NOLA in September?
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Hi All,
Pamela & Betsy - so glad to hear you are both doing well! Betsy, on the laying low - I hear you. I felt that I had less energy after Stage 2 than Stage 1, got winded a lot more quickly. I'm not sure if that's what you are experiencing? I remember it taking me by surprise - I would have thought it would have been the opposite. Hope you are enjoying the festivities in New Orleans!
I am now about 3 weeks out from Stage 2. Everything is looking good - I'm happy with my new girls. They were swollen/larger at first but now I'd say they've gone down in size (still a huge improvement from where I started). I was at Gap Body the other day & trying on 36C bras. This is coming from a small B so I'm jumping (carefully!) with joy. I had spoken with Dr. D about the possibility of adding a very tiny implant in Stage 2 but he felt I'd look a little "packed in" and said that once you've had the flap, a little implant goes a very long way so the only option for me would be adding a very tiny one (70-80cc's). In the end I'm happy with where things are, but curious if anyone has had any experiences with adding a small implant to a flap for more volume? I don't love the idea of adding an implant, but just thinking in the future if things continue to go down in size, it may be something I'd like to have as an option.
For those who have completed Stage 2, when did you feel like your breasts came down from the swelling & were at their final stage/size?
Maxine, there are folks on here who are more expert than I who I'm sure will have a better answer but I think the bunny tail is the area at your sacram, just at the base/bottom of your spine, sort of at the top center of your butt. They call it a bunny tail because it can retain fluid/get puffy & swollen after the hip flap surgery. The dog ears are areas where the drain tubes go into your hip (they can also happen at the breast I believe). I think it's the tubing that creates a tiny flap of skin that can stick out a little - looks a like a tiny dog ear. Both of these things get corrected at Stage 2 so totally temporary. I'm not sure if I explained those correctly so ladies, please jump in if I misspoke!
In terms of the drains, yes, they can be in for several weeks. I had 2 on either hip, right around the level of the top of my hip bone. I felt this was one of my biggest challenges - trying to get dressed with drains. The things that worked best for me were skirts and dresses with pockets that could hold the drains. Kind of tough when you have 4 drains in, but once you are down to 2, it's much easier. If you are having the surgery from 1 buttock, you might just have 1 drain - even better. During my stage 1 it was warm weather, so I found some sundresses that looked loose & flowy that I could hide the drains under or went with skirts/dresses with pockets that held the drains. You definitely get used to it. One thing I would not recommend: I got brave/impatient at the end at the end of my drain tenure & tried wearing skinny jeans with a long sweater, put the drains in sweater pockets. The skinny jeans were a little tight & ended up pulling one of my drains out a bit. I then had to have it prematurely removed, which meant finding a doctor to drain the fluid. Not the end of the world, but in hindsight, I wish I had just been a little more gentle with that area and stayed with the loose/flowy clothing just a little longer.
Best of luck to you - this message board is a wealth of information, so glad you found it!
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Maxine - You have found the right group of doctors. I also had a DIEP done locally that didn't go well. Dr. D. did a prophylactic GAP on the good side and then went back and correct my DIEP reconstruction during stage 2. In my opinion a vast improvement of the DIEP side and also of the donor DIEP site. I mostly wore loose, thin warm up pants I got from Sports Authority when I had a hip drain. "Dog ears" can occur at the end of an incision where the tissue will sort of sticks up in a small sort of lump or point. I had them with my DIEP but not with GAP. I don't know if they have anything to do with drains (except drains are also placed at the end of an incision). Dog ears are very easily fixed during stage 2 so that everything is smooth so as Sydgrace said it is just a temporary thing. I did not have a "bunny tail" possibly because this is more of an issue with bilateral reconstruction. I had a hip drain for 4 weeks which, is in terms of GAP surgery, was a short time. i thought that the drains were absolutely an annoyance but not much more.
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Maxine-
I had SGAP surgery and initially thought that the drains would be stuck in my butt and I would be laying on them! But they are in your hips.
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I wore a nice fitting cami that holds drains with special drain pockets during day. While in hospital and at night in PJs, i wore thet hospital provided soft white looser cami that velcros up front with drain pockets. The "dressier" cami with drain pockets are comfy and keep drains up front and paid for by insurance.0 -
Pinkheart... I go back to work Feb 11
Cherrie.. I am talking Colace, no luck as of yet
Maxine.. I had a bunny tail and asked Dr D to correct it. He said he has started making his incision for bilateral GAP over the butt crack and finds it more successful, so in my stage IIb, he cut me there and gave me another butt lift. The shape of my butt is much better.
