DIEP 2014

Hi Ladies,

I met with PS today, and I am scheduled for surgery this Thursday to graft and cover my open wound. I am in shock even though I expected this would happen. Another hurdle.

Teacher, I am glad your appt today went well, and I am happy your rash has calmed a bit.

Optimi, so sorry about your news. Radiation will kill those cells!

Lemon, Sorry you are in a funk...me too!

MS, I would definitely get another opinion regarding your results. I know it is hard to trust another surgeon, but there are excellent ones who do specialize in this area.

After my surgery, I met with BS, and she said no more mammograms. She also said I no longer needed her...I only need to meet with MO.

Sending hugs and healing thoughts for all!

Welcome Kathy - in response to your questions, for 3 drains, I really felt nothing when they were taken out and one stung a bit, but nothing I needed any pain killer for.  Same for the SNB injections - one didn't really hurt at all, nothing more than the freezing needle your might have had for a biopsy, and the second one (a few months later) stung for a little while.  But it was over in a couple of minutes.  Some women suggest using emla cream.  And as for the bm question - no problem there at all for me, but you need to stay ahead of the game with constipation because of pain meds, etc.  Stool softeners, etc will be your friend for a while after surgery.

August 21 will be here before you know it.

thank you Ridley. this is good to know. I bought colace today, based on previous posts :-) I want to be prepared

Kathy1965 - no pain whatsoever with drain removal. Use stool softener before and after surgery. Only bad day I had was due to constipation on day 7, in spite of everything I was using. Wiping not an issue. I was already "out" when the SNB was done.

Kb33 - my new breasts are warm but have no feeling. Sometimes they feel heavier in the morning. I don't know what that's about, just a feeling. ROM should allow for contacts. My ps said six weeks for intimacy. Wow! You must have high pain tolerance. You will want to allow healing time for your breasts. As for implants with stage 2, not for me! I just had mine last week and have some cleavage now since I'm still swollen. I'm sure it will disappear soon, but I'm ok with that.

Drain removal...nothing, or a tiny burn for around one second.

SNB...goodnews/bad news: my 2009 lumpectomy I had an injection in the affected breast but was under for the tracer. My June DIEP...not going to lie, it was the worst pain I ever experienced and I was amazed anyone was left in the waiting room after hearing my screams. F*ck if I know what they did or did not do right, but the second breast I felt nothing...though I was braced to pass out from the pain. Go figure.

Since those two drastically different experiences I have reflected at length on just why the first injection was so incredibly painful and the second a non event. Techs answer was..."some women feel it and some women don't"...if I'd had a weapon I might have killed them....

kb33 - I hate wearing glasses too, but because I was napping a lot during the first week after I was home, I thought it was better not to have my contacts in.  I had no trouble putting putting them in after that.

Personally, I wouldn't plan for a work trip after 4 weeks,  I had very minimal pain post surgery, but I was exhausted.  There was a lot going on (Christmas, ice storm, cousin went into palliative care) and I think that along with the stress/anxiety of the previous 6 months since diagnosis tuckered me out,  I did take a beach vacation about 8 weeks post and had no trouble - but that wasn't work, just a lot of walking and relaxing in the shade!

Ms, sorry you are having such a hard time finding a surgeon that makes you happy.  There is certainly nothing wrong with getting another opinion.  And, if you have family in a another area, and there is a good surgeon there, then do it!!!!

Teacher, good new on your front.!!!  Yeah.

I was told a few times that flaps should never be put through a mammogram.  MRI from now on, which is fine with me.

MsW best wishes with your decisions, I will be glad when we all do not have more surgeries, Lord willing.  

Naiviv, best wishes with your stage 2A today!  I get the "detailing" done today at noon and am looking forward to having it done!

Sending you all hugs dealing with various stages of adjustment.  I have learned a lot from everyone on here.  

I am to have an MRI according to my oncologist; he said I should get one 6 months after my DIEP then once a year.  My oncologist sometimes forgets what he told me the last visit, however.... I see my gyn in October so will let her address as well.  Teacher I wonder if they will do a CT scan?  My plastic surgeon said there is no need for imaging since it is belly tissue but the onc said since there is some (10%) breast tissue there.... I think like everything else we all have had done, opinions vary.  

kb33 - Going back to work so early sounds pretty ambitious. But everyone is different, and with your resilience, and a home office, it might be doable. However - I wanted to mention that a high pain threshold won't necessarily make working easier. In my experience, recovery wasn't painful - just exhausting. 

I went on a leisure trip five weeks after surgery and that was even bit hasty. My girlfriends had to pull my bag through the airport, and when it came to running for a connecting flight - forget it. I was speed walking behind them like a turtle on it's hind legs. My stomach was pulled pretty tight, and it took me a while to stand up straight. The trip was a fun - but only because I spent a lot of time doing nothing. I sat outside under an umbrella, beside the pool I couldn't swim in. Surprisingly, riding a bike was the easiest way to get around. Kind of makes sense though since the legs are still strong, and the handlebars support the upper half. 

