NOLA in September?
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Victoria, I'm so glad you've had some relief! Here's a limerick to celebrate
She was ready to throw in the towel
Her feelings were blocked up and foul
But true peace of mind
Is so simple to find:
All you need a functional bowelI'm two weeks away from my surgery now and feeling reasonably and unexpectedly calm, though I can't seem to get any WORK done. Did any of you create music mixes for your nerves? What songs helped you through this? Someone posted Stand the other day, which I hadn't heard before but really liked.
I'm trying to think of songs to go with each step. Yesterday I had an MRI and thought the Beatles "I'm Looking Through You" would be a good one for that. In less than two weeks I'll be Leaving on a Jet Plane. I don't know yet whether I'm getting DIEP or GAP, but if it's GAP I might have to go with "Fat Bottomed Girls."
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I am liking you music mix idea.. I did not do that, but what a great idea!! What is the skimpy bikini song... the polka dot bikini?? Add that one!!
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Pre-op: 19th Nervous Breakdown
For Stage 1: The First Cut is the Deepest
Post-op: Sister Morphine - Rolling Stones
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Victoria, I am so glad you are doing better!! Are you still in the hospital?
Eva, I love your limericks and music ideas!! I wish I was creative like that. I've been thinking a lot about you as I know your surgery is coming up in 2 weeks. Hugs to you from Atlanta
I have to say that the wait is really getting to me. I am not sure what to do about this
It just leaves time to question your decision on which procedure to do and worry about what might go wrong and how to handle complications etc. Some days I am ok, but then other days not so much. Waiting is the right thing to do for my son and he is the most important thing to me, but it's really taking a toll on me. I am exercising and trying to build muscle and get in shape before my surgery, but that only helps while I am exercising. Any advice? 0 -
Michelle, I'm not sure what to advise. I know you're waiting until June and I understand why, but it would make me crazy too. You might want to stop reading the boards for a while and just try to put this out of your mind as much as possible. I've given in to obsessing because it's just a few weeks for me, but if it was months, I'd REALLY be going crazy. I signed up for an improv retreat. My improv acting class is going to spend this coming entire weekend in workshops and I'll be forced to put surgery out of my mind. If it's possible.
Here's another song for the list: Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
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We transferred to hotel just now. Hub and daughter are off on a tour so I can rest. Eva, your limerick made me laugh so hard my belly ALMOST hurt!
As for the waiting part, yes, it is hard. I chose to do my surgeries while my kids are in school, because they have something that keeps them occupied and the emphasis on my situation is a bit lessened for them. But, before surgery, I kept busy. I nested, I got all my work done, I cleaned, I shopped, I cooked and deep freezed, etc. Keep busy and don't question your decisions. You know what is best for you. I sleep well at night because I have no breast tissue. These little reconstruction issues will be over soon and you need to look at the big picture--the future seasons you will celebrate! 0 -
Thank you Eva & Victoria!! Victoria, I am so glad you are out of the hospital and on your way to a full recovery!! I have thought about staying off the boards for awhile, but I think I will just cut it down some and see if that helps me. I am keeping a list of items that people mention that are useful/helpful and I want to make sure my new friends are doing well after their surgeries and then try and comfort the ones who are in the "beginning stage" of all this, which we both know is SO difficult.
Victoria, I am waiting for the summer because my son really struggles with school and needs my full attention right now. Plus, he would worry about me and not concentrate on school, so it's best for him, if I wait. I really wish that wasn't the case though. I have his flight booked (he's going to Florida for 2 weeks while we are in NOLA) and I have my one way flight booked from NOLA back here to Atlanta after my post-op appointment. I know I am in the best hands, its just scary to think of the "what ifs". Plus, I haven't decided on whether to keep my nipple or not, as they will have to remove it completely to do the lift and I worry it won't survive. Does anyone know how long it takes to know whether the nipple will survive or not? If it doesn't, do you have to go back into surgery?
I have started nesting a little, but I think I am going to dive deeper.
Thank you all for your support and again Victoria, I am so glad you are out of the hospital and doing better. HUGS!!
Chelle
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Chelle - I think that the docs in NOLA are the leading experts at keeping nipples if you want them! I told them that the docs in CO told me I would have a 20% chance of my nipples surviving if I had done the surgery here. Dr D's comment to that? "Hooey - if you want to save your nipples then we will save your nipples" (the hooey was his). Of course this is only the case if your nipples are not compromised by the cancer in any way (my tumors were all a good distance away from my nipple). I have not heard of anyone's nipples failing on these boards.
Is there someone that I'm forgetting?