He also removed the fat under my armpit. On the right side, which was just to remove the fat, it looks great. On the left side where he did a rotaional flap, it is a little more drastic. But that could just be swelling. They have me in compression below the knees and a compression vest. I requested the vest as I wanted compression on the lat area.
I am home now... Pamela and I were on the same plane home, right next to each other. The plane was empty. I think it was full going down to Super Bowl, and no one leaving, so we lots of room.
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Betsy - so glad you are home. You sound pretty happy with these revisions.
Re: Colace - you might need to add 200 mg of magnesium citrate (pills) or miralax. Colace is simply a softener, the others will work pull water into the bowel and help the muscles move things through. Of course, my top favorite - dried plums (prunes). I brought them to the hospital for Stage 1. Works like a charm.
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Thanks Marty... I will step it up.
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I agree with Marty. Miralax and prunes!
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I am Miralaxing...
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I would mix miralax with apple juice and call it my daily appletini!
Worked like a charm. 0 -
My microsurgeon prescribed pharma miralax on the Rx list of meds, so it was paid for by insurance. I filled all my meds at home before going out of town for surgery. The miralax Rx came in a box in the form of a dozen single serving packets. He said to start it two days before surgery. He also prescribed Colace.
Appletini! LOL!
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I have added the Miralax to my iced tea... Name?
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Oh and no pain meds today!!
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Betsy, RegulariTea?
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Reliefini!!
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Laxi-tea-ni?
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Mix it in prune juice and call it Way to Go!
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ugh... still nothing.
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Prunes or warmed prune juice. Tricks of the trade from taking care of 3 elderly (80+) family members. The warmed prune juice seemed to be a direct conduit to success!
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Bdavis: Trying taking 2,000 mg of Vitamin C, if that doesn't work, take 4,000 mg. Natural cure for being stopped up and good for healing!
Question: Sternum pain. Those of us on the newbie 2013 site are experiencing it post-op. It is because of the bit of rib they take out?
Also, my breasts hurt, is that normal? I took a picture of my drain sites and a full frontal (pretty scary stuff) and sent it to the doctor's office and they said that I had nothing *emergent* going on.
Tnanks to all of you who stop by the 2013 DIEP site!
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On the nola website, they list a DIEP II as an option for women who may have inadequate ab vessels for a regular DIEP. They do not mean a stage 2. Their information on what the DIEP II does differently from a DIEP I is not provided, that I can find. Does anyone know what the difference is????????????
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bdavis- Good ole classic Castor oil might lube it up.......
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Nihani, Dr. D did a Diep II on me (said about 1/2 of his patients end up needing a Diep II) and explained it as not having adequately sized or arranged perforators in the abdomen. He rearranges them before transferring to the chest to optimize blood flow.
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Audrella...Thanks for the response.
I'm sorry to be so dense, but I don't understand the "rearranged" thing. Do you have any more details on what that means? I would like to have the info to discuss with my ps at my next appt.
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bdavis..warmed prunes seemed to help me. I found that no matter what I did to help with a bowel movement, it always took a week to happen! ugh!!
Pinkheart...Where can I find the "Cami" that holds the drains? That sounds really nice. I have had drains so many times and I end up wearing a zipped sweatshirt jacket with pockets that hold the two drains.
Sydgrace...I wandered about a implant as well if I can't be at least a C cup. I was a D before cancer with implants.
Bdavis...That is so good you are off pain meds already!0 -
So Jamie called me today from the SCSH and asked how things were going.. I mentioned the lack of BM, and like 20 minutes later had success... I had sent my husband out of a suppository but he came home empty handed... hmmm... so I guess it all worked out... LOL.. play on words.
I also had a DIEP II and Dr D explained it on his forum in detail.
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Glad to hear things are "moving along" for you bdavis! Again, I have to admit my ignorance, I've looked everywhere I can think of on this site, cannot find a Dr D forum. I really want to read what he has written, so could you please guide a computer challenged sister to the right spot? Thanks
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Hello bdavis! Glad to hear things are moving along but if they slow down again try "The Bomb" It's a shot of warmed prune juice and milk of magnesia. Probably 1/2 and 1/2!
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Whoa.....just found my way into the doctor forum! Looks like I have a lot of reading to do. Bdavis, can you give me a hint as to about when the info on the diep II was posted? Thanks
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Constipation? Fleet suppository! (relief in a few minutes).
I always Mirilaxed 3 days prior, then never had issues.
Anybody need dates added, PM me please. I was gone for a while and have not been able to read all the posts...
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bdavis....found the posting you referred me to.
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