NOLA in September?
Comments
-
Greetings
As I was being dained yestersay, I talked about this website to the local PS who is helping me. I mentioned how it is not just about good news and happy reports..that we talk about the problems too, things that do not work out as planned. He said that not working out as planned is actually the most common scenario in plastic surgery...that the perfect, compliction-free cases are in fact the exception. we had this dicussion, of course, as he was draining my butt (assume the position...) and I am wondering -- will anything embarass me after this?
This weekend I am meeting with my team for the 3-day 60 mile breast cancer walk. So far, there are just 6 of us on the team, but if you live in the PA-NJ-DE area, or live anywhere but can visit us in October, please join us. (You can practice locally any join us for the actual walk). The team is Breast in Show. Go to www.the3day.org. Just enter Margit--I seem to be the only one in the country on the walk.
It is the 3 day walk that has been my goal thru all this surgery...to have it all behind me so I can start my practice walks (I love walking) and enjoy spring and summer in Phila. Of course, I am not sure what it will be like to walk with the new girls. I have not worn a bra for 20 years. Will I need a sports bra? Let this be my only problem.
Regards to all
Margit
0 -
Thanks everyone for your support....Im going to need all of you through this.
Yes, Dr D wont know for sure until he sees me. But he said from looking at my US & Picture- It will need to be replaced. So Id say I have maybe a 5% chance of keeping it.
Anne- I wish that the 'knowing all along' made it easier to accept- but it doesnt. I was told for 3 months that it was nothing to worry about & to give it time...Time only made it worse & more painful.
So My choices are:
Keep the hard Painful breast- which will continue to get worse (Drs Words)
Get rid of the Flap- And wear a Prostetic(sp)
Go flat on one side
Get an Implant- I never want an Implant again
Get a Stacked DIEP-Which I dont want to do
I dont like any of the choices. : (
For those of you heading to surgery...Im sorry that I am posting my Problem...I know it isnt good to hear before surgery...I read of failures before my surgery- it did not help my peace of mind.
Pam
0 -
Dejaboo,
Oh dear Pam. I am so sorry you are having to go through this. Unfortunately the reality here is that flap failures happen. It just stinks. You do not need to apologize here. Women making these decisions need to hear both the success stories as well as the failure stories. It is a huge procedure and everyone needs to be informed. Honesty is the best. I so wish you had better choices as you have been through so much. I am hoping for the 5% chance for you! Sending lots of hugs your way.
I am praying for all who are having surgery this week.
0 -
Pam, I think you have another option. Maybe?
Look into and ask NOLA/Dr.D about the LD flap. This is what Ginnie had, it sounds like. They would take your Lat muscle from one side of your back and rotate it to front. The only issue is, sometimes, to get enough "volume" they do need to add a very small implant, and I know you have had issues with implants already. But worth asking about. Also, if there is some in healthy fat in there that can be saved, maybe you would not need the implant.
Ginnie, with your Lat recon, did you also get an implant in there or no?
Pam, How big are you in the chest?
Worth asking about anyway.
There are several of us here (Stephanie, LouAnn and me) who had both butt and belly flaps from the start. And there is another lady who ended up with this after a flap failure (who was this, Carolynn?)
I know you don't want the DIEP, and it's not what I would have chosen either if I could have avoided it!! But it's really not so bad. I feel whole again, even with the incision marks. Hope this helps!
Spring.
0 -
Pam,
My heart cries for you hearing everything you are going through. This must be so very difficult for you. May God give you the comfort and wisedom you need to make the right choices. I will be praying for you.
It is very difficult as a newbie waiting to have surgery to hear such difficult things. I know it is important for us to know what could go wrong, but I am so nervous. I have already starting having "THE DREAMS!" I am still 9 weeks away, but I am so anxious. What causes the hardness of the breast flap to occur? Is there anything that can be done when it is first noticed to keep the flap from being lost? Any other suggestions on this will be greatly appreciated!
Sandy
0 -
Pam, we all need to be aware of the good and bad of having this done! So don't worry about us coming up, we will all get thru this and come out on the other side better than we were. I'd much rather know about what can go wrong than be in the dark! Totally understand that you don't want more surgery cause that's the way we all feel but I'm betting you won't be happy not taking care of it. We all want to be as whole again as we can which is why we started this process to begin with. Wish we could snap our fingers and make it all better! Thinking about you!
0 -
Wondering if anyone had anything like this happen...I just clipped my doppler wires a little while ago. One of them bled a little when I tugged on it. I got nervous and called the Center. They said it was okay as long as it doesn't continue to bleed. Did anyone have their wires come out completely?
0 -
Pam,
I am so sorry to hear of your trials..
