NOLA in September?
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Read the post almost every day and really apprecate all the info. I'm having delayed bi-laterial SGAP on March 23 with Dr. D at NOLA. Spring can I be added to the list?
My question is I have my surgery date but I haven't heard anything else from them. I want to get my flights scheduled and I understand they send you a packet of info. Plus they are setting up with Hope Lodge before surgery which hasn't been confirmed and I've already got a condo set up for after surgery. When should I expect more info? I've emailed Liz awhile back and she answered but never gave me more info.
Cathy
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Read the post almost every day and really apprecate all the info. I'm having delayed bi-laterial SGAP on March 23 with Dr. D at NOLA. Spring can I be added to the list?
My question is I have my surgery date but I haven't heard anything else from them. I want to get my flights scheduled and I understand they send you a packet of info. Plus they are setting up with Hope Lodge before surgery which hasn't been confirmed and I've already got a condo set up for after surgery. When should I expect more info? I've emailed Liz awhile back and she answered but never gave me more info.
Cathy
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Hi Cat1,
Don't worry, I'm a month before you (2/23) and my info packet is on the way but I don't have it yet. I'm sure you'll get it soon.
Welcome to the NOLA thread!
Suzanne
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Nordy - I agree with Ccbaby. That was so amazing that you wrote something to everyone, even me! I just couldn't do that! Yep, D&C Friday. Just got back from pre-op appt with the doc. Turns out she was way more worried about the ovarian cysts I'd developed than she ever let on. Luckily, they have disappeared!
Nip Girl - I think I've managed to gain 5 pounds! Some of that MUST have gone to my rear end! And I know some has gone to my breasts - only making me need more butt fat, and more and more and more!
Cat - I wonder if you might be able to get that info quicker from Katie Staiger (?). I was there 9 days for stage 1. You'll need a pre-op appt and a one week follow-up post-op.
PamFla - I had Dr. D as my primary. He's a perfectionist, loves challenges, and is totally a genius. S was my secondary (?) and women would give a kidney to him, as well! I'd recommend either. But anyone associated with that place has got to be good!
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PamFla - Oh, and I forgot, Anne likes Dr. D's eyes!
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So Mel you went back to work yesterday? How is it?
Well guess what? I TOO will be back at work next monday. Just got back on the schedule. Stacy said should be no problem getting the return to work w/o restrictions. Will do 9a to 530p for a couple weeks....OMG I have not worked 5 days in a week in............... a few years? But I was doing 40 hrs/week..... only....4 short mos ago! HAH! VERY hard to fathom! the 2-3 weeks I was back were part time.
Yes, it's really winter...for you all up there...BUT we're due for some serious cold too- then I think it will be 60 degrees next tuesday?
Cathy, congratulations. I bet your packet is delayed due to the holidays. I bet you'll see it soon. If not- like Minnesota said a phone call to Katie never hurts. You cleared the biggest hurdle....You're on the schedule!
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Melanie...I am surprised that the center has not called you yet. They have called me 3 different times now. Maybe it is because we had different stages, but I still think they would have called by now. My paperwork doesn't say anything about the Spanx. I remember Dr S telling me that I would wear it after my drain is pulled and then I asked Celeste about it again on the phone today. Is your itchiness any better?
Cathy...Email Liz again if you don't your info packet in the mail soon and also tell her that you haven't heard from Katie yet about travel arrangements. I must have emailed and/or talked to Liz on the phone 10 times to make sure everything was in order. She is more than willing to help.
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Oh, does anyone know where I can find Spanx at a good price? I went to Ebay and they want $20, but I may need it before they could deliver it to me.
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I just bought some on Ebay & yes I had to pay 20+. But they are $36 at Nordstroms (the Higher power style) Was free shipping. So figured it was an ok price.
If you dont mind black they tend to sell for less on Ebay.
Jennifer- Good Look at work next week. It will be very hard going back FT!
Stephanie- So glad both your Sons are doing good.
