NOLA in September?
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Nordy, you'll rock the tri! Your shin must be feeling better?? Now that I no longer have hip pain (thanks to Pilates and stopping Aromasin) I may try running again. But swimmjing? Ugh. I sink like a stone!
Anne
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I am soooo sore - that hit-by-a-truck feeling. also a sore throat from the anesthesia tube. And my left hand is very swollen. but the thing that gets me the most is that my brain is not working very well. So I was waking constaNTLY Last night, and with a sore throt - and I'd think, : I need some wter, but then I'd think "But I can't because it's after midnight" Then later,I 'd think, well duh! I already had my surgery! But really I am constantly forgeting whree I am in sentence or what was I planning to get that made me get out of bed?! Anyway, this is incredibly bizarre.
Dejaboo - I asked them to delay the good white stuff so that I could see and remember what the operating room looks like and I asked lots of questions, too. Interesting.
Looks like I'll be staying another night. I'm exhausted and have had very little sleep, No talks of blood transfusions. Maybe that only kicks in if yuo have a second surgery.
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Eve!
I'm so glad you're out of surgery and doing relatively well. Sorry about the truck! That same truck hit me, too, the last time I was there. (Actually, I think it hit me, turned around and ran over me again.) Enjoy NOLA, your wonderful hubby's care and the slurpees!
Oh, and I had the same bizarre brain...it included a) sending out strange texts and emails that embarassed my daughter b) falling asleep mid sentence frequently, and once MID-BITE while eating c) a marching band that played songs of it's own choosing and a choir singing hymns in my head--drove me crazy for about a week and a half
Take care--sorry it's been so long since we've talked! Say "hi" to Gary.
Jen
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Minn - so glad you're through with surgery! I was all woozy and spacy too after my Stage 1. My hubby was so thrown off by it that he went out and asked the nurses if it was normal for me to falling asleep while I was trying to order off of the dinner menu. But I was back to normal after a couple of days. Also - my hand was all swollen after surgery, but it was just edema from all of the IV fluids they were putting in to try and keep my blood pressure up. My hand went back to normal after the IV was discontinued.
Nordy - Go Nordy! You are a superwoman!!!!
I just went for a one-mile run today - my first exercise after stage 1. It felt good! I was thinking of all you athletic workout women the whole time.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
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Jinger - LOL! Thanks for sharing your stories. They made me feel better. I was drinking water out of that plastic bottle with a straw, and feel asleep mid-sip. When I woke up, probably only a couple minutes later, the pitcher was on it's side (tho still in my hand), so the poor nurses had to totally change my sheets and even the dominatrix!
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Hi Ya'll
Stage 1 went well on
thursday. It tookk about 9 hours and the dr did a modified diep where he went around to my hips' My left breast is quire a bit larger than the right breast... They also gave me 2 uints of blood because my blood pressure was very low.
Minnesota stopped by a little bit ago and she looks great.We both have been having problems with memory.I drift off to sleep and when I wake up, I think i have to get something done for my surgery... very wieird...
We had a real good time when we went out for dinner on Wednesday night.
Any way, I will write more laterLynn
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I am SO psyched!!! I improved my times in all three legs of my triathlon, except maybe my second transition. If I could learn to swim faster, I would do so much better because I was in the top 100 in the bike. As far as I can tell I am 191 out of 359 women... SO, there is definite room for improvement, but I am super, super pleased. Not bad for an "older" lady (yes folks, I do qualify for the master's division) on her second tri!
Lynn and Eve - so glad to hear from you! Sometimes the anesthesia gives you some forgetfulness - hopefully with less narcotics (oh, yeah, they will do that too) the fog will start to lift! And don't worry Lynn - they will take care of that size difference at stage 2!
Laughlines and Sandy - You go girls! If you haven't looked at the Chi Running method, I highly recommend it to help avoid injury. I have knees that are not so good, but with a little help of this method (and I am still working on perfecting it) my knees have not hurt. (Okay, we won't talk about my heel... LOL... but that was while sprinting and pushing the kids in the jogging stroller!)
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I ordered the Glide stuff Jamie suggested.
Today I'm running 101 degree fever and I'm draining 195cc in the last 18 hours.
I'm so ready to be done with this.
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Oh Eve I could tell you some stories about my hallucinations after Stage 1 and Stage 1 1/2,. There were people in my room and I was trying out for a song and dance show.I CANNOT carry a tune It is like your brain just says what youi are dreaming about and you know it is absurd. My M om and Aunt had some good laughs at me. I hope you are feeling better. What is it about us being the slow healers. I too was always in the hospital and extra day. Hope everyone is feeling well. I have less than 3 weeks. I do have a question about what you ladies were taking for the bruising I was think you took some medicine before hand to minimize the bruising
Nordy Congratulations Cant wait to see you in October
Marsha Havent heard from you in a while. I hope all is well. Are you going to be in NOLA in October? I have not made room reservations yet . I am waiting til after the trip in August to do that
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I am glad I am not the only to make phone calls I didn't remember making. It was a good idea I made them though since neither doctor nor nurse bothered to call my husband after the surgery was done. I guess the results aren't as important if cancer is not involved?
