DIEP 2014

Teacher- I am just a few days ahead of you and finally started being able to sleep on my side. I don't make it through the whole night....the abdominal incision starts aching. I am wearing supportive/compressive bra constantly! 

I am still using a binder (my choice)....the abdominal scar feels so much better when supported!

Ashira, sigh of relief that stage 1 is a thing of the past. When you feel up to it, let us know how you are.

Vivian,

My hair initially came in white too. I refuse to put chemicals back in my system when it's trying so hard to recover from chemo so I use a henna / indigo color that gives me my dark brown back. Works well and is all natural. Might want to give that a try. I'm gonna do the same with my nails pre-surgery. Gonna make hubs get a pedi with me!! Lol

Yay Vivian!!  I can feel your excitement!  I am so very happy for you that your date has finally arrived.   I think Paloma Picasso red would look fab with white hair. Maybe you should consider it!  

ahem....WHITE HAIR RULES!!!!

Vivian....when I lived/worked in Miami, Baptist Hospital had a great reputation, and I'm sure it still does. Congrats on getting your date...now it likely feels like you're racing out of control downhill, with the emergency brake on! We've been there, sister. 

zenful....burning spanx sounds like a wonderful new trend....go for it!

I'll save my Spanx for the burning fest!  

Thanks everyone for telling it like it is and making me feel normal when I feel crazy.

Teacher- enjoy your grandgirls, let us know if they notice the new you- soft and warm hugs. I am far from retirement but I do work at home. I do plan on taking off 2 weeks and can take up to 8 paid if needed. I am hoping I will be fine to sit at my desk and type and talk on the phone. I love that it will finally be warm, what I really want to do is just sit in a chair outside and heal and appreciate all around me.

JMB- Again I am so sorry for your loss, so sad and her young daughter. Yesterday they said that the father of one of the teens killed in the Chardon school shooting died of a heroin OD. He had to have been in his upper 40s-50. This is becoming an epidemic in Ohio and I am sure other plans. Having teens it really scares me. It is so much harder for them to grow up than it was for us.

I have seen the Starbucks but I have never had a cup of coffee! Crazy I know, I do have a problem with Diet Pepsi I don't like to admit. I have spent a lot of time at their recently my mom was there on and off for 2 weeks. I got a lot of exercise! This is all getting very REAL! I cant believe its been 12 weeks for you, time sure does fly on by.

Naiviv- So exciting!! I have the same fears and concerns but "we got this"!

Happy Easter to you all.. XO

I tried a soft stretchy bra today for a couple of hours. It was so painful. The only reason I lasted that long was because I was in public and couldn't rip it off! Can't even imagine an underwire. 

LOL, Teacher.  That is so sweet, but sad, what your granddaughter said, "what happened to your soft?  That is so cute.  I am very conscious of when I hug anybody, especially my grandsons.  One fell asleep on me a month, or so ago and his hand landed on my implant, and I didn't even feel it...ugh. 

I don't know if it's the same thing,  but I had swelly belly after my hysterectomy for months.  I use to wear spanx cami's under my blouses to work. They come all the way down to your pubic bone, and are comforting to wear.  It helped a lot. 

J1971, you look great!!!!  Is that a party bus, or a train?  Hard to tell.  Double spanx?  You wear one on top of the other?  Ouch.  That must be fun to get on and off.  I hope you are binder and spanx free soon.

I bought the girdle and bra they recommended at PRMA and have to say I'm not loving them.  The binder was actually more comfortable than this girdle.  It may be because I'm so short waisted that I have to fold it over or it would come up over my new boobs.  Also the bra makes me feel huge!  I keep hitting my boobs with my arm which never happened with my originals. My PS said not to use underwire which is good because I hate them.

Also Kim, they have me wearing these 24/7 for another 2 weeks and then days only another 4.  I guess even within the same practice each PS does things a little differently.  Congrats on the drain, I know that felt good.  When did they tell you it would be ok to sleep on your side?  I don't really understand why no side sleeping after the drains are all out.  Anybody no why that is?  I'm ready to get out of the recliner.

Hope everyone has a blessed Easter!

I have to go in the day before my surgery (which is Tuesday) for Sentinal Node biopsies.  Dreading it.  Had one with my first surgery and had a fair amount of skin necrosis.  I haven't heard anyone else mention these.  Do most of you have this done before surgery?

JMB. I am so sorry your family has to go through this.

Curly. Wow.  When it rains it pours.  Hope this is the last of your bad luck.

I broke several bones in my foot a few months ago and sprained  the other ankle. The day after I got the boot off, my granddaughter dropped a weight on my other foot and broke a toe.  Thursday note I woke up about midnight and remembered I had a Cadbury's ice cream bar in the freezer.  Ran into the recliner I borrowed for surgery and broke a couple more toes!  There has to be a lesson there.  Never broke a bone since age 5.  Does chemo cause osteoporosis?

Who is the contact to request access/approval to pictures forum? 

Iowa - I had the injection for the SNB the day before Diep surgery, but the actual removal of the sentinel node was done on surgery day using the mastectomy incision (no separate incision under my arm like I have on the other side which was done with a lumpectomy.)

Georgie - I got my wedge pillow at a home-health supply store.  It is a couple feet wide, about 3 feet long, and is about 10-12 inches high at one end.

Why do they do lipo in Stage 2.  I'm nowhere close to that but I am curious about it?