DIEP 2014

Thanks Marty and JMB for your insights. I am having the incision lowered, lipo and far grafting to try to fill some divits in the upper areas...my left breast and my underarm. My PS said I would be off a week, and in the girdle you described for 6 weeks. She said I could get a spankx from Nordstrom for my nephews wedding. I guess I'll have to be on my pain meds....

Donna, congratulations on having Stage 2 over and done. Sounds like it went well, I am sure you will be happy once you get to see with the bandage off. I would be trying to peek!

Goldie- I am sorry to hear about your son, I would be feeling the same. Its so hard to see them no matter the age in pain. Mine are teenagers and its just scary to grow up in these times. I am sure your son is comforted just by being at home and close to you. The days are flying by, just over a week for us, please try to gets some rest. ((hugs))

Kat-Ski, I am sorry to hear you are having healing issues, it is terrible they are not responding to you timely. I hope you get some answers soon.

KooKoo- How is your dad? Hope you are both doing better. Your lucky to live in LA so close to NOLA. I have a best friend who lives in Reserve, she kept telling me to come there for my surgery. I have the Cleveland Clinic here and so far they are wonderful so I didn't do it but at some point I will come for fun.

jmb5 - if you look a few posts up, I shared my experience with stage 2.

Good Afternoon!  It is one of those fatigue days where I just can't move.  I hate this when it happens.  I am getting my hair colored today and that is one appt. I need for healing.  I go to bed at 11pm with 20 m of ambiem and all I do is toss and turn.  I am just tired feeling this way for 2.5 years but I know I have good days like last Sunday.

We will probably take the car up to Ludington or Traverse City tomorrow for a joy ride!! Well, off, to the hairdresser("only she knows"!  Love to each and everyone of you. Kat

Hi all you terrific gals,

I visited my PS yesterday. I brought my list of 22 questions and he said he looks forward to the next 20 when I see him next, LOL. He really puts me at ease with his expertise, confidence, and humanity.

Thanks to all your good feedback ladies, I am going to get a recliner, and maybe a wedge pillow too.

I would love to hear from anyone who also had their diastasis repaired during the DIEP. I have had twins plus another child and my stomach really took a beating especially from carrying my twins to term. I asked my PS if he could take a look at that separation and repair it - he said he would be happy to but cautioned me that would cause more pain during recovery. I am willing to go for it after putting up with this issue for over 15 years, since i was too chicken to have surgery until now. Has anyone had it done? 

PS thanks for the great protein suggestions Debwarrior!

Hugs to all, 

JerseyMom

Thanks nihahi, will do.

Thanks Moviemaniac, are you saying he opened you back up and repaired yor diastasis in stage 2?! Wow. I like your philosophy of forgetting the unpleasantness of life! I am hoping the good pain Meds will help me look back on the surgery and not remember too much pain, too!

So do you feel like your abs feel secure and your back is better supported now? Do you have any issues with crunches, etc?

Hi Everyone,

I have been MIA for the past couple of weeks, just did not feel like getting online. I've been trying to catch up on everything that has been posted.

I had my BMX and DIEP 2 weeks ago yesterday. All went well. It was a long day, but since I was sleeping though it, it was ok : ). The hardest part for me was the first couple of days directly after surgery. My PS does not allow any liquids for about 48 hours, and no food for another 24 after that. I was sooooo thirsty after waking from surgery Friday night. They did have these large lemony swabs that I could use, but not the same at all. I was checked every 1/2 an hour with the dopler. Sometime on Sunday I was allowed to have ice chips, they tasted like heaven! By that evening I was on liquid diet, even the jello cups seemed like ambrosia. I was concerned about naseau, so started by eating crackers, when that went well I moved on to a regular diet, no problems. I was out of bed the day after surgery, just to move to a chair to sit for a while. The next day my catheter came out, so I was out of bed to walk to the bathroom, sit in a chair for a while. The 3rd and 4th day I did some hall walks. My PS had initially told me I could probably go home day 5, and by the morning of day 5 I was so ready to get out of the hospital and get home.

They removed 2 of my drains on the day I left, so I went home with 4 drains. We had about a 3 hour drive home, thanks to all of your postings, I had brought some soft pillows to cushion me on the way home. About an hour away from home we got off the freeway and my husband ran in and got me a latte and we cruised along the coast for a while, it was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. It felt so great to be out of the hospital and enjoying the sunshine! I had taken one pain pill for the ride home, as a just in case.

My issue has been sleeping. I love to sleep on my side or stomach, so this back sleeping is not comfortable and I seemed to sleep in spurts. Luckily toward the end of last year we had bought a new couch that has dual, electronic recliners, that was wonderful for comfort and sleeping, along with lots of squishy pillows. I tired of being in the recliner so much, and got a 7" wedge from Bed, Bath & Beyond and slept in the bed for a few nights using the wedge and pillows, it was ok, but still not comfortable. Couch sleeping seems to be the best for me the past couple of nights, and last night I was finally was able to sleep a bit on my side, best night of sleep since my surgery.

hmm, I couldn't type any more above, sorry this is so long!

