling well.

JerseyMom, I had skin sparing BMX with immediate DIEP - the only breast incisions was circles around my (also very large!) areolas. My noobs are not much smaller than before because they actually have almost the same volume inside, just lost all that excess post breast feeding skin. I had my crop circles revised in March to make them a bit smaller because my recon nipples will be grafted from thigh skin - the circles were 5cm across and are now 4cm, so that will be my new areola diameter. My originals were oval - about 6cm across and 8cm long.