DIEP 2014

Wintersocks ~ it sounds like you are making the right choices for you given the circumstances, lots of good advice here about how to manage the situation.

My surgery is scheduled for November 10, just about 1 week away....I'll let you know how I do on the work front.  Definitely won't be doing anything work related from the hospital and will limit the number of hours I spend for another 2 after that.  

I hope everyone is healing well and has a peaceful week.   

It has been awhile since I posted, but I do check in frequently:).  After a much needed break from surgeries this summer, I am doing my Stage 2 Nov 5.   Not really looking forward to another surgery, but really ready to be finished with the reconstruction!

young mamma... I had my DIEP March 7 and ran my first half marathon October 5.   I started running about 8 weeks post DIEP but really didn't get my stamina back until about 12 weeks post surgery.  My PS wants me to take a three week running break after stage 2, so I will be on a running hiatus for the next few weeks. 

Hi all, just a quick update.  I have abdominal mesh, so can't use a wound vac as it has to adhere to the skin and my mesh is exposed in the wound.  (Didn't even know my procedure included abdominal mesh).

No more antibiotics, so that is good (no infection present), but the past week of 2x/day nurses manually packing and unpacking gauze in this wound will continue for 3-6 more weeks.  Foobs are doing great - I just now have to get this abdomen to calm down!

I have a yoga tape but (shuffles nervously) have only done it once, it made me sleepy hahahaha.  It is supposed to be so good for you though.

I finally am planning to join the gym in town, it took me a while to get around to it but I am seriously gaining some blubber and refuse to go back to the obese world..... 

Agree with Janet and others, the nips made a diff and quite frankly the tats will seal the deal for me.

Chris, so glad you are getting good care for that dang abdominal incision, you probably had so little fat they had to pull you tighter or something, who knows?  I had such great experience at UPenn I feel bad that you went through this but hopefully it will be all better soon!  

I too agree jmb thanks for doing the updates, it must be a pretty hairy thing to fit in while you are recovering yourself.

Hugs to all with upcoming stages 1 and 2 and beyond.  Breast cancer, the gift that keeps on giving.....   So grateful to hear so many who can look back on that year or two and say "it is behind me"--- they encourage us all to get moving on with life and good health.  Love you all.

Janet,

Great advice as always!  I have sent the 17yr old to live with his Dad. He knows why, I have explained it to him many times. I know he is sulking as he has stopped contact. It feel  relieved  and I can now face what I am about to face.  I have a further meeting with the onco-plastic surgeon on the 11th. I may come in with a ton of questions here! before then.  From now till then I have a lot of hospital appointments including my six month check, and L' nurse, and gynae post op check so it's going to be a mentally challenging time again. The anxiety starts the minute I walk into the hospitals.  Thanks all for the support so far. 

jmb5.  p.s I am not exercising either!      

Checking in...glad to see the posts about Yoga. I've been practicing yoga for about 8 years but had no strength during treatment to do even the tiniest bit.

I joined the Livestrong program through my local YMCA (which I would highly recommend for any cancer survivor; the program is free and you can join regardless of where you are in your journey, i.e. 8 months out or 8 years.....my class had a 27 year BC survivor) and was really able to regain and rebuild my strength and stamina.  Will be working out and doing yoga right up to the day of my surgery hoping that helps me get through the process and healing much better.   When I asked my PS if I would still be able to do yoga after surgery he said "no guarantees"  so happy to hear that many of you are able to continue.     

Happy healing to everyone.

Oh, yes, many of us have been to NOLA or PRMA for this surgery.  You'll find another thread here called NOLA in September where you can read about others' experiences or connect with them.  I just had surgery at Center for Breast Reconstruction, but with Dr. Massey, not one of the doctors in the group there.  It is a great place.  I would not say that my surgery time was cut down to 5-6 hours though.  I was in there from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with nothing to remove--BMX already done and no tissue expanders or implants.  I was told that there was going to be a co-surgeon for Dr. Massey from the group, but maybe that did not occur or only for a short period of time.  I would have liked for my surgery to be shorter, but the care there is phenomenal!  I highly recommend it.  

kb33, thanks for sharing.  Wow, walking up to 6 miles after only 3 weeks, that's great.  What's the distance you run now?

Melissa 2013, congrats on running your first half marathon!  you are giving me hope that I will be able to run a half sometime in 2015.

jmb5, thanks for adding me and thanks for that great articles.

