NOLA in September?
Comments
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I saw my local PS this past week and showed him my printout of the Center's website home page--with the docs' pictures on it. I told him this is what I want to do next to get restored (after failed/infected TE experience), and he was favorable to it. He knows of these Center surgeons, and doesn't do DIEP/GAP himself. He mentioned he may go to the PS conference in NOLA next fall. Anyway, it was good to get his "blessing" on it, even though not required.
I asked if I can consult with him (local PS) for anything that comes up after I'm home from NOLA, and he is fine with it. Did any of you use your local PS after NOLA surgery? Does insurance tend to cover it?
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Ann... Yes, I mean lipo.. that is all that was done to my abdomen above the incision, (beside the belly button re-building) so I am thinking the pain I have is due to that... and Laura (Dr D's PA) said that the only thing I had done was lipo. You are very lucky your local PS is on board... My local PS didn't want me going to NOLA.. and suggested I go to Baltimore (3 hour drive from me)... I think he didn't like me flying.
Caitlin... I had a wound surgery a month after stage I due to an open breast incision. Is that what you are getting?? I flew in on a Wednesday, had the 2-3 hour surgery Thursday and it was a full sedation, but clearly not as deep as with the DIEP and hip flaps... I awoke in recovery and was pretty alert. For all I know they just did the amnesia drug.In my case, I needed to stay afterward though because in teh surgery they took out the flap and some skin and so did a DIEP flap 5 days later to fix it. I think it might have been salvaged had I come down as soon as it opened up... who knows.
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Betsy - My local PS did ask if I was going to live in NOLA for a while to recover from surgery. I said about 2 weeks, and then he asked what I would do if I developed complications, with my surgeon so far away from home. I smiled and said "Call you?"
I told him I would return to NOLA if possible, and then we discussed whether he could cover me in any interim. Oh -- another thing he said... he has had a patient from "that group" he had to help with further repair. He didn't get into particulars, but didn't seem to be criticizing their work.
How early / late would you expect a flap failure? Yours was open breast incision, though, not the flap in particular? Seems unpredictable. Yikes.
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Ann... As soon as I had surgery, the skin was raw and blistered, so it was something to watch from the beginning. At the two week mark the incision below the raw skin opened up (coninciding with the time it takes for the glue to come off) and started leaking a yellowish red fluid. I was advised to put compression on it, but not to butterfly it or anything... this leaking got worse and the incision opened wider and then the shape of the breast changed, like the fat (flap) was liquifying. The length of open incision was about 4 inches or more... So after two weeks of leaking, the doctor flew me back to NOLA and did a wound surgery to remove the dead tissue (flap) and dead skin (the raw blistered area plus right around the incision). I had a wound vac for 5 days and then they did a DIEP flap to replace the right side... So my left breast is a hip flap and my right breast is abdominal.
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Betsy -- I, like you, want to know what is going on ... full disclosure. One of the reasons I ended up cancelling surgery at Sloan-Kettering! Perhaps ask to speak to Dr. D. himself (much as I like Laura!) and try to get a call on it before it gets worse! Sounds miserable ... and you have had your rounds with misery! You deserve this to play out well.
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AnnAlive - I didn't have a local PS. In the end I didn't need a "helper" doctor and I didn't really even look in to having one before my surgery so that was good I didnt need one. Even though my friend was all ready to pull my drain I did go to my primary care physician and she pulled the one drain I came home with. After watching the doc we could have done it at home but I am a big chicken. I didn't have any after surgery problems so I never had a need to have any care done in my home city.
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Has anyone else gotten alopecia from the surgery? I went to the hairstylist to get my roots and a cut done and she told me I have 2 little bald spots from surgery. I had never heard of it before. Sure enough I have 2 little bald spots on the top of my head where my natural hair pattern goes.
Decided I should wear a big flower to cover it as my husband tells me no one will notice it and today selling girl scout cookies my friends asked me about it. Men are such liars
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Oh Karen... no.. I have not heard of anyone who actually suffers from that but I have heard it can happen.
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I have a question. Is the stacked Diep and hip flaps the same thing? I am getting confused with the terminology. Also, Dr. Marga has a symposium in Chicago on April 28. I would love to see her before my surgery. Are these informative? has anyone been to these? It is only 4 hrs. Away and will go if well worth it. Just wondering.
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Cherrie, several of us have been to Marga's symposiums. You should make every attempt to go--not only to meet her, but to get all that wonderful information. I went a couple years after my surgery, and I learned so much!!
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Cherrie, stacked diep is stacking half of the abdominal flap on top of the other to make one breast. Hip flaps can be stacked with diep flaps to make two bigger breasts.
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Karen, I have a bald spot too. It was the size of a half dollar but gradually became smaller, but it is still there.
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And I lost a good deal of hair all over my head to say nothing of it feeling like straw. Drugs and meds ... always shows up in the hair. Good news from my stylist is that there are all sorts of little new hairs growing in.
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Hipsters- After stage two do the drains generally stay in as long as with stage one? The stomach, to do or not to do, that is the question. (c: Flying out tomorrow.
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Adey--no, definitely not. I had a hip drain for 7 weeks after stage 1, I think it was more like 2.5 after stage 2. For one. The other one came out after a week.
