NOLA in September?
Comments
-
Cherrie, great news!
Maggie, that drain will be out soon. Hang there.
Annalive, sounds like your 2b went well. I was glad to hear your bellybutton was moved. Mine is off center and it's annoying. Did you ask to have it moved in 2a? I'm hoping I don't need a 2b.
I'm sure my thighs could be smoother and thinner, but they really don't bother me. I know we will need to get fat from somewhere. I'm wondering if anyone has had fat removed for their arms for fat grafting? The arms do bother me, but I know its a smaller area. That and my neck. I look so much younger with the weight I've lost then the surgery, but the neck gives me away in my opinion. Maybe only I see it. But I'm not spending any other money on cosmetic procedures then what I've planned with the DIEP. I already feel guilty about all the money I've spent this year.0 -
Marsha, I did ask to have my belly button centered in stage 2a, and it wasn't -- maybe because Dr. S was busy with repairing my umbilical hernia along with fixing my wide abdominal incision and the breast flap revisions including lipo/grafting. I had been scheduled with Vinnie last May and didn't want to have a 2b, but symmetry was off, so I needed a lift before having tats. Now I'm glad I had the 2b revisions first and the tats all in same morning.
I hear ya on the neck and arms -- and inner thighs could benefit from lipo, but doubt I'll have anything else revised. Too expensive and too many surgeries.
Melanie, best wishes on your surgery Friday.
Maggie, how will you celebrate being drain-free?
0 -
I just love waking up and reading such positive posts! Ann - glad your surgery went well and that you now have nips! Melanie - I hope you got out of Salt Lake and on to NOLA. These flight delays just keep us on our toes.
0 -
Cherrie, that is the best news!!!
Maggie, so glad you are seeing the light at the end of a long uncomfortable tunnel.
Ann, you sound great! So glad it went so smoothly!0 -
Cherrie. Yay. Yay. And congrats.
Marsha. I was told that lipo'ing the arms leaves saggy skin. So excising the fat is better for the arms. Dr d said I wouldn't like the end result and would have a visible scar if he cut out the excess skin to tighten it up. So I skipped it. Legs are much more resilient. Love handles and out thigh is best cause then when they revise the ab or butt scars they just tighten things up then.0 -
And chelle. My pec workouts have not distorted anything. My issues I have had since surgery. But he may have said this to me knowing I want as symmetrical as possible. And having a stage IIc to achieve it. So perhaps he is just saying it COULD happen.
0 -
up down up down...I hate this rollercoaster..2 days ago 37.5 ....yesterday 47....just stay down
Maggie
0 -
I did pec work outs with gym equipment and all was fine, just FYI. I quit the weights in the gym when I ripped a rhomboid muscle in my back. Now I do Yoga upper body stuff, and no distortion.
Betsy, glad to hear you have a plan! The before and after is always pretty amazing. I thought, "did I really look like that before"? ha. we get so spoiled!
Ann, glad to hear all is well! Sorry I missed posting this:
July 10 - AnnAlive - Stage 2b, Dr. S., NOLA.
July 12 - Russell1 - Stage 2.
The one after that is Chelle on July 25! I wonder if they're taking a summer break?
0 -
Go Maggie go! I know you can't wait to be drain free. Me too!
0 -
Had my pre-op with Dr. S. He is going to revise my chemo port scar on my chest and also suction out a lypoma benign tumor I have on my shoulder that bugs me. Its right where the bra strap hits. I'm going to try and get more projection with the fat grafting. He said no drains!!! I am so happy about that! Other than that..just the normal stuff with Stage 2. Shaping and butt lift and fat grafting & nipples.
0 -
Melanie - sounds like a great plan! Sleep well tomorrow.
0 -
no drains...I hear birds singing!!!
0 -
Oh wow! Freedom!
0 -
Congrats Maggie!
Good luck Melanie!0 -
Congrats Maggie! Drain free happy dance.
Betsy, thanks for the info in arm lipo. Guess I will just need to start toning.
I'm finding that between my body makeover and my new hair color people do not recognize me. It's kind of interesting. I have been a red head for 24 years and I dyed my hair my natural color (brown) 4 weeks ago.0 -
Maggie- Your drains are out! You must feel like a new woman. FREEDOM!!! Yay for you.
0 -
Thinking of you Melanie! Sleep well and see you on the other side.
