DIEP 2015

Help! So I will be 3 weeks post uni-mx, SLNB. And immediate DIEP reconstruction tommoro

I am off vicodin and just using Tylenol for pain. And i am stil in a decent amount of pain. My question is my new boob is really solid. I have pains kind of all around it especially in underarm. I had a lot of swelling and bruising at firsf . Bruising is gone now. Is the solid firm feeling still swelling or is this how this new breast will always feel?

I worry that there is something going wrong in there!

My foobs were very solid feeling and sat high like softballs for about a month, then started softening and relaxing. I still needed narc pain meds weeks later, but I had developed a neroma near the t intersection of incisions near my armpit. That pain didn't go away until the neuroma was released /removed during an additional surgery. I found significant relief of all the creepy nerve sensations from the severed breast nerves from the gabapentin. The narc med didn't help those sensations, but the gabapetin took care of that.

That's useful, Bunny. I am 7 days out and I am not having a lot of pain. I am down to about 4 vicodin a day and I am taking an inflammatory med so I feel those pains once in a while, I have no idea how much of it I will experience once I am completely off the vicodin. I hate taking vicodin because it give me nightmares. I would make terrible heroin addict.

CarolynAnne, definitely clear it with your doctor. I find the Body Shop shea butter the most effective for me, and it has a lovely scent.

Good morning, chiming in regarding scar minimizing creams! I too have heard you are supposed to wait until they are healed [no scabs, open bits etc] but have heard about those scar away strips, shea butter, emu oil, bio oil, AND when I was getting something at pharmacy a couple of weeks prior to surgery, I inquired of the pharmacist if she could recommend anything. She waltzed me right by the healing cream drugstore aisle, and over into cosmetics. She pointed out a cream by La Roche-Posay 'Cicaplast' that was originally developed to quicken healing and minimize scarring for facelifts..... she said the results are amazing. I bought a tube [about $20] but it's too early yet for me to try out and give personal feedback. Also, I have a dear friend who now lives in California and had a lumpectomy and radiation last year. She put Miaderm radiation relief cream on radiated breast and can vouch for way less skin redness [as she routinely missed a spot under armpit that stayed quite red....... and also noticed her scar on radiation/cream side was far less red than a twin small scar on other boob where they did a biopsy -- same timing as lumpectomy boob, that had not needed radiation.

So far I am leaving all my scars completely alone -- they seem to be drying ok, still look icky from glued dried blood, and one bit of breast is ever so slightly oozing amber.... so keep mini dsg on that, but am heading back to Vancouver in a couple of days to have the 'nipple spared' nip removed on that other side, [formerly referred to as 'good' - now just sneaky] since it was had biopsied as LCIS. My PS will look at all scars then and I will ask re what to do next. And, can't wait to lose the 2 hip drains Friday too.........

Still a swelly belly, esp later in day, at 20 days post, and sometimes ab incision has pain [more like a super tight belt], and boobs are tender, some range of motion limited.... but overall thrilled.

Hi Eve. Welcome to the group.

I just am 8 days out from my BMX and DIEP. So far so good. I have to have radiation but the surgery itself (knock wood) so far seems to be healing nicely. I 86'ed the Vicodin because I wasn't have enough pain to justify the hideous effects of Vicodin on me. Nightmares…moody. So happy to be done with the surgery part of this whole ordeal. On to rads.

Welcome Evegibb! We will help however we can!

thanks Bunnybumps! I know when I had a previous surgery, the surgeon said to use shea butter.

I have become a huge fan of coconut oil and wonder if that would be good. I've been massaging it into my scalp while I pray to the hair gods and I do have about an inch of growth ( finished chemo July 20) so maybe it is helping?

Thanks phoebe58 for your input too! I will keep the roche-posay lotion in mind!

I guess I will ask my PS. I really want to use something so I hope he says I can.

My pain seems to be reducing. Still taking an ES Tylenol every 4 hours though.

So once you took your binder off, did you still wear something for support/compression?

Carolanne and Dismay - I don't have experience with being placed on tamoxifen post op but was placed on it about six weeks post final chemo and was on it through radiation with no issues with skin healing. I was switched to Aromasin about 4 months prior to DIEP and asked not to take it for 10 days preop and for two weeks postop; after that resumed with no healing issues. I remember how hard it was for me to take that first tamoxifen pill two and a half years ago; it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Don't be afraid to ask questions and discuss concerns with your oncologis

Westphal, best wishes to your upcoming surgery.:) The 15th I see my radiation oncologist, so will send you positive vibes! And, as of Friday we will be even more alike, as my spared nipple needs to go -- they found something in the duct, so I will end up with a matched set that gets twin tattoos too! Heading back to Vanc tomorrow to have that quick 'nip tuck' done and she will take my hip drains too. As a FYI re the long surgery, my anaesthesiologist had made a comment that it is actually a very restful and restorative sleep for the body. I awoke quite easily and quickly feeling lucid and fine. My first words Wilbur comment, as I looked out large windows at puffy clouds, blue skies and big trees was "oh, I feel like I'm in my hammock at the lake!!'.

CarolynAnne- I don't know of any specific concerns regarding tamoxifen and healing. I asked my gyn about going off tamox when I had my surgery (TAH/BSO) due to the blood clot risk, but he said no need to stop taking it. (he forgot to write an order, so the nurses didn't give it to me in the hospital anyway!) I resumed taking it when I got home after 3 days, and my incision healed pretty quickly, just one little spot that took a little longer than the rest, but that happened with my lumpectomy incision too, and I wasn't on the tamox yet at that time.

anne

Westphal - it can depend but it's breast drains and one abdominal drain were removed by the time I was discharged - - 5th post op da

Westphal, both my breast drains removed day 4 in hospital [low output], but both abdominal drains still in at day 21... guess I have juicy hips LA Star! and they are getting removed tomorrow by PS back in Vancouver, as output finally low enuf, when I do the little revision nip tuck! PS said she hopes they don't explode on the plane due to cabin pressure changes, so suggested I 'discreetly' uncap them for the flight!!! I did coming home, and they were fine. It's all about the output -- I think they need to produce less than 30 cc in 24 hours to get pulled. They will teach you how to 'strip' them [more like milking the little hoses], measure and record output, squeeze the bulgy grenade part so it creates suction, having a lanyard or string around the neck for sponge bath is helpful, and then it's just the annoyance of pinning them to clothes or having big pockets to tuck them [top half easier]and being fashion challenged.......sigh... and then yes: rest, water, nap, laugh [but carefully first 3 days as it still hurts to laugh then]! and once eating proper food-- protein and veg priorities, and start your gentle stretch routine and increase your walks slowly.

phoebe, I had my hip drains for 8.5 weeks! Then a seroma that had to be aspirated every 2 weeks until Stage 2. I don't even want to remember that. SGAP "shark bites" are a whole different issue.

Westphal, one thing to have your caregiver check is that you have your drains in a pouch before you stand up. One of the hospitals I was in didn't give me a pouch until later in my stay, but every time I stood the drains would fall and cause unnecessary pain (I complained formally later on -- what a silly oversight).

Just wanted to wish good luck and a fast recovery to the three sisters having surgery next week. And to everyone else, have a safe, blessed, and fun weekend!

TRINEG, I haven't been to NOLA but I've heard that they do EXCELLENT work. I'm sure that it'll be the same for you. You'll be in all of our prayers. For me, the fear of unknown is what made me nervous but after it was all done, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had made it in my mind! Try to have some fun this weekend.