NOLA in September?
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Thank you Dana it is good to know that your swelling diminished considerably around 4 - 4 1/2 months. I'm hoping it is not the 12 - 18 months that I have heard also. Thanks for chiming in!
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Nordy - sent you a PM....
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Hi Ladies,
Congrats, Eva!
OMG, as I was typing this my aunt just sent me a You Tube video, "My Wish" by Rascall Flatts and I just got done crying like a baby.
Haven't posted in awhile. I can't believe I will be flying to NOLA in less than one week. Please keep Eva M and I in your prayers on February 8th. I believe you can never have enough. I know we are in the best hands though.
I would love to join the Facebook/NOLA group. I like that it will be kept private. :-)
God bless,
Caitlin
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Caitlin -- Try this one by Rascal Flatts. We ALL can relate!
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Love it!!!
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So last night as I was fondling myself (LOL), I was investigating an area that has appeared swollen since the summer.. (around my port area)and I now can feel fluid beneath this area... so I believe it is a seroma.. So, I emailed Laura and will be getting an ultrasound on Wednesday... I was hoping they would also aspirate it, but apparently I need to do this first... and then I can either get my old BS to aspirate or the radiologist... My BSs office said sometimes they prefer to let time do its thing as seromas come back many times... and as long as it doesn't hurt, blah blah... so we'll see.
Just added Michelle, Caitlin and Katiejane to FB -NOLA... anyone else??
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Hi Ladies,
I have a stage two question: how long is the recovery (I've had both GAP and DIEP), how many tubes do you go home with, and how long are they in for? I know you only stay in the hospital overnight, so I'm thinking much shorter recovery and back to work scenario, is that right?
Betsy, sorry about your seroma! Good luck with the sonogram!
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If you have a butt lift you'll probably go home with 2 hip drains, but they won't have to be in long. After my first stage 2--the big one with the butt lift--I took 3 weeks off, I think? All other stage 2x surgeries I was only out for a week, give or take. I don't think there's a set time you have to take off, but I would take it easy for at least a couple weeks.
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Victoria.. as you know I had the GAP and a month later had the DIEP.... so my stage II included a butt lift and ab scar revision, lipo and breast revisions... I planned my stage II to be the week before Thanksgiving so I had surgery on a Monday and was initilally planning to go back the next Monday, but I had hip drains for one week and would not have been ready to go back at one week.. so then it was Thanksgiving (no work anyway)... so I went back two weeks after surgery... no problem. If Thanksgiving hadn't been then, I could have gone back at 1.5 weeks.
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Betsy,
Please add me to FB- NOLA, too! I am scheduled Feb. 28 for Stage I with Drs. Gray and Dellacroce. I am BRCA2+ and have been reading this sight for a while and am now finally ready to come out! I just set up a FB page so I can be in the loop if you will have me. Thanks, Tamara
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Tamara.. you need to friend me. Betsy Schreier Davis
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Dana, that so totally stinks. You having time off for your surgeries is a benefit you have as part of your job. It is not a joy ride to be punished for!!! I would certainly go to HR. What an A**hole!!!!
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I know I haven't been here for a while. After much emotion and researching, my surgery date with Dr. Marga has now been set for August 17th. I have decided to wait until after my son's wedding and will retire to be able to take better car of myself. I know I will have a thousand and one questions as the time nears. I will reserve a room at the Homewood Suites as many of you have recommended this. My surgery will be at Fairway. I was disappointed, but have since heard good things about this place also.
How do you make reservations for the return trip home? What if you are not ready and the flight has been purchased? This is for stage 1. If my surgery is on a Friday, when can I reasonably be released to come home?
I will pick your brains for what to pack as the time gets closer.
Thanks everyone. I am FINALLY there emotionally and ready to proceed. Feeling good about being in good hands in New Orleans.
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Dana, I am part time and even though I am almost out of medical leave they have been wonderful. Not once said that I need to make up for anything. I am so sorry you have to deal with this after everything else you have been through. That is a HR visit for sure. Please keep us posted, you should not take this treatment.
Betsy, love it, I "fondle" myself too every night. More so at how amazed I am that I have a boob now that is real! And soft (1/2 of it anyway).0 -
Cherrie.. If your surgery is Friday, your post op will be the next Friday with you able to fly home Saturday... But since you have the time, I would give it til Monday afternoon... AND before you book anything, ask Marga... if she tells you when to fly home, and there is a problem, ask her who pays the change fee... Thats a fair question.
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Gosh, just popping in, but just want to say this, DANA - your boss is an *sshole. Maybe you could ask him how much time he might take off if he had testicular cancer, or even a gene that would give him a huge risk of having testicular cancer and he needed to have reconstruction for his balls... LOLOLOLOL...
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Cherrie,
Congrats on the surgery date! I can tell you that Ashley will tell you when you need to be there and when you can fly home way before hand so you can schedule your flight. In my experience you need to be there 2 days before surgery. The day before will be preop apps and consult with Dr.Marga. My stage one was on a Thursday and was supposed to be released on monday. Post was to be on Wednesday and then fly home on Thursday. I had a complication and had to be re admitted to the hospital. They changed my flight for me and paid for the change fee. They are wonderful! I had one of my surgeries at Fairway and the nurses there are incredible. It is a very nice hospital!
