NOLA in September?
Comments
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Glad you spoke with her. I think this taking it easy stuff is harder on you than the surgeries have been. I hope a bit of down time and no more levoquin does the trick.
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marty...you have me pegged...the problem with me is that I hate to ask for something to be done. If dishes need doing and are on the counter why cant my hubby just do them without being asked. Guess I am expecting too much. I told him this morning that I cant do the things he is used to me doing and need to really take care of myself for a couple of wks. I do not want to be permanently deformed...that is why I had recon in the first place...just not how I imagined it would work out for sure.
Maggie
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Maggie - it really will come together. This is a really good learning experience for your DH. Mine is spectacular - I cook, he does dishes. He cleans better than I do, irons better than I do and remembers that the wash needs to be done. A military guy. Gotta love them! Thankfully he knew what he was getting when we got married and didn't marry me for my cleaning or ironing skills.
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Mags..I know how hard it is to slow down..but you have to!!! Hang in there:)
Marsha..You look so great!!!!
Good luck all going in to surgery!0 -
Maggie... I am a do-er also... I had to self lecture, and let a lot of stuff go.. But the minute I came home from surgery one, I hired a cleaning lady. That helped... I did move a litter box and vacuum before she showed up.... you just can't do that stuff
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I really did not think I was doing that much..no lifting or vacuuming. I was under 50cc before I got the infection and yesterday it was over 90. I went shopping with my dd on saturday...hmmmm....DH and DD have stepped it up today...think he did not like the idea of a sharkbite butt forever HAHA
Maggie
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forgot to say I really packed that compression up with washcloths..thanks for that tip before ladies....I just hope and pray that it will seal up soon. The pain is so much better today so that is a good sign. Just super achy joints esp my legs and feet
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Maggie, I'm glad you're feeling a little better today. Slowing down really is so hard to do when we are so used to doing for everyone else.
Ok I think I may have a little problem. My abdominal scar healed up really well & I thought things were good when I started getting all this "pressure" kind of sensation/pain in my lower ab. When I tap it, it moves like a water balloon. What exactly is this? Will it go away on its own? Should I add more pressure? Should i use no pressure? I've been wearing a boy short type girdle from Walmart because I'm too short waisted for the ab binder they gave me at the hospital. I got it small so it'd give me a lot of compression over the scar but then its really tight at the waist. Was this wrong? Did I tourniquet myself? What the heck?!0 -
Barbmal5 -- I would call in to ask about that. I know that when I am active my stomach starts to swell, and the compression is supposed to help that. When I am "too" active I start to feel a burning sensation in my abdomen area. I wish I understood what was actually going on in there.
Mags20487 -- I'm glad you are feeling a little bit better. Just sorry that you have been hurting for so long.
Judy_63 -- Thinking of you today! Good luck with your Stage 2 surgery.
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Barbmal5, it sounds like a seroma. It may need to be aspirated. You may need to use more compression, but ask your doc.
Marsha, you are looking great! Have you had any improvement in your vision?
Maggie, hang in there!
Judy63, I hope your stage 2 went smoothly!
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LAStar -- Thanks! I went to the eye doctor today and he said the swelling has gone down, which is why I went on prednisone to prevent additional damage. So I will be dosing down off of prednisone over the next 4 weeks. However, the damage to my optic nerve is permanent and I will never be able to see out of the lower half of my right eye. It's just something I need to get used to.
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Maggie, I have been given fluoroquinolone class antibiotics ( levaquin, cipro) twice in the past year for different infections. On both occasions, I developed severe pain in the back of both knees, and in my feet. Immediately after stopping the drug, it went away. After reading about the s/e's online, I told my Dr's to put in my records not to EVER again give me that classification of drug! Glad you got off of it, and wishing you a quick return to good health!
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Marsha you look great!!! So sorry about the eye problem though
Mags sorry you are having another hiccup in your recovery. Hopefully this will be last!! I know it's hard to slow down!! I am the same way with the dishes and stuff that needs to be done. If no one else does it, I will, which I had to learn to stop doing after some complications after stage 1 and 2.
