NOLA in September?
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I bought my arnica today, got it at the Wholefoods. I also am going to load with Vitamin C before my surgery.
I talked with Liz thursday and I think my stage one is going to be with DrD on the 13th of october... I will get my paperwork next week. I still havent decided on hip flap or diep. lol, I want the easy recovery of hip flap..
OTOH I want the tummy fat gone!! so I guess that is a diep. ? Or will they do the hip flaps and then at stage 2 lipo the tummy? So confused ...Ive never seen much info on the various procedures. (mainly DIEP on the NOLA site)
lisa
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Louis13. I am so sorry for you. No mom should ever lose a child. There really can not be anything sadder in the world. I wish you strength and fortitude in getting through your holy week. May his memory be a blessing.
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Rosemary - So sorry to hear about your son. I hope that you and your family have a very meaningful 'holy' week.
Amy - We stayed at the Bienville House the few days right before my Stage 1. We liked it. The room was small and looked on a terrace. If I stayed again I would ask for a room overlooking the courtyard and pool. They had a small breakfast in the morning too.
I started PT at about 8 weeks and wished I had gotten it together to start it around 6 weeks. It is fully covered by my insurance also and did not even require a prescription. I just called and set up an appt. I do have a PT who's practice is 75% DIEP patients. I think that is important to find someone that is familiar with what we have been through.
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morning ladies, thank you for your kind thoughts, was not looking for compassion, or maybe i was dunno...but rather this is about need for acknowledgement, recognition, exposure from me in all aspects of life at this time of year. recognition of him, and coming clean. if that makes any sense. hard for us because all our friends and family are back in AUS commemorating and we moved here to US because of Louis so i guess it prob happens in odd places...like a breast cancer forum because of my avatar!! also realise that 'holy week' prob sounds pretentious or even sacriligious when not explained, and i dont want that to be case.. but it is because of role Louis played in our birthdays, in particular what he did in those last ones. anyway, thank you for letting me explain and acknowledge, that is all i wanted to do...am very grateful for the sentiments expressed and they are plenty enough..also well aware of how awkward major tragedy makes everyone feel and i know we all have our back stories...so back to breast cancer in future posts!
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Rosemary - I don't think there's any need to apologize. Opening up and sharing yourself is what friends do, and aren't we all friends? Thank you for letting us know more about you. Warm thoughts for this week you are going into.
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louis13 -- Your memory of your son is sacred, so there is no need to think anything other than that. Our children are truly the extension of our lives, a unique part of us, and when one loses a child, it is a small 'death' for us. I applaud and admire your strength and healing words. And your determination to celebrate life. No one we lose would want any less from us, so Happy birthday to all of you! Remember and smile and hold that close to your heart.
I use Arnica gel ... light film on top of the skin well away from the incision. Vitamin E oil is my salve of choice for the incisions and it has done wonders for me with the multiple scars I have. I, too bruise very easily -- fair-skinned Celtic girl! Had held off on using them because I didn't get a real positive response from the Ctr. nurses, but I am doing well, no infection (praise God) and I think the Arnica will really help the soreness and bruising.
I had unilateral hip flap (though something took a huge chuncka my butt!) and Dr. D. started Stage 2 by lifting the other breast. Now I feel like I have a huge right breast and a petite little contralateral one! Gonna have to go on faith here. I've seen the photos!
Lee is dumping on us as I write. On and off winds, buckets of rain, but other than that and the dark, just seems like any old storm to me. Have some errands to run and my cousin is preparing -- better to know the generator runs BEFORE you need it!
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Rpsemary... I am thinking about you this week... <<<HUGS>>>
Lisa... If Dr D can do a DIEP, that is what he will do... he only does hips if there isn't enough ab fat... the abs are better for this surgery... BUT if he does use your hips, they can always doa tummy tuck at stage II... but being one that has done both, if you want the tummy tuck, and have enough fat, do it for the surgery and have him lipo your hips later.
Amy... so glad you aren't going to NOLA tonight... all for the best.
I am 1.5 weeks post DIEP and my incision improves everyday... of course I am also 6.5 weeks post hip flaps (left breast) and to be honest both breasts feel about the same... how odd is that? My left breast (hip flap) is still quite firm and swollen... Dr D says its fine and just takes a long time to soften, and he will tackle any issues at stage II, but no pain... Right breast (DIEP) is a little bruised, but doing just fine... thank goodness.
So, just tired and moving slowly... One day at a time.
So can someone spell out a timeline of PT, oils etc.