All the girls on here have been so helpful so ask away!
Michelle0 -
Cherrie... These docs have a huge percentage of patients from out of state, all travelling and making plans... and SHIT HAPPENS sometimes, like for Michelle... and they have a Plan B for when it does... as Michelle said, they took care of her change, so there you go... just wait for them to tell you when to arrive and depart and the rest will fall into place.
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Dr. M will work hard for you to make your return flight as it's booked, if it's safe for you. I was in the hospital an extra 4 days for my first stage 1 and she made sure I was discharged before my return flight. Got discharged the day before we left.
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Cherrie- I think we communicated with PM's
I have had the surgeries all at Fairway.
For stage 1 I flew in on a Wed., with a friend, rented a car and stayed in the quarter Wed. night. Thursday-Pre-op appt @ a New Orleans Clinic for the test to check the vein and 5 p.m. Pre-Op with Dr. M. where she marked me up. Stayed in the Marriott in Covington near the hospital Thursday night, checked in to the hospital early Fri. morning. Surgery for uni-lateral stacked DIEP took 4 hours. Dr. Sullivan did rounds on me over the week-end, as he lives near that hospital. My friend chose to stay in hotel Fri. and Sat.--- she flew home Sunday. I stayed in the hospital until Tuesday a.m. when my husband flew in for discharge. Checked back into the Covington Marriott, (If there are complications you will go back to Fairway-so made sense to stay close) in a handicapped room....grab bars, shower seat and higher toilet seat were handy. Stayed in hotel through Thursday evening - post op at the Center in NOLA with Dr. Massey Thursday. Flew home Friday. Did not need a wheel chair at the NOLA airport or the MN one. I know family has stayed at Fairway...they have a double chair that becomes a bed--both my friend and my husband chose to stay in the hotel. I was fine without anyone. There are at least two nurses and a nurses aide at all times and sometimes I was the only patient, as Fairway is largely outpatient surgeries...infection rate of zero and food has improved since they have a new chef. My husband or friend brought me food if I wanted it...Staff assisted with shower and anything else I needed.
Stage 2a, arrived on a Wed., pre-op Thursday (was supposed to be in NOLA at Center, but Dr. M was at Fairway so went there) and surgery Friday, discharged and flew home Sunday,
Stage 2a for me was lift of "good' side and small scar revision on DIEP side, and lipo of back area from bra line to saddle bags.
Stage 2b same schedule as 2a, but pre-op was at the Center Thursday.
Stage 2b for me was additional lift on "good" side due to weight loss and nipple construction on DIEP side.
Both 2a and 2b we rented a car and stayed in the Covington Marriott.
The dates that Ashley gave me worked and all flights happened as scheduled.
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Dana - What Nordy said!
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I don't have a facebook page so can't join in but maybe this will give me an incentive to create an account.
Victoria: Although I didn't have a GAP, I had a DIEP. I felt that Stage 2 was soooooooo much easier than STage 1. I had a breast revision to create symmetry but opening entire scar again and reducing to match other side, old scar revision, fat taken out below underarm due to previous masectomy (could not lipo, have a 3 inch incision), took off the dog ears at each hip (adds about 2.5 inches to the DIEP scar) lipo in upper abdominal and back area. I stayed in the hospital 2 nights because I wanted an extra night to relax. After I got out, I was able to do some shopping on Magazine St. and had dinner. I had a good amount of energy. I was driving one week post surgery. I had my breast drain taken out at post op. You don't need a post op appointment but because I'm so far away, I chose to stay longer. Surgery on Thursday, out of hospital on Sat., post op on Mon. flew home Tuesday- no wheelchair.
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Victoria... I should add that because I had both GAP and DIEP, the entire scar 350 degrees was revised.. but with all of that, the one thing that was the most to recover from I think was the butt lift... After GAP I had no trouble sitting, but after stage two the butt was for sure sore after the lift.. the good news is that healing was quick... I was in the hospital for 2 nights and thought that was perfect.
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I'd love to join the secret Facebook page! I am friends with you betsy. Thanks! Dana, good to see you are back on and hear you are doing well post-op but bad that you are being mistreated. WTH?? Guy sounds nuts, especially with all you do!
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VictoriaB - can't believe you are planning already:) I know I need to think about it but decided will think about it next week!
Dr. S said stage 2 will feel like I have had a really good workout. I just want him to smooth the donor site out and correct the symmetry if needed on my foobs. I have a bit extra stuffed under the left arm area which is annoying. He said lipo the hip and butt to smooth. I do not want any belly lipo or anywhere else. I like my little bitty pooch!
My drains are putting out between 40 -65 a day, when do they pull them again? I forgot to ask. Here I am a nurse and theri is no way I am pulling my own drains!
I have a really physical job and can't go with drains in. WHen does i seem most of you went back to work after stage 1?
Restaurant recommendation: Domenicas in the French quarter. Unbelievable italian food, a must try.