Barb, sounds like a seroma to me, but I only had small ones on my backside after stage 1. I'd call the docs and let them know.
Judy hoping you are resting and doing well!!
Good luck to the ladies coming up!!!
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Def sounds like a seroma barb...like a waterbed slosh. Call and ask if it needs aspirated. Had my bottom done twice...no pain with it just small needle prick...felt so much better when done! I could even hear it moving when I walked. Do not wait to call em...you may be able to compress it enough to get your body to reabsorb it if it is not too big. Take care
Thx all for the well wishes. Pain in joints is better today after just one day off that nasty med...mood also better. Did not like the se's of it. Just my knees and ankles are a touch sore
Maggie0 -
Barb... Sounds to me like you have indeed tournaqueted yourself.Too much compression across the waist will interfere with lymphatic flow. Even wearing pants that are too tight for a day can do this. Compression is good, but needs to be all over compression, not rolled at the waist and cutting off circulation. I suspect you have done just that. Massage can help. The sloshy feeling could either be a seroma or pocketed lymph fluid.
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Hi everyone,
I got out of the hospital late yesterday now at the hotel. I had lipo on my thighs and lower back. Dr T done a plication on my stomach. Guess that's what happens when you have 8 and 9 lbs babies. Stomach muscles just don't bounce back. I was wondering why others were saying they had a flat stomach the first go round, mine was never flat. But now it is, guess I just had to have a little help in that area.0 -
Judy, congratulations! Glad you have a flat belly. I had a "flatter" belly below the belly button but it puffed all out with this "waterbed belly" thing i got going on now.
Bdavis, thanks for the info. Do you think this can be reabsorbed if i find the right type of compression? Laura said to call my Dr & get it aspirated. I called my Dr on Tues morn & left a message about what I needed, no response. Called first thing this morning & got a response by afternoon by the nurse saying: "Dr wants you to see your surgeon for aspiration". For real? I live in Erie, PA! Got another call from nurse saying they'll try to find someone & let me know. Still waiting. Good thing this isn't an emergency.......right? This sucks!0 -
So.. if its a seroma, you can either try compression or you can find a local radiologist and have them aspirate it. Radiologists work for ALL doctors, not just the local ones. If its lymph fluid, you would need to find a PT who does lymphatic massage and get the lymph fluid moving through massage. I suppose it depends on whether it feels like a water balloon under the skin or if it feels bloated. Water balloon feeling would imply seroma and bloated would imply lymph fluid.
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Definitely a water balloon. I tap it below my belly button and you can see it wave across to my hip and back. Freaky. Seems to be worse at the end of the night and a little better in the morning. Mainly on the right side but heading towards the left. I just got an email from my dr, they've got me scheduled for July 2nd. Should I call for something earlier or is 2 weeks ok? Thanks for all the input. I'm going to Kohls to see if I can find a "body suit" type compression. Not happy with this little setback especially since I have stage 2 scheduled Aug 14.
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Barbmal - I had 2 seromas on my backside where they took the SGAP donor site. I noticed them shortly after the drains came out (they should have been in longer but they were malfunctioning, so had them taken out with about 30cc a day). That was probably mid July. I noticed them getting bigger, one side was bigger than the other to begin with. Had some trouble finding a PS to work with me here out of state from my recon surgery. But I had a referal from my GP to a BS then to a PS - wound up getting it serial aspirated every week for about 8 weeks or so. Until I finally bit the bullet and drove the 7 hours to my PS and asked him. He said that at this point (that was about 10 weeks out from when I first noticed it) that the biggest chance of infection that far out would be with putting a needle back into the skin to aspirate and that I could wait the 3 months it would be until my stage 2. So from September 15 or so until January 3 I did nothing except wear compression. He then removed them both at stage 2 and they are gone!!!
I did find that if I was very active, it got bothersome, so I'd lay low the next day or two. I mean REALLY low!
