DIEP 2014

I'm wondering the same thing Bev. I see my PS next week. I'm going to ask him about the swelling. I had been so happy to see a flat belly until today. It really swelled up:( I know it's a long process and we need to be patient, but it's still discouraging. I have a pretty physically demanding job. I'm really worried about going back:( I'll let you know what my PS says.

my understanding is your bodies natural fluid flow was disrupted with all the moving around and it takes awhile for your body/fluids to find its new route. Don't fully understand all of the details, but kinda made sense when the doctor explained it ( as much as any of this can) ha ha. Hope this helps

So I got out of the shower and noticed a pearly looking lump on the mx scar on my recon. Just where the tumour was towards the cleavage. It definitely was not there last week when I got the ultrasound for those other lumps. I think it is getting bigger.

I guess I am going to have to speak to my nurse tomorrow and most likely get another u/s.

I mean, it feels like the thing has literally come up overnight. I am coming up for 5 weeks now post Diep.

I don't think there are stitches in the mx area from the recon?? Any ideas anyone? Please.

Wow, I could so do without this.

debiann,

Oh , so there are stitches there?! I only had an ultrasound last week just not in that area.

Good luck tomorrow with the u/s too.

I would be grateful if you could tell me how you got on as this is the second time in 5 weeks i got lumps.

Now you can market them as Fainting goats

A small bright pink spot might be a concern. I would call your PS office.

Hi Everyone, I am a 15 year uni Radical Mastectomy survivor with a 15 yr. old saline implant, with a grade 3 capsulary contracture. My implant has always been hard and tight and only getting worse. Like others on this forum, I just deal with it. I have had 2 c-section, an abdominal hysterectomy and an colon surgery. I'm 56 years old and will be a 1st time grandma in August and will want to hold that baby. I am in very good health. The reason I mention this is I have a tentative DIEP flap surgery date for May with a well renown PS in Chicago. But I'm getting really nervous now. I'm 25 pounds overweight, mostly belly. I've heard of so many women having lasting issues; never being able to jog again, bulges, lasting abd. pain, feeling like the new boob is a dead flounder on their chest. I'm wondering if I should just go with the new Ideal Implant it's saline chambers, with scoring instead. I won't do the cohesive gel. I don't know what the ken doll effect is either. Has anyone been sorry they did the DIEP? Sorry, but stressing tonight about this. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

I'm very happy for you and to hear of your positive experience. Thank you so much for answering me questions.

I am so happy to hear this !!!! I am also glad you are doing well and wish you great health and happiest.

Hello,

I was diagnosed last month and recently I was informed that I am positive with BRCA2. So I will be having a double mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. I am considering doing DIEP but I am wondering if I should do it later on. What are your thought and has anybody had a double mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction? Also, I have two 1yrs old girls. Thank You

Sue, I'm a grandmother. My granddaughters noticed the change after DIEP. I went Fromm hen expanders to DIEPs and have no regular. You won't be jogging for a while but your life will be normal again. I'm 10 months out from DIEP and six months from stage 2. I ride a bike, walk, and work with a trainer. DIEP recovery is over and my life is mine to enjoy every day. Ask questions, do your research, and decide what is best best form you.

Sue, I'm another recent DIEP patient and am sooooo very happy I did it! It sure isn't the old me but it's so much better than looking at my flat chest, which screamed "cancer" every time I looked at it. I had an MX in February and my PS said he wouldn't use implants after rads (at least in his opinion, 10-20% of implant patients have problems; after rads, it's more like 80-90%). Like JMB, I liked the idea of not having the problems with implants and possible later surgeries (even though I'm 57, I still plan on being around for a while!). I was really worried about the recovery - but was amazed at how fast I felt pretty normal. Yep, for about a week it was hard to stand straight up (and for about 2 weeks, I didn't lean my head back in the shower to wash my hair). I'm still sleeping on 2 pillows on my back most of the time (6 weeks after DIEP) but otherwise, I'm pretty much back to normal. I walk alot (have to admit, it's with my two greyhounds so it's pretty much a sniff-and-stroll) and rode my bike for about 6-7 miles yesterday with no problems.

In contrast to the ladies who talk about the hard lump of implants, I'm thrilled to have soft "me". I don't have feeling there but do in my abdomen (some others say they don't have feeling there but I think it comes back). My only problem has been very sharp nerve pain near one hip - but it goes away if I rub it and I'm thinking/hoping it's getting less (and my PS says it will stop eventually).

I'm scheduled for Stage 2 on February 6 - thrilled that the PS said we can go ahead so quickly. He's just going to do some fat grafting - not sure if I'm going to want other surgeries but will probably go ahead with a nipple and tattoo.

Good luck to you in your decision-making - and to you, too, wintersocks, lucky and debi with your lumps and ultrasounds and follow-up.

Bev

I am 6 days post phase 2, nipple construction left, nipple/areola re-graphting right, breast lift, fat graphting, liposuction. Has anyone ever felt your foobs looked worse after phase 2? I am worried how the new areola/nipples look. Left nipple is huge and odd shaped, right re-graphed looks nothing like it did going into phase 2 (looked like me with crop circle around it) now it is a flat small circle (ps says nipple will come back out over time) clay like in color, ps also did tattoo during phase2 which I haven't heard anyone else have done. Breast themselves look ok, except the right (non cancer) breast seems lopsided, bulk on lower outside compared to left, ps said this should even out over time. OriginallyGlad I did the DIEP, now questioning the whole thing. Is this just phase 2 normal reaction or should I be concerned? Feeling down. Also have had a headache/fuzzy feeling for a couple days. Taking Tylenol during the day and pain pill at night. 😢

Tan- it took weeks for breasts to look good after stage 2. The nipples didn't look "right" for about a month.