0 -
sorry ladies....I still have the drain...birds were singing for Melanie...she does not need a drain.....ah well...we should be dancing soon..this thing is running out of time soon...just wish the fluid would stay down
Maggie
0 -
Too funny, Maggie. We are all waiting for you to gain your freedom, but none more anxiously than you!
0 -
Maggie -- Crap, when are you going to get a break!? Sorry to get you confused.
Yay for Melanie!
0 -
Can't wait to hear an update from you Melanie!
Besty, Dr. D is going to lipo some axillary fat that I have. I was/am worried that this is breast tissue and asked about it being excised and he said that excision vs. lipo makes quite a bit of difference in terms of time and scarring. He didn't seem to enthusiastic about it, so I agreed to the lipo. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't re-evaluate this. I literally despise this axillary tissue, so I am SO glad it's going to be gone!
I've been working with Dr. Von Almen (the OB/gyn the center refers to) and have decided to have a hysterectomy and have my ovaries removed during my upcoming stage 2b. I was initially scheduled for a tubal ligation and ablation. I've had some complications crop up these past few weeks and turns out I need a hysterectomy, so I'm going to have a oophorectomy at the same time. Ovary removal has been a TOUGH choice, but I'm at peace with it. With my family history (a big question mark), a variant result (another big question mark) I feel like I'm playing a game of odds with my life potentially at stake. So, I'm going to do it, get it over with, and hope and pray my local Dr. and I can get my estrogen replacement such that I'm in a happy place
Very, very scared about this though.0 -
its ok girls.....it my own rollercoaster with its ups and downs...one day it was 37 next day 47 next day 60 (yesterday). It is eventually coming out....let's just hope a seroma does not come this time!!!!
Mags
0 -
Maggie - the longer it stays in reduces the chance of another seroma, right? Sure hope so. Something to make this worth it. My hope is that you get a month of freedom before the next go around.
0 -
Tracy.. I had lipo at stage II of the axillary fat, and it didn't do much. Having it excised took care of the problem. I asked Dr D why everyone doesn't just do that, and he said some people don't like the extra scarring. For me, the scarring in minimal and is under the bra anyway. It just extends on the side up to the back, but not onto the back. So if my arms are on my side, it is concealed. Personally, I am thrilled I had it cut out. As far as time, lipo causes bruising that lasts about a week, and excision may last 3-4 weeks? Drop in the bucket IMO.
0 -
I have axillary tissue literally in my armpits (gross!) and along my bra line. It's the armpit fat he seemed to prefer to lipo. I'm definitely going to look into this more. Thanks for the insight!
0 -
Ok... Dr D said he wouldn't/couldn't do anything with the armpit... There are too many delicate important things in the armpit... Plus, I have concluded that the puffy armpit thing is not fat. It is lymph fluid.Massage can help. What I had cut out was by the bra line, up toward the pit.
0 -
That makes sense. Mine is quite pronounced, so maybe that's why he agreed to do it? Like I said, he seemed to not want to excise it, which is what I wanted so I could know for certain whether it was breast tissue or not.
He did already lipo some of the bra line tissue and in doing so a strange ridge appeared. That is actually the first thing he mentioned at my consult. It seemed to bother him more than me lol. The lipo didn't get all of it and that is part of why I am going back for a 2b. There's quite a bit of bra line axillary tissue on my left. So much so that it's unconfortable for me. Hmmm...maybe I should ask about excising this as well.
0 -
interesting....I have "bulges" or what I thought might be extra skin under the arms since the mast...I always figured they would be fixed or altered at recon. Will def see what Dr M can do about them as they are annoying as well as unsightly.
Drain today is good...prob won't break 40...wth?? mind of it's own I suppose
Been in a spiral this week as one of my tn sisters lost her battle this week. Sad indeed but I gotta keep up my battle. My next appt is coming up with MO and it is really freaking me out. BC sux!!
Maggie
0 -
I had the lumpy scar revised in my armpit where I had an axillary node dissection at my stage 1. It not only looks better but it doesn't feel as tender as it has been for 6 years. I think he cut out some scar tissue. Whatever he did its a big improvement.
0 -
I am a big fan of excising the side fat... but I am equally super cautious about fiddling with the armpit. My LE therapist totally agrees. Tracy.. I would re-consider lipo in the pit. Try massage for a few days pushing the puffiness toward your back and see if it improves. And I mean DEEP massage. Since I started therapy, my armpit "fat" has improved.
0