I haven't been on too much lately and am still catching up but I did want to pop in to tell you I am praying for you. I wish we had the answers here but just wait til you see Dr.D in person, he may surprise you. Or as Beverly said, you might do an LD! Keep your faith and know I am praying for you!! PM if you want to chat on my cell!! oxoxox Kathy0 -
CT~ They pulled my wires out at the post op appt. I think the concern is just that you would have pulled the graph.
Pam~ ((bighugs)) You honestly need a break.....I hope that the solution is somthing that you are comfortable with.
I am now officially a bunny
Booohisss!!! The ends of my incisions are popped up a little because I have a little bit of fluid. It's not painful and I am in yet another type of compression garment that the center sent me today. I do not want to have to see my PS up hear unless it is the last resort...I love her dearly but I am really liking no Dr.'s appt. 0 -
Jamie....oh great...pulled the graph? Why in the world do they have US do something so potentially dangerous then? I am really ticked off about this! Patients should not be told to do something at home that can have the potential to mess up the blood supply!
Thanks for responding.
Suzanne
0 -
Oh I am sure you didn't pull it that is why they told you to just watch the bleeding.
You are going to be just fine Are you still in NOLA ?? It sounds like you agravated the area where the wires go into you skin (does that make sense ??). I clipped the stitches like the told me to and it bleed for a while and I told myself that it was bleeding because the blood is flowing so nicely to the flap. Hang in there.....0 -
LOL Jamie...I like the way you think! Thanks!
Got home yesterday from NOLA. Maybe it's just being so far away that is bothering me.
0 -
Suzanne I think you are on to something. I checked my flap only about 50 times a day to make sure it had blood flow and they were warm. I would chase my DH around asking him to feel it and tell me what he thought about the temperature...lol... Poor man...lol... I finally have start relaxing just a little bit and now my obsession is my backside. So how do you like your new girls ???
I think Celeste now knows the sound of my voice.....
0 -
Jamie, I love them! They were very swollen and I thought I would have to have a reduction at Stage 2 but they have already gone down and I think they'll be fine by that time.
I just checked and I think there is a new bruise-looking thing near where the doppler wire was, I am going to call again and see what they say.
0 -
Got breast drain pulled today....down to 2! YEA!!!!!
0 -
Whoooo Ginnie!!! I hope you are doing well.
Suzanne~ What did they say ?? I have to find some entertainment I am on the couch with a cold....grrrr...
0 -
Okay, let me just reiterate - if you leave for a few days, this thread takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to catch up on!!! We took our girls skiing for two days... I must be really out of shape because now I can't walk!!! I just hobble around and grunt and groan everytime I meet with a stair...
Sandy - I want to go on a swamp tour...!
Pam - I am SO, SO sorry that you have heard this news. I will email you in a minute. Know that I am thinking about you!
Spring - I cannot wait to watch that link you posted! I just need to get a few free minutes!
Sally called from St. Charles today... oh my... now it is really hitting home that it is time. I am excited and nervous and sad to leave my kids again... BUT, hopefully, hopefully this is the last big surgery in a while. Hopefully!
It is wonderful to hear from everyone that had surgery last week. You are all on the other side now! Hoping that Sarah and Happy had an uneventful yet productive day yesterday! Wawo - you are up girl!
0 -
Jamie, thanks for asking. I spoke with Jeanine and sent her a photo. She said it looks normal and that the bruise was probably already there. I have been checking and no swelling or other problems so far. Hopefully that'll be the end of it!
I have noticed today that the swelling in my entire ab area has really gone down a lot. I'm amazed at the flatness of my stomach already. Also, very happy with the shape of the new breasts and generally everything else. Now I am awaiting the call for Stage 2.
Nordy, hooray for Stage 2! :-)
Suzanne
0 -
Pam, I am so sorry to hear about your situation (sorry because of what you are going through). But as a person just beginning the planning process to have this surgery, I am not upset that women post about complications here. I WANT to have a realistic view of what this is all about.
0 -
Nordy - Boy are you right about this thread! And with all this breast talk, when you said you had taken your girls skiing, immediately I thought you were talking about your breasts! LOLLL!!!!!!
amym159 - You're brave to want to know everything! I went into it without much of a clue and am really glad I did! And I had a disgustingly easy time of it compared to so many of these gals- so it IS possible to not have any complications! I just hope this holds true for me next time around, now that I know all the things I could worry about!
0 -
When did you ladies start sleeping on your side or your tummy? I'm 6 weeks today - hooray! I forgot to ask Celeste about this.
0 -
I believe my paperwork says 4 weeks but I plan on waiting until 6 weeks. I am scared to hurt anything.
0 -
Minnesota - Well, yes, my breasts went skiing with me too... LOL... (Not like the old days when I could just leave them home in a box!) And I think they enjoyed themselves very much... teehee
Sleeping on back or tummy was 6 weeks for me - per Dr. Sullivan and also the same on my D/C orders. I probably waited until 8 wks. for exactly the same reason as Jaimie!