When I headed to the bathroom the first time by myself, I was in for a surprize. Whoever put me into the Dom thought they were being ingenious and cut small holes in the front of the Dom and fed the tubing through them. I guess they didn't want my genitals being irritated by the tubes? Or they didn't want me peeing on the tubes? The big question was "How am I supposed to get the Dom off?!?" My floor nurse was just as dumbfouned and helped me undo each bulb and drop them out the bottom where I am now dealing with them rubbing the hair I didn't get around to waxing before the trip. Big mistake.
We are back at Hope and turning in early. The discomfort isn't horrible if I stay in one position. When I stand up, it feels like someone has glued lead weights all around my middle. Dr. S evened up the girls nicely, but I can't see much difference anywhere else, I hope due to the swelling.
The post care says no bras for 4 weeks. Does that include cami's with light built in bras? I don't know how I am going to survive the rivers of perspiration that flow from under my foobs in this humidity...not to mention hiding the bottle tops protecting the new fips which Dr.S did another amazing job on.
Thanks as always for all the helping, healing thoughts. I think Lynn, her girls (the usual kind), Eve, Gary and I will be getting together when we all are in between naps tomorrow. ;->
WTG, Nordy! and you're up next Cam and Ladybug!
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SUE - can you lay gauze around your tubes and stop the pulling? I was able to wrap them and have them loop down to the front of my thigh, then back up and over the top of the dom for drainage. Does that make sense?
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Ladies
Have to admit all of these posts are making me nervous!!!
I need some comforting words here...I got on today after not being on here for a while and I have read about .......three Stage I's due to infection??, stitches opening up, hallucinations, fevers, major pain, blood transfusions, etc.....
Oh my!! Can we say this all sounds very MAJOR and I know it is, but I am not sure what I may be signing up for. Is is as scary as it sounds??? A simple 4-5 hour implant surgery sounds good right now???
And, how many of you have had blood transfusions?? I was able to donate for myself if I stayed in town...but how does it work at NOLA. I was told blood transfusions are rare, huh??
I know this operation is not for sissies....but can you help this sissy out with some encouraging words or explanations???
Thanks,
Oddball
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Sandy, so the event is now likely to be Thursday night? 10/28? I got with Janine and apparently I am already scheduled for Friday 10/29, same day as you and Eve. She said I could go the day before though if I wanted (same day as BC Diva). So you think best to stay on the Friday 10/29?
Let me know!!!
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Sorry if I sound like I am "freaking out"...I might be....I am happy to report I do have anti-axiety meds and maybe I need to go take one. Thinking of all of you with recent surgeries and you will be in my prayers!!!
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Praying for all of you ladies...In my earlier posts that I deleted, I was sounding a little anxious and realized I came across like a big sissy. Reading about the issues got me a little jittery. Just wanted to explain why I deleted my posts. I hate to hear about the infections experienced by some, blood transfusions, etc....but hopefully all of this is rare??
Any comforting words would help!!
~Oddball
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I'm confused, Spring, what are you having done in October? For some reason I thought you were done...!
Sue - you can cut holes out of your surgical bra that you wore last time for the nips/protectors to go through and then just wear baggier shirts or shirts with a print. Do not worry about the rest of the work Dr. S did... you can expect a lot of swelling initially, and then it should go down.
I have contemplated another stage 2 to get rid of 2 little dog ears that I have... but to be honest, I am surgeried OUT. And I figure, nobody sees them anyway! AND I was thinking that my right breast needed to be taken down a little more, but I actually think that some of that may be some lymphedema there. I am experimenting with different sleeves and different night garments and have noticed that some days the breast does not seem bigger at all! SO... for now I will just leave well enough alone!
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Oddball - there are no sissies here!!! LOL... You can express your concerns and we are all here to help you work through them!
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Laughlines, Julie wanted me to tell you that she thinks about you every day, and she has been wondering if you are happy with the new girls. She doesn't come to this forum, so if you want me to pass along a message, just let me know.
Spring, I have requested that we try to get the event scheduled for Thursday,10/28 because there are ladies who cannot be there for the 27th since I think most want to be there for the Halloween weekend and cannot get there so early in the week. It's really out of my hands, so all I can tell you is that as soon as I know, I will let all of you know.
