NOLA in September?
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Thoughts and prayers with you ladies who have just come from surgery and those going in soon. I'm sorry about not calling names, but know I care for you no less. I'm just not as good as you guys at remembering everyone.
This thread has become a wonderful community of sisterly support.
Carolynn xo
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Anne ,Warrior and everyone else that left info on AIs and antidepressants,,,THANK YOU! Fortunately theres nothing to worry about re: "crosstalk" between Her2protein and Arimidex.
Hope you are all recovering ,living life to the fullest..."Today is a gift,thats why its called the "Present" tee hee
Marcia
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On behalf of the Pre Stage 1 Ladies.... keep encouraging us! We need your wisdom and insight.. this is scary and exciting and a bunch of other things.... thank you!
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Marcia..glad info was helpful
Holtbolt..we are NOT going anywhere..we are here for you! I am amazed there are over 15,000 threads on this blog alone..good job, Beverly!!
I , too, am proud to be a member of the JIGGLE CLUB!! I will never forget leaving NOLA and as the plane took off, my breasts jiggled and I was so thrilled even though I was a bit nervous, too! lol
This surgery is worth it. Be proud you researched it and were a good candiate for this!! I am excited for Stage 2 because it truly will feel almost all done, except for tats. By the way, Sandy, do you like yours?? Did you have just a local?
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OK everybody!!!! My insurance is all worked out and I will be scheduling my surgery as soon as the Center calls me back. Looks like from all the action on this board that it will be after the holidays. I hope not. I am ready. You all have just pumped me up!
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Mel...Golf this wkend? LOL! You WILL come down sometime...I KNOW it!....have fun, and can't wait to hear about updoos........
.............I cleaned out the fireplace and did windows today after LE therapy and 40 minutes of cardio plus foam roll exercises.....It's ALL good!.....doing well,very well! Anxious to hear a Pam update!
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Here is something I didn't expect in the mail today.....my CT scan results in the mail from NOLA. Thankfully, it appears normal. There is some of ther report that I question and will check w/my dr. on that. The cover letter states that if there is a highlighted area to please contact your Primary Dr. I had no highlighted areas,but my heart was pounding as I flipped each page praying that nothing was highlighted...lol I think you girls that may have a CT Scan prior to Stage 1 Surgery should know that a copy of the report comes to you.
PS YEAHH BETTY!! New ta ta's await you, princess!
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PLAINJANE - GOLF...ME.....you better believe it, AND can you guess who among the Ladies Golf Association improved their handicap the most this golf season? OH YEAH, thats right.....ME!!! And I had DIEP too. Who says you cant have it all! HA HA! Have a wonderful weekend friend! xxoo
((((((((((((((((((((PAM))))))))))))))))))))))))) You should be close to getting out that bed soon!
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WOW, MEL...WOO HOOOOOO CONGRATS SISTER!! You are an inspiration for all of us! xo
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Hi gals!
I'm back from a week in NOLA - and meeting Mom'sDaughter aka Sandy! We had an incredible time doing all sorts of exciting activities all over town, including House of Horror, Haunted Garden District Tour, a jazz cruise on the Natchez paddleboat, fabulous meals and drinks, Halloween on Bourbon Street, staking out Brad and Angelina's house, riding the street car up and down St. Charles, cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde, staying at a B&B in a Garden District mansion, drinking praline martini's, hand grenades, and hurricanes, shopping Royal and Chartres streets, dancing to the drums at a voodoo ceremony on Halloween night, making our husbands catch us beads, being driven around in limos's, etc., etc.! And I got to see the new hospital on St. Charles. WOW! I though Omega was swank, but this definitely takes the cake! Sandy and I had our appointments at the Center back-to-back. As you know, and as she will tell you more about, she was able to fit in some revisional surgery among everything else we were doing - she can make miracles happen - almost as well as the docs at NOLA - well, okay, not THAT much! I found out that if I decide to go the PM route on my non-cancer side, I apparently have enough fat for GAP, to which my husband replied, "No Way!" to Dr. D.! So I have more recon options than I had thought. Sandy and I egg each other on to do things together that we might lack the nerve to do separately, so after our appointments, we even requested a photo of the two of us with The Master! So how do we let you guys see all our pictures?
