2018 DIEP Surgery

dawnann, good for you! Here's to smooth sailing and a quick recovery. Sounds like you are doing great. Also, I would not worry about waiting. I'm convinced that I might have had an easier recovery if I had not been so beat up by chemo. So, maybe there is an advantage to delayed recovery. I hope you reap the benefits of your patience. All the best

Hi parachutes. Like you, I had no prior surgery and a Ct scan was not recommended. Some surgeons order it, some don't. Further inquiry could not hurt if you don't feel comfortable. Best wishes for a speedy recovery

Hello ladies,

Day 4 after surgery, DM with DIEP reconstruction, may be heading home today or tomorrow. Was a long surgey about 12 hours . I have to say the pain is not what expected, I thought it would be worse. Still sore in many place but it is all managable. Reading all the posts here was helpful, it was nice to know what to expec

Primrose, so glad to hear all is going well!

Thank you for your frequent posts; I’m right behind you ( surgery date is 6/4), and like you were, I’m extremely anxious. It helps me to read your posts and see that progress is being made daily!

Parachutes - TE is no issue for airport security.

OMG...I nearly forgot what real breasts felt like. If I was the crying type I would have cried. My husband is thrilled. I was afraid this place was like a tittie factory. I couldn't be more wrong. I got the best care ever got anywhere. As corny as it seems, we believe that they truly have a mission. Thank goodness I found this place.

hi everyone

I haven’t been checking in as much as I used to. Hopefully everyone is recovering well. Has anyone needed a wound vac? I was wondering if you found it helpful.

My surgery was in feb and I have had healing issues with my abdominal incision/scar. There is no infection (has been cultured twice) but it has been slow to close. I have been packing the wound “wet to dry” gauze and now the surgeon is recommending a wound vac before she can close the wound in my stage 2...

I know this is not a common complication but wondering if it has come up yet?

casun-so sorry it’s taking so long for the I vision to heal. This came up on another board I’m on too. May I ask what you’re using to clean the area with daily?

lula - I was using saline but they switched me to something called didaktol. It’s a little more dilute than dakens solution. (I am sure I am butchering all the spellings of these). I have to change the dressings 2-3times a day.

Jbdayton- oh my gosh 10 weeks! I have been packing this wound for about 6? And I am ready for it to be closed. thank you for telling me your experience. I have been warned about the hissing noise already. Good to know they were not exaggerating.

thanks lula, yes I was switched out from saline to the diluted Dakins to help with the cleansing and debridement. This solution was to soak the gauze before you pack into the wound. I never really used anything else to clean in cause I didn’t want to look inside

I am sure the wound care center were the other poster is, is very knowledgeable but I was/ am being seen almost weekly where they cut out That “yellow tissue” you mentioned. It appears your body needs to get rid of that before a wound can heal. They said it’s necrotic tissue or necrotic fat.

Thank you so much for the link! Will check into it,

Wishing everyone a speedy recovery!!!

Continued from my last post above because this site or my phone or a combination of both make it almost impossible to post sometimes! Anyway...

We'll do FG at least twice but maybe three times, 3 months apart and then I'll decide if I'm ok with the size, maybe more shape and fluffier up top will satisfy me. If not we'll add implants. He was open to trying the FG first and then, because my waistline will have already been sculpted down, if needed FG from another area after implants if I choose to do that. Not excited about the lipo pain and all of the areas that might be involved but we'll see how it goes. Hoping the first two FG will do the trick:) Unfortunately I’ll be going into 4th year of insurance deductibles, &$@?!

I'm week 11 post bilateral DIEP and found it hard to see this far out when I was in the first 6 weeks or so, hang in there! It gets better:)

Hi ladies,

One week after surgery and I have to say I am feeling pretty good, pain is getting less and less each day and has been mostly in my abdomen area which is what I expected. I am hooked up to a nerve blocker, bupivacaine in NaCI pump(Marcaine) for my abdomen area, it's a little weird that I have to carry a little black bag with me everywhere but it seems to be doing a good job. I had my surgery on Thursday the 17th, DM with immediate reconstruction. Was discharged on Monday the 21st. Have been up moving around although not standing up straight yet, I am working on that. The drains are uncomfortable but that is manageable. It's tough being at home and not being able to all the things I want/should be doing but with a 5lb lifting restriction I can't do much! I am amazed this is going nothing like I imagined. I pictured myself barley being able to talk after surgery and I was actually out of bed the next day. So glad I made the choice to have this done. Doctor called yesterday and I am cancer free, all the margins were clear and no lymph node involvement, that was so nice to hear.

Great news Primrose! Take your time...don’t push yourself to do too much. You just had a HUGE surgery plus it was a very delicate surgery too. You don’t want to do anything that will strain all those vein and artery connections. It takes 4-5 weeks to turn the corner and start feeling like yourself again. My depression came when I couldn’t drive and I could not do ordinary chores around the home. I felt very confined even though my DH and DS were good about taking me out to lunch.

The hard part is behind you, rest and let your body heal

2018 DIEP sisters,

I have found a lump (cyst?) under my left arm close to where my SNB was done. It's very possible that it could be several benign things: fat necrosis, scar tissue, etc. I am almost 14 weeks post op. Of course I find this on a holiday weekend...Here is my question: who do I go see to have this checked out? Will my MO be able to identify the lump? Should I go back to my BC surgeon...he released me to my PS for follow-up since I had BMX with DIEP? Should my PS be able to determine if it's a fatty cyst or something more sinister

Hi Bella — I would say your Breast Surgeon.according to my MO follow ups with the BS are every 3-6 months even after a BMX. Maybe call the pS office and ask them first if you’re not sure?

Shaleae- I had a hemotoma after my biopsy and it definitely got bigger at first. Radiologist told me to put ice on it but of course I was able to feel the cold back then so be careful with that. It took a few days before it stopped growing. It was firm and black and blue .. started to shrink a little after a week or so .

Less than a week now for my DIEP flap - getting nervous but I think I’m ready thanks to all the advice and updates I am reading here. For those who had the delayed DIEP .. were the drains put in the same place on the sides of the breast? It’s been nearly 4 months since my BMX and those areas are still tender so just wondering if they will be Irritated again. I am so looking forward to getting these TEs out! And darn if I haven’t developed a lymphatic cord under my arm running down to my elbow .. going to PT to help loosen it but she said it takes time so just another thing to deal with post surgery.