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See, Chelle, you made the right decision for you and your son! I did skin sparing, saved one nipple (the other there was close DCIS) and I just felt I wanted to keep what I could. So the spared nipple looks fine and sometimes even perks up. I will do a nip in stage 2, but I must say the docs did one heck of a job by pulling my aereola (?) over the incision and so the color is perfect there even tho I have no nip. Some women want perfect symmetry and I have seen some on these boards say they wished they had taken both off. I don't know what I will end up with but I am confident it will be fine. My breasts, etc. were never perfectly the same anyway.
PS--before my surgeries, I ALWAYS did something pleasant for myself at least once every day. Eating a candy bar, listening to music, taking a bath, something that was just for me.
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Thank you so much!! I do like the idea of doing something for me at least once a day. My husband is pretty worried about me as I am not sleeping very well, which is the time my mind tends to be more active than I want it to be..lol
My breast are pretty symetrical now, but I really don't know what to expect afterwards. I am just hoping for a little bit smaller breasts that look about the same. Hopefully the scarring won't be too bad as I am VERY fair skinned, but that is least of my worries. I am hoping to have a smaller butt/thighs that sit a little higher after stage 2
We will see. I'd love to be able to purchase some new jeans along with my new bras!!Thanks again ladies!!!
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NannyKat, wishing you a speedy recovery!
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NannyKat- Healing vibes.
"No artificial ingredients added" love it!
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Hey all, Thinking of all you girls healing!!!
Victoria, I am so sorry that you are having these issues. HUGS!
I was lurking around and noticed someone posted about a DIEP vs PAP, what the heck is a PAP? Of course i am thinking OBGYN..HAHA.
Fighlikeagirl, i just noticed your stage one is March 23 at Fairway. I have surgery March 21st at the Center. Come by and see me if you get a chance after you consult with Dr. Marga.
QUESTION: I wasn't able to wear the compression garment for stage one because i had a severe skin reaction to it. Dr. M wants me to try a couple before my next surgery. I was going to purchase a Marena but do i get the stage one or stage 2? Technically this should be my stage 2 surgery but she may have to put a baby flap over the side that had the complication in December. Or does it even matter? I did by a Spanx too. And how many should i get? Oh and did you get yours covered by insurance? didn't know if i need to have Dr. M write a presciption for it and turn it in.
Thanks,
Michelle
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Michelle.. the difference between stage I and II garments is one zips up to accommodate drains and the other pulls up. I bought the stage II (two of them).. I have mailed my receipts to Aetna, but no payment yet.. I think a prescription would help with that. Also, google marena coupon... I got 20% off mine so they cost 87 dollars... each.
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Here is my update on belly button shaping using a marble. I have done it about 5 or 6 times over the last two weeks. I bought a bag of marbles at the grocery store and I'm using the smallest one (as I was cautioned that you can make your bellyl button bigger but not smaller). So I thought I would start slowly. I position the marble and then use medical tape to keep it in place. I end up with a big 'X' on my stomach. I try to do a half hour or so at a time but (since that area is still numb) I have fallen asleep twice and slept all night with it in. The only problem with that is that I get a rash from the tape - but since I can't feel that area it isn't very annoying.
I can definitely tell a difference. In fact I think I could the very first night. My belly button was basically a slit and it is better than that now but still needs more work.
My question is - how long do you have to do this for? A month? A year? I'm in for a month but a year I'm not too sure of. The only site I have found with instructions doesn't state a duration.
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Hi all. I had an MRI yesterday as requested by Liz. They called today to say there's a small mass in the right breast. I'm having it biopsied Thursday morning. If I had any doubts about doing this surgery, they're gone now. I don't think I could face going through this again and again.
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Thanks Betsy, I will look for the coupon on google. I will also ask for a script. so just the zippers huh. For some reason i thought that maybe one was a tad tighter. Personally i think that the material that covered the zippers on the Center Garment was the cause of my reaction so maybe i will steer clear of zippers:)
Have a great night ladies!
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Eva, wow, so glad you can just get it taken care of! I never had a second thought about having bilateral, but some women do just one. But now you know.
Loved the funcitonal bowel lymerick, right Victoria??0 -
Eva... its normal to waffle about the upcoming surgery... I know I did... but it is nice when some event, like a biopsy, makes the waffling less... the silver lining...
Laura.. good luck with the marble....
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Mama2four and bdavis - I had drains with stage two so be careful about zippers vs pull up.
EvaM - I think your list of songs is absolutely hysterical! Really clever!
Chellehump- I had nipple sparing at SCSH after having a lift followed by a reduction (previous plastic surgeons doing...). The nipple stayed pink and beautiful. Dr. Stolier said when it looked good by day 2 (or possibly it was day three) after surgery that I was safe and it would survive.
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Good luck to all the ladies having surgeries shortly! My daughter found Emeril's Delmonico on the internet and we went there for dinner. Although I was tight and tired, it was a fabulous meal and good to get out, finally.
