DIEP 2014

Andrea, I just watched a show about botched plastic surgery and there was a girl with capsular contracture, and these two surgeons were saying (as they fixed her implants) that the extra tissue the capsular contracture made was going to help them give her a better outcome, and that they were almost positive the contracture was not going to come back if she followed her post-op orders.  I am praying for the best outcome for you.  Please keep us posted. Don't be a stranger. 

Andrea, I feel you. Major disappointment, well worth a good cry. There are always options, remember. It's so hard, this whole journey. I hate the surprises.

Andrea, I am sorry.  Was I being too flippant about you not being able to have your diep?  That wasn't my intention.  I really do get the emotional ride we are all on, and I know how hard this is on you.  I was trying to figure out a bright side, but I guess it was too soon. You would think with all the stupid things people have said to me over the last year, or more, I would know better.

tbradyful, I cried too after my stage 2.  Before I even left the hospital I was crying.  The discharge nurse had to help me pull it together.  She was so sweet.  I keep praying the stage 2 miracle to show itself, but it hasn't happened yet.  I think Georgie is in the same place as us.  It's nice to hear that your surgeon's office is supportive, and encouraging.

Andrea, phew.  I am glad.  I thought I might have put my foot in my mouth.  I hope tomorrow we are all in a better place.

Hugs, lipglossmom!  You are almost there!

Andrea ,

I am sorry that you are so sad about the news.

I had diep flap failure due to venous congestion on chest wall on left side. The right survived.

There are other alternative that don't involve free flaps. There are the pedicled ones.

I then went to lat flap which I am two weeks out.  I will have fat grafting and symmetry as a phase 2 to lat.

If you'd like to discuss more just pm me.

Vivian

Andrea please at least call PRMA or NOLA and do a phone consult.  There is such a thing as stacked flaps.  More than one area per breast.  

I had very small veins and my plastic surgeon used nitro glycerine cream on the flap to enlarge the veins for healing.  Bad headache as the side effect but got a good healthy flap in the end.  I had some other wound healing problems but a wound vac and time are solving that problem.  So, I got one breast from the entire stomach area (radiated side) and three months later another breast from hip and butt tissues.  

I understand the psychological side of not wanting implants.  I decided to try for a flap or go flat if they failed.  

Sweetie, I'm glad to hear the WBC is coming down. Hopefully you'll be able to go home soon and really start recovering.

Thank you everyone for your support. I think I'm just going to go through with the implant replacement, and if unhappy with the final result, will call PRMA next year. I'm so tired of surgeries and dealing with this though. Maybe enough is just enough.

Sweetie, hooray on your progress! You are bound to be feeling better soon now.

Andrea, I think I know how you feel. This can all be mentally exhausting. My PS feels strongly that there is no hurry here. I asked her associate surgeon if it made any difference if I waited a year or five years to take the next surgical step and he agreed, no problem at all. This is one leg of our cancer journey that we can really take our time with. I waited 8 months after my initial recon surgery to consult regarding further correction. (My implant was oversized, compacted and uncomfortable, not to mention unsightly.) Take a break! You'll know if and when you're ready to do any more.

Thanks, I'm pretty sure it's a generic form but will verify at next week's recheck. My ab scar is practically non existent. I was showing it off to some of my carriage driving friends at last week's get together (I am an officer in a national association) and they were amazed at how tiny it is...just a tiny red line that is quickly fading at 8 weeks out. Since many of them were OR nurses I took their wows to indicate the artistry of a very competent plastic surgeon. 

tbrady...I know what you mean about being disappointed after stage 2.  My left nipples is way out to the side.  I just keep telling myself that at least I have them again but I just can't seem to get past it.  I talked to the nurse about it too.  She said that if I wanted further revision it would more than likely be an out of pocket expense.  I certainly can't afford that so I guess I'll have to learn to live with it.  Other than the nipple issue I love my new breasts.  They're not quite as big as the original one's but I can live with that.

pzercher, your post could have been written by me. I will hit 6 weeks on Tuesday. Unilateral diep. My PS did a reduction on my left at the same time. I don't know the reasoning behind the timing but my left went from D to C. It looks pretty good but def not perfect.  The diep side looks like a big generic mass. My expectations have finally dropped from hoping for a very pretty final result to hoping for something that might look real from a distance. It takes so much patience, I feel as you do, not sure how much is worth it. I wish I had left my left breast alone from the start.

I think these surgeons are excited about what they are able to and their perspective is very different from ours. They want us to be excited too but its so hard for us to share their vision. We don't have the benefit of their experience. They can show us all these pictures but they don't tell the whole story, and we are all different.

I think the best we can do during this process is take our time. There is no rush, so we have plenty of time to decide what we really want. It's so god to have this forum too! Great to share experiences and knowledge, and support and encourage each other. Maybe we should have a sub-group of women who are all finished, so we can have an idea of the range of final results.

Hi Ladies! It's my first time on here. You all seem like such a great bunch! Anyway, I'm about 10 weeks out from my DIEP reconstruction and was wondering if any of you get a stinging sensation around your abdominal scar. Everything looks good, but sometimes it feels a little raw or sore. And I sometimes get a weird pulling sensation behind the belly button or a quick twinge to the side. Feels super weird when it happens.