I will be having my DIEP surgery in a different city (about a 3 hour drive).  For those of you who had to travel for your surgery, did you need a family member or friend to stay in town with you?  I feel so needy wanting my husband to stay with me but it probably make more sense for him to come back home to care for our 5 and 6 year old kids.  My sister will be caring for them for the day of the surgery and could definitely care for them for a few days.  I'm just trying to figure out if there is a good reason that I would need him close by during my hospital stay.

Youngmama. I had surgery close to my house. My daughter spent the first day after surgery with me in the hospital and it was very helpful that I didn't need to call the nurse for every little thing. After that I could manange on my own. I'm sure I would have been fine without her there, but emotionally it is nice to see some family. My husband came every day too and helped me walk. I got "drop foot" from surgery. A nerve on my leg was compressed from the boot they put on to prevent blood clots.

You will need help when you first get home, so you may want to save your resources to help you then.

Good luck!

Winter - Yipeeeee! 

Youngmama - I can think of an excellent reasons why your husband should be close by!  He makes you feel better.

And, you've got your sister to look after your kids. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Wintersocks - so happy for you.  Things are really looking up.  Can't wait to hear how everything goes.

Teacher - happy for you to have your final work being done.

Youngmama - I would advocate for having someone with you during your hospital stay.  If you can arrange childcare for the kids I also think your husband would be the best, but maybe a very close friend or other family member if you think the kids would do much better if he was home with all of them a few of the days.  Thinking of you.

Sollertia - thank you so much for sharing your experience at San Antonio.  I have been so impressed with them so far.  They have moved quickly on all the paperwork and are reviewing my case today so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get on their schedule this late fall.

It is good to hear there is a good place close by to stay.  We were thinking of renting an AirBNB but it sounds like the Homewood suites was very nice and gives us options to make our own food, which we like.

I was thinking of bringing my emotional support dog, Zola, she is a 12 lb mix breed that goes everywhere with me.  I have four other dogs but they are too big to travel and of course that wouldn't make sense.  But, Zola I got during chemo and she has flown everywhere with me. My husband is worried that we shouldn't bring her because he wants to stay with me in the hospital and of course she wouldn't be able to.  What are your thoughts on this?  I actually so want her there that I wouldn't mine his not sleeping with me at the hospital the days I am in there so he could go back to the hotel or airbnb and care for her just so I have here with me the second week of recovery.  They told me I had to stay an extra week in the area before heading home.  Would love your thoughts or anyone else's.

Thanks everyone,

Julieho

Julieho,  I'm sure Zola would be a great comfort to you after you leave the hospital.  You are supposed to walk for five minutes each time you go to the bathroom and 15 minutes thee times a day.  Zola would vey much enjoy those times together with you and it would be an incentive for you to be more active, which speeds the healing process.  

I don't know about access to visit you at Methodist Hospital or the various hotel requirements fo Zola, as we didn't need to ask about those.  Staybridge suites was right across the steet from Homewood, and seems to be similar arrangement, except for the evening dinner Monday through Thursday at Homewood, which included a salad bar..  There were a couple restaurants in walking distance (some did take-out), plus the large HEB grocery was less than half a mile away.

My husband preferred to spend the nights at the hotel.  He got more restful sleep than he would have in Methodist hospital.  The intenet access was more reliable for his laptop at the hotel also.  I had no problems with my Nexus tablet in the hospital, but it seems to get better reception.

You do have a private room (all PRMA patients do) with a huge bathroom that has room for a fold-out cot, so he wouldn't necessarily be woken each time they come in to check  the blood flow and take vitals (every hour the first night, then 2 hours, then three).   Shift change for the nurses is at 7, both morning and evening.  Suggest he get a weekly parking pass which allows unlimited entry and exit to Parking garage 1, so no problems going off to lunch or the grocery store or to Starbucks to obtain the New York Times.  Peter went off to practice his piano lessons at the church we attended the day before surgery.

Having the extra week in San Antonio did give me the opportunity to just concentrate on resting and healing, walking and doing the breathing exercises.  Having the drains made me feel like staying put.  I was lucky enough to get my drains out before leaving San Antonio, so started doing things again after getting home, though my daughter came to cook and drive for the first week, but needed a nap a day to make sure I didn't overdo it.   Be sure to  drink enough so you aren't exhausted from flying home.  

Came home yesterday from my Phase 2 reconstruction.  I'm a little sore, and a little groggy from the pain medication, but relatively speaking, this recovery will be a snap.  I hope I haven't jinxed myself.