NOLA in September?
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Betsy I am so sorry to hear that you are going thru some crazy stuff...I am sending up prayer for you right now! God is able.........
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***Stage 2 question**** I am planning to go for stage 2 but want to know hear your thoughts on nipple recon?? Is it worth it. I am happy with stage 1 but want need the volume and definitely NEED the lipo action. Nipple shields--??? Please share your thoughts
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Thanks Soccermm4force! I am so grateful to Marcia for giving me this site's info. I am trying to read as much as possible to get a better idea of what I am in for. One of my sisters lives on that side of Florida. Too hot here - hope it is cooler in NOLA.
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Hi, I am now official a NOLA girl. I have posted before on other topics but not sure if I have here.
My story if you haven't already read:
I had BC 10 yrs ago with left MX w/TE and Gel implant a yr later. fast forward to May, pain under implant and skin turning purple. PS decided to go in to see what was going on. Turned out i had a hemotoma which was causing my skin discoloration..didn't help that i had radiation. He put in a TE until my skin healed. 2 days later went into hospital with infection. Home with PICC line and vanco. Incision wouldn't heal after a few attempts at restitching. PS said i will need a flap and took TE out..of course nothing has ever been easy for me...went back into the ER with another infection (different kind) and by the end of the stay a complete debredement of ALL MY SKIN where i had a breast...so a small dinner plate size hole on my chest..huge OPEN WOUND. Looks like a raw steak on my chest...so my daughter tells me:( . Home with another PICC line and wound vac.
Had a consult with Dr. Song at University of Chicago Med Center and he didn't want to touch me until spring and he wanted to use both my inner thighs. My hubby didn't like that and I wasn't sure...i wanted to do gap. So I decided to get a consult with Dr. M and LOVED her. She wanted to do my case and so does Dr. S. She said she wanted to work out all the details first and let me know surgery date.
Got an email from her this morning and i need to go to NOLA ON 8/29 for a skin graft and all the pre-testing before the flap in November or December. OMG...i am freaking out at how quickly this is happening!
Just wanted to get on the list:) I read through these posts all the time and am so grateful for all of them....you have all be soooo helpful.
Michelle
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Congrats Michelle, so glad you have a plan! Dr. Massey will take good care of you.
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WONDERFUL Michelle! Our NOLA docs just want to help us all. They have the expertise to make what seems impossible happen. Dr S was my primary and he is wonderful. I met Dr M the morning of my surgery; she had to say hi to me and introduce herself. You will be in the best hands.
Betsy, I keep praying your healing will speed up.
Brenda, I've been following you for a bit and I'm confident your second stage 1 will be a success. I know another person from this board (met her in person) who had initial flap failure, but went on to flap success.
Dana, can't wait to hear about your preop for stage 2!
Ro, it's good to see you. I haven't scheduled stage 2 yet, but I'm going to get nipples. After reading a bunch of experiences here, I decided for me that I would like to have a little nubbin. I'm not so worried about having good projection, but I want something there.
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MIchelle -- I have my Stage 1 post-op on 8/29 -- perhaps we will bump into each other!! Sorry you have had such a long run ... but I am confident THESE NOLA docs will do the trick!
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Welcome, Joanne, and congratulations on your upcoming surgery with our amazing doctors!
Leslie, if you have lipo, there is soreness in the harvest areas, but it's well controlled if you take the pain meds regularly. It decreases steadily over a week to ten days. I found that I didn't need pain meds once my IV was removed, but others do much better with them. Everything that is done in stage II is totally worth the effort though, and you won't regret it!
Our Breastoration House of Pink Event is coming up very soon! We have some really awesome items to auction, like a Star Trek tunic autographed by many of the original stars, including William Shatner, and he never signs clothing but was very touched by our mission. Eve is working on something very, very special, but I'll leave it to her to talk about it if she wants to. Tickets are $75 for the main event, $125 to include the patron party. NOLA House of Blues, on September 10th if any of you can make it!
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SandyinParadise-Thank you for the info, I saw lipo on tv and it kind of freaked me out I know I'll be out but I wasn't sure of the pain. I go back to work 5 days after stage 2 and yes that is with children But they are only 5 and 6yr olds.
