NOLA in September?
Comments
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Victoria - I'm so sorry. I do think that fat grafting can help. I did have fat grafting done as part of my Stage 2 with Dr D and I'm 4 months out. I think I can say at this point that 'it is sticking'. I have good volume and didn't lose very much since my Stage 2. I don't know exactly how much he added though. I do think that there are limits in how much can be added via fat grafting although some doctors are currently making entire breasts this way (I believe that is what Suzanne Summers had done). So don't give up. Don't be sad. I'm sure that Dr. D can make this right!
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Eva - I'm so glad to hear that your flight home is done and now you can recuperate in your own recliner in your own home! Happy healing thoughts to you!
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Surfagirl - is under the scab just yellowy or actual pus that oozes? I have some crusty yellow stuff that is just fine. Part of the healing. Did you send a pic? They are closed next Tuesday for Mardi Gras, FYI.
Katiejane - sorry about your hospitalization but agree that this is playing into your favor. Would love to see the bill for your 3 days. If you have surgery this will not happen anymore. Might be an angle.
Eva & Sandy - yeah for both of you!!
Victoriab- oh my, you have had a rough go. Are you anemic from the surgeries or is it chronic? I wish I had some answer for you but do not. Just want to send you a big hug and wish I could give you my sturdy sicilian hip fat
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bdavis- I went to trip advisor to check out reviews on the Homewood Suites and your review came up, you are quite the traveler! I'm jealous. (c:
Today was a good NOLA day for me... I got my stage two up front cost and after stage one I was dreading it! I was pleasantly surprised. Whew. I also ordered two Marenas and used the coupon code. Hotels on both ends are books. Flights booked. It's all falling into place for 3/15. Yay!
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Eva, feels good to be home?
Sandy, I was just thinking about asking you about a final verdict just the other day! Thanks for the tats update!
Victoria, that really stinks. Fat grafting can help. It means lipo. That can make your body look sleeker and better, but it is initially painful. The first 3-5 days after are no fun. But, it would be a quick surgery compared to the others. Can you reduce the larger to match, or no?
Katiejane, do you have cellulitis? What's up with the arm?
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Springtime, yes i do have cellulitis. Kind of a purple ted color. I' m on IV antibiotibs and hope to go home tomorrow. Katiejane
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Healing vibes Katie.
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They say that the thing to recoup-
erate is mother's chicken soup
But better by far
for raising the bar
Is a decent night's sleep and a poop0 -
VictoriaB... We have spoken of this before, but as you know I have issues with my left breast. I think I will need fat grafting for that side.
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Eva- Ha! Sleep and a poop, two of the best things. What is that kind of poem called. I tried Haiku but that is three lines. It is now one of my goals to write a ______! (c:
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It's a limerick. Do it!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEQ8gwsjHeE&feature=shareMardi Gras in New Orleans!!
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Sleep and a poop. Nothing like it after surgery. I was the myralax queen, oh and fleet supositories too. I have issues! Especially after surgery! ugh.
At Mardi Gras they throw beeds
To cover all good and bad deeds
In purple and green
And gold they are seen
You catch them cause that's what you needs.
LOL. Need. More. Practice.0 -
That's great, Springtime! The more you do the easier they get. Honest. I like rhymezone.com for rhyme ideas. But a fair warning: they can be addictive.
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My boob it is starting to itch
And I am turning into a bitch
Did this happen to you
And what did you do?I am about to go into a fit.
Seriously though I have itches inside and of course cannot scratch them as I cannot feel anything. This just started last night and is making me crazy. Has anyone had this and what did you do??
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Sorry about the funky font & color, cannot figure it out.
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Love it, Need2, but now I'm worrying about the itching yet to come. How far out are you? I'm on day 10 now.
Also I was wondering - I have a hard ridge across the top of my left breast. It's been there since the start and now that my breasts are JUST BARELY starting to soften up A BIT the ridge is becoming more pronounced. Am I correct in assuming it's way too early to worry about hard areas?
Thanks!