Nordy, you are amazing. I'll have to google the Chi method and see what that is. My trainer just let me know that she has jury duty starting Monday, so I am on my own until that is over. I want to try the running at the beach, starting tomorrow. I really need to make a trip up to the San Francisco area this summer to see a therapist who specializes in the Schroth method of treating scoliosis. I was trying to photograph stuff on the ground today and while on my knees, I could feel one vertebrae sliding around--which is happening frequently now. My trainer has been gradually increasing the challenges to my spine/back muscles, but my back still seizes up after I lie on the floor for more than a couple of minutes and then try to get up and move on to the next exercise. The trip will require four eight hour days of therapy and training, and then I will have to do daily exercises the rest of my life to achieve the best possible correction and maintain it. I learned about the Schroth Method from someone who used to post here, and I still marvel at the friendships we forge on these forums and how much I personally have been helped and encouraged, even in things not related to surgeries.
Oddball, infections and other problems are very rare in NOLA. I've had six surgeries with Dr. D and no problems other than a small reaction to steri strips. Even for those who've had issues, things have turned out fine in the long run and you never hear of anyone complaining about the results achieved in NOLA. I never have anyway, and I've been hanging out here for about three years now. Back then, they weren't really known here, but I read hundreds of posts of praise for them on the FORCE boards. The NOLA docs have a 99% success rate and spend half their time fixing up reconstructions poorly done elsewhere. I don't think you can find finer reconstruction surgeons anywhere on this earth.
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Gosh Sandy...that is SOOOO helpful....really....
Here is my deal....I was going to do surgery in July but something showed up on my MRI...Well I am BRCA1 positive and thanks to ALL of your feedback which I REALLY APPRECIATED...I post poned surgery and decided to do a biopsy.
GOOD NEWS....fibrocystic in nature. Praise God...I will be going into this thing with healthy breasts.....great-- but so easy for someone like me to say....what am I doing??? And, what am I voluntarily signing up for????
So, I will have my surgery date for you soon!! I just worry because I know I don't handle pain well or drugs.....my c-sections made me out of it for months.
But, I know I need to do this thing....For me, I don't really have a choice.
So, blood transfusions are rare??? Did you ever need one???? Anyone else??
Thanks--You all have hearts of gold I can tell.
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And, thanks Nordy too...please keep responding...it helps.
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Oddball, try not to panic too much. I'm another repeat patient who has had no complications. I've had a stage 1 & stage 2 back in 2001 with Dr S, with no complications whatsoever. And then another stage 1 earlier this year with Dr S, with no complications except for a mild yeast infection that developed on the surface of my newly reconstructed breast- a phone call to the Center/sending in some pics via email, and a 3-day course of Diflucan cleared it up. Oh, and I had a stitch that wouldn't dissolve which caused pain until I got my husband to pull it out--that was no big deal, either.
No transfusions, no infections, no major problems at all. I had pain, but it always responded to the pain meds. I took them for about a week the first stage 1, and then for my stage 1 this year I took them for 3 weeks (only once at night during the last week or so). But I was up and being moderately active, caring for my kids and doing some light housework during the 2nd week post-op. It is really do-able, in my experience.
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Sue, Eve, and anyone else just coming out of the fog
, thinking of y'all! Happy healing! I'll be there in your shoes this time next week, and by then y'all will be feeling fine (hopefully!). Sue, I also woke up in a dom with a hole cut into the front for the tubes. I actually preferred it that way and made a hole in my spare dom! It does take removing the bulb(s) from the drain tube(s) in order to get in & out of the dom, though, as you found out. Where all do you have drains, and do you know for how long you'll have them?
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Good morning, everyone. I woke up to the pain meds being completely out of my system and had a chance to assess reality. Not horrible at all. Soreness from laying around. Lots of swelling everywhere, but not unbearable. Arnica under the tongue for that. I have popped another Vicodin and think I will walk the Lodge for a bit before taking my first shower. I can definitely feel like walking will be my best friend. Did anyone have massage work after surgery and how soon?
Kc, great plan! I will try that. Nordy, thanks for reminding me about cutting holes into the bras. I had forgotten about that and seem to have lost more brain cells than fat this trip! I agree with the idea of "this is it." Any little glitches will just have to do for a long time. It looks like Dr. S did a great job of evening the girls up so buying bras will be simpler for the first time in my life.
Looks like it is going to be another hot, humid day, but NOLA is still so beautiful. I could spend hours just driving around and taking in the homes and gardens.
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Sue-I am glad to hear you are not feeling horrible, although I imagine you are in pain. I will continue to pray for you my friend. Enjoy your time being done with the surgery and rest!
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Camiam-Thank you for your comforting words as well.
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Hi Girls, Congrats all you recent post ops.
Huh huh- the falling asleep. OMG yes, but they must be used to us all doing that as i fell asleep standing up, mid sentence, on the toilet, etc. mostly after stage 2. I think I slept 2 or 3 days straight after stage one but I so needed that rest because I had been so nervous and busy w/ everything before surgery.
