NOLA in September?
Comments
-
Hey, everyone. Hope all of my surgery buddies are doing well! Good luck to all of the upcoming surgeries!
I am 1 week and 4 days out of stage 1. Most of the first week was a blur. Yesterday, the pain and nausea got ahead of me but I am doing better today. I don't think I have shared my pathology report yet - clean! I haven't read the report yet, but was so happy when Dr. Stolier called me and said that the path report was clean. It made me think, "Okay, the pain and recovery will be worth it if I don't ever have to go through BC treatment again!" Such a huge relief.
I am wearing the bra and girdle. I am having some itching issues particularly with the girdle on the bottom part of by bottom - if that makes sense. I am having some itching/hives mostly where my bottom sits/lies on furniture. It is on the back part of the girdle about 1-2 inches from the back opening. I started taking Benadryl last night. Has anyone else had this issue? Suggestions?
For those packing to go to NOLA, I took way too much. I would have been okay with a pair of silk pjs, loose capris, big tank top and shirt. Much of the time in the hotel room, I just wore the bra and girdle!
0 -
Downey - glad you are doing okay. Hope to see you tomorrow after pre-op.
SallyM - will definitely try to find you after surgery or on Tuesday.
I will post my BCO name on my door so if anyone is trying to find me they will be able to. Looking forward to meeting everyone I can that is there.0 -
I know they say stress is so bad for your recovery, but I just had a huge dose of it and my chest hurts SO bad!! I feel like I just set my recovery back :-( Please tell me that isn't the case...I can't stop crying as my son has just stooped so low and broke my heart.
0 -
Chelle I am so sorry. Please find a quiet place to take some deep breaths and center yourself. I listen to meditation tapes, do you have anything like that? Soothing music works too. Take care of yourself and remember our children often use us to vent, and it is often not even about the words that come out of their mouths. This too shall pass.
0 -
Chelle, my son was mean to me after my first surgery, he was 9 at the time and just couldn't understand why I couldn't do all the normal things with him. It does pass, they don't mean it, they're just frustrated and can't always express it.
0 -
Chelle, think of the crying as catharsis. It releases stress and gets the toxins out. I think it's harder on your body to keep stress stuffed. I don't recall how old your son is and can only imagine what he could have done. Now is the time to take gentle care of yourself. Be sure to stay hydrated, well nourished and well rested. Nap when your body wants to! Move your body a bit in the sunshine and fresh air. Do what is best for YOU and it will be the best thing for everyone around you.
0 -
My son is 13 and he took $5 off the counter of a very close friend of mine. It's not about the amount of money but the point behind it. He has never wanted for anything and all he can say is that he just didn't think :-( he doesn't ever stop and think before he does something and think of consequences. He has always had issues with impulse control that goes along with his his anxiety and severe ADHD, but my gosh!!!! He has lost everything including the door to his room.
My body is so tense and I know i can't soak in a tub. My chest hurts and is so tight...took a pain pill and an anxiety pill, but nothing is helping right now.
Sorry, just needed to vent and let some of this out. He is such a great kid, but this isn't the first time he has made bad decisions and this was to a very close friend of mine and the mom of a close friend to him.
Ugh!!!!
Is there anything I put on my chest to ease up the tension?0 -
Chelle, sorry that you're going through this. My daughter, age eight, is acting a little emotional about everyday things... my absence for a week, cancer in general, me not being myself right now, plus they feel our stress... maybe some of that is going on with your son. Some of the more experienced ladies probably know more about this, but I wouldn't put anything on your chest! Everything in that area is still mending and extremely delicate. Crying & music as the other ladies suggested, aromatherapy, close your eyes and breathe deeply, or loose yourself in a movie for a few hours. Hugs, Jenifer
0 -
I think there were posts on this thread about this within the past few weeks, but I can't seem to find them... in addition to the lifting restrictions, are we supposed to avoid lifting our arms all the way up in the immediate weeks after surgery??? I was thinking that I read we're not supposed to, but I find myself doing it accidentally during the day, and sometimes when I sleep.
Am also realizing that without lifting, sometimes the effort of doing something, (thinking back to physics class) the force required is probably equivalent to lifting five or ten pounds... Opening a heavy door, opening a tight container, I can feel it in my chest muscles. I will call the center on Monday, but wondering if anyone had any knowledge of this?
We went thorough so much effort, expense, pain and inconvenience for these new boobs, so I want to take care of them!
0 -
Jenifer.. You can lift your arms, but don't reach... If it feels uncomfortable, then don't do it... But the doctors do want you to raise your arms to avoid frozen shoulder... I remember when I was first home alone and needed a towel on a top shelf, there I was trying to get the towel... even the bottom towels had like 5 towels on top of them, making it heavy... I think I eventually got one, but knew I couldn't do that again.. I was reaching and tring to pull a towel down that was heavy .. not good.