Eva, sorry to hear about the MRI, but really glad you got it! I am probably the only woman who had a DIEP and wearing the GAP girdle. That stupid binder never bound me. It just rode up to my tiny waist and was a pain in the a**. So I asked and they said I could wear the girdle for compression around the drain sites. I am now happily wearing it instead of the binder!
And you know Laura, I thought I was going to have a "lollipop" scar around my belly button but instead it looks like they just cut right into it. No scar around it. I wonder what they did. It looks so gross I can't imagine putting a marble in it right now.
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Good grief! I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism today. I'm so not ready to dive into another medical issue. I've actually suspected my thyroid was off for years, but my numbers were all "ok." I guess it took cancer treatment to knock it out of the range. Fortunately it explains why I feel like I haven't bounced back from this last surgery. And here I've been blaming fatigue on lasting chemo effects. Looks like I should find some decent info on this board.
Eva, I felt the same way. When I was first diagnosed the thought of a bilateral mastectomy was horrifying (someone told me so-and-so just had one at the time). Initially I was told a lumpectomy might do. Then a unilateral mastectomy. After having 3 biopsies plus an MRI guided biopsy on the other breast, I said, take them both! I had atypia lobular hyperplasia on my noncancer side. Not for one second after having 3 biopsies at once in my non-cancer breast have I ever regretted my bilateral mastectomy.
I saw my LE therapist yesterday and she did some work to try to help my seroma drain. I think I feel some benefit! I'm going to see her 2x/wk for 3 weeks to see if I can stop getting punctured to drain.
Chelle, I have very fair skin and yes, the scars are red. But they are so thin! I've also seen how well those scars fade. It may take us a little longer (or get some help from laser) but they will fade just the same. As far as the waiting: I take it one day at a time. I did not have to wait long before Stage 1, but I did have a long wait through chemo, and post chemo, before Stage 2. I spent time taking care of myself, nesting, and educating myself. I did spend a lot of time on this thread (went back to the beginning and read it through!), but only you will know if spending time here is beneficial or not at this point. I went to support groups and talked to people. I have a tendancy to worry and project outrageous outcomes; that is living in the future. I had to reign in that way of thinking so I could live in the present. Also, Pinterest is a fabulous distraction!
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Besa... I had drains for one week at stage II and thn started wearing the Marena without zippers... loved it.
Victoria... I wore a girdle with DIEP as I was still recovering from GAP... so no binder for me, just the girdle.
Paula... sorry about your new diagnosis
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Oh.. and Victoria... When they do the belly button, they just cut a new hole for teh belly button and stitch it in place.. Mine was black scabby for a few days, and then teh scab fell off and it looked normal... amazing stuff. Be sure to betadine it... especially after a shower.
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Michelle-
If you buy the same size in a stage 1 garment and stage 2 garment, the stage 1 will be slightly bigger to allow for swelling. Stage 1 garments are meant to be worn in the 1-2 weeks following lipo. Stage 2 is to be worn after that. Of course, if you can stand to pull up a stage 2 garment right after surgery than it's fine. But I found I needed the zippers for at least a week after surgery, especially with drains.
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I want to mention something about my belly scar. I had my DIEP scar revised at Stage 2 for some contouring. I thought it looked so thick or lumpy compared to Stage 1 and my other scars. It was a little disappointing, but I figured if it came down to it, I could get it revised. Well, now that I'm 5 weeks out I think the internal sutures are 'popping' as they dissolve. I've felt (or heard) more than one pop as I was stretching or rubbing! So the thick/lumpy part of my DIEP scar has smoothed out as the sutures dissolve and it looks as tiny and thin as the rest of the incisions. I'm using the KeloCote and I think it helps as well. Tincture of time...blah blah.. 'tis true!
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Victoria - I wore a girdle (DOM) with Stage 1 too. I could not get comfortable in the binder so at my post-op I was switched into the DOM and wore that for a couple weeks. Then I brought it back to NOLA with me for my Stage 2 thinking I would wear it again and it was HUGE (yeah!) and I had to get two new ones to wear. Hang in there. It will start getting better faster soon.
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I also have developed some thyroid issue....waiting on one more blood test result to see how it will be treated...
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Anyone with thyroid issues... did you have radiation? I have read that thyroid issues can arise from rads.
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bdavis--I developed thyroid problems a few months after completing chemo and Rads. I had never had any thyroid issues in my life until this time. Infact, I had no clue as to why I was feeling so bad and totally exhausted! I ended up in the ER w/ a blood pressure of 210/108 and until the blood work came back, they had no idea why things were so elevated. The treatment totally destroyed my thyroid-guess it's a small price to pay for being cancer free. katiejane
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