Oddball I just pm'd you back. Your nervousness is Oh so normal! Yes, this is a big deal. Technically you DO have a choice but making the choice does not make it any less nerve racking. Something would be wrong w/ you if you weren't at least a bit nervous. Seems for most of us knowledge is power. This is a big surgery and there are risks w/ any surgery. You have the greatest chance of smooth sailing at Nola. BUT it is great to know at Nola they are ALL over you if there is a problem and they know how to deal w/ it. Yes, I had to go back to OR the first night after stage 1 and got blood too. They truly identified a problem and treated it very quickly-The nurse woke me up to tell me what was going on and being the nurse know it all I am did question a LOT of it because I felt fine, didn't see the problem she perceived as a problem but when she explained more and Dr. Trahan came In I just said "OK, I picked you all because I trusted you." signed the consent forms and relaxed and LET them care for me. Dr D came in and joked the next am said 'curse of the nurse'. I just said thank you! to all them because they did a great job.
There is another thread one of us Nola Sept 09 people started called I think 'preparing for Nola' it has everything from what to pack to how to cope. I joke about affirmations but the relaxation techniques and affirmations and prayers DID help as well as following along w/ others. Nordy and Melanie and I all called each other the day before, and the day of surgery-AFTER surgery. That was great to hear someone sounding and feeling so good so soon after surgery
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Ok so also-I must confess my new addiction.
Last weekend some plans w/ a friend fell thru so I found myself on the couch w/ the remote and On Demand. My new favorite series is WEEDS on Showtime. So many good series on premium channels but I won't start a new one midway. Right now they have all the previous seasons available for free on demand. SO I got totally sucked in! Started off last wkend from the beginning and got thru season 5 yesterday hey-it's July in TX! But yes! Today is august(Thank you god!-so I really will get off the couch now). So now I am ready for the new season, begins in a week or 2 and backs up to that new laura linney(GREAT actress) series which I'd already decided I wanted to watch -The Big C which is about life w/ Cancer . OK there really IS a point to this! In one of the first seasons Elizabeth Perkins character Celia has breast cancer and way later on she is dealing w/ body image following BMX and recon and a sexual encounter w/ a new man(of course! she's having an affair). At any rate she is shown w/ some pretty obvious bright pink and (probably for more drama) traditional mastectomy scars and the recon'd breasts that totally scream "I had bilateral mastectomy". I must say one of the top reasons I chose Nola was they do NOT use traditional mastect incisions and the fact that you just really can't tell bmx recon vs lift/reduction. Love that!
ok, sorry for droning again!
Think I'll book this week for Oct -my rate lowered too! woo hoo!
Nordy-I'm pming you.
Stay cool ladies esp if you're in nola!
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Hi Gals,
Eve and I are still here at St Charles. I am not sure if she leaves today or not. I will stay until tomorrow. I am really swollen in the abdomen and all of the fluid makes it hard to get a full breath. Dr. T said to only use the abdomenal band when I am up and moving and that the fluid will resolve on it's own. I have a bit of a headache and a little nausea. Otherwise, I feel great. I have been up and walking and am sore, but it isn't too bad. I love my warm breasts! I looked like a mess when I decided to come here for my recon and now I feel like my body is getting back to normal. I have quite a scar and my lower belly is really flat....
I am still on lots of pain killers and actually forgot to eat my lunch...So I guess I will go and do that.
Lynn
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Oddball, I did not ever have a transfusion in NOLA. I had one funny thing happen though. I had some nausea after the first surgery, so they gave me a couple of IV drugs and a Scopalomine patch behind my ear the next time I was there. I didn't know the patch was there, and the day after surgery, I felt something and removed it. I must have touched my eyelid after touching the patch, because my right pupil dilated until there was almost no iris showing. I didn't know anything was amiss until I used the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I just about freaked out, because I thought I had brain damage! Dr. T called the anesthesiologist and it was determined that I'd transferred some of the medication in the patch to my eyelid---that stuff is so potent that it doesn't have to be administered directly in the eye and goes right through the eyelids.
So...I was talking to Eve a bit ago, and apparently, while we were talking, she found a patch behind her own ear and mentioned it to me. I told her that she'd better get up and wash her hands before she touches her eyes or eyelids by accident. Lunch arrived while we were talking, so I let her go, but she said she's heading for the hotel today. She said she's feeling a lot better, and she is definitely more coherent than yesterday.
Sue and Lynn, glad to hear that you are feeling better too!
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The Scopalomine patches give me terrible vertigo! They are down on my medical record as " allergic" I had the most horrible reaction! Actually it seems I am not doing well with any post surgical anti nausea drugs these days. all make me dizzy!!!
Nordy, I am having a few tweaks done in Oct... so I will see you there if you go! I guess i should add myself to the listing above, but I'm not yet ready to face it! ha!!!
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