NOLA in September?
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Dr Trahan assisted with my DIEP flap... and I met him a few times on rounds... Plus he called me once when I was having an issue... so all good.
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Dr. Trahan assited Dr. D with my stage 1 hip flap surgery. I have never actually met him thought, but I hear from others he is very nice and an excellent surgeon. For stage 1, I could be wrong on this, but I believe they have two surgeons in the OR. I know for hip flaps they do.
Sending healing thoughts and prayers to Mags, Kbodie and Paula!!!
I am getting a little nervous about my consult with Dr. D. Is that weird? I really hope the solution is simple and I don't have to worry about the insurance woes...
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Russell, oh so understand wanting to get off meds, but girl the nurse is probably giving you the best advice for what you are going through right now.
This bc stuff (better word than I wanted to use) is hard to deal with even if you don't usually have your symptoms of anxiety, etc. Better to tackle that project after you take care of this one.
I was supposed to see my endocrinologist for a thyroid ultrasound, my dermatologist for a skin cancer check up and I knew I could only handle one thing at a time. And worry about 1 at a time- so I waited until the timing was right - that is my 2 cents worth - be easy on yourself and make this time before your Recon surgery as easy on you as possible.
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Dr. Trahan was the on call doctor after my stage one. (Dr. D was out of town) I had some issues after being released from the hospital and had to call the after hours number three times. He called back immediately each time, and had me send pictures. He stayed on the phone with me while I sent the pictures so we could discuss my concerns. After one call, he had the limo come get me and met me at the hospital. Everything turned out fine, but as a patient who had lost two flaps in the past I was thrilled with his care and concern. He didn't treat me like a neurotic woman, like I sometimes feel doctors do if you bother them out of the office. He didn't do any of my surgeries, but I would be completely comfortable with him.
Dr. Cohen was doing rounds the weekend after my October surgery to fix some necrotic issues, and he was great also. I had a fever during the night, so the nurses had to call him. He came to see me twice a day while I was in the hospital and he has a really caring bedside manner.
You just can't beat the doctors there. Such a change from going to a teaching hospital and seeing a constant stream of college kids strolling through your room! As a mother of a college fraternity kid, I was not confident AT ALL with these kids.
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Russell,
I think going off antidepressants cold turkey causes issues in about 10% of patients. I am one of them. I haven't been on them for about 3 years now, but I am definitely one that suffers from "antidepresssant withdrawal syndrome" which is on the package labels for ADs.
My doc and I watched it happen to me on about five different ADs. Even with weaning down slowly I would still have some of the weird symptoms, which started about 2 days after last dose. So finally I read a medical article and took it to him at my appointment and turns out he read the same one. Prozac has one of the shortest half lifes of all the ADs. So we weaned me off the Lexipro part way, then switched me to Prozac, and weaned down from there. I just had 2 days of very mild side effects.
I know we are all different, but I've met a couple of other women that went through the same game plan and did much better going off.
Nowadays, I just take a xanax PRN. It take it to help sleep, or when I'm having anxiety over crap like when I have to put the medical insurance company in their place when they try their games, etc. Yes, I do yoga breathing and stretching and all that, but sometimes that just isn't enough!
Take care and hope you find meds that work for you.
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Hey everyone,
Just now getting to a point where I can type a hello. Been in bed with catheter and pain pump since I got out around noon yesterday. My right hand has the IV in it and for some reason my whole hand is completely swollen I can't type or eat very well. Have not had an appetite anyway. Dr. Told my mom and my nurse that he thinks I wil be pleased. Think I am going to fall asleep again now. Thanks for all your support it means so much to me.
Keri0 -
KBodie, hand in there, I was also very swollen after stage 2. Rest!
Marcypt, I added your date to our list above. good luck!
Here's the rest of March!
Mar 15 - Paula_Kay - Stage 2, St. Charles Surgical Hospital, Dr. S., NOLA.
Mar 18 - Marcypt - Stage 1, NOLA.
Mar 20 - Elizabeth1959 - DIEP with Dr. M., NOLA.
Mar 26 - Judy_63 - Stage 1 DIEP, NOLA.
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Keri - glad you are well. Please ask the nurse to check the IV as your hand is very swollen - that often indicates a bit of infiltration. Not exactly an emergency, but can be very uncomfortable and you are not getting the full benefit of the IV.
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Oh, Paula, have a delightful rest tomorrow. Another step to the end
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Keri...what room are you in...i am in room 204 and will come to see you tomorrow if you would like. I am quite mobile and can move freely about the cabin now. I am feeling good and cannot wait to bust out of here. Saturday is looking good for me to be able to go home. I am so sorry that you are having trouble. May tomorrow be a better day for all us ladies.
Maggie-2
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russel, I can relate. I take celexa 10mg and believe I am ready to go off but Dr. advice is to wait to get thru the rest of my reconstruction first. Makes sense. Nipple in May and then hopefully I will be done except for tattoo. It is such a small dose that I would not worry about it right now. You have alot going on, and as Catie said, one thing at a time. Be kind to yourself.
