NOLA in September?
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Brenda--You'd be suprised...I'm at least a ddd (the Center's 42 bra was too tight) and these hold me pretty well!
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I asked this question yesterday but no one answered, did any of you after stage one have your flap shrink to half it's size? Sorry to ask again just curious as my is pretty flat compare to before...boo hoo
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MICHELLE... My left flap which I think has necrosis has shrunk (or flattened).. the other one has not... After all the swelling goes down I will consult with Dr D to determine if a baby flap or fat injections can resolve the prolem.
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Thank you BETSY!! I pray it will be fat injections because I am very nervous about a possible diep. I hear all the stories of tightness and bloating it worries me. Can the put a lot of fat into it I wonder.
Thanks again Betsy, I was worried I was the only one;(0 -
Mama2four- During my stage 2 Dr. D. did fat injections to my DIEP side (the DIEP was done elsewhere and with many problems) to try to give it better symmetry and increase the size. I was told that if it doesn't take (or enough of it doesn't take) then plan B would be to go back and do another small hip or GAP flap. You are not alone in dealing with this.
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cider8 - my beautiful china babies are 9 1/2 and 8. It was my youngest that had all the comments. She helped me record the drain output this morning and is generally interested in all the incisions. Needed to be sure I was asleep during surgery and they did not hurt me.
I am 48 so a bit of an older Mom. I get up everyday for those girls
My husband has become a pro in one day with the girdle. Dr. S said I could switch to bike shorts if I wanted to but I hate the band on those across my tummy. So will stick with the girdle for now.For those coming up soon - I am 9 days out and doing well. Almost no pain, just a generalized soreness when I first get going. Folded laundry today and putted around. Not so bad.
Wonder if I should change my name to "got2new"
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Hmmm, I'm liking, "got2new" !!!
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Well Michelle... I am out of good donor sites.. already had hips and DIEP.. Laura assures me there is always another site, but unfortuately for me it would be outside the bikini line... but she is confident that fat injections are all that I would need... but time will tell. They think I am just swollen, but from my perspective on the left side, the breast does not have volume on the outside (nipple to armpit)... Kind of slants off... hard to explain, but this is right where I continue to have hardness. So even if it is swelling, i don't think it will increase in volume when swelling subsides. It would do the opposite I would guess... And if it is necrosis, then I have a bigger problem.
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Since we have some new women since we all got together on Facebook, if there is anyone else who wants in on the NOLA FB page, let me know.
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Betsy, I would love to be on the NOLA FB page but haven't had the surgery yet. Is this only for post-ops? Planning surgery for this summer. katiejane
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Need2new--The Dr. said you can wear bike shorts instead of the girdle? Do you have hip drains? I'm wondering if that's an option for me, or spanx of something...anyone know?
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I had my sister in law cut all the knots and loose sutures sticking out. She wasn't sure if the entire suture was supposed to come out or not. She kind of tugged on the hips and you could see my entire hip incision move! But, I told her I think they are dissolvable so she cut off around 9 knots. So glad she was willing to do it because she is an RN. My stage 1 I didn't cut any sutures just had them fall off or dissolve I guess?
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Momma2four: after stage 1 my recon breast was quite huge but did come down size. I don't think my flap had shrunk but the swelling went down a lot probably after two to three months.
Got2new: I like that name. So glad you were able to save your energy for your girls. Enjoy the time with your family during recovery.0 -
Eva--Congrats on your B9! I am so, so, so happy for you!
Michelle--When I had the gap, my right breast was larger (swollen) for about 2 months. It then got hard, I mean rock hard, all over the breast--no areas of softness. Then around 6 weeks I noticed it was getting smaller. Eventually it was smaller than the left, and still rock hard! So I went down to NOLA and Dr D said I could wait, or I could do DIEP.
Because of my schedule, I decided to do DIEP fairly quickly. I did have some issues after recovery, because I am small and have small stomach area to begin with. I am now 10 days out from surgery, at home, and tho I'm hobbling around a little bit, I am feeling so much better. I really hope it works because I don't think I will consider taking from another site. I am done.
I would call the center or ask to speak to Dr D and send some pix. I was pretty assertive in telling them that I thought something was wrong, and they responded pretty quickly. Hope this helps!
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KatieJane.. You can certainly join.. I think everyone is post op, but there is no rule here... Just friend me and I will add you.... PM me... when you friend me tell me who you are (screen name) so I can make the connection.
DJ... I had Hip Flaps and I was told that at about 7 weeks post op I could switch to bkie shorts if they provided enough compression. BUT when I tried it, pulling them up with the drains was just too dificult AND I don't think they did provide enough compression, so I continued to wear the girdle until all drains were gone (8.5 weeks) and then switched to Flexees.
Michelle... I think shrinking is one thing and firmness and shrinking is another... Victoria shrunk because of the necrosis, which she could feel... Mine is shrinking only where it is firm... and others will shrink some when the swelling subsides (that is normal).
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bdavis- I will try to link up via facebook also. I also had more sutures to deal with after stage two (compared to stage 1) Dr. D. went back and did revisions on my previous DIEP reconstruction and DIEP scars in addition to working on his GAP reconstruction - a huge difference in the skill of his work compared to what was done by my previous plastic surgeon.
