NOLA in September?
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Ladies,, My stage2 is behinds now---Yeah!! Dr. M. Was reluctant to lipo because of my lymphadema so she re- shaped breasts and did an abd. Plication . A little disappointed but I didn't want to risk making it worse than it is. Surgery was about 4 hours. Katiejane
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Glad to hear from you Katiejane. It's so hard to give up control and let others make decisions for us. We just need to have a lot of trust. It is why we have chosen the doctors we have. Heal well and rest.
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Pink -- my open heart surgery was to repair my mitral valve that had been half-eaten and destroyed by endocarditis. Other than having had the infection, I have no cardiac issues. The choice was repair or replace the valve and I went to the best surgeon I could find in hopes of a repair. He did repair the valve (plastic surgery of another kind) and did so through a 4 inch minimally invasive incision. He was WAY ahead of others at that time. I do not have a top to bottom incision and my sternum wasn't cut, so my recovery was MUCH easier. It does pay to go to the best!
krazykat -- I also have BCBS for major medical, and that takes care of the hospital stay and surgery. Doctors are with another provider. Have the excellent ladies like Vicky have a go at your insurance at the Center to find out what is covered and what is not before you despair of your expander removal. I'm thinkin' this is a doctor preference thing, not insurance ... especially with the law on the books. Try to stay positive and keep talking to the Center ...
Nearing the end of the work week and it seems like when they know you are going, everyone HAS to have something done right then! Will be exhausted by the time I step on the plane Sunday. Looking forward to trying to connect with Jane, Maggie-2, Pamela44 and maybe even MartyJ while there. Have cell #s, will call! :-)
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For anyone in NOLA from the 8th -Thanksgiving please PM me with contact info. I have Celtic and Marty's. It would be so nice to connect if it works out. My surgery is at Fairway on Monday the 12th, stage 1, bi-DIEP, Dr. M.
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I promise I am not trying to rush Stage I recovery, but what is a rough timeframe for driving again. My DH needs a spinal injection about 3 weeks after and he won't be allowed to drive.
Cherrie - so glad you will be doing your pre-op with Dr. M on Monday. Somehow I had a vision of you playing in NOLA all marked up over the weekend.
See you next weekend!Celtic & Pamela44 - I imagine y'all will be walking the halls at the Center when I come in on the 8th for my pre-op. I'll look for you.
Off to pack! If I can only get my DH to focus on the task.
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KatieJane~ May I ask where you lymphedema is located? So you can never have fat grafting because of this?
Good wishes for a speedy recovery for you!
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MartyJ -- By the 8th, I will be in my hotel (hopefully ... if nothing goes awry and I am assuming it won't!) I will PM you with my cell phone. Perhaps we can hang on the evening of the 8th before your surgery!
Maggie
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Marty... I was driving less than 2 weeks post op. as long as you aren't on meds it should be ok.
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Pamela44, please PM me. We are both having stage 1. Mine will be on the 12th at Fairway. It would be nice if some of us are able to connect.
I am nesting at home and trying to see friends, doctor apps., and thinking about packing. As this nears I find myself thinking about it all the time. I am sure I am not alone. I don't know whether I am having DIEP/stacked DIEP. I will find out the morning of surgery. I trust my doctor to help with this decision. 50/50 for me.
Marty and Maggie it would be great to hang on the evening of the 8th. I will get in around 5 on that day. I believe Marty may be in Covington though.0 -
Cherrie & Maggie, while I would love to hang out on the 8th I will be in Covington. My last pre-op of the day will be at 3 pm at Fairway then we check into the Hilton Garden Inn. Probably best if I pass on the 8th. I will see Cherrie on Sunday at Fairway. Maggie, if you are up to it we can get together on the 7th. I will PM you details.
I agree that my mind is rather consumed with all of this. We are flying out of Charleston on Saturday morning so the suitcases are coming out! I am thankful that the weather in NOLA is just a bit warmer than here. I am having dinner out with friends so much this week that I am sure to gain ###.