I came home in an abdominal binder (Velcro closing from hips to just under breasts) and a soft, front closing surgical bra. Both the binder and the bra have abdominal surgical pads between them and my incisions. I initially took some pain meds the first few days home, but usually only needed them if I was doing something like bathing, or washing my hair in the sink. Most of my pain is in my back after moving around and not standing fully straight. Now I am only taking Tylenol when needed. I went in for a recheck this past Thursday and had all but one drain pulled. Hopefully that last drain is coming out this week. My stomach hasn't been painful, just some discomfort and that stretched feeling. I know this is a work in progress, my new breasts aren't perfect, but are looking pretty good for this point in time. Although the first couple of days seemed kind of rough, I had known what to expect and am happy with the Diep decision. Thank you all for the information shared on here, it really helped me know what to expect and to get through those first days knowing it was going to get so much better.

Sunone, I remember thinking those ice chips were a gourmet meal. I'm almost six weeks and still can't sleep on my side. I've had to be a back sleeper since December and it is still not comfortable. 

Today I played outside because I wanted to plant a bit of color. I had thought I'd be able to just play in the dirt but my husband ended up digging the wholes for the plants. I felt like such a wimp because I could not do something I've always done easily. I will again though.

Hi Guys

Thank you for encouraging words.  It means a lot that you are all here to listen.  Nihani, knowing you had a similar situation and were able to get through the surgery makes me feel better.  I am worried the stress is going to upset my healing.  But, I too just want to get away at this point.

There was a lot of reading to catch up on.  Everybody sounds pretty good.  Nothing major, which is good. 

I am trying to keep my protein intake up, but stress puts me off my feed.  Thank goodness for those Premier Protein Shakes from Costco. I have one of those a day, and I know I got at least 30 grams of protein on top of whatever else I manage to eat.  We got a new grill.  This thing is making cooking meat, chicken and fish so easy. It is a wood pellet burning grill, and you plug it in to start it. Very cool.  No fear of blowing myself up, or waiting for coals to get hot. This thing is like having a second oven.  It smokes, grills and it is an oven.  Tonight we make a pizza on it. It was really good!!!!!  So, my hubby is going to be making me lots of protein on it after my surgery. 

Again, thank you for all the positive words and encouragement.  This to shall pass. 

I've noticed since wearing the binder only at night for the past 10 days, my tummy is more puffy. To be expected?

cindy...I'll be 6 wks out next Thurs & haven't experienced any of that yet.  The middle of last week I had a few pains deeper inside my stomach but luckily that's gone away.  Are you wearing kind of binder or girdle?

Teacher...I haven't noticed that.  Since the surgery I've had days where my stomach just feels more bloated but it doesn't seem to have changed.  I'm not wearing any thing at night now.

Bluefox...mine have been soft from the beginning but the paperwork I got said that it could be firm at 1st but would soften up with time.

Goldie - It's almost the one week countdown! I know it's the scary part of the ride - but you're also so much closer to the rest, recovery, & relief that happens the second you wake up. That's the great part. Maybe you can look at that day as something to look forward to, and forget about the pesky surgery you must go through to get there. 

I'm very sorry to hear of your son's divorce. Life sure is complicated sometimes - and you probably want to punch her in the head for all the pain she's causing you family. But I like what Nihahi said about your son having somewhere to redirect his energy, and hopefully you will benefit. Your recovery is what's important right now. 

I was listening to Dr Laura on the radio last week and a mother phoned in with the same situation. Her son was getting divorced and she was angry at his wife, and didn't know what to do with her anger. Dr. Laura said to channel the hatred for the ex-wife into love for her son. I thought that was pretty solid advice, even though it  falls distinctly into the 'easier said than done' category. For now  - you are the center of the universe. And your strength and peace of mind are the most important things. 

Sunone - You said that you're please with your 'girls' and that they are a work in progress. That's such an important thing to remember. For anybody wrestling with disappointment - getting the finished product is a bit of a marathon. I was happy almost immediately with my size, and having a little cleavage, but then it was months of shape shifting, that is still not quite finished. 

Teacher - Good Lord! How could you be on this thread and say that you feel like a wimp for not doing something that used to come easily. You've been through cancer and DIEP, and you sound very upbeat. I think we're all Wonder Women, and Wonder Woman doesn't play in the dirt. 

By the way - for anyone making a list for the hospital. The two things I couldn't live without were lip balm, and a hairband. I didn't want to wash my hair, but it felt so could just to use a thick stretchy hairband to push it out of my face.