DIEP 2015

Hey Jillybee! If you look at the NOLA in September thread, it gives a great explanation of NOLA. 

Trineg, strange that you brought up Ken doll effect. I had fat grafting 10 days ago. As I did my morning incision check, I noticed that I no longer have the prominent mound in that area. I have been fat most of my life, and never realized I had a "Ken doll". Guess when they remove the fat section for the DIEP, it emphasizes all other fatty areas 😒.

NOLA:

http://www.breastcenter.com

I just returned from there on Wed after my Stage 1. I am still in awe of the care they take of people. If only our entire medical system was as good as they are.

I hope everyone knows I was joking about the Ken doll. I had never heard of it before. Just another example of good info on this board. You don't want to wake up with any surprises. So many things we go through are so unexpected and shocking. NOLA is the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans. They specialize in Breast reconstruction. They have lots of fans on this discussion board. I'm very hopeful. Everyone there has given me such confidence that they can fix me. Jillybee if you search here, the web, and youtube you will find a lot about them. Sorry you have had so much trouble too. I'll try to post as things progress. Love to all sisters.

Thank you for sharing your experience mefromcc. You have eased my mind.

Laninha you are so close. I wish you the best and hope this reconstruction is successful and as easy as possible and lovely.

And retrochick we are on the same day.

geez LAStar -- 8.5 weeks!!!! -- and to think I was grousing at 3 weeks and 1 day! Back from small nip/tuck surgery -- less than an hour to get nipple removed on nipple sparing side since that 'prophylactic' side turned out to have small bits of lobular in situ [........and drains out too - whohee the freedom ], so that boob is bandaged til Tues morning when I can remove it - check it out and then SHOWER! I can hardly wait. Sponge baths are ok in the short run, but I miss my showers, and really miss a good bubble bath.

ps my Ken doll mound is shrinking [yay], but ...... hope this isn't TMI.... I think because the skin is all stretched and pulled up to meet the incision line, the hairs are much farther apart and look a bit sparsely weird anyone else share that??!!

I googled it,came up with that.....but I thought it was some kind of surgical procedure!!!!💁💁💁💁💁💁

Looks like a busy week for our flapper sisters: best wishes Lahinha, Westphal, retrochick and Trineg on your imminent surgeries. I know you will be sooooo happy to have chosen this diep route and to move forward in recovery.

Sounds great, Laninha. I think the pain killers contribute to mood fluctuations. I think the day after I stopped taking them (maybe day 6) I had a mood plummet.

I hope you can get some/all of your drains out. That's a big help. (I am 3 weeks out today).

Day 6 after surgery for me. Still taking pain meds. They really do their job and I'm still needing them. Can walk around but cannot stand up straight yet and have gotten stuck on my back like a turtle as others have described it. I make sure I walk and do the incentive spirometer every hour. Not ready to do anything much besides rest and eat. Have follow-up appointment tomorrow. Already I can tell what a good decision this bilateral diep flap surgery is. I am so happy to have found these surgeons and was able to do this. I don't have a lot of body fat and still they were able to make me nice sized really normal looking breasts. So glad to know laninha and trvler are coming along so well too. I continue to pray for all sisters. I'm feeling so thankful.

hey guys: I'm 2 weeks 2 days past DIEP reconstruction (bilateral, removal of failed implants) and I am wondering how yall came off the pain related meds. I came home on Gabapentin, oxycodone, Flexeril for pain, Phenergan for nausea (never took), Aspirin (blood thinner), Clindamyacin (brief course, antibiotics), Wellbutrin from before surgery, and the list goes on. I have had a host of side effects and need to get off the Gabapentin, Flexeril and oxycodone asap, and on to just Advil and Tylenol. I will keep taking the meds I took before surgery which are Wellbutrin small dose and Trazadone for sleep. Any ideas?? I am miserable with the side effects, but otherwise doing well..

E

Thank you so much for your post Phoebe58! Here it is 2:30a, and I am smiling at the thought of us as unique flapper snowflakes!