I don't know what Dr. Marga will be doing to me either. My DH asked the other day and I simply told him that whatever Marga decided will be perfect. Because it has been so very long, I have no recollection of what my "original" girls really looked like. I just remember buying 32 D and DD bras and I was 25 pounds lighter. I am not sure that I have any expectations for the end result - maybe that is the scariest part. So unknown.
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MartyJ, I think I waited about 4 weeks before driving and used a pillow under the seatbelt. Maybe I would have driven sooner if I had to.
It's impossible not to worry about these surgeries! I took a lot of comfort in knowing I was seeing the best for my MX and reconstruction, but it was all-consuming pre-surgery. I'm 4.5 months post-Stage 1 and 1 month post-Stage 2 and feeling great. My figure has changed quite a bit and I'm excited to look ahead. My new breasts are as cute as the dang dickens and I'm cancer-free! I'm so thankful that I met people who told me about the Center and put me on this path.
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I'm about almost one month post stage 2 and have a strange hard sore area below one of my breasts. Afraid it's a seroma or infection. Guess I'll be calling Laura tomorrow. Has anyone had any issues after stage 2? Just seems odd after stage 1 went so smoothly.
LAstar, "cute as the dang dickens," LOL. You're too funny, so disappointed that I missed meeting up with you. You are so right though. It was consuming to think about these surgeries, but I think I mentioned before, thinking about surgery was such a welcome distraction from worrying about cancer.
MartyJ, I drove at about three weeks after my stage 1 Diep. In retrospect, I could have driven sooner, but didn't really have a need as I had help in the beginning.0 -
Just want to let all of you having surgery at Fairway, I live about 15 minutes from the hospital and work about 3 minutes from Fairway. Please let me know if you need anything. I would love to meet you all too.
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Akrazykat - the center deals with all sorts of things. Not just old implants or previous tissue expanders. Things way out of the norm compared to that. It will not be an issue at the center. All they do is Breast Reconstruction, and they have seen it all. They take on all sorts of cases.
That doc who would not touch you because someone else put TE's in? I mean really. Stay away. Way to gun shy and tentative if you ask me.
And all your red headed ladies! I had no idea!!! Learn something new with that one!
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Bethcw - Just added your Stage 1 to the list above, Dec 5, welcome!
Beth is having (she thinks) Stacked DIEP / Gap (otherwise knows as the "body lift"!) in NOLA with Dr. M. She's been lurking so you all should welcome her!
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Bethcw - welcome aboard. The women on this thread have been wonderfully helpful. I will be seeing Dr. M next Friday for my stage I. Marty
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Love cute as the dang dickens too! Gonna have to reuse that one at the stage 2 preop appt with Marga.
Great news I wanted to share with all. I had implant reconstruction for 13 yrs and something hubby always loved doing was coming in from outside during our cold seasons and putting his freezing cold hands on my girls. I really could not feel it but he could feel the warmth of me. Well...... It has been getting chilly near Chicago and he did that and I flung his arms away, jumped, then freaked a tad because I felt it. His hands felt like ice cubes. How cool is that???0 -
Hello Ladies. I went to see my oncologist today and he had my CTA report from NOLA. He said it showed something that seems to be in the bone of my hip area. But, he says that all my bloodwork has been good, as well as my bone blood work. He wants to wait until January after my Stage 2 to do a bone scan.
He doesn't want me to be alarmed....saying that it could be nothing....
What do you all think? I'm trying not to worry, but..... I can't help but to do just that.0 -
Ttay I am so sorry that you have to go through this. There is no such thing as not alarming someone who was been through what you have. The worst part is waiting. Why does he need to wait until January.? My thoughts and prayers are with you. I went through something similar and it turned out fine. I couldn't have waited that long as I tend to be a worrywart.
Bethcw, welcome! You will have so much support here. This thread IS holding me together right now. My stage 1is on Nov. 12 with Dr. Marga.
Jane123-thinking of you today!