Momma2four - You will love everyone in Nola Dr D did my hip flaps and I now have breast that a 25yr old would have and its all me and you should have seen the scars and chop job he had to work with it was bad. So if anyone can fix things Dr. D can because he had his hands full when he started on me after my breast surgen did the MX In Atlanta not so good Dr,'s here.
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I am 9 weeks out from my Stage 1 DIEP tomorrow. My flexibility and mobility are both hugely improved over the last several weeks - but even with that I do still have a lot more to go.
I still have tighteness and discomfort in my stomach. My PT is helping this, but I'm a little upset it is still there. I have gone to PT twice and go again today. Her massages do seem to really loose me up. She told me I was doing so great that I would only need two or three visits - with today being my third one I don't see that I'm any where near done yet. I also returned to my Pilates/yoga class last Monday and was surprised to see how little I could to. My ab's are very weak - I definitely need to work on crunches but with the tightness it is just not comfortable to do it, so I'm having a hard time making myself. I also had difficulty laying on my side to do leg lifts with my hand under my head - I can tell this will improve just with me stretching it more. This was mainly on my right side which is my cancer/node side. The core and balancing exercises I could still do (surprisingly) but downward dog was hard. I guess I'm getting there but thought I would befurther along at this point.
I am having a hard time with clothes. I still can not wear anything with a waistband. I wonder if this is how it will be until Stage 2? My stomach above my incision is still very swollen (or very fat I still can't tell - but I wasn't this fat before) and looks awkward in clothes. I am wearing a ton of sundresses (which I am sick of) and have recently gotten some knit skirts that work really well. I would love to be able to put on a pair of jeans or capri's though!
My breasts are still both very firm - not hard - but firm. The PT massage helps these also but they are definitely not soft and jiggly as I have heard others describe theirs. I'm hoping to get maybe a happy medium here (a little less firm and more comfortable - but not saggy). I am enjoying the fact that I don't have to wear a bra all of the time. This came in handy when I went to a wedding a few weeks ago and needed a strapless bra but I hadn't bought one since surgery without underwires - so I went without (and it was fine)! Loved it! Since then I have done it a few more times and do like that part. It is the feeling that there are bean bags (filled with pennies as I tell my husband) on my chest that I would like to get rid of. Am I slow healer. Is this just the way it is going to be and I need to get used to it?
Just some thoughts as I thought at 9 weeks I would be feeling 'normal' (or my new 'normal') and just waiting for my Stage 2 date and I'm finding I still have healing (or is it just adjusting?) to do!
Michelle - I'm sure you will be very happy with NOLA. They seem to LOVE what other doctors consider difficult cases which are barely challenges to them. They are THAT good! I hope that the 29th goes well!
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Laura, You had alot done I just had flaps, so you are doing great! It took foever to get better after MX and I still can't lift anything heavy with BC side. I'm having stage 2 on the 1st and my breast are firm I thought it was just how he did the flaps. The strange thing is when I sit it feels like I have rope going across my tush. No soft jiggles here
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So how do we get to the soft jiggles? Woemn talk about it, so does it just take time? Does it take stage II? Or is it not a soft and jiggley as we had hoped... I was hoping for natural soft and jiggle... at least as an end result. And if that takes 6 months, thats ok... I just want to know it WILL happen.
I just spoke with Laura and they have changed my wound care again... I now need to pack saline soaked gauze inside my breast... Anyone ever have to do this? I find it difficult. Any hints?
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Betsy, Do You have any friends or family in the med field that could help? If not check with your breast Dr who follows up with your breast care. My prayers are with you , I know you can get better its another bump in the road
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Well... I will give it another go tonight, and if need be I will see my gynocologist or local BS for guidance... Its a lot easier to see the gyn than the BS.... The BS is so busy she may not have time for weeks.
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Betsy I know I saw postings from someone else that had to do that. Was it this thread or the DIEP 2011 one? Maybe try there - I'm sure you can find someone that has had to do that. I hope that this is a distant memory for you soon too!0
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Joanne - Dr Trahan was my assisting doctor and I met him after my surgery. A very nice man - just as all of the others. I can't tell which breast he did and which one Dr Dellacroce did. So all is good here!