Overall I'm SUPER happy with my results, no more paunch!! Even the points on my hips from the scar seem worth it. The right side is a little lumpy, but can't tell in a bra or even just a shirt. My PS is a total perfectionist though and says he's going to "lift and mold" them. He talks about it like it's nothing, but to me it sounds like it would be a bit of a surgery. What's the surgery like in the second part? Is it as in and out as he makes it seem or should I expect to be down for the count? I did well with the BIG part, was off the meds after a few weeks and am back up and running full speed so I hope this won't slow me down too much. Any tips?

Thanks for reading this mini novel. Hope all of you are healing well and thinking positive! Gentle side-hugs to all of you!!

I'm scheduled for my Diep surgery on Wed. 

I was going to my parents an hour and 1/2 away from ps office to recover immediately after( I have two boys under 2 1/2 at home) , now I'm thinking maybe staying at my house if my follow up apt is a day or two after  being released from the hospital. Anyone know when the first follow up apt is? 

Good morning, I just have to say I LOVE this group!  What a wonderful gathering of authentic and supportive women. Such a blessing to be connected. I have continued to have some bumpy days so have been laying low. Thought today I should cowgirl up. DH and I have made some plans with family to go to Powell Gardens to an art viewing of my very talented aunt. She paints beautiful pictures of nature. 

Goldie, how are yo doing? Thank you for sharing the story about your friend who is doing awesome! I agree it is so great to have a compassionate and empathetic P.S. Dr. Pisano took most of the fat from the outer thighs, a little from the reconstructed breast, I had side boob, and some from the flank areas. Stage 2 for me was scar revision (3 places on the ab scar), porn nipple (someone PLEASE tell me that thing is going to reduce in size substantially), and a lift for lefty. And the portacath scar revision. You words rang true with me and also helped me feel not quite as lonely in my journey. You are so right, as time goes by people get back to the normal routine of things and our lives, or I should speak for myself, my life seems to be about cancer still albeit less than it was before. I also know what you say is true about time changing things, in a few weeks many things will probably look and feel different. It's weird for some reason I thought after all of this cancer stuff, I would slip right back into my old life and things would be good again.  But that hasn't been the case. My body and brain are changed. Hormones...Relationships have changed, I've changed. Don't really know what I want to do with my life.   It is a pretty confusing time right now. I am seeing a wonderful psychologist. She suggested that from the very beginning that one of my issues is that I, like many, place my self worth on what I do for a living. She said that I would benefit from just being ok with where I am at right now, knowing that being in this moment right now, is where I am meant to be...not worrying about getting back to work right away but healing mentally and physically. She said a lot of people don't give themselves permission and feel guilty about allowing themselves time to do this self help work. Kinda made sense. 

Sweetie how are you doing? Are you still in the hospital? I am hoping the cellulitis has subsided and you are back to the job of healing. 

Sarahhb, optii, enjoy,and Annieb4 thanks for the encouraging words. Will continue to share and glad others do the same. This forum is very cathartic.

Andrea my heart goes out to you with everything you've been through. Sometimes there just aren't words for the disappointments we face. I am prayerful that your next steps, whatever they end up being, will be the right ones for you, and that the outcome will look and feel good. Wrapping you up in love and light. I hope you will continue to post and keep us updated. I have really enjoyed getting to know you and all of us will want to follow how you are doing.

Aff awesomeness on finishing rads!! Your R.O. sounds like an amazing and compassionate doctor. I'm so thankful your skin did well thru all of it. 

Jbdayton holy cow!! Sorry to hear about the surprise surgery. Hope the beach view speeds your recovery. How are you feeling? Stick some toes in the sand for all of us! 

Compression-I'm getting used to the compression. I ended up with the under the boob to the above the knee kind with a support bra. I picked the kind you have to pull down vs. the one with the pee hole. The first week was a little delicate as the thighs were tender but now I can get my business done in a few minutes. I really like those compression garments from kohl's. We have had to knock the temp in the house down a bit. I get hot. It was 100 outside yesterday. MEH.

Gila good luck on your stage 2. We will all be routing for you. I quit caffeine after my cancer diagnosis so it wasn't an issue for the pre op surgical requirements. My surgeon had me stop chocolate, caffeine, and a big ol list of other things 1 week before and 1 week after for stage 2. It's funny I don't crave things unless someone says I can't have it so of course I thought of chocolate ice cream the entire week before surgery. Crazy!!

Teacher how are you and how is the bulge doing?  Thanks for the words of encouragement. I know I need to give this some more time.I guess I just didn't expect to look worse than post stage 1. I was thinking stage 2 and that's were the magic happens and when I looked last week at myself naked, I thought hell. Black magic maybe. I did send pics to the nurse and she reassured me that everything looks "great" and as it should. I guess it goes back to expectations and not really being psychologically prepared for what all of it looks like right after surgery. I know from reading others stories that this will look and get better. I do look good and poportionate in clothes again.  

Vballmom glad for your good report, that you are home, healing and pleased with the results. Hope you are getting lots of rest and TLC. Keep us posted on your progress.

Shine I'd say if off the shelf medicine isn't cutting the pain then you need to continue the narcotics. Everyone heals differently but I would talk to your doctor about the pain specifics. I filled two prescriptions for pain meds after stage 1 and just filled a second one for stage 2. I am having pain where they sewed my nipple and aureola back on the lifted side. Also hard to get comfortable at night so helps with sleep. I hope your pain is starting to decrease. 

Happy Sunday to everyone!