Chelle... Unfortunately, we have all been there with our kids. Mine are older than yours (17 and 19), but I definitely had issues with my daughter (the 19 yo) when she was 17... a lot of stress in my life. It does take a toll on the body. What your son did was wrong for sure, but hopefully he has regret and will learn from the lesson that you have just taught him... There are worse things, so try to keep it all in perspective, which can be really hard especially as you are trying to recover.
0 -
Jenless - You should contact the Center to make sure (I always do this when I have questions) , but I don't remember any restrictions on lifting our arms above our heads.
Chellehump -In terms of your son, the surgery is probably stressful for him also. Lots of times they can't express or, I think, even understand what they are feeling. It should pass. Also at this point you are dealing with a teenager. My husband used to describe the interaction with an analogy - the Russians flying into U.S. air space to see how far they could go until they got buzzed back. We just made sure they got "buzzed back". They don't always think about consequences and they test the limits. They turned out great. Do what you can to relax and heal.
If your chest feels tight I would call the Center. They may prescribe something. As Jenlee said, I would absolutely not put anything on it without their permission. You are only two weeks out - you don't want to do anything that will disrupt the blood flow or effect the sutures in a bad way.
0 -
Jamie, I have stacked in each breast too, welcome to the body lift! It will be worth it in the end.
HarmonySun and Betsy, I changed the date to June 29!
Chelle, is your son on any medication like concerta for the ADHD? Maybe that will help. I am sorry. When I was going through chemo and bald and all, my 16 year old had the WORST boyfriend ever and was having him sleep in her room witihout us even knowing! When my husband found out he blew up and called the cops. Anyway. As Betsy says, we've all been there. I survived anyway and so will you!!! Being a good parent is the hardest thing, but you are doing the right thing by applying the consequences.
About Cleavage, I have to agree with Sandy, as time has gone on, mine have also softened and I am getting more cleavage. However, they are still not droopy. So right now the best of both worlds! I hope it lasts. ha!
Amy? How are you dear?? I see you had your surgery yesterday??
0 -
Deno, I just saw this above
Denouement - Spared Nipple tattoos with Vinny
please explain. if you ahve spared nipples, why do you need tattoos? I had one recon nipple and one spared, and had both tattood so they would match. Thanks for explaining!
0 -
Chelle, I'm so sorry you are suffering through this extra stress. The other girls have given you some excellent advice. I think anyone with kids have suffered through something disappointing. Take a step back and some deep breaths and know we are thinking of you.
Anniese, hope to meet you tomorrow. I'm doing pretty well. If I could get rid of the itching it would feel like a whole new world. Dr. Massey may release me a day early.....not sure.
How long does it take for the Smooth Move Tea to work?
0 -
Chelle, so sorry about the rough day. I don't have anything to add, but just to say that I'm thinking of you. I think the "normal" challenges of life (issues with children, family, etc.) are especially difficult right now because we have major physical trauma! We are recovering and it requires so much energy and care and emotion. I know I've lost it several times and have had some major blue spells. I hope you are hanging in there and that your day has improved.
Here's a question for you ladies... For the first two weeks I wore the center's bra with holes cut out for the nipples (because of nipple-sparing). Just yesterday Jeanine instructed me to wear a regular bra (still one of theirs) and to put antibiotic ointment and gauze pads to cover the nipples beneath the bra. This afternoon I decided to let my girls breathe, i took off my bra and I noticed that both aureolas seemed pressed in (by the bra fabric I presume), AND where the edge of the gauze pad lay there is now an INDENTATION in my breast! How could this very, very slight pressure from the bra holding a gauze pad create a line of indentation? This is weird, yes? Has anyone else experienced this? Worried!!0 -
Jen.. I wore their bra for two weeks, but they did not cut holes out for my nipple sparing side... I think any indentations could be caused by swelling and will go away... but if you are worried, give them a call... but you are probably just experiencing some edema.
0 -
Thanks, Betsy. I will call on Monday - unless things get really weird, in which case I'll call right away!
One thing I can't recall - how long are we supposed to wear a bra 24 hours a day? I'm at 2 and a half weeks out now... What did the center tell you all about this?0 -
Downey, is the itching from the meds? Some kinds of pain meds made my skin itch terribly... The nurses were upset that I was scratching my arms and neck with my nails, like a crazy woman. I asked for Benedryl and it really helped. Did get them to switch my meds though.
0 -
Ok Ladies---I have seen it mentioned too many times!! I have to ask, what is Smooth Move Tea??? Downey, is there laytex in the girdle???? Katiejane
0 -
It has a natural laxative in it! I have about a dozen of those tea bags packed right now.
0 -
Ok, very weird thing. I looked in my drain tonight and in the bulb is a I don't know what but it looks like a tooth! Seriously ! It is too big to fit thru the hole so can't empty it , so where the heck did it come from and what the hell is it? It is not hard so I am thinking it may be part of the drain tubing?? Tomorrow is Sunday, do I call or wait until my Tuesday appt?