Sandy is, in person, just as she comes across online. Bright, beautiful, a huge heart - always ready to go the extra mile for anyone, and hilarious to boot! Definitely my new BFF!
Eve
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iamc - know what you mean about memory. have always teased about having "tamoxifen brain" (something to blame it on, right? lol) and the other day my daughter asked me something that I couldn't remember, and I told her just wait till I have "chemo brain" as well!! She laughed and said she didn't even want to think of it!!
Nordy - will be great if we can be there same time. When Katie called me about my Dec appt and I had to tell her it was canceled, she said to let her know asap when chemo was, and we could get it scheduled. I'll have to call her Monday and see where we are at.
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Bettye ~ Congratulations and WELCOME to the NOLA sisterhood!
I used to take the train from Jackson down to NOLA for Stage2 and rechecks. Wonderful way to get there and back so relaxing!
You will be in the very best of hands so enjoy this journey...its a good one!
Hugs, Marcia
PS Minnesota ,glad to see how much you enjoyed your trip..Hugs to you too!
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Wow Bettye!! I am soo excited for you! You are going to love the results! The few crappy days are well worth the results! I hope they can fix your arm pain! I know this is your best shot. Hug and congrats! I will bring you flowers for your stage 1 to perk up your room. I could bring you Frappichinos if you twist my arm! You are going to have beautiful Ta Ta's. Whoot Whoot!
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Sandy-momsdaughter, You looked terrific in your bikini picture, so now you will be the Bomb! So, glad the revisions went well. How wonderful of you to "pay it forward." I think that is something we all can do. Pam, hope thinks are happening for you and you are on your way to stage I graduation. Nordy, You are hilarious girl.......jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. Spring have a good time at the beach. If you are going to Atlantic Beach, NC that is where I hung when I was a teen. Have fun. Make sure you take your picture in your bikini and post it.........!!!
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Hey Warrior and all you Stage I graduates......Did you all have a CT Scan, and why? I just had a lot of pre-ops here before I leave on Tues. I don't see a CT scheduled for me. Any comments??? Linda0
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Somehow I missed a BUNCH of posts? and realized I sound pretty dumb...Oh well
! Dumb question; can one go back and insert a post? or did I just miss those?Sandy...VERY cool about your revisions.
Eve, are you gonna go for it? Thanks for all the activity stuff ideas!....as I sit w/ the book, brochures and postcard thingies in front of me.....It's so much easier to have the info spoon fed than research! I'm glad you girls had such a grand time but then again is it really a surprise
...I know........... just probably even BETTER than you even imagined!Warrior...I got my CTA results yesterday in the mail too. No big surprises altho....It did have my cysts I already knew about and said 'degenerative bone loss'......BUT I just had that bone density yesterday and have that spelled out and blabbed about that before yesterday. I do need to share a copy w/ my MDs....Oh yeah...your pic...you're so pretty!
Gin, I didn't have to do chemo but a dear friend who was stage 3 and had a stem cell transplant(do they even do that anymore?)........she is sharp as a whip.....credits doing crosswords and other things like that thru her treatment.
Mel, let me know when, no big hurry those fab courses here not going anywhere...But I WILL be popular by association!...Colonial?, Byron Nelson?.....I know I(my friends) can make it happen...I'll be the cart driver.
OK, MUST climb ladder tomorrow and get skeletons outta trees and a few bats and spiders down that were suspended...or maybe I'll get the neighbors kid to come over?
I'm almost completely soft breasted now! woo hoo!
ok, gonna go find a movie, and then some beauty sleep.
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Linda G........They do a CTA or, a scan that looks at the vessels....almost every other plastic that does perforators do these to find the vessels or more like verify...they usually can find enough(at least CRBS) by doppler....Apparently they(CRBS) didn't used to do on everyone BUT at least Dr. D now does one on everyone....I didn't think I was going to have to have one then they called me the week before and said I'd have one on the day of preops there.....they'll tell you all about it but call and ask if you want more info!