Anyway - I think the anaesthesia takes a long time to work through your body - so go easy on yourself. 

Good morning! 

Sweetie, as others have said recoup and activity level vary from person to person. I'm glad to hear your mom is coming to stay awhile. Extra hands are awesome! I was up walking around day 3 for little bits of time as directed by P.S. but I was very tired. In the beginning just showers really wore me out. I'd say by week 4 I was doing pretty good but not full energy or endurance by any means (still not quite there at week 11). Took lots of naps in the beginning. Pre-surgery, made meals for my recoup which was helpful. People also brought food too. 1st time to the grocery store (beginning of the 3rd week) wore me out. Left with 4 items and had to send the DH back for the rest. It's weird, one day you might feel pretty good and do more and the next wiped out! I'd say balancing the activity is key and rest when the body says rest! 

HeidiToo your family sounds lovely and so glad you got to spend some time with them! 68-0. Dang! What a blowout! I hear ya about the type A. I am bent that way too....Yikes on the SNB!!

Pzercher glad the bruising is subsiding and hope the small infection on your ab incision clears up quickly.

JMB5 I'm with you, no one is clamping one of those mammo machines on my right foob anytime soon. No way.

MsW2012 I think you idea about checking out the dr. in San Diego sounds great. A second, third, forth opinion, whatever it takes to get the right doctor to achieve the results you deserve. Since you sister and parents live in S.D. that would be an ideal set up if the dr. was a good fit! I am sorry you are faced with a surgeries that have not been good but have confidence there are great surgeon's out there that can give you much better results than what you are describing. 

LiliRi sorry you have to have another procedure. Praying this corrects the problem and you will be back on your way to healing!

Kathy1965 glad you have joined us. Welcome! No pain with drain removal at all!

KB33 my right breast feels different from the native breast but it is soft and warm. I can feel the scars of course but it feels like a natural part of me now. I've not heard of an implant with a DIEP. They can take flaps from other parts of your body though if the stomach doesn't provide enough material for size you want. Check out PRMA website if you haven't already or other places that do different kinds of flaps like NOLA. There are some creative and talented surgeons out there! Shoulder ROM varies from person to person. A lot of people on this forum have had physical therapy for issues, including me. Intimacy, the P.S. will provide guidelines. Much will depend on how you feel. I personally wasn't feeling very amorous for several weeks...:) Heck getting myself in a comfortable position for sleep was a challenge!!  Going back to work at 4 weeks might be tough plus traveling to host an out of town meeting. I wouldn't underestimate the possible fatigue level and the fogginess that goes with post surgical procedure. I think there are folks who did go back to work at week 4 or 5 so they might be better able to speak to this one. Also you want to be careful to not cause adhesions and scaring issues with too much activity/lifting post op. 

K79Miller thanks for the input on the nursing pads. I opened up the box I got from Walmart (not knowing much about these things as I am not a momma). The ones I picked up have stickies on them. I guess you peel em off and stick them on. Interesting. I can't see these things staying on without other reinforcement. LOL! I will get some tape! Are you doing the tattoo? 

Optimi glad you are comfortable sharing with us.  We are all here for you and praying for the radiation and new chemo to zap those cells. 

Wishing everyone a blessed day. 

Optimi - so sorry you have another hurdle in your journey!  Know that you are in my prayers and you are going to get past this one, too.  

KKB33 - I am just day 5, but I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I was cleaning my franken-boob (another definition for foob, I guess, but I am sure it won't look so freaky in a few weeks) that it was jiggly (I typed giggly the first time, which brings up a funny story that I have to tell... I am VERY ticklish and my PS always had a hard time trying to gage how much he can take from my belly because I tense up and flinch at the touch.  The morning of the surgery I was especially ticklish and I joked that I wouldn't be so bad under anesthesia.  Well, come to find out I was!  They had to inject extra paralytics to keep my tissue from jumping around on its own!  He said he'd never seen anything like it.)  But back to the jiggly foob, I have some sensation for the first time today which I assume will get better with time.  The flap part doesn't have any feeling yet.

regarding having an implant with the diep, I had the same first reaction - why would I do that?  But then he said it would be a small one, under the flap so much different than a regular implant under the muscle. I do not have an implant, but he proposed that as a fall back plan if I don't like my final size.  He said he was pretty close by weight of what they removed vs what he got from the belly, so I will probably be fine.

Good news! I just spoke to my BS and she said the pathology reports showed that all the cancer was DCIS, so that confirms stage 0 and no further treatment needed! That was what we expected so no big surprise, but great to hear her say those words. Yay!