0 -
Cascader, one of the doctors mentioned to me that I'd probably see some "sludge" in the drain liquid at some point. My drainage eventually went from blood to mostly just fluid (that my daughter swears is pee -- I knew I shouldn't have let her see it!). I've noticed the occasional white-ish solid, almost like yarn, in the clear fluid in the at the top of the drain tube and then in the bulb. For me, these solids seem to dissolve in the bulb. Maybe this is what's in your drain.
0 -
Jenlee, I did see the white yarn like stuff tonight for the first time tonite also, but this is different. I kinda freaked out about that too so you sharing that with me helps alot. This other thing is at least 1/4 inch long and solid, not part of me. Can't even imagine how it got down the tubing,
Or maybe it is part of the drain???0 -
Cascader - the thing that looks like the tooth is the one way valve for the drain. Call the Center and have them ship you another one. They are super easy to change out. Just detach from the tubing, clean with an alcohol wipe and put the new bulb on. I already knew how to change these out before my surgeries, but I also lost the valve into the bulb. I do not think it is too uncommon.
SallyM - you KNOW that we all stanfd with you. And we all "get" where you are coming from. You go have your surgery and feel good about it. Unless members of your family have walked in your shoes they won't understand. And really, that is ok. WE all do. Hugs! I will miss seeing you in NOLA this time around!
Amy-- I hope you are doing well!
To me this next week feels like a reunion in NOLA since I have met so many of you that are/will be there! What a really fabulous group you will have down there! All you stage 1 ladies are so lucky to have all of them!
Chelle. I am sorry you feel your son has let you down. Do not put anything on your chest. Call the docs and see what they say as far as the tightness... Maybe anxiety? Have you tried any relaxation/meditation/guided imagery? All of these can help to destress and help bring you to a place of ease. Hang in there! Also, I recall my older daughter (she was 5 at the time) acting out after my stage 2 surgery. It was so hard to try and work through her acting out while trying to heal up. But it passed...! Sending you a billion hugs!0 -
Ahhh thanks Nordy ! Mystery solved . Now I can laugh about the "tooth" !
0 -
Sorry, I just reread my post and it did not read very clear - the thing you will be changing out is the entire drain bulb - obviously you can't change out the valve!
0 -
Dianne, I had my stage I DIEP in L.A. and I came out of surgery with very flat breasts, like hamburger buns. Misshapen hamburger buns! Dr. D did a lot of work on me, and my breasts are now nice and rounded and I have great cleavage. My abdomen was also a mess and he worked quite a bit there too. I had several surgeries in NOLA, and they all went very well with no issues to speak of. I became comfortable enough to go alone a couple of times, enter the hospital alone, and not even get all tensed up like I normally do when feeling anxious--I still am amazed at that! Dr. D elevated my DIEP flaps, then moved them higher and towards the center of my chest to achieve better shape and projection. He is the master at fixing poorly done reconstruction. I could show you photos of my before, during and after the process if it would help you feel better. Like Spring, no droop yet. Maybe never!
Chelle, my youngest child has ADHD too and trust me, I understand the impulsivity and bad decisions. He is now 20, and exceptionally responsible and trustworthy, but we went through something that had me under extreme stress for a couple of years while I was undergoing my NOLA surgeries, yet I healed up perfectly each time. Your friend would not want you to feel shame over what happened with your son. She has probably been through much worse with her own kids. Don't worry about your healing...you will be fine!
0 -
Jen,
I woke up after stage 1 with a bra with holes cut for the nipples but they switched me to an uncut bra just before I left. I noticed the indentations too. It's from the swelling. While your breasts are swollen, they will show an indentation for every little thing. It goes away when the swelling does. I needed to wear the bra 24/7 for four weeks, I think. After that I wore it as long as I felt I needed to pad the incisions, which was a while longer. My nipples bounced back just great after both surgeries.
Chelle,
Teens can be so trying! I hope you can find a little faith that he has a great, caring family and will turn out all right. When my younger son was a teen I was sure he was destined to be the next Unibomber, but he's 25 now, working as a software engineer for Amazon and seems like a kind and reasonably normal man.
Best of luck to the next NOLA party bus!
0 -
Hey there ladies!! Thank you all for the advice. My chest feels so tight but I'm trying to relax. My mom in law has some muscle relaxers that I'm gonna try and I will call the center tomorrow if it helps. It is amazing how much stress can really set your recovery back :-(
My son is on meds and can only say "I don't know why...I wasn't thinking" as his excuse. He's lost everything and he is figuring out exactly what "child labor" is and I'm sure this is NOT the way he wanted to spend his summer. I just feel bad for my hubby as this should have been a day to celebrate for him.
Anyway, thanks again ladies. I guess there will be another party in NOLA soon.
Oh Eva, I am not sure if I thanked you or not....I think I did, but that first week or so seems like a blure, thanks for the gift you left us!!! That was super sweet!!!
Hugs to you all and maybe I will get to meet some other when I go back for stage 2.0 -
Oh one more thing. Anyone else keep having skin "sloth" off? One piece came off and I am putting neosporin on it like Laura said, but I'm planning my shower in a few hours and it looks like I'm going to lose more. Anyone else have this? How long till it stops?
Thanks0