Honestly, gabapentin was a wonder drug for me, but I went through a couple of days of non-stop crying with no appetite and couldn't even bring myself to drink water! I have had nothing but high-protein Boost drinks for 4 days. After reading up on my long list of meds it seemed the oxycodone and gabapentin were the likely culprits, so I chose to drop gabapentin first. I was already only taking oxycodine at night, and nothing during the day other than naproxen (like Advil). Of course, I am also rarely moving from my recliner...:)

Mistake I think!! I am awake because I woke up with that searing post-surg pain! I did not pick up the refill for gabapentin today, but I leapt for the oxycodone and some Tylenol quick when I woke up at 12:30!! I am hungry, too, and drank a bottle of water--good signs! I would eat something but I live alone and just don't have it in me to get something.

It's all very confusing even though I am very well versed on the meds for the most part!! Hard to say what's causing what, what's worse--pain or side effects, on and on. Just another step in this ever-winding journey we are all on.

Thank you all for your posts and your sharing. I was diagnosed in 2012, but never posted here or reached out to any sort of support group--not even women I knew who are sisters. I can feel the difference in my healing and feelings of having community here already.

I promise tomorrow I will do the signature thing!!

E

i agree Trvler, oxy can mess with your moods and cause nausea. I was started on oxy and morphine in the hospital and that made me puke on day 3 and I hated them, so they swapped it to Dilaudid which I tolerated better, and am finding Emtec [codeine and tylenol] is fine ... though still constipating even on 1 per day.... hence the colace. I peed like a race horse when the catheter came out due to all the iv fluids, and have not had problems...... but people can sometimes get irritated 'down there' from the catheter so drink lots of clear fluids esp cranberry juice [even diluted] to flush out any bacteria, in case you may be developing a urinary tract infection.

Hope you got back to sleep fotogirl. I had a day recently where I had cut back too quickly to one advil or alive by day and emtec at night, and I suddenly regressed by about 2 weeks pain wise -- so realized my body was just not ready to reduce that quickly, so added back a tylenol which has helped. It takes some juggling to find the least amount that still does what's needed. And please keep up your fluids -- I add a bit of juice to my water so I drink more of it, and you need lots of protein for healing -- boost is fine but variety is even better [anything easy is ok at this stage -- yogurt, tuna sandwich, toast and PB, whatever appeals... ]-- chicken soup is great. I live alone too, so some friends came by with dinners and soups for a while [ok...confess banana bread disappeared in record time:) ]. Because I had surgery out of town in Vancouver, I was lucky to stay with a great friend who's a nursing instructor for 9 days post hospital, and mostly lived in the rental recliner, but still got up and out for little walks regularly and even out for dinner by the end, until I flew home at the 2 week mark....similar to where you are now. PS I do have a golden retriever who tries to be a nurse, but just adds fur to everything!

Retrochick, you are on my mind too -- hope all went well. Let us know when you can.

Hi all, thought I would check in 6 weeks out from DIEP. I'm doing better everyday, I would have to say my turning point was about 5 weeks this is also when the last drain came out. I'm finally getting all my energy back, which is good news for my yard which has been sadly neglected. I have a section on the tummy incision that is still an issue. PS has me using Bactroban 3 times a day and this seems to help, I also keep Neosporin on it . I really only have pain when this spot dries out and you stretch. I'm still not able to wear my own underwear as it all hit my incision, but I have found men's boxer type shorts with the tight legs very comfortable I do have to turn them inside out because of the seam on the waistband. I also had my first eye surgery this week to remove the chemo induced cataract, amazing the difference in what definition of what I have been missing since January.

Sending healing thoughts everyone's way. Best wishes to all heading for surgery.

Glad it's going well Outdoorswoman -- I am 5 weeks out and am noticing more energy starting too I have found some super comfie yet stylish panties at Winners [in Canada... not sure if you have it], but Kathy Ireland [former supermodel, so right up our alley:) ] brand microfiber soft, seamless invisible panty line... so nothing that irritates across abdomen -- and LA star they are patterned in either leopard or paisley!!! woohoo Granny be gone! If you can't find that brand, look at other brands with seamless microfiber waist hi or bikini --maybe check Bali microfiber seamless barely there comfort revolution -- I plan on getting some though patterns tamer:)

Good luck fotogirl with drains out ----it's soooo much better. PS I have seen other people put multiple surgeries on list........