Her other news was that I can make an appointment to have my drains removed tomorrow or Friday!  Waiting for a call from her office to schedule.  Just my breast drains, not the ones on my belly, but I should get them off on Saturday when I have my first visit with the PS. She is going to call the PS to see if she can take his out, too, but either way I am SO CLOSE to being drain free. Wow!

People have posted ideas of what to bring to the hospital and I would also add an extension cord. I didn't use it too much because my husband was there almost all my waking hours, but the idea is that it makes your phone closer to you plugged in. I was in the hospital for a couple days in 2012 and remember that it was so uncomfortable to check texts or talk on the phone because i had to twist around. Might be worth considering. 

great news shine.  Jiggly, feeling, and good path are all things to celebrate I suspect.  I hope the next few weeks continue to be positive.  I've started my vitamins and switched over to high protein....  Looking to get some scuba diving and kids ready for school over the next few weeks to get ready for surgery and not being able to do much.   As a single mom... Still trying to figure out how we will do this... But decided tonight was a good test and the the kid lets at home while I relaxed with a few adult beverages at a neighbors house.  Hopefully no one will burn down the house or kill each other.  Lol

Positive news today... Moms biopsy came back lcis and atypical ductal hyperplasia.  They thinks she has had this small spot for years and years. So no surgery for her.... My aunt was the same... Kinda makes me wonder thought if my dcis would also just stay as it is... And I'm reacting more out of fear for what could go wrong and not what really is... I guess I will always second guess this decision...   But happy for my mom

Teacher – glad
to hear that there was no pain with the drain removal. I read about the stool softener
on previous posts so I bought it yesterday after my scan. Trying to be
prepared. Very glad wiping is not an issue. The things that pop into my mind
sometimes are a little strange. I think I’ll be out for the SNB too. I was
thinking about the nuclear medicine injection the afternoon before. I’m not
afraid of needles but I read somewhere that the injection can be painful.

IowaGirl – I may try the cream to be on the
safe side. Can’t hurt

Heidi Too – OMG I hope you are the exception.
I am not looking forward to that kind of pain. Sorry you had to go thru that. I
love your airplane analogy. This is why this group is so great

Optimi – sorry you have to go thru this. I’ll
keep you in my prayers

Jmb5 – Thanks for letting me know about the
drains. I guess I should be prepared and just hope for the best

Shine – great news on the path report

MsW2012 – I am so sorry you don’t have a good
rapport with your PS. That can be very frustrating. I like my PS and met his
partner last week. 2 very different people. I really liked my main PS and am
glad I met him first because if I met his partner first I might not have
selected him as my PS. I am glad that you liked you MS. That is very helpful. Rapport is very important to me. As I told my DH I "interviewed" all my docs. I wanted someone good and knew what they were doing but also had a good bedside manner and that I connected with. 

Shine- sounds like you are doing great!  Glad to hear the path was negative.

Heidi2- Flaps sound interesting, no doubt an adjustment to put it mildly.  As this surgery continues to evolve I think they learn more ways to help each of us.   Best wishes to you for ongoing strengthening.  Your tech experience sounds yukky, oh my gosh do they have any idea how it feels, if not it is best they don't speak

Had my nipples done today, no other reconstruction as my PS said the same, it takes a while longer to settle before I would see how things are.  Once again, the PS's all vary with their styles.  The nipples made me cry when I looked at them.  I said to my husband "Is it wrong to be this happy over something that overall not as important as having cancer taken away"?  And I liked his answer-- you have chosen to be as you define as normal and didn't let cancer stop you from that".  Yeah, he is a keeper.  

MSW did you get an appt yet with someone for a second opinion?  Good luck to you, just seeing someone even one visit will give you clarity I would think.  So happy for you that the microsurgeon appt went well.  

Kb33 I have some sensation in my breasts, more than I did initially post op.  Since nerve regeneration is not usually symmetrical, no surprise that pain post nipple recon is not identical in each breast.  Regarding work trip, boy like Janet said we are all different, I was dragging energy wise which was probably why going back to work was harder at 6 weeks, I think 8 weeks would have been nice in my case, not that I couldn't do it at 6, but it would have been lovely to wait two more weeks.  And this is coming from a person who loves and is passionate about her job.  You will know when the time comes though your body will guide you.  So no worries.

Edited to say GOLDIE:  Hugs to you as you get your stage 2, will be praying you get some slack and things get resolved and no more wet to dry or packing or yukkies happen.  You are a beacon to many and know that you are loved and cared about from our end.  I was more nervous today and even knew that things were very simple in my case, I think the more we go through it has a roller coaster of emotions at times.  

Going to catch up on some zzzz.  Good night ladies...