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PlainJane - You dont need beauty sleep, already beautiful!
Thanks Warrior - BTW -LOVE your pic. you are so adorable.
Minnesota - WOW, you got a LOT done. Where is Brad's house, I drove all over, never could find it.
Did someone say Spring is in a bikini at the beach? That didnt take long Spring. You go girl!
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Linda,
You should ahve an order for an MRA the day before surgery. Marga should ahve the results when you see her for pre-op, so she knows where the best blood vessles are. Was that not in your pre-op packet from Jenny or Ashley?? If not, call them ASAP!
Anne
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Jennifer- Thanks so much for the compliment! I think I will call you when I PMS so you can make me happy! lolo
Dr. Massey did a CT Scan on me, I think, because I had a hiatel hernia repair years ago. This is the test they did the day before and couldn't get my vein and I ended up with a central line..argggh. The good news is that is quite rare that happens! They said in NOLA it is twice a year, at most..
Linda...getting closer girlfriend! Woo hoo! Did I tell you that I brought my own pillowcases and sheets for the hotel? i have had staph in past and didn;t want to go down that road ever again!
Minnesota.. You girls did SOOO much! lol Glad all went well! I am reviewing that list again for Stage 2 nxt month! Sandy seems great, too and you just reaffirmed that!
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Melanie............Oh go on! huh huh!
OK, I am sending those PMs...not PMS to those of us who will be in NOla at the same time in Dec.....I said I would then got distracted......
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Spring - finally got the call and have my stage one date with Dr. Sullivan on Jan 29 so please add me to the list. Was hoping I would get in sooner but seems they are very busy. Just glad to have a date set so I can start planning ahead. Ready to get it done and since I had my mx done in NOLA I feel great about having the reconstruction there. I am sure I will get very nervous as the date gets closer but I have to say that keeping up with this this thread definitely prepares me for what is to come.
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Jennifer - FUNNY, girl... sending everyone PMS... LOL...
OH, MY, GOSH... I cannot keep up anymore!!! This thread is getting so big!!! Welcome, welcome all the newbies - you all know that you are doing the right thing, right? If you need reminding just read back through all of our posts. We have all gone through all the fears, doubts, anxiety, excitement... etc that goes along with getting this rather huge surgery for what some might think is such a trivial thing. Yes, trivial if you are not the one going through it! HUGE if you are!!! I have said it before, and will say it again, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my football flap, nippleless, jiggly, wiggly cleavage making, warm beautiful boobs!!! After being flat and concave, and having failed expanders, I appreciate them all the more and am SO glad that I researched SO much and found the doctors I consider to be the best of the best. You are all in such good hands!!!!
I am so wanting to call Pam to make sure she is okay, but also don't want to wake her from resting... I hope maybe Sandy will have met her today and can give us an update!
Okay, still waiting on a stage 2 date since I have had to throw this other crummy surgery in between. I am thinking of giving my body 3 months off after Davinci - so looking at the first week or two in March... Anybody thinking stage 3 or 2 or 1... (LOL) at that time? Hoping Celeste will call me back next week with a more definitive date!
Warrior - you indeed DO look fabulous! Mel - Nice WORK on the improvement in your golf game! Nice cleavage must help with your swing... LOL...
Oh, CTA- yes I had one the day before my surgery... I got the results when I had them fax them to my Onc for my regular appt. I fully expected them to find something wrong w/my ovaries... alas, nothing there, but lots of simple cysts on my liver and one kidney. SO, follow up Nov. 19th to make sure there is no change and that these are all indeed benign findings. So in addition to my blood vessels they found things that maybe I wish I didn't know about! BUT, if it is something that needs treatment and "accidently" finding it earlier helps with that, then it is all worth it. The CTA is short, but it is an interesting sensation when they use the contrast!
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Nordy it makes me happy to hear that you are so thrilled with your flaps. Your description of your chest before sounds exactly like what I am looking at now. BTW, be kind to yourself fer divinci the air pocket is the worst or it was for me (I had the procedure used for a kidney birth defect). Hoping your cyst are just still sitting there doing nothing.
