DIEP 2015

hi Trvlr -- I go for measuring and scan mid Dec and start early January. I requested the delay -- partly as I'm on Letrozole so it's busy doing its job in the meantime, and work issues I really needed to get back to sort out, as well as concerned re wanting noob as recovered as possible to minimize damage -- worried re possibility of lymphedema mostly and hardening/shrinkage of tissues too... I noticed you post on rads, and will join them in Dec. I have been wondering how it has gone for you, saw the dang itchy:(..... , so would love to hear more re how noob itself seems to be handling it. There don't seem to be many of us diep-ers who do rads after surgery.

Cassylou: Re getting back to vertical and straight -- it will come!!!! I noticed huge improvements daily, then weekly.....I concur with the others that building up a regular and frequent walking routine is really helpful, as is stretching out the chest by looking sort of up and pulling shoulder blades together as best you can..... as if showing off a huge diamond necklace!! PS I was in Sydney years ago and climbed the bridge!

Sending good healing vibes to everyone.

Phoebe: Noob seems ok. It is hard to tell. I was just adjusting to having them when I started rads. It is bright red and probably a tad swollen but I can't really see it. The scars are much redder than the other side but RO says that will go away after treatment is done. I am done Wed so I can report back a couple of weeks after that if you remind me.

TM, How exciting! I am so looking forward to stage two, and hope to talk my PS into doing it before the end of the year. From what I've heard/read it is a cake walk compared to stage one. I've read that recovery is about one week.... But you have to wear a binder nonstop for quite some time... To minimize fluid buildup from the donor site.

Hoping someone who has been thru stage 2 will fill us in.

Hey, I just had stage 2 on Nov. 6. I spent a week in a binder, and things were pretty good for another week. Unfortunately, I jumped back into exercising a little too hard and have developed a pretty sore area, so I'm resting with additional Tylenol (occasionally percocet) for pain. If you don't run a 10k less than three weeks after surgery, you may not have this problem. :-/

So yes, it was not nearly as hard as the initial surgery. No issues with standing upright at all. (I had lipo on my hips at the end if my scar, but nothing else in the abdominal area was messed with.) I could walk comfortably a couple of days after, no problem.

I'm still holding off on buying a real bra. Underwires are super uncomfortable, and I'm still swollen. I'm hoping that I'll be able to shop for a real bra in a couple of weeks.

Daboys

Prayers and lots of love as you prepare for surgery on the 3rd. It sounds like you have everything ready to go. Please update when your able. I have my surgery on the 9th so just a few days after you.

I'm so thankful for everyone on here. The knowledge and advice is so helpful. Hard to believe the end is in site for me, it's been a long year. God is good.

Hugs ladies,

G

SA8PG

Good luck to you too! Healing Prayers for you as well as we walk this journey- just want it done! Post when you are able

Actually, I didn't start it until after my surgery because I didn't think I needed it. I was taking a prescription med called Linzess but I was taking magnesium after surgery and realized I no longer needed the prescription. It's tricky around surgery because in my case (and I think in many others) you go early in the am for pre op and early for surgery so you go on already constipated. It took a few days and lots of stuff (prune juice, Linzess, stool softeners) to get unplugged after surgery. But once I started taking the magnesium, I stopped everything else.

I think it is magnesium oxide but it just says magnesium on the label. I will check. I know there are two kinds.

I take 250 mg daily for constipation, sometimes 500. I don't have issues with blood sugar but I have heard it helps with that and I remember years ago a friend of mine had a girlfriend who was Type 1 diabetic and they tried supplements and she was actually off insulin for a while. I think one of them was magnesium. YOu can google it to find out info about that. I haven't researched it. But there were times after my second baby was born that my blood sugar felt like it was plummeting and I could feel it. I would still feel that way occasionally but I don't notice it at all now. That is VERY unscientific obviously.

daBoys thinking of you! Here's to a successful surgery, wonderful results and good pain management!! Keep us posted! I went for pre op today, I'll be following in your footsteps soon.

Hope everyone is doing well recovering and coping wth the stress of the holidays. I am a little over 6 weeks post stage 1 diep. I went back to the gym at 3 weeks, but basically just went through the motions to get back into a routine. I was cleared with no restrictions this week, so I have been slowly adding back more effort. It feels good to be back in my old routine, but it's depressing that my core is so weak. I am back at 98% of my range of motion. I attribute that to not having any restrictions from surgeons once they removed the diep monitors in the hospital. It was sore in the beginning, but I just pushed through it.

PS had offered to get me squeezed in this month for stage 2, but we decided that we just needed a 'family break' from travelling for illness and hospitals. We are going on a leisure vacation instead. Sure, we'll pay more oop in the new year, but I think it will be for the best. I have 1 spot on my donor incision that is still having trouble closing. It's about 7-8mm long. P.S. said to keep it covered and apply antibacterial until it closes on its own. I also have a small undissolved stitch on the bottom of my new belly button that looks like a little white bump. I had 2 burned spots on the skin just above my new right foob that have finally 'healed' but are still quite red. I had skin sparing, but not nipple sparing. PM did a little preliminary tattoo shading on the circular donated tissue that will someday become my new areolas. The areas seem huge based on how small my natural areola regions used to be.