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Whew! Ladies!! I take a few days for r'n'r and have PAGES to read. So happy to hear surgeries went well ... that problems are managable with the support of the ladies here. I will need a Stage 2B or whatever as well as tattoos, but it will be a while. Getting the B&B up and running is first. I have lost a good deal of the fat grafting on the contralateral breast Dr. D. did in Stage 2. Some of that is weight loss (30 lbs down, about 20 more to go, fingers crossed), but I, too, do not think that fat grafting alone will bring the breast to the size of my new one and I REALLY like that size! Trying not to stress too much ... have enough of that on my plate as it is! ... but it will be a question for Dr. D. in future. And, implants are NOT in the cards ... was the whole reason I went to NOLA in the first place! A conundrum, to be sure. Keep me posted on what is decided VictoriaB. And what you end up doing Betsy!
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Hi Ladies,
Thanks for all of your help and support for the chemo treatment. It's good to know so that I can prepare myself. I may decide to shave it all of to be proactive. It would take a lot of guts, but I think I can do it.
I have another question. I have developed blood blisters on the underside of my breasts, just beside the incisions. I called and spoke to Dr. Trahan. He said that this is very normal with breast edema...I am still worried. The blisters have broken (yesterday). Have any of you experienced this? Dr. Trahan just told me to betadine the heck out of it.
Thanks for your help!
Caitlin
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need2new - just a guess - the itching possibly may be nerves regenerating. I had a little of this in the past but not a lot. I would call the Center and ask their opinion but for me quickly and lightly massaging the area helped. (I would NOT do this if you have had lipo and fat transfer because I would be concerned about interrupting the graft taking but if there was no transferred lipoed cells and you are already able to sleep on your stomach it think it might be worth a try Thinking this maybe it would be best to call the Center first - just to get their take on it before you do anything.)
EvaM- 10 days is way to early to decide about fat necrosis. I think that in most cases it would take almost 3 months to know what is going on.
I have also lost volume from the lipoed fat transfer which I know is expected but a divot that we were trying to fix (a problem remaining after my previous DIEP done locally) has reappeared along with some other problem areas. I have had lots of previous surgery in the area and I imagine the scar tissue that was already there is not helping matters. I will send photos to the Center in a month or two....
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I didn't get blisters, and mine didn't itch. my boobs, well the skin on them, got ultra sensitive, I mean ULTRA so that even blowing air on the skin would make it hurt! I called and they said they never heard of such a thing. I think it was the nerves trying to regenerate or being damaged? It wore off slowly. at about 5-6 weeks out it was getting better. I could not wear a bra of any type!
When I went back for stage 2, I asked Dr. D about this and showed him where it happened, and he said something like the skin in those areas get a lot of "attention" in stage 1 (aka, I thought trauma!) and that it would not be so bad in stage 2, and thank God, it was not.
I guess we all go through something in our healing, or a lot of us do. I would think the itching is nerves re-firing or trying to repair. Remember, what you just went through is a major thing, your body is just trying to deal!
Spring
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Hi ladies. I have some questions about incision care.
I'm day 11 now. The breast drain holes are closed. Everything looks normal. I assume I need to keep betadining and ABD padding the hip drain holes twice a day for the duration. I'm almost out of pads. Here are my questions:
1. They told me I need to wear the surgical bra for two weeks. Does this mean that after two weeks I no longer need to cover the incisions with pads? Now that the holes are closed, is it ok to change the pads once a day instead of twice? Do I need to use actual ABD pads or would something like maxipads be ok?
2. Do I need to betadine the hip incisions when the clear coating flakes off? Do I need to keep using ABD pads or can I use something else to protect them from the girdle? When the steristrips came off my hysterectomy incisions, I didn't use anything at all over them - they were pretty much healed. But they're much much smaller than the hip and breast incisions.
I want to care for all this properly, but it would be nice if it got easier and I don't even know yet where I can find more of the ABD pads or if there's a suitable, cheap substitute.
Thanks!
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Eva - my boobs felt really firm too with that ridge. Just picture the edge of your fat graft meeting your muscles. All is well and mine have smoothed out and softened.