No special way to use this site. You can read through it (although this thread is a long one) to get a TON of valuable information - maybe stuff you wouldn't think of asking. Or you can just ask anything or post a concern or maybe soon be answering others questions.
Good luck!
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Michelle, Do you want me to put your 8/29 date up there in the list? If yes, just tell me what to say. Welcome! You'll soon be restored. No kidding!
Betsy, soft giggles. Give it some time. I've heard butt fat is tougher than belly fat, he he he. no kidding.
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I have always (for the last few weeks) if butt fat and belly fat would respond the same and be equally soft... We shall see...
So... just found out today that my port culture came back positive for a bacteria, so the Bactrum antibiotic should do the trick.. also, my internist told me he feels my clot will dissipate quickly and will re-test me in two weeks... YAY... some good news.
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Betsy- Yay for good news!
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Soft jiggle breasts will come. I'm, I don't know, 14? weeks out. My cancer side breast had gotten a little hard and now feels softer. My breasts have also sagged since right after surgery!! But I started with saggy breasts and have not had a real lift yet. Just sort of a reduction/tightening on the bottom. The lift is for stage 2. No going braless for me. yet!
Laura if you don't feel better after 3 visits then tell your PT. I'm grateful my doc's practice checked me out head to toe. I have all kinds of issues, not just the MX and DIEP sites. I have little baby abdomen exercises to do because I'm so weakened. My belly is sooo bloated right now, but I think some of that is from chemo. My last infusion has been a doozy. Horrible rash and I'm on a course of steriods now. I keep doing self lymphatic drainage massage stuff, even on my belly. I think it's helpful for retraining the draining. You might want to check out going to an LE therapist to get established and maybe learn self massage.
Chemo brain is really going on with me now! I easily get frustrated, confused, cranky, discouraged, blank out, etc etc. Kids start school tomorrow so I will have that routine of daytime to me and regular daily schedule instead of willy nilly. ugh
Betsy I hope you can find someone to help with your wound care. I have a PS here who helped one of our NOLA ladies with wound care, so I know he would help me if I needed it. I wonder if your GYN isn't helpful enough they can direct you somewhere? It's crazy that it can be such a search effort to find good help.
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Paula.. I haven't really looked.. I have been doing whatever Laura tells me to do, and its been fine til this... but I have clarification on it from her now, so I am confident tonight's dressing change will be fine... If not I will find someone... My BS offered to help me, but she is hard to get into see.. but one of her nurses?? I don't really need a doctor, just a skilled nurse.
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I just found out that my other doc will be Dr Sullivan. No insurance news yet. I am nervous. I need to find a "helper doctor". That should be interesting!
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Betsy, I have a huge open wound where my implant USED to be. When they first took out the implant...well actually the second time..i had to pack it with wet gauze. I had to have my mom help as mine was the entire capsule area where my implant was. It wasn't the easiest thing. Then i had a complete debredement of all my skin and had to have a wound vac. Now on wet to dry which is much easier when you have NO Skin:(
Springtime, lets wait until tomorrow...I want to make sure i can make this happen...4 young kids starting school this week and so much to do not sure if I can afford to do a skin graft so far away!! This whole process is really scaring me. Just got off the phone with Ashley at Dr. Marga's and she mentioned the pre-surgical fee for st. charles can range from 2,000-$40,000. OMG...we have NO money:(
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Michelle! Great talking to you. Bet you can't wait for school. (c: I drop my oldest DD at university this Saturday, boo.
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I am glad you called me Adriene!!! I feel better talking with someone going through this. Did you talk to Ashley. I emailed a few times after...I am sure she thinks i am a crazy lady it is just that i don't i can go down there for 10 days for a skin graft. I was HOPING to save for the Nov/Dec trip. oh goodness....hear i thought that this would be somewhat easy.
Michelle
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Hey Ladies - just a quick check in after my stage 2 per-op appt today-actually it was several hours ago but we are having net connection issues so this is my first time online since getting here Saturday. First off, and most importantly, I know you all are dying to know about DR. D's SHOES, so here you go: they were VERY fancy brown loafers with very pointy toes and a big strap and buckle that crossed diagonally over the top. The best part about his shoes is he paired them with hounds-tooth patterned socks. I mentioned to him that several dozen ladies wanted to know about his shoes and he got SO embarrassed...I was going to try to take a picture but I didn't want to make him too uncomfortable!