Marty-- my pre- op at Fairway is at 3 on the day of your surgery. We will stop up to meet your husband in the waiting lounge. My surgery is on Monday the 12th. I may see you walking around. Stop inand see me. You will see me at my worst.0 -
Ttay, during the first few weeks after diagnosis I had issues with hip pain and became very, very worried. I had an X-ray and it showed something that could not be identified and so I had a bone scan. The bone scan proved that it was something utterly innocuous - I can't even remember what it's called - but something that was very common and completely benign. I remember my chiropractor being very upset with my oncology team because he knew it was absolutely nothing to worry about, and he felt they were leading me on a fear-filled wild goose chase. But at least I was glad to get confirmation on his hunch! I'm just sharing this story in hopes of comforting your fears. VERY often these blips that show up on scans are totally non-cancer related. Like Cherie said, she went through a very similar scare. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Cherie! Unless you are just too busy/stressed preparing for NOLA, I'm more then happy to come see you and show off my "stage two's"!! And offer any words of comfort I can as you prepare for this big chapter. Just say the word!
Much love, Tamara. I hope you got my message and that everything is going smoothly!0 -
Thanks, Cherrie and Jen. From what my onco has said before, recent surgeries or inflammations can cause things to show up...I think that's why he wants to wait on the scan.
I really appreciate the advice...... on to Stage 2!
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ttay, i know how you feel. during my preop testing they found a small unidentifiable mass in my kidney. I was told to wait 6 months, and so trusted their advice and just went ahead with stage one recon. it is hard to just do nothing and not freak out. i've since had my 6month recheck and it is still there, probably nothing but will wait another 6 months. i swear, the more testing the more they find and much of it "normal". i try not to think about it much as i am now preparing for stage 2 in charleston in just about 5 weeks.
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OK, gang, last workday almost done. Desk cleared. Sunday morning flight to NOLA. See some of you there. Will post when able!
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Good Luck Maggie... looking forward to my 2b.
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KatieJane- Glad to hear from you, and yeah for having Stage 2 behind you! Wishing you a strong recovery.
Hoping all went well for Maggie and Tamara. Thinking of those also coming up this next week.
Ttay- Keep strong and as you said focus on Stage 2. I too had something show up on my CTA scan that turned out to be all Ok.
LAStar- Love your comments! You have been very helpful and provided lots of great, uplifting advice.
Anita- Thanks for sharing your encouraging story. I am sure that was a great feeling for you!!
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Ttay, so for me? I'd insist on the bone scan now. I could not wait it would be bugging the sweet Jesus out of me. But that's me. God Bless you girl if you can really wait! Now, I assume it is really nothing, like everyone is saying. But I would want to know for sure.
Anita, hahahahaha! cccccold huh????
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My scan showed something also... I had to have a uterine biopsy... it was nothing... and this is why for most of us, scans are not given by oncologists... too many false positives and then further testing is required as we can't ignore anything... but of course the plastic surgeons need to scan us before DIEP and many times things show up... I agree, get the scan and put it behind you so it doesn't eat at you.
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I will be going home on the 13. Where is fairway? I will be in the Starwood suites after surgery . Still no power in nj .
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Can't ignore anything, yep! I belong to that club too. The wonder and worry is too much for me.
Still flabergasted over feeling cold hands:) I am really enjoying my puberty state of having real boobies ladies! Diep rates pretty high in my best decisions ever made list.0 -
I should hear back from the oncologist's office regarding my bloodwork early next week. I'll let you all know about that.
Question for you Stage 2 Vets: Were there any Pre-op tests required like we had to have done for Stage 1...within 30 days prior to surgery? Or do they just do everything down there?
I just love all you Ladies. For me, there is no one to really discuss all this with, and I can always ask questions and share here. My sister told me to put off my Stage 2 to get to see about this. I was thinking: Is she crazy? It's the end of the year. No out of pocket for me. IT'S NOLA!!!!!
I'm in no way thinking getting my recon is more important than this scan, but it's hard to explain the mental/physical well-being of being put back together no matter "what may, may not, or is to come" to someone not in our shoes.
Much, much love,
TTay0
