NOLA in September?
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This is the first December since 2007 that I havn't been recovering from something due to BC. I almost forgot how great it was to just enjoy the holiday doing normal things.
Ladies, it does end. !!! I have such joy - I could not understand why I have been so happy lately, and it hit me this morning that this December, I am active and healthy and not recovering from surgery or Tattoos! I think that's it! Beautiful Cantata at church this morning too...
Dec 2008 - Bilateral MX with implants to get me through Rads (Dr. D)
Sept 2009 - Stage 1 - Stacked DIEP/lumbar
Dec 2009 - Stage 2
Oct 2010 - Stage 2b
Dec 2010 - Tattoos
Dec 2011 - NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOTHING!!!! NOTHING!!!!0 -
You are an inspiration Beverly... Thank YOU for bringing us all together.. I am sure the NOLA docs thank you too...LOL
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Arrived back home just after midnight today. Having left the hospital Thursday afternoon, I wasn't really peeing all that much (volume wise) but I figured it would take my body a bit of time to remember how to function without the cathetar. I went right from the hospital to the Center to have Vinne due is "tat magic" -- all I can say is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!! Those wondering how it feels, I was pleasantly surprised that I felt nothing at all while he worked my left breast and only a warm pressure at times while he worked the right side. He set out his colors,asked me what I was hoping for, mixed some things up and waited to make sure I had the color I wanted. He's very sweet and easy to work with.
Strangely enought, I felt Stage 2 was a piece of cake but 2b was so much harder. Certainly not what I expected. I'm sure the plication and the lowering of my abdominal incision to flatten out my tummy was something I hadn't thought of or the fixing of my bellbutton hernia. He did quite a bit of sculpting, lipo'ing, and filling. Like someone else had said, I was off all pain meds when I left the hospital after Stage 2 but I was having to take a pain pill every 4 hours and still hurting. On Friday I had planned a 2 hour mini-bus tour of the city (which ended up to be 4 hours) but after 1 1/2 hours, I was practically in tears from all the bumpy roads. My husband and I had to dismount and call a cab back to the hotel. I had called the center to talk with Celeste but taken off on our tour without my phone so we never connected.
Saturday morning I was so freakin' nauseous I couldn't get out of bed until dry heaves forced me to the toilet. The heaving was so painful due to the plication, I thought I would die. Then to add a bit of embarrassment to my already pathetic situation, every time I heaved, I peed. After this was over, I was still nauseous but my pain was lessened, and I think the reason was my bladder had been so full and I had been unable to release it adequately. My husband had called the hospital earlier about my nausea so he was running to the pharmacy for meds before our flight home. The Bienville House were very kind to allow us to extend our check out time to 2:30 since I was feeling so poorly. At one point, I told my husband I didn't think I could fly home but the medication pulled me together and using a wheelchair we boarded and I hoped for the best. I think between the pain meds and the meds for nausea, I slept through most all of our two flights. As painful as it was, I also found that in between flights, if I sat on the toilet and coughed, it released my bladder. Not the ideal way but it did loosen up the gunk in my lungs and it lessened my pain.
I keep hoping my bladder will get back to work (still having to use my coughing technique) but will call tomorrow morning if not.
All in all, it's good to be back home. I'm glad my husband and I got a couple of days PRE-surgery to enjoy the French Quarter but I learned that you just can't predict what you're going to feel like after surgery, even if it was easy-peasy the time before!!
Michele, so glad to meet you and know you are back home with your sweet girls. My youngest daughter has extreme anxieties so I know how you must have felt to know she had a tough time during your extended stay. Losing a long-time friend/father figure had to be a low blow on top of it all. Hugs and hopes that time spent with your family over the holiday perk you up.
Semper - only chatted with you briefly but was great to put a face with the name. Hope you continue to recover quickly and fully.
Sorry I didn't get to see anyone else -- pain has a way of extinguishing desire.
Happy Holidays!