My new foobs are amazingly similar in size to my natural breasts (small), however, they are much less saggy. I have been able to wear several of my own bras without sizing issues or discomfort. Between the weight I dropped during chemo and the diep procedure, I had to go out and get new jeans. I went down 2 sizes. Since PS still plans on taking fat from my waist, hips, saddlebag area, and inner thigh I decided to only get 1 new pair for now.

I have been able to sleep on my sides again since about 4 1/2 weeks out. It's more comfortable with a pillow to hug and a pillow between my knees. I have a little on and off back strain. I find that if I wear my abdominal binder while 'on my feet' I suffer less strain. I am having a little bloating and swelling at night and after meals.

Well that's where I am at 6 weeks out. I am looking forward to continuing to heal. It is a little scary to consider taking more steps back after stage 2 and then starting get to heal all over again. I have to believe that it will be easier once I have enough time off to build up some strength. Surely I will be stronger than I was after 5+ months of chemo.

Good luck to those of you still facing stage 1. Is it scary and daunting? YES!, but way easier than I ever imagined it could be. When we 'have' to, we can do anything!

hi Trvler, thanks for all your info [here and other threads] and glad your noob is doing ok all things considered. I was away last week seeing PS who said my right side is a tiny bit lower, but she won't have to lift it as rads should make it a bit tighter and higher, and if it shrinks or hardens fat grafting does wonders. Whew. I got my start day for rads - Dec 29. Wooohoo to you for finishing up.

Notagain -- LOL the foob=fried boob !!! I think it means fake boob as in implants, vs new boob being own body tissue, but love yours! Best wishes with your upcoming date, and also to daboys who should be in recovery now. Can't wait to hear how you do. I remain so thrilled and happy with my diep. A bit fuller and younger looking, but so natural.

Looking forward to hearing some more stage 2 info too. I need to wait til 6 months post rads, so fall, but that's ok.

Hi Everyone. Tmgilbert-wish we could be in NOLA at the same time. We could share an ICEE. Bigsister-thinking about you a lot too since we are on the very same day. Phoebe-I went through chest wall radiation ending January 2014. Didn't make me sick like chemo did but it did make me tired and made my shoulders hurt from having to lay there and not move. Make sure to use whatever ointment or cream your doctor recommends to soothe your skin. I had a tissue expander at the time of my rads so our experiences will be different. Now I'm 11 weeks out from phase 1. The noobs are soft and warm and look nice. The incisions have healed nicely. I'm still working on regaining core strength as are some of you. I've had a hard time regaining energy but I think that has a lot to do with complications from previous surgeries. Tummy is still a little tight but has stretched out a whole lot. Phase 1 has been a big success and well worth all you go through. I will keep you informed as best as I can about phase 2. In additional to the usual in phase 2, I'll have a procedure to relieve severe pain from a latissimus dorsi flap done before I knew about NOLA. Hugs to all.

I have been reading the posts on this thread, but have never posted myself. I had a BMX 2 years ago with no reconstruction (long story), but now I am looking into options. I really wanted to go the expander/implant route, as I am afraid of a long operation and recovery. At this point I am sick of doctors and the medical system, and I just want to live my live. I was referred to an excellent PS in my area, and she refuses to do delayed reconstruction with expanders due to the 80% failure rate. I did have 33 radiation treatments, and my tissue is most likely damaged. The PS feels I am an excellent candidate for the flap surgery, as she says, I have beautiful belly fat. I am considering it, but I have some questions. I know the surgery lasts 10-12 hours, and my MO is cautioning me about doing any elective procedure that keeps me under that long. He says I could have some memory issues. I already have memory problems with the letrozole, and I don't want it to get worse. Have any of you ladies had memory problems as a result of being under anesthesia that long? Also, what is the recovery like? I know there are drains, but after they are out, how limited is your activity? If I do this in the summer, I would like to sit on the beach after the drains are gone. Is that possible? Would I be able to drive? Can I do light gardening? As you can see, I am not very patient. How do you check for recurrence after you have this procedure? Do you get mammograms? Thank you in advance for answering these questions.

Smrlvr: The most important thing in your decision to have the surgery is the doctors you choose. It is really important to have someone who is experienced at this surgery and to do your research first. As an example, I had an appointment with a PS here that was very highly recommended. Someone on here told me to ask what their conversion rate was. I didn't even know what that meant. But I asked and they told me 85%. I got on the Ask the Doctor site, (which I recommend you take a look at) and asked the doctor there if that was ok and if not, what rate WAS acceptable. He said 0 and explained why. I cancelled that appointment and decided to do to NOLA where they specialize in this surgery. That doctor ended up being my second surgeon in NOLA. I am very happy with the results. I can do almost everything I could do before. I am about 3 months out and my abdomen is still hard but I am going to do some physical therapy stuff to it. Still need Stage 2. Please research your doctor thoroughly. Just because they do these doesn't mean they are great at it.