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Hi Ladies,
Thanks for the info! Yes, I have to plan, because my schedule is so very tight right now. I am actually back at my work, but only going in 1x week (can do from home) for now. The butt lift scares me, only because I have so much to lift! I'm sure I will have the same scar revision, Betsy.
Karen, when I had GAP, it was a full 5 weeks before the drains came out. They look for color, (pale yellow) and output. You never want to pull them too early cause you can have all kinds of problems--infections, seroma, etc. I am a fainter, but I pulled my own drains! I was so itchy to get them out I just did it when they told me I could. You will too.
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Hi all! I'm hoping a can get a little more information on the Stage 2 recovery to add to what was said above. I'm hoping that I'll go in 2 months (as I"m now one month post Stage 1) and I had the hip flaps. I'm single so I need to find a friend to come with me and fly back with me. Are you really only there for one night in the hopsital? How many nights before I'd fly home? Would I need a female friend with me to help me (shower etc)? When is the post-op appointment? Many thanks!!!
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Karen... I had drains for 8.5 weeks
DJ... I was in the hospital for two nights ... flew in on a Sunday, surgery Monday, post op Thurs (but post op is optional) and flew out Friday.. I could have flown out Thursday pm but it was so much more expensiv. You don't need a female companion for stage II... I had my mom, but she didn't help me with anything. .. my choice.
Victoria... You are little, so little butt lift, And no worries... It was more painful than other stuff, but still not a huge pain.. and only for a few days. You kind of feel like you were really worked over but as I said, it improves quickly.
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SO, Dr D answered my question when I asked what is DIEP II..(when I noticed my operative report said I had one)... Here is what he said:
Hi Betsy,
Very observant! DIEP II is new and is something I've been working on for a couple of years. It is a solution for a problem with the standard DIEP flap (which I have recently renamed the DIEP I) that isn't generally discussed.
The DIEP problem is that the "perforators" or small vessels coming thru the rectus muscle to enter the fat above aren't always big enough individually and more importantly, don't always come thru the muscle in a straight line so that if you need or want more than one perforator to give more blood flow to the fat, you might be faced with the need to cut the muscle that separates the 2 or sometimes 3 different fiber rows that the perforators come thru. This is the "secret" dilemma that surgeons face when performing the DIEP, the question becomes should I take less blood supply and preserve the muscle, risking fat necrosis in the new breast, or should I take more blood vessels and cut the muscle between them, defeating the purpose of the DIEP flap? This happens in about 50% of DIEP's in my recent experience and as will be submitted to the surgical journals in the near future. That also means that 50% of DIEP flaps don't need conversion to a DIEP II since the vessels are perfectly set up in a single line or big enough to run on 1 perforator.
Cutting the muscle to some degree or sometimes to a significant degree in a DIEP flap is not the same as "converting to a TRAM flap" that some talk about. It is likely very common that surgeons around the country cut the muscle in their DIEP flaps routinely to deal with this anatomic dilemma and just consider it unavoidable. The DIEP II allows the vessels in the flap to be rearranged when the perforators are small or not in a single muscle line (called "rectilinear"). The allows the surgeon to add as much blood supply as they need to keep the flap soft and free of fat necrosis while preserving all of the rectus muscle in the same move. The DIEP II not only makes conversion of an abdominal flap to a TRAM obsolete but also overcomes the little discussed problem with conventional DIEP flaps. Happily pioneered at our Center.
There is no way for a woman to know whether her muscle was cut during a DIEP flap or the lesser blood flow to the fat was chosen' but if a DIEP has large areas of fat necrosis or the abdomen has a big bulge or hernia then one or the other may have been the cause. I now routinely photograph the muscle after the flap is harvested to document that the muscle was completely preserved, this is put into the patient's digital medical record and although graphic, provides reassurance to the patient that they can request the pics if they want to see that their abdominal muscle was all saved, otherwise you have no way of really knowing. I a woman has any misgivings about whether their surgeon cuts muscle in DIEP flaps, ask your surgeon to photo the muscle for you in surgery, the answer to that question will be telling.
How's that for long winded!
Dr. D0 -
I love that he takes a picture!
Whew... just got done filling out the Lymph Q for my appt. with Dr. M this weekend (per Dr. Sullivan who wants me to see her too for her opinion). It felt like I had slipped back in time when I didn't realize how not having breasts affected me so poorly until I filled out a questionaire at John Hopkins for one of my (many) consults. Now I know how I really feel about lymphedema and why I am always so crabby... LOL... At least that is my excuse now and I am sticking with it! Can't wait to see some friends from here in SLC! I am skiing Monday at my favorite resort and my body already knows it is coming! Every cell is tingling and bursting with excitement and I can "smell" the snow already. Have I mentioned that skiing is my favorite thing to do? Yes, followed by cycling... and I am chomping at the bit to get there...
DJ - Chances are you will be much more mobile after stage 2. And yes, I believe post op from stage 2 is optional. I chose to have an appt., because I figure it is a long way to come back if I needed something addressed. But that is me, and some people don't feel like they need that follow up. I wish I lived closer, I would fly to NOLA to take you back to LA!
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