On to the pre-op: it was a long appt, about 3.5 hours, first with Stacy in the hospital to go over medication and consents. Then at the center, first with Celeste who gave me the stylish blue panties and took the first set of photos, then Dr. D came in with his blue marker to survey his work--he said I healed up beautifully from the stage 1 and that he was really happy with the results, that I was 90% of the way there but why stop there? He asked me what my concerns were and I told him I thought my left breast was a bit bigger and wider than the right so he focused most of his work on extreme symmetry. I was surprised at how much he marked me, much more than stage 1 but he had a tape measure and was getting symmetry guidelines and marking out the angles of my body with dashed lines not for cutting but just to give him a symmetrical grid to work off of. He's going to lift both breasts a bit by taking some skin out from around the top of the nipple (I kept mine) which should make them look larger since they will have more projection. He said the would be ready to show off at Mardi Gras 2012! On to the abdomen, I expressed that I thought the area around the scar was really hard and he said that would go away with more time. He is going to inject something (can't remember the name, but I will ask again before I Ieave) that is supposed to help soften up the scar and help break down the scar tissue. He's going to do fix up the dog ears at the edges of my tummy scar and lipo some from my top belly and sides to even everything out. Looking forward to it as I've been pretty sausage shaped since stage 1. Then he's going to inject my fat back into my breasts to round out and even out the shapes. He is also going to lipo some hip/thigh/knee area as per my request but according to him this "wasn't much lipo" and it was well within the limit of what they would do in 1 surgery. Here's hoping it all works out! After he marked me up Celeste took more photos and Laura came in for pre-op and post-op instructions and medications. Note to all, have then call your scripts into the pharmacy 2 blocks down from the center and have your driver swing by there to pick them up. We took paper scripts and tried to fill them at 4 pharmacies in the FQ and while it's too banal to go into, needless to say it over an hour and was filled with morons!
Also, they moved my surgery tomorrow up from 7 am to 6:30 am so now I need to be there at 5:30. I'm getting ready to drink a whole bottle of magnesium citrate for my bowel prep for the hysterectomy, so that outta be fun! For the ladies doing just stage 2 with no ooph or hyst they said lifting and work restriction for only 1.5 or 2 weeks---that is fast! Also they said I will get breast drains (boo!) but they will only stay in overnight after surgery and will be taken out before I am discharged (yay!)
Really cannot wait to be at the other side of this already. My stomach has been doing the "flippity floppities" for a couple of days now...the build up before hand is definitely the hardest part. Also I ran into Rosemary before her pre-op--we didn't get to chat too long but it was great to meet you! She looked great for 1 week post-op...it's amazing what these doctors can do! Rosemary are you going to stay longer or brave your 4 story walk up?
Alright ladies, that is all for now. I'll check in tomorrow after surgery as soon as I feel up to it. Wish me luck! ~dana
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I know things will go well for you!!!!!!
Two of my friends were there today for consults. I wonder if you guys passed each other in the hallways. I totally forgot you all would be there today!
You are almost done!
I think you are the first from our bunch to get stage 2.
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too bad! yeah there were a LOT of people there, more than I have ever seen. Every chair in the lobby was taken. Good for them! I think I'm the first of the May stage 1's to get stage 2 as well...what can I say, I'm a trailblazer!
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Good luck tomorrow Denoument! Thanks for the shoe update!
And for ou to Jeskachi! at your pre op!!0 -
yes denouement you are a trailblazer for sure!
I have been meaning to write but life keeps getting in the way.
How are my SCSH party of five ladies? cider8, kaitsmom, disnydawn, and jerusha. I hope all are doing well. what a week that was. all of us stage 1 at the same time. everyone else could walk except for me!
when i head back in november i think i will stay at the homewood suites again.
betsy - i hope things are better today!
kathryn - i caught you on the today show. you looked wonderful!
i have semi jiggly breasts. to break up the scar tissue etc the physical therapist gave me some cut up foam pieces in little bags that i sleep with that seem to have soften things up a lot with my scars.
now i need to get back to regular exercise. i just can't seem to get motivated but i did buy a pedometer. baby steps.
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