Okay - March ladies - I am going to start PM'ing the people that will be there the same time as me! I fly out the 23rd, pre-ops the 24th, stage 2 the 25th and post-op the 29th. We fly out of NOLA the 30th. My surgery is scheduled at St. Charles. As much as I am sick of having surgery, I am super excited to meet some of you in NOLA!
0 -
Pam, I am so sad to hear your news, but will continue to pray for you. Dr. D is a genius and if there is any chance of saving your flap, he is the one who would be able to. If not, you know that he will do the most beautiful work creating a DIEP flap for you. Please e-mail me when you get a chance.
My upcoming trip to NOLA is going to be shorter than I'd hoped because there is a wedding I need to attend on 3/27 before I can fly out. Julie and I are flying standby, so no guarantees that we'll get to NOLA before the wee hours of the morning on Sunday the 28th. Nordy, I would love if if you could come along on a swamp tour with us, and I'll go whether I sleep the night before or not because I'd really like to meet you. Julie is bringing her service dog with her on the trip. She thinks maybe we'll get a bit of preferential treatment and won't be stuck waiting too long for a plane, and I hope that is true.
Spring, yes, please do add this trip to the list. Julie's consult is the 29th, and then we are flying home that evening--at least that is the plan for now. Nordy, what time is your post-op?
I hope to catch up on this thread this coming weekend. Thinking of all of you!
Sandy
0 -
Minnesota and Nordy, that was one of my best laughs in a long time.
Margit
0 -
Wawo- Thinking good thoughts for you today!
Holtbolt & Happy -check in when you can.
Sara B Healed- I hope you are doing ok- I am thinking of you.
The support here has helped me so much the last few days- Thank you. I am behind in my emails & pm...I am working on getting to all of them.
I think what Gin had was Replacement of Some Necrotic Tissue & 'replacement' of an Incision that was not healing well. So they did a Lat for a Smaller area correction.
Is that kind of what they did Gin? Glad you got rid of a drain! Hope you are doing good.
If I went with a Lat & wanted a sizable breast I would need an Implant. My Good side is somewhere around a C or D- it does not fit in a bra well- So I cant really say what size it is.
Pam
0 -
Greetings
I've had some interesting issues I wanted to share. From the first day after surgery, I had pain in my left leg when walking. It felt like I was pulling a cannonball with my leg. Although the PS initially said I could not start PT while I still had drains in, he did provide a referral. I selected a PT close to my office. I was not impressed with the PT, and felt her dx -- a stretched nerve -- was off. Over the next few weeks, the discomfort improved, but did not go away. Convinced that this issue was related to the seroma and drainage problems in my buttock, I stopped going to the PT. I have kept the PS informed that I am still bothered by the left leg, and today requested a referral to a different PT --this time, associated with Penn, After describing my issue and the fact that the left leg is still swollen, especially in the saddlebag area, the supervisor scheduled me with their lymphadema specialist. I have an appointment next week. It is ironic, because when I saw the PS on 2/16 and he pulled the drains, I said then that I was scared that I would have lymphadema in my left leg. He told me that that was impossible, that they did not remove my lymph nodes, etc and that I would be fine...
Well, I'm not fine --at least, not yet. Ultimately, this may be a combination of several issues, and in the mean time I am still draining 150 cc/week into the seroma in that buttock area. But I am glad that I will be seeing the lymphadema specialist and have more confidence that we will be able to get this resolved. I am glad to have read your posts that urged quick action in the event of lymphadema issues, and that you were able to get the issues resolved. God bless this thread.
I'll keep you posted.
Margit
0 -
Hi ladies,
Just wanted to drop in and say hello. I try really hard to keep up with this thread, but no avail.
I'll be thinking (and slightly jealous) of all the March surgeries and patiently waiting for someone else to have a NOLA surgery around me....:)
This thread provides so much info. I was just getting ready to ask about transportation when someone posted about Hope transferring to the trolley.
Has anyone started "what to bring to surgery" thread?
0 -
Margit,
Im sorry to hear this! I hope that whatever it is you can get it under control very soon.
Mileha- I will probably end up being in NOLA until April 16th. I wish I was March too!
I think there is another thread called what to pack for NOLA.
I will look for it & Bump it up.
Pam
0 -
Gin - Congratulations on getting rid of another drain! WooHoo something to get excited about!
Thinking good thoughts for Sara, Happy and Wawo - hope your doing well.
CCbaby - your up next!
It just keeps ticking down to my time! Woo Hoo! Anyone who has an appt at the center 24th thru 26th, please stop by I'll be there! Would love to meet you!
Cathy
0