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Rosemary - I think that it's wonderful that you are able to express your feelings for your son on this forum. It's obviously going to be an emotional week for you. Happy Birthday wishes!
Betsy - One day at a time...you're on the path to complete healing now!
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Louis13----my heart breaks for you...I am sooo sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine.
I am stuck in Fairway hospital..was supposed to be released on Friday but Dr. M wouldn't let me go...to unsafe with this Tropical Storm. Hopefully tomorrow but it still is iffy. On a good note, i was able to meet NoWords (Amy) and we swapped stories...she is doing fabulous! I also have never had such wonderful treatment. The nurses here are incredible. I love them to pieces!
Skin Graft went well...still intact however they put the wound vac on me and i had an allergic reaction to the dressing they use for it. HELLO...i had a wound vac a month ago for 2 weeks and have NEVER had an issue with dressings or tape or anything. I have huge welts all around my wound. So..Dr. M came in yesterday (during this horrible storm) to do a make shift wound cover. She sewed a cover into my skin over the graft to keep it in place. It looks like a daisy sewn into my skin were my boobie used to be. If this graft fails Dr. M will do my flaps in October...she doens't want me to go to long with an open wound..if it sticks then i will be back in NOLA for my stacked GAP....can't wait!!!! okay...that is the update for now. Again, Thank you girls for all the info you have put out here. i would have never found Dr. M or NOLA if it wasn't for this. HUGS TO ALL!
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my sister is a PYA and lymphodema specialist, so I have been read the riot act and have a list of exercises from my mastectomy. I will say that by diligently following, I had better.full range of motion and am just a little set back. But, getting
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celtic: be careful what exercises you do now. it's more important not to jeopardize your flap by extending your arms too much. Please clear it with the docs before doing ROM exercises.
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Laura said the best exercises now are to reach up with your fingers and let them crawl up the wall... and try and go higher each day... but I agree with jeskachi, ask first... mastectomy and tissue transplant are two different recoveries... for those who just have a MX and maybe implants will have different ROM rules vs hip flaps and microsurgery.
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Thanks because I might need that. Dr S said sometimes it happens from being pregnant but if its a minimal aesthetic result for a lot of discomfort I dont want it.
Also, has anyone heard of Dr Trahan working as the primary surgeon? I love him to death but I havent heard much about him as a primary. I switched to Dr Sullivan and Dellacroce but I feel bad because Dr Trahan has been so wonderful about answering questions. I was just curious what his reputation was as a primary.
I am now scheduled for Oct 5th with Dr. S and Dr D.
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Rosemary, thanks for telling us about Louis. We have all been through a lot with our BC diagnosis (or BRCA) some of us treatment, then the surgery. It is easy to feel "sorry" for yourself. But then to hear about a young man like that. Well, I am sorry for your loss!! My thought for you in your "Holy week". I will add the dates mentioned.... Have to go back and find 'em!!0
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Semper...just so you know... I signed up with Dr D with Dr S assisting, but then scheduling issues happen etc and Dr Trahan assisted with my hip flap surgery, not Dr S... And I had specifically requested him and arranged my dates around having those two... You really only get to request your head surgeon, the rest is a crap shoot, regardless of what they intend to do.
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I love Dr trahan as a person and I think I would be fine with him as a second. I just dont know if I want him as a lead because I dont know his reputation as a surgeon.
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I am locked in now for surgery. Its a bit scary. being scheduled and solidifying plans are two different things. I am just hoping for the best but I keep having dreams about nipple necrosis and fat necrosis. Blech.
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Semper... coming from someone who has been in NOLA for 4.5 weeks this summer for surgery, complications and more surgery, I can honestly say that it is scary, BUT this team of doctors is wonderful... the nurising staff is wonderful and they are perfectionists and will take the best care of you... I had a nipple sparing MX on my non-cancer side, and it is just fine... I did suffer from skin necrosis (the skin was left too thin from MX)... but they flew me back down and fixed me up... All will be good.
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Anyone have Blue Cross/Premera insurance and go to NOLA?
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My feeling is that Trahan can do the job fine, and wouldn't be a primary surgeon if his partners had a shred of doubt about his skills. He has far, far more "training" than so many of the surgeons out there doing flap procedures now. I'd trust him.
