puppyholic

Don't take garlic - it's a blood thinner.

Someone posted a video from Beth Israel of a DIEP procedure. You could probably search for it on this website or google it for the Beth Israel website if you're not squeamish! I had bilat DIEP and am very happy with my results. 3 stages, bilat DIEP in September, stage 2 in January, nipples in April, tattoos in June.

When I saw my gyno this past April he told me he could have done that during my stage 2 as well. I thought to myself - "now they tell me!" I wish I had known, because that is something I would have definitely opted for." Good for you.

I was there. I don't think I would want to grow back my breast tissue they gave me so much grief.

I sent my husband home during my 12 hour surgery. No point in him staying the whole time. He picked our son up from school and fed him dinner, made it seem like life was "normal."

Annie,

Trust me, it you are still producing all that "lovely" gunk, you WANT that drain in. You do NOT want that nasty stuff just sitting in your body collecting. Then they have to stick NEEDLES in you to aspirate it out. Be patient! They will come out soon enough and it will be behind you. YOU CAN DO IT! HANG IN THERE! THEY ARE HORRIBLE - but they are there for your own good. You WILL get them out eventually lol and it will be a distant memory (thank god).

What kind of Foobs do you have (eg. implants, DIEP, etc) bilat diep

Did you or didnt you get Fipples? yes

Or are you still planning to or not get Fipples.

What kind of Fipples? twist

Did your Fipples Shrink more then you expected or less? about what I expected, but they were HUGE to begin with

Do you wear a Bra post Foobs... Fipples? No and yes, sometimes

Sometimes, Always, Never...

If no Bra- How much do your Fipples Show? not much when i don't, they don't get hard

Anything else you would like to add...Please do! Morning, they are not "red" more of a browny, rose color - depends on what you and your permanent makeup person pick. I flashed my internist's nurse and she said "those aren't real?" Definitely worth the tattoo! Plus, you can't even feel it.

You will need help. My doctor wouldn't allow me to use my arms for 6 weeks! No lifting or pushing myself up - which means I couldn't get in and out of anything! bed, chairs, couches! I "could" but wasn't allowed. I couldn't even lift my arms high enough to use the microwave! Very frustrating. No driving either. I did my own drains but I was also exhausted. Wasn't getting a lot of sleep because it was so hard to get comfortable! My husband worked from home for 6 weeks. He went to meetings for a few hours, but otherwise drove me to doctors and errands. Plus I felt so helpless! I would expect that you would need help and then if you don't send him away - haha. Good luck!

Hi Ana,

Hang in there. You can get through this. I had a similar experience in 2001 when the radiologist looked me in the eye and told me he was 99.9% sure it was a fibroedenoma. I told him I wanted it removed. He was very insulted. Then the surgeon was condescending! Well turns out it was ADH! Hmmmm. 4 years later, another biopsy, more ADH. 2 years later 2 more biopsies more ADH and DCIS. Had a bilat diep in September. Now I'm almost a year out. How time flies (NOT!) and I'm worried about my one year mammo! Just take it one step at a time and take a deep breath! Let people help you. Take time for yourself. Your outlook on life will change and you will appreciate things differently.

Good karma your way. XOX

Farrah,

Thanks for the encouragement. No, I didn't have high grade. And yes, you are probably right, I am probably more likely to die of something else. However, if something weird is going to happen, it will happen to me - proven fact. My ps and bs didn't take too much skin with my skin sparing diep. But your advice is good - I should stop worrying about recurrence so much. I'm hoping after this first mammo is over, I'll be able to get on with my life a little easier.