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O am having trouble peeing as well! Have to sit there a long time and push, which hurts. Did get bowels going with the prune juice and miralax but too well as now I have to run to the bathroom to force that out. It's like my lower body is squeezed so tight, I have to push anything I want out with great force.
Glad to know you survived he plane. I am still worried I won't be able to do it.0 -
KBodie, Even with taking the Colace I was having trouble with things moving so my husband suggested a suppository. A landslide success! That certainly decreases the pain but I'm still having to withstand a coughing spree to empty my bladder!! I feel for you!! Let's hope we both wake up to functioning bladders in the morning!
I also look like the Mitchilin Man i'm so swollen -- down to my ankles too! I wore the compression stockings on the plane and when I got home I just kept them on all night because my legs were so swollen. I'm not sure I remember THIS much swelling after Stage 1.
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KBodie: No straining!! Call the Center if you're having no success -- they do not want you straining. Not good.
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Oh suppositories are the bomb if you are constipated! Sorry about the peeing issues. Hang in there ladies....
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I can go pee and bm is diarrhea but it won't come out unless I give them both a push. So no constipation but my body needs more help to get it out, kinda like the coughing I guess? I am sure this is really TMI but thanks ladies for sharing. Makes me feel more normal. I am also quite swollen. On my backside where he lipoed, its like I am laying on a hard pillow every time I lay down. There is a big lump there. Top and bottom doms have gotten really itchy. Sent husband out for benadryl and more pads. One drain is definitely leaking and making my undies wet. I hear you on the socializing...I met Besa and we did one lap around and chatted, then I collapsed into bed and had no energy for anything else. I think i should have stayed another night but nurse was really pushing me to go. Because if census gets low, she can go home. Sure enough, we had problem half an hour later and when we called, she had already gone home. I just feel so much weaker, more tired, and in way more pain than I was before. But I spent four nights in the hospital with stage 1 and another five nights at the homewood. Now I have two nights at hospital and two in hotel. I cannot believe I will get on a plane tomorrow but others have done it and lived to tell, so that's what i will do too!
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More questions - for those of you who started Iron with your vitamins how did you combat the consitipation it often brings?
I am 4 weeks away from my surgery and am beefing up my usual viamin regimen with the Iron & bigger doses of C & D.
Any other pointers from the BTDT?
Karen
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Sometimes narcotic pain meds cause urinary retention. Try this: sit and pee, then when you think you are done, stand up and press down on your bladder. Then sit back down and try to make yourself go again.
Don't go too long with retention issues! It could lead to a bladder infection.
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Spring, I am with you on NO recovery for the holidays this year
11/07 Stage II with Dr. D, reopened 14" of ab incision to remove old seroma,plication, tons of lipo, major breast revisions from first surgeon's hack job
More stage II surgeries in 2/08 and 4/08
7/08 tattoos
11/08 Breast revisions, full hysterectomy, rectocele repair
10/09 Breast revisions/nipple re-do, more lipo
10/10 Breast revisions, nips again, lowered ab incision, more plication, more lipo
1/11 tattoos
I'm seeing Vinnie in three weeks because my tattoos are not the same color. I love hot pink, but not on my breasts and the left one is pretty bright. Because the color is more intense on the left, he said he may have to make the right one match it. I hope NOT!!!
For those of you hurting from your lipo, it's less and less each day. I found that the majority of the pain was gone by day 7-10 depending on the area of my body. Lower back was the worst of all!!
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Should I have swelling below my compression garment -- knees down to toes?? One foot feels like a club with a tingly feeling. I'm keeping my feet propped up but with little change. Should I put my compression socks back on? I didn't have any lipo on my lower legs. Did anyone else have this happen?
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I have not had that.. my garment goes below the knee and sometimes the band gets bunched up by the knee... make sure yours is not too tight or I think it could cause your lower leg to swell.
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I seemed to always have swelling in my ankles after the lipo, but I drank a LOT of water and walked at least two miles every day starting the day after surgery and that helped a lot.