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Hi Everyone. Glad to be back and see so many new faces. I've been off the boards for awhile dealing with some medical issues. I had a huge skin reaction (never had one before) over most of my body. First it was diagnosed as scabies (due to the location) but it continued to spread and itch. Lots of cortozone shots later, cream, steroids, etc. it's calmed down but not totally inactive and this morning it seems to be starting over again. Oy! Biopsy will take a week to come back. I did 5 courses of antibiotics between mid May and the end of July. I'm guessing that's part of the problem. Very frustrating and wishing my body would just respond the right way. I had been healthy as a horse before my BC and BRCA diagnosis...and now I had the complications with stage 2 and this. I find it scary and depressing to have my body change so quickly. Anyone else ever have skin or immune issues after BC? (I had no rads or chemo.) Any thoughts on this? I think I may try an allergist next? Neurologist?
Funny thing at the dermatologist - I got a stitch with the biopsy and when they made a follow up appt to get it out, I said, I'd take it out myself. They definitely looked at me cross eyed!
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Wow! So many other things to respond to. I don't read the board for about a week and I feel like I'm months behind.
Semper - I had Dr Trehan as my second. Can't tell his breast from Dr S's!
Who asked about Bienville? My room was huge there! Although a bit on the dingy side. Nonetheless, fantastic location in the FQ.
Anne - You look awesome in your photo!
Just Laura & Rosemary - same thing here with my belly button. I would clean and swab it with betadyne and it would ooze. But I left it alone and it's all healed. Also the last thing to close up on me. But now it's all sealed up and looks great (like the old one!) In fact, the nurse at the dermatologist was giving me a shot of cortozone the other day and I warned her I had some funky scars on my back side...then I told her they went all the way around and she asked if I had a tummy tuck. I said yes and showed them all to her. She pulled up her shirt and said she had one too. Then she told me my belly button looked fantastic. And that's the true sign of a good tummy tuck! Who knew?
LeslieT - back already? Good luck to you. Hope stage 2 is a breezelisa645 - I think your question was answered - I had hip flaps and even though it appears to be an easier recovery than hip flaps - your body still has a lot of recovering to do. You are still under anesthesia for a considerable time and your body is experiencing trauma. The up side is that you don't really use her hips and it's discomfort and not pain. I had a tummy tuck during stage 2 and that's when I could feel some of what the DIEP girls go through. But again, not pain, mostly discomfort. Stage 2 lipo's the area above where they took the fat from my hips - so my back was smooth and not fatty. Also, the fat from the hips is a little firmer than from the stomach - but mine have softened up and become jiggly post stage 2.
Hope that helps!
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Kathryn... how long did it take for your boobs to soften? Did it take having stage 2 to get them soft? now have one hip boob and one ab boob.
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Has anyone had their surgery at fairway? The docs are in network for me and when I look online it looks like that is where my surgery will have to be since it is in network and st charles is not. Is there room for another person to sleep in the hospital with you at fairway? Do they provide food for both people like they do at St Charles? Info would be much appreciated.
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There are definitely people on here who were at Fairway, recently...(MOMMA2FOUR and NOWORDS) read back just a couple of pages... but NOLA docs are in network for you yet the hospital isn't? I actually don't think the docs are in network for anyone, except with CIGNA... but some plans (like mine) get processed as if they are sort of in network. FOR ME... St Charles was free...and the docs fee is subject to negotiated rates with Three Rivers, but my payment is based on my OUT of network coinsurance.
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Betsy, welcome home.What a journey you've had! I'm sure it feels great to finally be back!
For me, I wasn't that fixated on softness (more on shape). But then one day after stage two I noticed myself in a window while walking and saw some of the hold jiggle. Then I took a feel later at home and realized they were softer and more maleable than before. Now my husband might have greater insight into them and the softening progression -- but only say that yes, there is a huge difference now vs 3 months post Stage 1. Hang in there, it will happen for you too. I think for you you are comparing apples (diep, x many weeks out) and peaches (hip, x weeks out) - but one day you'll have one big (or two big) happy fruit salads!
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Kathryn,
I know what you are saying... it is funny though because my hip x 6.5 = diep x 1.5 so I hope that at diep @ 7 weeks, it isn't 10x softer than the hip side... BUT if they are equal again at 6 months, I can deal with it.
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St Charles is not in network but Fairway is. I have Cigna.
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I was talking to someone today who has blue cross anthem and she is not covered at St. Charles either. She is covered at Fairway. The doctors are out of network.
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I have BCBS/Premera and SCSH was not in network. They covered 80% with my out of network benefits. I paid the rest out of pocket and it was worth every penny. If I live to be 90 years old this surgery will have cost me about $230 per year - that's the way I'm looking at it.
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