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Well my breast has two flaps. The left side is perfect and the right (inner) is the flat. First it was hard then got softer. It is still hard around the "rim" of the inner side, make sense? The rim has gone down too though. Sooooo, half my boobie is a good match to my real one and the other is flat. So I am not sure. Oh well...at least I don't have the big open hole there any more. I would rather have this than that!
Betsy, I found the Marena coupon and it worked! Thank you for the tip!
Happy Sunday Girls!0 -
DJ - at my post-op visit in NOLA he said I could wear bike shorts, spanx etc. as long as it was compressing if I wanted to. I am not huge and maybe my drains are doing well, They are outting out about 60-80 each a day, I will stick with the girdle for awhile. I hate that tight band across my stomach that bike shorts does.
Last night I used a sanitary pads across my hip incisions with a sterile 4 x 4 against my skin. I have gone through so many supplies that I am almost out! I also used fleece where the bra bothers me undermy arms and where it hooks in the front. I cannot wait for the blistery areas ti heal so I can fleece everything.
My foobs are now yellowy black bruising. Looks bizarre. No one has aid anythiing to me about sutures and do not see any except what is holding in the drains. Off to the 45 minute shower routine
Good Sunday to all of you. 0 -
Karen... GAP flap does have less sutures... Just at the drains, but after stage II there will be more, both on breasts and at lipo sites.
Michelle... Sounds normal... just maybe some revisions needed.
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They need this at NOLA http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01173133
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Hi Betsy, I would love to join the FB page too, but I am also not at the post op stage yet.
I will send you a request. Thank you!!
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Hi Michelle... You have been added!!!
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Hi, all. I'm back from my retreat. It was so great to get out of my head for two days and not think about surgery! But of course I'm back to reality now. Just a week from Wednesday for Caitlin and me.
I'm on FB too and would love to be in the NOLA group. I'm also happy if any of you want to add me as a friend. Just PM me. Betsy, I'll PM you for the FB request. Thanks! Eva
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If anyone wants to hook up with me on facebook, I am Beverly Mitchell Lovelace. Hugs and kisses!!!
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Just so everyone knows, the NOLA group is private.. so no one will see it on your timeline or newsfeed... you can see other NOLA gal posts, but people who aren't in the group can't see it.
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If you want to friend me on FB, I'm here: http://www.facebook.com/evamooon
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Hi Ladies, I've been absent for a while but you all have been in my thoughts. I'm currently dealing with a horrific manager at work who I believe is treated me very unfairly because of the time I took off last year for my two surgeries. I've literally been working around the clock for him as he has me doing 4 people's jobs and when I protest and say it's too much and that I need some things taken off my plate he says it makes up for the time I took off for surgery. What a dolt! Anyone else having issues like this at work? I think it's going to HR territory this week and I'm so angry it has gotten this far but I can't deal with him anymore.
On a positive note I just passed my 5 month mark post stage 2 and I believe I made a huge leap in a decrease in post-surgery puffiness and general wellbeing right around the 4-4.5 month mark. Definitely the one thing that has helped me the most was lymphatic drainage massage which I've been doing every week for the past 10 weeks. I can't recommend it highly enough; it has almost made my tight/bloated/unhappy tummy go away-yay!
Last week I was on vacation in Cancun and spent every day in a bikini which is not really something I would have done pre-DIEP as even though I was thin I had a little lower belly pouch going on. It totally rocked!
I'm also back to exercising a lot, doing pilates and yoga again as well as the gym - still not quite up to teaching yoga which I was doing part-time before surgery but I'm getting there. I'm thinking I'm pretty much 99% recovered and don't think I will need another surgery - here's hoping!
Would love to connect with you all on facebook - I'm at https://www.facebook.com/danabushman
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Yay Dana.. You have come a long way from that day we met in NOLA...
I would suggest legal action, maybe not directly, but certainly imply something at work.. That is not legal I am sure the way he is treating you. You are allowed to get medical treatment and not be bullied afterward.. What a %&%$&(&%!
I think my belly puff might be a little better this week... Time will tell.
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Dana -- Document, document, document. Where you had the conversations, when, who might have overheard or been present, content. Keep an "incident" file. No supervisor can abuse a subordinate, especially if it is in violation of the organization's personnel policies or State or Federal law. I know here in NYS, his you-know-what would have been grass and our HR the lawnmower a LONG time ago. You cannot be punished for approved medical leave -- that is tantamount to retribution on a whistleblower or other actions by small-minded a$$-holes! Been there, done that. You can PM me if you need further information or just post. I have a high level administrative position at a university, and this clown would have been "furloughed" after the first time he made the statement about you making up for medical absence. MAJOR no-no!!! With ya, Dana!
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Betsy -- Didn't have DIEP, but DID have a full tummy tuck and I can say that the swelling took a long time, especially for us impatient ones! LOL! And it was quite a while before I was standing straight. BUT, in the end, worth all of the agony. One day you will wake and the swelling just won't be there.
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