Brenda~ I will be in NOLA having my surgery on 1/26 so we can meet up if you would like
.DOES ANYONE HAVE PAIN AT THEIR DONOR SITE ?? (not trying to yell but it is just something I really wanted to know
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Nordy.. same here... your "before" description... it helps a TON to hear that you all would definitely do it again... and that it's all worth it.... keep pumping us newbies with courage.. lol.... JamieH... looks like you are one month before me with the same procedure.. I'll be watching you... LOL.. just kidding.... anxiously awaiting Pam's post...... also curious to hear if donor sight on SGAP is painful... or just numb....
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Jaimeh and Holtbolt
I think it depends on what your pain threshold is. I had a stacked diep/lumbar so I had a donor site on my tummy and two from the butt. While in hospital they have you hooked up to this Q ball that drips medication in your donor incisions. I had discomfort but I was not in any real pain. I had a lot of tightness feeling from my incisions. When I returned home I didn't take any pain meds. I think that the tummy incisions give people more disconmort than the butt ones, perhaps more people will comment. One thing I will say is that they will do everything possible at the hospital to make sure you are pain free. They are all about making you as comfortable as possible. I found the hardest thing to overcome were all of the drugs from the surgery. Drink tons of water to flush that stuff out of your body.
Nordy I still have not heard when my stage 2 will be. They must be so overbooked. I may have to wait until the new year as well.
Anyone having therapy to get range of motion back? I need to work on my right arm if I am going to get back that killer serve and forehand back for tennis
I saw my son's car yesterday. It is a miracle he survived the crash without more serious injuries. It was chilling. It looks like the other driver will be charged with DWI. A parents worst nightmare! Well I have cleaned his apartment, done his laundry and cooked a bunch of meals for him so now its time for a litle R&R and shopping before I go home. Chicago is a great city.
Sandy I can hardly wait to see you and catch up with your adventure to NOLA I will give you a call when I get back to LA.
Pam sending you healing vibes, thinkig of you girl.
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This is Pam's hired typist taking notation:
Surgery was just under ten hours long and it was another two and a half hours before being brought up to the hospital room.
I got to meet Sandy yesterday which was nice although it is not a clear memory with all of the drugs. I will be taking a shower soon -at this point the backside and sore throat are giving me the most pain.
I have not looked at them from the front yet but I see two separate boobs and can check them out better when I take a shower later.
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This is Pam's hired typist taking notation:
Surgery was just under ten hours long and it was another two and a half hours before being brought up to the hospital room.
I got to meet Sandy yesterday which was nice although it is not a clear memory with all of the drugs. I will be taking a shower soon -at this point the backside and sore throat are giving me the most pain.
I have not looked at them from the front yet but I see two separate boobs and can check them out better when I take a shower later.
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WOOO HOOOO PAM HAS BOOBIES!!!! Way to go, Sister!!
You wake up with tubes sticking out of your chest, You're groggy and just want to rest.
You don't look down right away, hoping and praying the flaps will stay!
Finally you glance and there are humps that you see, wondering if those are B's or D's!
The Onco ball does its job to control your pain, and then you look at yourself and ask if you're insane!
But regret never once enters your head, only the goal to get out of bed.
You shower w/nurses there at your side, these new boobies are out for their first ride!
Each day gets better and you start to heal, you even start to feel like eating a big meal.
Then the day comes when you are home all alone..you take a moment as you ignore the phone.
You look in the mirror and you realize how happy you are, this procedure has been great so far.
They jiggle, they are warm , and you look so hot you might go star in porn!! (Ok..I pushed it! lol)
Yours sisters her the BC.org are right along for the ride, we have greats chests, nothing to Hide!
Ok..something random I just typed in 5 minutes..lol It started going so I went with it! Hope it made you smile Pam and all my BC sisters!! xoxooxoxoxoo
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Who for 2 seperate boobies Pam
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I guess my question is once the initial surgery is over does you dnor site still hurt say 6 months later ??0