Caitlin - I got a few blisters too, just from the skin being stretched & confined. I am 4 weeks out and still have one scab left. The rest have fallen off. I betadined them day & night and stopped using the neo as instructed. Things are coming along nicely.
besa- it is definitely nere stuff, just freaky to not be able to mae it go away. I did some light massage and tapping & it worked.
spring - like you, cannot stand anything on my skin. by afternoon I take off my bra for awhile. My shirts from bnb (before new boobs) are fitted and they drive me nuts. Needing to wear loose stuff right now. I see some shoping in my future post-stage 2 (yuck, hate to shop).
Slept on my side last night, was glorious and scary at the same time. stuffed a pillow between the girls to support them. Even with all we need to do & go thru, I am so grateful this choice was available for me. I truly feel like I have not "lost" my boobs. A place in heaven for all ay CRBS !!
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Eva - When I ran out of ABD pads, I used maxipads on my hip incisions. I liked them because I could stick them to the girdle and they didn't slip. They worked especially well when I started to wear SPANX. I started wearing camisoles shortly after 2 weeks and did away with the breast pads. I used Betadine twice a day until the glue came off my incisions. I've been lurking more then posting recently and just want to tell you that I've enjoyed your limericks : )
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Eva- you might want to use gauze pads in your bra, just as a soft layer between your incisions and your bra. Actually what you want is gauze sponges--those are the soft ones. I used those until my stitches were completely out and I wasn't dealing with any open or irritated spots.
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Thanks. I have not been putting betadine on my incisions. Dr. D specifically doesn't want his patients to early on. I think the idea is that it tends to dissolve the clear stuff sooner than it would otherwise. I'm not sure about after. I can see how I'd want to have something to protect the incisions from chafing even after they're superficially healed. I like the idea of sticking the maxi-pads to the girdle. I'll have to get some. After the first two weeks did you wear a bra or camisole at night? I'll need to go shopping for a soft bra or cami for day. ALL my bras are underwire. And won't fit anyway.
With regard to betadine, do I need to buy more packaged swabs or can I dip sterile swabs in a bottle of betadine?
Glad you're enjoying the limericks!
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Eva, How are you feeling? Are you able to do much? My husband wants to go away for a few days about 3 1/2 weeks out. I told him I thought I'd be fine. GREAT LIMERICK"S
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Okay ladies I need your info.
I know someone who has been diagnosed with bi-laterial BC (unsure of stage either 3-4) and she has been going thru chemo. She is about ready to talk surgery with her healthcare providers and they are saying that they might not be able to use DIEP because of a prior C-Section. I told her that I would check about NOLA because local MD's are saying if not she will have the double mx and have implants but she is facing extensive rads. So would DIEP even been possible ? Would it be best if she started some place like NOLA ??
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Hello everyone
Thought I should chime in regarding the addition of implants after DIEP, SGAP, etc.
I had small implants placed after Stage 2 to help with establishing a better contour. My reconstruction was delayed (bilaterally) 3 years and although I was thrilled with having breasts after such a long time Dr S and I discussed my options after fat injections did not achieve what I was hoping for. I did not want to continue Pursuing this with more surgeries and not having success via fat injections.
The implants were exactly what I needed and I have had 0 problems like the ones experienced by those who have implants alone, for reconstruction.
I just wanted to put this out there so that others might consider leaving this option open IF their Surgeon suggests/agrees it will be helpful.
Warmly, Marcia
Jamie, I had c sections and had no problem getting approved for DIEP .. Surgeons who are less skilled have a "habit" of telling patients this.
How's Katiejane?
Implants were placed between the stacked flaps in April '08.0 -
Marcia, I have heard they use small implants in a case like this, vs. if there was no fat and it was just implants alone. Did you have radiation? I wonder if even small ones would be problem free for those of us who also had to have radiation.
Eva, The center will send you whatever supplies you need if you call them up. If I was you, I'd call them with your questions. My surgery was so long ago it's hard to remember (!!) plus things continue to change over time....
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