DIEP 2015

Getting discharged today. Flaps look amazing and I am so glad I decided to do skin sparing bmx. Donor site is my most troublesome sore spot. Ended up needing lax after surgery and ended up with 'd' ...not convenient with limited mobility and all these tubes/wires. I am looking forward to several weeks from now when the tightness, d, bloating, drains, muscle aches are gone. M.O. stopped by to give me my surgical pathology...I had a complete response to chemo and there was no sign of disease in my lymph nodes. So glad to have great news to ease the physical discomfort.

DizzParkMom

Awesome news on complete pathological response. The best we can hope for being TN. Speedy and healthy recovery to you. I'm so glad to hear your surgery went well. 😊

Continued prayers, love & hugs

G

Way to go Dizz -- so happy you are so pleased and healing and had complete response. And welcome beergirl -- soon you will be admiring your new girl too!

I'm heading to Vancouver soon, as our BRA day is Tuesday. 3 plastic surgeons speak including mine, then questions, then women with upcoming choices to make can come backstage to the Show n Tell Lounge, where I will be one of the women sharing and baring to help ease their worries.

Back from surgery yesterday ..ugh. Still no results from biopsy, but hope to have them on Monday. Took only one node, and initial look was clear. Hoping and praying this is the last I have to deal with $#@% "C".

Hospital stay was bit torturous, as I don't do well with meds (narcotics and Zofran)...nausea and paresthesia in my fingers and toes. The catheter wasn't draining(I think because of my tilted uterus), and nurse pumped up the fluids and overextended my bladder. That was no fun, painful pressure with no relief for 24 hours...but went away after they pulled catheter on the 2ND day. quit taking anything but ibuprofen after the 3Rd day. Very little pain at all for me.

Right now some uncomfortable chest tightness...feels hard to take a deep breath...and with that difficulty getting to sleep. Foobs look pretty good. Only thing is my breast surgeon burned my breast and PS had to make a dart to remove the burn. Was ok, cause my right side was way big and needed a dart anyway. ..so they match...but much smaller than my originals.

Otherwise, they look good. ..all the nurses came around and complimented them when i got out of surgery. My nurse thought I had nipple sparing. ..LOL!

Carolyn: I don't recall your question but I think you asked about lymphedema. You are at risk since you had nodes removed. I had 2. Did you have them all on one side? They should have measured your arm. You should probably do some reading. There are risk factors. I got a pile of literature from my hospital and I read through it. Most of it talks about what to do if you have it, but there is some info about prevention. You are not supposed to have blood pressure taken in that arm or shots and you should prevent insect bites in that arm. Exercise is helpful, but you should start slow with weights. I used to use 5 pounds per arm and now I am using 3 for a while. Obesity is a risk factor as well. I need to get a sleeve and gauntlet for air travel. But so far, I have no signs of it.

scwilly-I know you said you were 7 mo post op. Can you tell me how long it took you to feel "normal" again. I have swelly belly and I still have one drain in 3weeks post op. My breasts are great and my abdomen scar is great. I can finally stand and walk for a while without hurting I just want the belly to go away.

Tmgibert1071

It was a gradual thing. Getting rid of those pesky drains was the first and biggest. When I had my first bx - I had them in for over 3 weeks and could not wait to get rid of them, this time it was only two weeks.

Also - at first- my stomach was also swollen and sore and caught on all my trousers (aka pants - I'm a brit so can't yet say pants as those are knickers to me - lol). It wasn't the incision scar which was lower down - but the soreness around the middle and the swelling. It eventually came down and I now dont feel sore. I do still feel tight, and though it might be slightly annoying - reminds me of the benefits of this op - I love my flat tum.

It took a few months for me to feel completely comfortable sleeping in bed and not feeling that I was squashing my boobs. I never lie on my stomach but prefer lying sideways. I was helped getting in and out of bed as my bed is quite high, but needed a pull from the dresser for a while.

