DIEP 2015

Morwenna: Thanks for a very much needed laugh.

I feel like I'm in an iron bra, also. I thought the discomfort would go away when the drains were removed, but it seems to be worse because my mind knows there is nothing in there to cause the feeling. I tried to get through yesterday without any narc pain meds. I ended up being miserable this am, especially my abdominal area. So I took half a pill and will try to use the pain relief to be a little more active today. I did get a chuckle about the hair. I'm waiting for my first to appear, but I am only two weeks out. Ah cancer, a life disruptor that just keeps giving.

slv58, welcome to our club. Today I would say I am sorry I did this, but then I look at my beautiful foobs, and feel how natural they feel, and know I won't end up sorry.

Just heard my surgery date is April 6th. I'm finding this thread so useful and if feels so much less scary to know there are so many others going through the same and coming out the other end.

Sarah

It's so funny but when I was pregnant, ALL I wanted to do was sleep on my back. It felt sooooo good. (and of course you can't). But I am a side sleeper too.

Morwenna, thank you! Did you find pajamas were ok around your hips? I was thinking of a shower stool also but not sure if I will use it. How about a knee wedge pillow?

Thank you for all that information, Morwenna. How long was it till you started wearing underwear again? Do you wear a compression garment after the surgery?

Thanks for a positive story. I know it will be a long time for those waiting, but to me will be what my now 16 year old would say when when he was younger - a blink sleep. Last time my husband went shopping and bought me something nice, this time he'll have so much more time to shop for me. The drain was the worst parts of my first mx, but in then end it was gone and forgotten.

Is anyone else having trouble sleeping? I fall asleep just fine at night but I'm waking up at like 3 a.m. It's not from pain or anything, I'm just wide awake. I didn't know if it was some strange surgery trauma or anesthesia side effect

Alycallie: It depends on the doctor. I called a very highly regarded PS in Chicago and was told his conversion rate from DIEP to TRAM was 85%. I had read mixed reviews on whether this is good or bad. I still really don't entirely understand the difference. But since I had heard it was undesirable, I also asked the question on Ask The Doctor. Dr. D (who IS one of the PS's at the NOLA center) responded that he doesn't think ANY conversion rate is acceptable. I am intrigued to discuss this further with them when I got there next week to consult. It is all a matter of opinion what people think. Some doctors are fine with it, obviously.

I encourage you to go read some of the posts from Ask The Doctor because he is the doctor who doesn't think it's a good idea and you could hear his views.

Just as an aside, I went to an MO Monday because Dr. Stolier at BCRS in NOLA told me to have chemo first. The doctor was a complete jerk when he found out I was not coming to HIS hospital for surgery. I told him NOLA specializes in cutting edge techniques for this type of surgery and he assured me that ANY PS would do the same thing. (NOT true IMO, or I wouldn't be traveling to NOLA). But when I asked it was a dumb idea to travel up to 1 hour to his facility to have chemo when I could do it 5 minutes from my house, he said no, no, people come from out of state to have chemo here……so let me see if I get this straight? EVERY PS will do the same surgery but you are SO good at chemo that people come from out of state to see you? Ugh. God complex much, doctor?

I had to have muscle taken, she said about the size of a finger. She said it was because the donor vessel was small and need the muscle tissue to support it. My PT said that it wasn't a lot if muscle and that I should be ok, just means more pain post op for a while and different/ added exercises for PT. I'm fine with that- my pulse in my foobs was loud and perfect from the first hour out of surgery and have remained so. Thank goodness.

I went to UPenn, my surgeon is Dr Wu. Evidently this is her specialty and they do more than any other hospital in the country. She has more than 1000 under her belt.( Her teeny tiny belt ... She is one fierce little woman. )Even my MO was all swoony over her work and her rep. My PT just went nutty after seeing my foobs and incisions. A good nutty.

Guess it just depends on the doctor.

Hi there,. I am back....Hope everyone is doing well. I have been gone awhile..I spent three weeks with my daughters..taking turns taking care of me. Then my BF took me to Florida for some needed R&R and sunshine. It was great.

Everything is going good, my surgery went well and everything is healing up like it is supposed to. My foobs are looking good, I have one that looks smaller than the other but actually isn't because my damn expander and radiated skin on my right side was so tight it made my chest wall cave in slightly. My Dr said it might correct itself , it might not. Oh well.

Dr. Lemaine and her team where absolutely the greatest. Some of you are asking what to bring to the hospital. You really don't need much, just your toothbrush, which I actually forgot so they got me one. Oh, and I highly recommend Colace. They do give you stool softeners but they are pretty weak, and these work fabulous !! Wear home what you came in with and you are good to go.

Those of you that had your surgery did you have those gowns that kept you warm? How cool are those? For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, before surgery they want you warm , I suppose for your blood vessels, and they put you in a gown that hooks up to something like a hairdryer and warm air blows in it. Oh, it feels so good.

I thought this surgery was going to be absolutely horrible, and I will say it was not as bad as I thought. I still have my days when I wonder if being flat would have just been better, especially when I've done to much and my stomach starts to hurt or my chest feels tighter than usual. Or when I get out of the shower and look at my ugly incisions and wonder if I will ever not feel self conscious.

But I do not regret my decision and am looking forward to the day when I can look down and not see ugly incisions but some faint scars and faint reminders of this horrible crappy journey that we have all been on.

Annieb4, it's good to hear from you and that you're healing well. I'm glad you were able to spend time with your daughters recovering, and then onto a warm, sunny beach. That sounds wonderful!

Mefromcc, my CT scan shows very small, deep abdominal veins. My PS said I may end up being a challenge. I'm so scared that he'll go in, find the veins are too small, and not want to try the flap. In my area, he's supposed to be the best at diep reconstruction, so I'm crossing my fingers that everything will work out.

For those whose PS had to use a bit of muscle, is this different from a full tram? My PS is not a fan of the tram, so I was wondering if there was a difference in the procedures.

One more question; I've heard women say they get "swelly belly". Does everyone get it? Is there anything that can be done to prevent it?

Thanks for your replies!

~Andrea

Thanks Morwenna. I'm going to ask my PS about the muscle sparing tram when I see him next month. I really appreciate all the information you've shared!