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Adey -- Stage 2 drains out almost immediately in comparison!! Breast drain out in post-op visit. Hip drain out a week later for me and I was 8+ weeks in Stage 1!
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Hip drains 8+ weeks post stage I, and 1 week post stage II.
And Cherrie.. I had stacked Hip flaps and then stack DIEP flap.. Initially they were going to stack the Hip and Ab fat, but got enough from butt to stack it... then a month later when they re-did the right side, stacked the ab fat to make the right breast.
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Very excited about the drains. Stage one was 8 weeks. Blech. Anyone have hip flaps only and then work on stomach? I am debating (with myself). (c:
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Yes... I had hip flaps and then Diep flap.. But Kathryn had Hip flaps and then tummy tuck.
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Spring - thanks for adding me above (I will also send you a PM with this info). I am having what I think is Stage 3b.......thought I was done, but now having to adjust the nipple placement and have them SHAVED a little as they never "relaxed". A tiny bit of fat grafting to fill in a divet also.
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Hi everyone, got out of the hospital and back to the hotel yesterday afternoon. I can understand why some of you have mentioned wanting to stay longer.....I couldn't imagine it but now I can. Doing fine except a rash in certain areas. Taking lots of Benadryl. It's still quite a chore to shower,clean wound areas, and get redressed and compressed. My hubby is doing a fab job. My mom flies in the day after we get home to he will get a break. I miss my four and two legged friends. Thanks to everyone so much for the support and information. Can't wait to meet Adey tomorrow. Jamie
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Jamie... that shower / getting dressed routine does improve... I remember being EXHAUSTED for about 2-3 weeks... much better after that. I was doing it on my own at about a week out.
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It improves because you feel better, but it's still a big ol' process! I can do it myself now, though my husband still helps with the hooks when he's around. An extra hand makes it quiite a bit faster. I'm annoyed with my right hip drain. I know it's still under 5 weeks, but it was down to 16 on Saturday. Then Sunday it was 75! And today I woke up to 50 and it's refilling fast. I think I must have tapped into a reservoir that's been building up for some time. I hope it starts trending down again soon. I was cleared for resuming 'relations' at four weeks but can't bear the thought of it with drains and tubes!
Anyway, I'm so glad to hear you're doing well, Jamie. Where are you staying?
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Hi Eva, we are staying at the Clarion Grand Boutique. It's O.K. The location to the clinic and hospital is great....only about three blocks. I can tell that I'm going to have a problem child drain too. My left hip sure wants to put out more and darker red. Glad to hear the bathing process will get easier. I have one of my girdles hanging by a light to finish drying. HA!
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Thanks BD! For you tummy tuck people... is it worth it? I hear a lot of not being able to stand straight up, swelling and pain after quite a bit of time. What say you people that had a choice? Thanks! (c:
See you soon Jamie!
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Jamie, the problem child drain is mischievous. Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's the other. It's all part of the adventure, yes? Are you up to taking walks yet?
My drains are quite fractious and flighty
As they fill up and froth 'neath my nightie
Even though they're perverse
It could be much worse
But I still have to call them a** bitey0 -
Adey- I didn't have a pot belly, or rolls, but I had a "full" stomach (Dr. M said I hid my fat well). Enough to look out of balance with my flattened butt. And still... I wouldn't have chosen to have a tummy tuck. Maybe it's different after you've had kids (I haven't), but I would have preferred losing the fat by traditional methods. Recovering from that part of the DIEP has been harder (note the present tense) than SGAP. Maybe it's worth it if you really miss your previously flat belly...? But I was always curvy, a flat stomach wasn't--and still isn't--something I prize. I kind of wish I still had a little gentle curve there.
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Eva, re: relations with tubes and drains - you just pretend you're the Borg Queen from the Star Trek movie, "First Contact."
Adey - I would definitely have the plication procedure again. Everyone who has a DIEP gets a "tummy tuck," which I did. It's just using the abdominal fat for the flap. The DIEP is what makes it hard to stand up straight. Plication tightens it up more, and is usually done at stage 2. It's an extra 30 minutes and tightens the ab muscles that get stretched during prgnancy. I'm not sure it would do anything for someone who hasn't had those muscles stretched by pregnancy, tho the traditional "tummy tuck" - where they remove excess fat - would. My DIEP definitely helped my abdomenal profile, but the plication took it to another level! It was a hard additional recovery, however.
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Adey... Because I expected to have both hips and abs done at first surgery, and then awoke to find they only needed the hips, I was happy and sad at the same time... I thought how great it would be to have a flat tummy, but glad that I didn't need to deal with that recovery... and then low and behold, they NEEDED to do the DIEP a month later... I think I had decided I would not get the tummy tuck in that month, as my belly also had no rolls (I am about 40 pounds overweight, but didn't have the pooch). And now that I have had the surgery, my lower abdomen is flat, but from the incision upward, it is not, even after lipo... So I think it depends if you have a lower pooch, and your overall weight issues... I don't regret it, but not sure if it has helped... The lipo on my love handles and legs has been far more noticeable to me.
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Eva, love the limerick. Sheesh I didn't know the naughty drain would jump around, I've been good about walking but not as much today...it's rainy. Adey are you all packed and ready to go?
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