This is my experience, not sure yours would be the same, but they can be re-absorbed, I think a lot of mine was re-absorbed before surgery, and the timing unless it is red, warm, and hurting badly and/or you have severe flu like symptoms, its nothing that can't wait until you go on July 2. IMHO that is. I'm not a Dr. just had experience with and finally without the seromas!
Hope this helps.0 -
Hope you have a speedy recovery Judy and hope you get some relief soon Barb.
Spring...my surgery date has been moved up to September 25th. Will you please change it on the list? Had a consult with Dr. D. on the 17th. My only real concern was/is the "sagginess" of my left side and the large amount of axillary tissue that I have. I guess I don't look as great as I think I do because Dr. D. has quite the 2b planned....abdominal scar revision, shaping to both breasts, lift to both breasts (confused a bit because this was already done), lipo of axillary tissue, abdominal plication, fat grafting, and as much lipo as he thinks I can tolerate. I thought it was going to be a much smaller surgery than my first stage 2, but it's going to be bigger. My tummy looks SO much better than it did, I honestly had no idea it could be improved even more!
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Had my consult with Dr. D on Tuesday, for now no more revisions for me!!!!! I have a few areas that have indentions but we both agreed they're not noticiable to anyone but me. His words were "your recovery and healing is absolutely golden, right now I don't want to do a thing". Love that man his such a little sweetie!
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Wonderful news mstrouble!!!!
Barbma..thinking of you !
Judy...sounds like you are doing great. I'm sure the pain meds are helping:) Cheers to a flat tummy!
My stage 2 is July 12th and I'm a nervous wreck again:/ Don't know why I do this to myself when I know I'm in good hands. I'm taking a picture of the butt I want out of a magazine. This should make Dr. S laugh:) Humor in everything seems to calm me. Hugs to you all!!!!0 -
oh and I'm telling him to put as much fat in my boobies as possible. I want them big and beautiful!!!! lol
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LIKE Melanie!
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I am compressed to the wazoo...have sat on my butt all day and the drain is already up over 60 for the day. I have a rolled up washcloth in the sharkbite to help keep fluid out. Any other suggestions? I am beginning to believe that my pain is nerve related. Does not hurt when standing or walking just when sitting, which at the moment is highly inconvenient. It is above the incision...a burning sensation...actual pain when I first get up then goes away in seconds. Not seeing an end right now...ugh!
Melanie...make em big n beautiful! You have had your own set of complications along the way and you deserve it! We all do!
Maggie0 -
Melanie, sounds like a plan to me!!
Thinking and praying for all those healing up and those about to go in!!
Question for the veterans here. I have been lifting weights and working out and I have lost 16 lbs so far. My breasts were a pretty good shape, but 2 days ago I really noticed that my left breast has started to develop a crease (not sure what to call it) You see it a lot after stage 1. It's where the upper part of the flap meets the chest and I know in stage 2 they go back and fill this part in with fat grafting so the transition looks normal. Is this making sense? Anyway, I am 9 months out from stage 2...Am I hurting myself and compromising the fat grafting by lifting weights? The right side looks normal though, which is odd right?
Any suggestions/recommendations?
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Sherry, that's a fantastic consult! Huge congratulations!
Maggie, it sure sounds like nerve pain or possibly even muscle spasms. Gosh, I hope relief comes your way soon!
Hope today finds you well, Judy.
ETA: Not ignoring you Chelle...I just have no advice.
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Melanie love your approach. A pix is def worth a 1000 words.
Maggie- I haven't had a GAP, but am wondering if laying down might help more than sitting. It sure sounds like there is a nerve that is unhappy. Is it more painful wi the rolled washcloth in the shark bite?
Chelle - congrats on the weight loss. Did you have fat grafted in that area?0 -
Yes Marty...the pain really started when she had me add the washcloths into the compression. First 2 weeks after surgery it felt good...like it was healing...now I am getting discouraged. That was 2 blissful weeks of being painfree. It is mostly on the skin surface and numbness and burning goes around into the outside edge of thigh. Making me wish I had not chosen recon at all ....except without flaps my le would be worse...sigh
Mags0