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Kbodie - I am so sorry that the walk we took wore you out. We could have just sat in the room and talked. It is disturbing to hear that a nurse seemed to be encouraging you to leave the hospital because it allowed her to get off from work early. Possibly mention this on the "feedback" from that is sent to us after we return home -this shouldn't be happening.
dbdaze-I do not have the kind of swelling below my compression garment you are describing (at least not on a scale that I can notice)-I would call the Center..
Sandy in Paradise - You have been through so much. I am sorry you have had to deal with all of this. Looking at your list you have had more revision than I have and seem to be handing it well. I also had a local plastic surgeon who didn't do a good job of a DIEP reconstruction in 2007 - I ended up having 5 revisions, the last two done by a different local plastic surgeon. Dr. D. saw the results when I decided to do the contralateral side (GAP). He did a lot of work this stage two fixing the other plastic surgeons work. I was worn down by my experience with the local surgeons. Stepping back into more surgery has been difficult for me.
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dbdaze - Is the swelling in your lower leg accompanied by any other symptoms? Redness, heat, calf pain when dorsiflexing (flexing your ankle so that the toes move upward)? My concern with this one would be DVT - or blood clot in your lower leg. If you had said both legs were like this, it probably would not have come to mind, but since you stated it was just one of them - it makes me a bit concerned. If you have not already called the docs at the Center - please do just to make sure everything is okay. They can diagnose DVT with a simple ultrasound and put you on blood thinners if necessary. Hopefully it is just normal post surgical swelling, but that sounds like it may be a bit more than that. And it is a really long plane ride from New Orleans to WA - which also contributes to DVT (and why we wear the TED hose on the plane). Please contact them in the morning...
Spring - Hurray on relaxing and enjoying the holidays!!! And Sandy, you too!
I hope everyone else post surgically, is feeling a little better tonight!
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Oh Besa - I am sorry to hear about all of your revisions too... And glad that you found Dr. D to help recontour things.
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dbdaze--I had the same thoughts as Nordy. It could be a DVT, which is serious business. Please call the center. If you're in touch with a local doc, might be worth giving him/her a call too.
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Good morning all! Thank you for the thoughts and prayers. I am very behind but hope all are healing and recovering. The Center was a great place for surgery. Wonderful to meet you Michelle! I wish I had been a bit more proactive about meeting some of you other gals. My surgery ended up being very long but pain was very little. I have some nice, warm, soft, BIG boobs. And no more "holes" in my arm pit where nodes were taken, love it. My ass is a bit worse for where tho'! (c: Thank you to all on this thread. You have helped me so much. I am grateful.
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Hospital called early this morning. The swelling had evened out over night and though my ankles aren't my "own" they are both the same! They suggested lots of liquids and like you mentioned, Nordy, walking, walking, walking. That really is something I was short on yesterday. I'll up them both today and hopefully be better off for it! The inability to urinate is another ball of wax -- she's going to have the doctor call on that one.
I have a few really doozers as far as bruises go but overall I'm not too beat up. I changed to my Marena once I got home for the comfort and ease. My breasts are nicely swollen -- I'm hoping that after the swelling subsides, Dr S was able to get that 1/2 size increase he mentioned! He did a great job of filling in some flattened areas and removing some extra flab on the side of my breast. I forgot to report on my drainage -- I'm sure I will be removing them today since I'm down to virtually nothing! Yea!
Thanks to all for your concern with DVT -- definitely something to be watched for!!
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No worries Besa. I was so excited to meet someone from here and the nurse had been telling me to get up, that it would help with all the pain and soreness. So it was good thing to do. I just felt bad I didn't muster up the energy to see anyone else. It is so nice that you did. I hope your step into surgery has been well worth it. All of you who had so many revisions and mistakes by others, it is impressive that you kept fighting for what you need. You all inspire me.
