DIEP 2014

Thanks to all for your concern, hugs, and good wishes.  I am getting stronger slowly.  

Ann BR. I wish you the best.  What happened to me was a fluke and I was told by my sis that PS that she had only had 2 cases like mine out of 400 and I was by far the most challenging.  Yours will be a breeze!.

Hard to stay coherent so will say goodbye.

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Goldie - If someone were to write a book about DIEP, it should be called, 'I Don't Care What I Bring to the Hospital, as Long as I Leave with Boobs'. That's a great attitude and a very funny quote. I know it diminishes the experience, but so what? It's the result we're all after, with a long and healthy life thrown in for good measure. 

Teacher - I wouldn't want me on a jury at the best of times.  I'm moody and indecisive and would probably send innocent people to jail because I didn't like the colour of their sweater. 

Iowagirl - Good Morning. Such an amazing story about your surgery - it took my breath away. I'm so glad to hear you're getting stronger, and three cheers for your skilled and caring medical team.  I'm sending you strength, and calm healing. 

Wilbur sure is going to be busy next week. I know it's a scary time for all the ladies who are heading in for surgery, but it's also really exciting. (Easy for me to say).  I had my surgery last summer, and in my experience it was really nice time to heal. Lots of soft cotton fabrics, and the opportunity to let your incisions breath, and welcome your new shape. 

Wilbur was awful in the hospital when he was with me.  They had to put an ankle line in when I was conscious because l was losing so much blood.  He yelled the F Bomb and blamed it on me.

jmb5  - I have been going to PT for the last 4 weeks and it has helped tremendously!  I had the same surgery date as you.  I too, reached my out of pocket max, so PT does not cost me anything.  I go 3x per week, but am now off for 2 weeks due to having surgery for stage 2 last week.  I requested a script from my PS for PT (she never offered it).  I will start again, hopefully next week.  I have seen a lot of improvement in my ROM and arm strength.  I would say it is back to normal now.  I am also now doing  planks & stomach crunches - to strengthen the abs.  My insurance is great and I have 60 sessions to use at no cost, so I plan on staying as long as I can.  I also have some neck stiffness which we will be working on when I resume.   

** I also had a very small amount of muscle taken.

GowanusGal, I have the extra skin. My PS has said he will remove it in Stage 2. I've had it since bmx in December and through my DIEP in March. Getting rid of it whenever will be wonderful because it is hard and uncomfortable. I have the bmx incision line across my chest from armpit to armpit (minus one inch that was spared in the center) and the crop circles from the DIEP.

It is hard to look. My first look after the bmx I was in the bathroom with the nurse to look and learn to clean the drains. Next thing I knew I was in the bed surrounded by a bunch of nurses like they were having a party. I'd never fainted in my long life but it seems my bp dropped like a rock. It was hard to look because all I had was the tissue expanders.

Look when you are ready and be joyful that your new breasts are brand, spankin new and cancer free. 

I looked right away at my new girls after DIEP. My immediate concern was that I was huge; they seemed like double ZZ huge! He just smiled and said it was swelling and I would be a nice B. He was so right because now (6weeks ago today!)they are just about perfect. The right is more full than the left and there's the extra skin and no nipples, but my amazing PS says he will take care of me. So far, he has, so I trust him. 

Since you accept the wonderful skills and talents of your doctors, accept that they will take care of you.

Heal well.

Donna2012, thank you for your post of April 24th about the behind the ear patch - I am going in from my Stage I DIEP at the end of May, and will be asking for that patch myself.  I was SO miserable after my mastectomy last March, and it seemed like anything they gave me after I came out of anesthesia made things worse for the nausea. 

Thanks Teacher but this scares me out of my mind! In the neck is really scary, I hope I am out of drugged before this happens. Did they take it out after surgery or did you have it the whole time? I am glad you are liking your "new girls" hope I feel the same.

Gowanus- did you do nipple sparing? My PS said he will keep a flap of skin there in case the nipples die so he can fill in with it. If not needed he will remove it later. He said he will know in the first couple days if they will survive. If he feels 100% sure during surgery they will live he wont bother. I am really hoping they live!

Fujimama- Congrats! Glad you are pleased.

Iowagirl- Happy to hear you are getting stronger, you have been though a lot. Keep resting. I hope Wilbur behaves himself during my surgery. He is going to be really busy with Georgiegirl and Goldie having their surgeries the same day.

Goldie, Georgiegirl- Holy holy macaroni!! I am calm on the outside and freaking out inside. This neck this really shocked me in a bad way. Georgie what day do you leave to travel?

Lemon, my neck line stayed in til Friday, the day I left after the Tuesday surgery. IF you have one, no worries. Like Zenful stated, you will most likely have an arm line. No matter where, it's for meds, you know, the good stuff.

Big 'sigh' of relief. Zen and Teacher you saved me evening. I am not sure why that got me but it did. I have lympho in my right but not my left. Whew! I will be taking my Xanax more often!

I had the anti-nausea patch too because I got sick after my BMX.  The patch made my head feel kind of swimmy, not really light headed.  It was just a different feeling & it took a few wks to wear off.  My left arm is the only arm they can use for sticks & blood pressure.  Thankfully they were able to get the IV's into my left arm.

Katski-I'm so glad that you're doing better.  Hopefully things will continue to get better for you.

Iowagirl-Glad to hear you're feeling better & I'm so sorry for what you had to go thru.  Just relax & let your body heal now.  The healing process is a fairly long process but it will happen.  Tell Wilbur if it made him feel better then just keep on doing it.

Hi Lemon & Teacher64 - I am seeing my PS tomorrow and will ask her more about the skin flaps then.  My nipples were spared and restuffed so now I kind of look like Farrah Fawcett -- the PS says they will shrink and we can taken them down a notch if I dislike them. For now, it looks like I'm VERY excited to see everyone. Or that it is very cold. 

I'm just wondering about the extra flaps since I am doing a second procedure most likely in the fall for some fat grafting and any adjustments.  I am not sure I want to go through a whole summer with an extra piece of skin. Hmmm...well, I'll keep you posted (if I can remember anything with 2 percocets in me for the drain removal!)

-GG

I think the extra skin tags you are referring to are called dog ears and my PS said this is what happens when you take a round incision and sew a straight line. You end up with extra tissue on the ends. He said he'd remove those at Stage 2. I don't think they remove them right away because of swelling, etc. 

Thoughts and prayers to you for tomorrow.

Now, go get'em!

AnnBR

I am sending prayers your way. I know you will do great and I look forward to hearing from you on the flap side!!