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Mags - glad to see you up and about! Continued healing.
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Yay for you, mags! That is such good news. I ended up staying another night and in 205--right across the hall from you!
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Maggie it is so nice to hear that you are getting around more freely. I know you must have cabin fever, but not for long. You are going home girlfriend and it's only up from here. Take it easy and let yourself heal. You have been through a lot. Give Dr. M a hug for me.
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Thanks Cascader, pink heart, and Catie...all good advice!! I so needed to hear this. I decided to go back on until this is all over with. I will get through this:)!!!
Mags..I was so happy to read that you are up and about and ready to get out of there!!! Yay!!
Kbodie...You sound great!0 -
Mags, so happy to hear you are ready to run for the hills
Kbodie, hope you are out and about soon too
Good luck to the next group0 -
Yay, Maggie!! You sound so good! Keep the faith ... !!
Kbodie, well done. Up and about in no time. But the advice on the IV in hand is a good one. It is basically fluids that they are pumping in and if it is really swollen, that is fluid in the tissues not going into the vein. Might need a re-set. Unfortunately, been there, done that. But so glad to hear your "voice"!
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Hugs to you Melanie. It's so hard to know what to do. I'm on Prozac 40mg, which my Dr. increased from 20mg the day before my biopsy results came in. I am SO glad we did that. I would have been a train wreck...more so than I was/am. The thing is, everything about NOLA is fantastic...but it's still surgery, it's still extremely emotional, it still sucks we even have to be there in the first place, and there are so many unknowns we face going into it. It's enough to put the anxious ones among us over the edge! It sounds like you have a good plan, go back to your meds, get through your reconstruction....all the way down to your tatoos....then re-examine the meds. I'm betting you will feel so great about yourself once your journey is done that you will easily be able to toss the meds aside.
Maggie....glad you are doing well. Can I ask....is the flap here to stay, but has an infection? Or is there still risk the flap will not make it? Just trying to get my head around what you are going through.
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just got to walk outdoors..how divine.
audrella--yes my flap is still at risk. Getting better everyday that passes. the infection was in the skin all around the flap and appeared to stay out of the flap tissues. I am on 4 hour flap check and 8 hour vitals check. Dr M dances when she hooks up the doppler and hears that both vessles are holding their own...think she believes that that flaps are her babies.
I forgot to tell you that on Sun my daughter and neice were injured in a car accident. someone hit them from behind and my neice was not wearing her seatbelt and hit the windshield. We had flown her down from ATL to stay with my daughter while I was here so none of their parents were around. We sent in the grandparents to take care of the situation. They are both doing well and will be just fine. Some scary moments being stuck here though and not able to help
met Keri this morning..nice to meet someone in person from the boards. Happy healing Keri!
Maggie-2
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It w so great to meet Maggie. Breath of fresh air walking into my room this morning! And what an ordeal she has been through. Hope you have safe travels and being in your own bed feels comfy and wonderful.
I am having trouble bouncing back. Had a lot of work done. Not sure if I am going home today or tomorrow. Was supposed to yesterday but there was no way that was happening. Dr. Cohen came in and told me why I need to get out of the hospital (blood clots, etc) but I ran into. Dr Sullivan in the hall and he asked if I was staying another night.
Now that I am not using dilaudid I feel much better. I was pretty well high on that, room spinning, just wanting to sleep the whole time. Now taking Toradol which I remember from my other surgeries is the best pain management for me.
Still in the compression wear they put on during surgery. Have not been up for showering. So I haven't seen anything yet. Hopefully today. He was going to take care of every little issue I had and then some!
Trying to watch Weeds here in the room with my mom but I keep falling asleep!0 -
KBodie, we don't always bounce back! Sometimes we have to peel ourselves off the sidewalk. Don't rush yourself -- it will happen!
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I get to go home tomorrow...gotta pay a large copay for the meds I am being released on but who cares...I get to go home. I am so excited, nervous, scared...well you know. Just feel so safe here but Dr M said it would take a lot to get this baby to fail now. This flap-my last chance- has been through the ringer and is coming out on the other side successfully.
Maggie-2
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That is great news Maggie. Home sweet home!!!
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That's right Mags!!! It will survive, and I wish I had a million dollars to pay them for those meds!!! It's just not right!!!!! So glad you are heading home
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Maggie - that is wonderful!!! Will you be able to drive home to FL or do you have to hang around in NOLA?
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Congrats on getting to go home, Maggie. That is wonderful news. I am really happy for you after everything you have been through.
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I'm so happy for you!
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Yahoo!
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Mags, I wish I knew how to upload all those happy dance picture that would show you how happy we all are for you! Whoo hoo
) safe travels ahead of you.0 -
Hey everyone! I'm starting to feel a lot more like myself 2.5 weeks after my BMX/SGAP, but still worried about my one hard right breast. The left one seems just fine - like I would expect, but the right one seems hard throughout with just a few soft spots that seem fluid-filled. I'm up at night worried over it. What does this mean? Can it get softer later or... ?
Yay Mags! I'm so glad to hear youre better and that the flap is hanging in there.
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