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Hey ladies! I have not had internet access for a few days. I just got it back as we are leaving to head to the French Quarter. I have a post op today at 4:15, and I'll be getting my right nipple!!! I'll give a full report. My pain is managed well. I've been sleeping well and walking around the neighborhood. My swelling has gone down in my legs/feet. I think I need a smaller girdle. My drain was leaking a lot yesterday so I put 2 abd pads on it and the leaking stopped and the drain output went up. I had more done than I think I realized. I just noticed some stitches on my belly button. I feel MUCH better than stage 1 though. I bought some suppositories Sunday morning and I think just buying it 'scared' it out of me. lol I may still have to use it later today though. Off to the quarter!!
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Paula - LOL - "scared it out of" you! Glad you got things moving
dbdaze - I am so glad your swelling evened out. I had a lot of lower swelling too. Walking, moving around and water seemed to do the trick. Also, I was very swollen for a few months post surgery - but I'd say I'm a half size bigger than stage 1. Hope it works for you too!
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Kathryn... I know you went back to NOLA for plication because post tummy tuck your belly was bloated.. how is it now?? I had DIEP in August, stage II inNovember and feel my upper belly was better before stage II... Could it still be swollen from lipo?? I didn't get much upper belly lipo... It is just not flat, and at the end of the day, seems more so.
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Betsy - yes I had a 2b - but it wasn't just because of swelling, I had a bursa - which was the result of a hematoma. Basically I had blood and fluid that didn't drain (faulty drain) which created a sac filled with fluid and that bulged out. When the fluid eventually dissipated it left an empty sac/scar tissue with smooth walls that could not adhere to each other (and therefore not flatten out.) I looked like I had a football in my lower abdomen. When I went back Dr S cleared out the scar tissue and while he was there decided to do a mini plication. Not sure what that means, not sure why he did it the second time and not the first. My stomach was very flat (although my whole area from under the breasts to the groin seems fuller - but flat), but now 7 weeks out my belly seems to puff out alittle. I'm hoping it's just holiday overindulging, but I do hear it takes awhile for all of the swelling to go down.
I also heard that it takes a year for you to really see what you're going to look like. For me, I feel like I'm done but who knows, in a year I may look and feel I need some tweaks (but I sincerely hope not.) I don't need 100% perfection - I just need to look good - and right now I do (even with my minor imperfections.) I'm happy!
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its hard to explain what I have but i feel like I am just puffy above the incision... and does get worse when I eat, so maybe its fat. I know Dr D said he can not take any fat that is internal, so everyone ends up with some fat... He can only take what is on top and extra... I didn't have a lot of that. I did though have love handles and don't anymore ...YAY!
For those who have had the GAP and then the butt lift, what is your end result? I know I am too soon to tell... He for sure filled in the void where there was a big indentation, but I feel like I am still full in the lower butt, but how can that be if he lifted it up? Right?? I had a void, it is now gone, so the fat had to come from somewhere. I am assuming that I need more time to pass, but if anyone has been through this and can shed some light on outcomes, I welcome it.
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Betsy - I had a tushy lift and definitely still have some junk in the trunk, as they say. But it doesn''t sag as much as it used to. The indent is totally gone where the incision is. You will need to give it some more time to see the final result.
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Peeing on my own has resumed! Yea!! I also pulled out both drains this afternoon. Didn't talk to anyone at the Center about that but since I wasn't putting out but a few drops the last day I assumed it was okay. (I never had my drains in longer than 5 days) Now that I'm fully functioning, I feel great! I'm now concentrating on keeping moving and drinking. No need for pain meds either!
Paula: thanks for the smile (scared it out of you) Whatever works!!
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More marked up than a Maoarror after pre-op with Dr. DellaCroce. 6 AM call tomorrow; 4-5 hours of surgery. Back to drains and compression garments :-( Gonna hurt like he**, but Dr. D. VERY pleased with Stage 1 results. A little back-filling, repairs, nipple and lipo. Excited and dreading it all in one. Check in tomorrow after surgery, doped to the gills! Laissez les bon temps roller!
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Celtic Antique: Thinking of you! You couldn't have said it better, "excited and dreading it all in one." I'm hoping you're pleasantly surprised at how much easier Stage 2 is. Sleep well.
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