I am yet to have my tidy-up stage 2. My right boob bigger than the left (I had a skin sparing mx on my right at the time of the deep and a full reconstruction on my left) and hope to have that done one day. I'm holding off as I have put on weight these past few months (my 'helpful' husband warns me I'll get my big tum again!) I don't feel that would happen as I don't seem to have any fat there. I want to get down a bit before I have the second op.

I went back to my BodyPump classes after about 10 weeks (this uses weights) and am nearly back to my old weight levels. I do feel tightness on my stomach sometimes during these classes, especially during the core exercises or getting up from floor. I just take if easy if necessary.

I don't work so can't advise on this. I think after 5 week you will be over the effects of the op and feeling stronger. Just make sure you can rest and take it easy to start.

Best of luck recovering and stay comfy.

Sarah

Thank you TM, I'm doing ok. Finally got some sleep last night. ..6 days post-op. The difficulty breathing is most likely related to my allergies and coming down from all those drugs. They took out two tubes yesterday...but now I'm having some fluid buildup on my left armpit. Trying to keep it elevated. I'm healing very quickly. ..so trying to not do too much will be a challenge. I'm a little concerned about lymphadema, so trying to behave! They only took one node, and I'm slender. ..so my risk is fairly low.

My pathology came back high grade, with necrosis DCIS 3.5mm and good margins. Node is negative and also my right breast. Doctor says I do not need any chemo or radiation. I have never been so happy!

Great news, Lessharp!

I am 8 weeks out and I can do about 80% of what I was doing before. I used to do 5 pound weights but I am taking it slow and starting with 3 both because of lymphedema risk and some shoulder issues I have which I think are due to scoliosis.

DizzPark, that is so awesome! Glad you are doing so well. My surgery was just after yours on the 21st, and I also got all my drains out yesterday. Such a relief! I welcome the burning sensation in a way...as that means those nerves are working on regeneration. I am more disturbed by the numbness I have behind my left arm...mainly because I think my Breast Surgeon rushed when she did the mastectomy and node part and damaged the nerve.

My Plastic Surgeons are amazing...really happy with them. I will need revision, as I didn't have enough fat down low...and have some dog ears. I woke up with nipples, cause I asked her to...Figured it would be less of shock emotionally to wake up with more real looking breasts.

lessharp, congrats on being drain free too. Doesn't it make all the difference. I felt the same way about the tingly burning nerve feeling too....until my surgeon warned that sometimes the tingling and burning can last a long time and really only gets better as the brain gets accustomed to the 'pain'. I am hopeful, however, that it will get better. I don't know what is worse, the constant burning or the occasional jab in the armpit. I can imagine how irritating the numb arm is. I hope it gets better.

I am very happy with my surgeons too. I am amazed at the work they can do. I am so very thankful that breast reconstruction surgery and mastectomy surgery have advanced so much over the years. It breaks my heart to think of my great aunt who bad bmx in her 30's in nineteen fifty-something...I recently heard from family that she was horrified by the results and never felt the same again.

evegibb-

This may sound stupid but what's the "ken doll effect"? I noticed no one touched on that topic yet.

Thats hilarious. Never thought of it like that. I guess if I really evaluated mine I don't think it's swollen but it visually looks pulled up because of how tight they pulled the stomach. Hard to tell also because my stomach is still "bloated" and I still have a drain in as well. Sorry I'm not much help.

lol laStar, thanks for the visual, it gave me a chuckle, which still hurts a bit but worth it lol.

I know I've read about back pain after DEIP. I'm experiencing that pretty bad! It's been a week since surgery, I can stand up straight sometimes, but my back is killing me. Any advice on how to improve back issues after DEIP?

Thanks again everyone for advice, feedback and support. All the best to those recovering. I had so many reservations about having this surgery, was scared I would regret it, but I am glad I went through with it, I am thrilled with the results even only after a week.