DIEP 2014

Lovely, Teacher! So much to be thankful for.

Teacher - Fabulous post! Feeling whole again is what we all strive for. And by that I mean all us ladies, as well as our surgeons. It's all about about running the marathon that is DIEP (falling down, crying, and napping allowed) and feeling complete. Its never back to normal, but sometimes when you rebuild it's better and stronger than before.

If i could go back and do it all over again, the one thing I would change is my level of patience. Before going into surgery I had a mental timetable, and certain expectations of how my recovery should proceed. I even took a whole 12 weeks off, and got a lot of rest, but my mind was still buzzing with the comparisons of 'where I should be'. It was hard to completely let go and allow myself to give my mind and body over to total healing. But still - everything turned out great

I am with you Teacher! I just had a revision on my right side of the DIEP. Such a easy procedure compared to my bilateral DIEP. I am so excited for nipples.....just a couple months away. I am back at my activity level with good energy. The recovery took longer that I thought....but love my new healthy breasts!

well it's done! 4 hours for stage 2. Ended up with moving tissue around, lypo to fat injections and then had to do an implant. My c-free breast was raised and given a small implant to make them match. Sigh. I was prepared for this as an option.... But really did not want to have to take it. I was not prepared for all the incisions. 3 in each breast. This is bringing me to tears... But I'm blaming the anesthesia..not self pity at this point.

I think I even had two Drs with different opinions on how to address my issues. I've been out of surgery 7 hours and can't shake the feeling of passing out and sleeping forever. Lol

Georgia gato,

I am happy to hear that you did well in spite of being in your 60s. I am 64 1/2 and have been cleared by my cardiologist to have a DIEP. I survived my abdominal CT scan Tuesday (no allergic reaction to the dye). I see my PS tomorrow morning to see if my vessels are OK so we can schedule surgery for February.

DH and I went out to our neighborhood Chinese restaurant today. I got a fortune that said "it's not the end yet. Let's stay with it." How appropriate. I should make it my mantra until the end of this detour in my life is over.

Yippee! My vessels are Okay for the surgery. Now I need to be contacted by the scheduler to set a date in February!

SaltyJack - I hear you on coughing. Even worse, wait until the first time someone cracks you up and you burst out laughing. :-) I had to stick to dramas on TV - standup comedy (or any comedy) had to stay in the queue a few weeks!

mefromcc - I have anaphalactic reactions as well. It is terrifying and the panic can make the reaction even worse (cruel joke, that). Glad it went well!

Teacher64 - Thank you for the one year update earlier this week. I keep telling myself that I will be past this next year at this time and happy I did it. Your post was just what I needed to read!

Janet_M - You just summed me up on the patience issue. Thank you.

All, My wound vac was removed this week (2 weeks total) and the Wound Care place has me on collagen now. My experience has been extremely rare - my surgeon is the head of Plastic Surgery at UPenn Medical. He told me it happens but VERY rarely. I may just have weird genes (and knowing my extended family - that would not surprise me. LOL!) I was told today that I can't go back to work until my re-evaluation January 5th (!!) which has me on thee edge of my chair tonight. How much Law & Order can a person watch in 3 months, right?

hey ladies. I haven't been on much anymore either. I feel great heading in to stage 2. My date was moved up to Tuesday. I'm not stressing at all. Wishing everyone smooth healing.

Hi ladies - well, I came home from the hospital today and am trying to get back into the old routine. So far, so good! I have to admit, when I took off the bra and checked out the results of the surgery, I can see why the PS had told me that there will be more surgeries. It's a start.....

I'll see him Monday morning and he'll remove the four drains - yay! My husband suggested (and I wholeheartedly agree but want to see what y'all think) that I should ask the PS what's next and as my husband perhaps inelegantly put it, ask him to take his best shot the next time around....as opposed to a number of surgeries with ever-refined tweaks. I'm 56 years old and don't see any need to be one of the pictures on the website showing off the perfect results. I'll be happy if I look good in a low-cut top or at most, a conservative bathing suit. What do you all think?

Good luck to all the upcoming surgeries - and thanks for being there!

Saltyjack/Bev

gentle hugs kb33. As others have said before, the first couple of days post op can be full of mixed emotions so don't put too much stock in them. Odds are you will like the results after all. But you're in the very thick of it right now. Mind-numbing TV, sleep and pain meds were my best friends during those first days after stage 1. This is such a process. . .again, gentle hugs and prayers for ur healing.

Hello Dieppers. 

Well Monday the 15th is nearly here and I will be on the op table. Having difficulty sleeping so at 2.23 am here I am. I have to be in the hosp Sunday @ 4, to get settled. Then blood drawn from the hand in case of a blood transfusion needed. I hate that but all my veins have collapsed from chemo. I won't be able to check in for a while as The NHS in Britain does not allow use of internet on the wards. Please think of me as I am just a little scared, hate that bit where the anaesthetist gets you before you go in to theatre. 

wintersocks - it's normal to be scared and sleepless prior to going in for DIEP. I slept 2 hours both nights prior. I went to surgery at 7:30 in the morning and woke up at 10 pm, so I caught up on my beauty sleep. You will do great. Just show up and let everyone take care of you. Ask for something to help you relax if you need it so the sticks won't be so bothersome

lovesroses- "not so nice"...that would be me . I don't believe in sugar-coating and am a strong advocate for venting. I still have two surgeries to go, cause my PS does not do nipples at the same time as lipo and fat-grafting. I am one month out from my first stage 2 and still in need of more revision on my unradiated foob...it sags more than the radiated side. Everyone says I look fantastic, blah, blah, blah. I constantly remind myself this is a marathon and not a sprint, but my Type A personality keeps driving me on to get back to my normal routine. My horses think they are on permanent holiday! We have several trips planned around my procedures, along with the required retail therapy. Works for me!

Hello Ladies. I didn't have a DIEP, but I did have a TUG flap reconstruction and I am hoping to get some advice or hear from other women with a flap. My mastectomy was six months ago and it was my 5th surgery in a six month period (had several lumpectomies first). Overall I have healed well and am doing good, but I am still really sore around where the incision is (same incision spot was used for all surgeries) and under my arm. A lot of tissue was moved from my side under my armpit during my first few surgeries to replace the tissue that had been removed. And it is still a little hard at the top of my chest where the blood vessel were reconnected. Is it normal to still be sore six months later? A couple of days ago I did an activity that really worked my pectorals and compressed my reconstructed breast and I am especially sore now. I did a little physical therapy and some massaging of the area, is there something more I should be doing? I guess I thought I would feel normal at this point. Do you ever feel normal again?

Yes, a lot of us have them. They show up nearly a year after reconstruction and are almost always oil cysts. Anyone who has an injury to the breast might get them. My BS identified them as oil cysts after examining an MRI. They can be a little sore sometimes and mine are noticeable through the skin. I hope that's all it is!