DIEP 2014

Goldie: that's a good point! I am having everything vaginally, but she did say there would be three small openings made in my abdomen as well as two small cuts down at the groin line. 

It was the PS that said for me to do it first as he didn't want the onc/gyn to go in after him.

But I will mention it and make sure first of course from the onc/gyn, best thing would be for them to talk to each other.

Sweetie, best of luck tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you!

sweetie - you will get plenty of sleep tomorrow. Just show up and you can rest while everyone works for you. I think most of us don't sleep well the night before. I slept about 2 hours the night before. You are doing fine and will tomorrow, too.

Sweetie, we will all be thinking of you! Like everyone says, just show up! Also, if you are feeling extra anxious tomorrow, you can let them know that and once you've signed everything might give you some medicine to help relax before they take you back. In a blink of an eye you will be on the other said and can let the healing begin! I hope you can find some winks tonight. Best wishes!

Goldie, I've been thinking about a abdominal tattoo too. I am going to give the scar some more time to heal to see what it will look like in a few months but m really considering it since it is such an extensive scar. Something simple. If you run across in your looking let me know! I will do the same! Sounds like your surgery was quite extensive. Saying prayers for healing and for less pain. Gentle hugs to you!

Ms/pzercher I agree...fc seems to sum it up but might not be the best thing to post on Facebook! I have a good friend who painted her 'middle' finger on both hands a different color during chemo, essentially flipping cancer off. She is so spunky! I love her sense of humor and fight! Sounds like you are both on track with your healing. Body sure will check ya if you do too much though, doesn't it. Pzercher, glad you are having a relaxing time in CO. with family. Good luck as you start seeing clients this week. Be gentle with your sweet self! 

Sarah welcome! You absolutely belong here and we are glad you have been reading and participating. This is a great group to bounce questions and ideas off of and a very safe place to share. Sorry you are faced with so many decisions about surgery and so young. I had to have a hysterectomy at 28 and ovaries out at 40. I feel for you. .I would recommend looking into bone and heart health. Get a bone density test before your surgery as a baseline  so you know where you are at, if you haven't already. I wish someone had talked to me about some of these things early on. I had osteopenia going into chemo and came out with osteoporosis (i am er/pr+ so no hormone replacement for me anymore.  Fortunately there are drugs out there that are supposed to help protect bones and also diet and lifestyle can help protect bones and heart. I haven't gone the med route for bones. To be discussed post stage 2. They didn't want to add anymore drugs to the mix at this point.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHe...

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/menopause/...

Teacher, adoption is such a wonderful gift for all involved!

Andrea I don't know if the Ken Doll goes away or not but you can bet on Friday I am going to have that as a question before surgery! 

Happy sleeps my friends!

Hi Sarah,  My 1st contribution....   just reading your HRT comment - I can't have any HRT due to high family cancers....  just toughing it out with hot flashes - central air - and lots of cool cloths.  I'll be having my 1st bone density test on the 22nd of Aug. - just need to stop taking calcium supplements 2 days prior to test.  Best of luck Sarah !

Hey Sarah, when I had my ovaries out at 39 my doctor wanted to put me on bio identical HRT. I resisted, fearful of breast cancer risk and toughed it out for the first 90 days post surgery. I really felt the impact of having the ovaries out, hot flashes, emotional, declassed concentration, insomnia so I went back to my gyno and he said we needed to weigh the risk of bone and heart health and quality of life to the risk of br ca especially due to my age. . I agreed to do replacement feeling I had no other options, I was on it for 7 years before I was diagnosed with er/pr+ breast cancer. I often wonder if that replacement somehow contributed to my dx. of br ca. Of course no looking back, and can't be sure that is what might have caused or contributed to it. I was on the pill too in my younger years too...Lots of thoughts on what might be the smoking gun for breast cancer. Just wanted to pipe  in case this information might help with some questions to ask your provider. 

Oh forgot, I wanted to say to all those worried about bone health and anti hormones after dx.  My SIL, who does not have BC has been on Evista for her osteopenia for quite a while now, and it is also supposed to have anti breast cancer properties too.  It's like killing to birds with one stone.  She feels good on it, and has had improvement in her bone density.  There is plenty of info out there on Google about it.

I have heard they want you to wait 5 months for nipple tattoos, so maybe the same length of time for tummy scar too?  I guess they want the scars to be completely mature.  I have something else I want to show you.  I will send the pics and the explanation tomorrow  since you are going to bed now anyway.

Oh Georgie, we both have insomnia!!!!  You have it from nerves, and  I have it from withdrawal from anesthesia.  I sleep most of yesterday and a lot today, so I am wide wake now.  So, I will post the pics and explain.  The two pictures I am going to post are of a woman who had breast implant reconstruction and wanted to get rid of the redness of her scars.  She had a laser used on the scars called the V-Beam laser.  I have had some experience with laser's through a friend of mine who is in the skin care business, and I have had V-beam done on some red imperfections (broken blood vessels) on my face. This laser is amazing for red imperfectiions. The two pics are the before and after one treatment.  There is a dermatologist in my area who has one of these machines (not to many around because they are expensive), and he trained with the top guy at NYU.  I have talked to him, and he is willing to work on my scars when the time comes. So, here are the pics. The results are impressive.

I inserted them backwards.  The top one is the "after" pic.  One more treatment and the scars will be gone.  Now, I don't know if insurance will pay for this, but all they can say is no.  I know of women on this forum who have had their PS's do laser on them after their stage 2's, so......

Of course, there are really generous surgeons that do stuff for their patients that they don't charge for, but because they were breast cancer patients they do it out of kindness of their hearts.  Wish there were more of those. 

Thinking of you Sweetie!

OK - I had a complete hysterectomy with ovaries removed at 44 yr, and it triggered menopause within days. My OB put me on Premarin (common HRT). Five years later DX with BC in right breast 2013 and left breast 2014.

My OB never discussed possible issues, and I had no one in my life who went through BC.

I believe the HRT triggered the BC.

If anyone wants more info, just let me know.

Lisa

Hi ladies thank you all so much for adding your input about the early menopause situation and the link between hormone replacement therapy to breast-cancer, this is the reason why I'm planning to not only remove my reproductive organs but also to remove my breasts prophylactically so that I can take some sort of hormone replacement therapy I definitely know that being the person I am I will probably have all of the bad menopause symptoms and I really want to try to avoid them if at all possible.  

Kanada: good luck on your bone density test I hope everything works out in your favor!

Sweetie: Good luck! 

I don't know what exactly causes the Ken doll, the pulling of the skin tight over the pubic bone, or actual swelling, or both. If my pubic hair would grow back mine would not be that noticeable.  Did anybody else have this issue with the hair not growing back.  It was getting thinner with menopause, but now it's just about gone.  I remember when I was younger and helping my MIL shower when she was ill and thinking that must happen when you are really old.  But, here I am, not "really" old, and it's gone. 

Shine, you are so lucky to have siblings to come help you. I only have my brother and he sent flowers, and I got a phone call, or two, but no prolonged visits.  Sister's are the best.  Thank goodness for my girlfriends.  And, yes....laughter is the best medicine!!!! 

Home from getting ultrasound treatment to break up some of the scar tissue that had formed the huge ball like bulge on my side. I may have to have another treatment if massage doesn't break up more. No reason why it developed on just one side because I've been massaging both the same. I was so relieved that there was a painless remedy. I was afraid of the unknown because I had no idea what it was or how to deal with it. More massage and the binder 24/7 until all bruising and the bulge is gone. At the snail's pace the bruising is disappearing, there will probably be several more super moons before I'm free!