Pam
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Thanks Pam......I know, it IS a lot.......BUT......it is very much NOT my nature to be sedentary and isolated as I've been the past few weeks so I think it will be a WELCOME change....Believe it or not I LIKE busy, action, fast paced...................I've had NONE of that in...a while......... and I feel like I'm losing it! We'll see -ultimately it may be time for a change just not sure what.....I Love where I work, my group....mostly the team and just hoards of resources BUT.......I just know after ALL this I am different and everything looks different........maybe I sound crazy, I was not unhappy in my work before..... I am ...just not the same....don't know how to describe and I may just be freaking out ...never had off this period EVER. FT and sometimes overtime for 22 yrs.
I thought I had a discount Spanx catalog BUT upon looking at it, it's just www.spanx.com
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Happy New Year ladies!
Nordy - thank you for your thoughts. I agree completely about happy mama = happy family. If you did it with two little ones, then I can do it with one!
I have tried to talk myself into being okay with no recon so many times. I feel like I have mourned the loss of my breasts repeatedly in the past year: after the mastectomies, again when I decided to go through with "optional" radiation knowing it would complicate recon, and again when I sat in the PS's office here and watched her diagram how she would cut away my lat muscle and tunnel it through my underarm to the front of my body. I realized that I just didn't want that done to my muscle and for days afterwards I cried buckets as I tried to come to terms with having this bony chest/prostheses for the rest of my life. Then again yesterday morning as my almost 2 year-old daughter sat naked on the floor, pointed at her nipple, and asked "what's that?"
Okay - I'll save the rest for my journal! Anyway, I just talked to Liz and received instructions for taking photos. I thought I had lost all modesty but I'm feeling nervous about taking them. We've been reading "The Cat in the Hat" here lately and this is what I imagine the docs saying after they see the photos of my chest: " . . . this mess is so big and so deep and so tall, we cannot clean it up, there is no way at all!"
Thank you again ladies for all your reflections! I have started a file of "NOLA tips" based on this thread that I will pass along to others as I fill it out more.
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Hi Laughlines- I too thought I had lost all modesty. After all I counted about 38 people that saw my breasts before my BLM. it didnt seem to matter after the 1st few.
I hated taking my Pictures & sending them to NOLA. I had Severe Symmastia (my Implants became one) And was very embarrassed. And then I saw my full body in a picture. Ugh. LOL
But they have seen it all & are there to help us : )
Jennifer I do know you like Busy, Action. I used to get 'Out of Breath' Just reading your full of Energy Posts!
Pam
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The wierdest (gross almost) But funny thing happened to me tonight.
I took my Last Vitamin & said to dh...oh- It kind of is in my throat.
5 minutes later I burped & out came Puffs of Powder! It was my CoQ 10 capsul Powder !
Pam
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Laughlines - I know your story all too well... it sounds so much like mine. My pics are posted on Timtam's site if you want to see how I look after stage 1. My chest was concave on the side that had had radiation (also optional - the docs said I could go either way but I wanted to do anything and everything I could to stay here to raise my daughter (now daughterS)). My daughter takes swim lessons and at one point last year when changing in the locker room - she pointed to a naked lady and said, "Mom! She has boobs!" I said, "Yes, she does." Then the lady looked at me and said, "Well, we know what you talk about in your family!" I just smiled and said, "If you only knew the half of it." I thought I could also come to terms with not having breasts, but I just didn't like myself... I had such a poor body image - which I didn't realize until I started pursuing reconstruction w/DIEP or GAP... one of the places I went for a consult (Hopkins, I think) had me fill out a form with all kinds of questions about how I felt w/my clothes on, off, in the mirror, in front of people, etc. It really hit me hard about how much I was being affected by not having breasts. I had no idea that it was having that much impact on me... SO... you do what is best for you - I am nearby in the Portland area and if you need to talk PM me and I will give you my number. It IS do-able... it is not without risk, like any surgery, but I personally am SO happy to have my beautiful (in my eyes anyway), nippleless football flap breasts. I LOVE them... and with clothes on - I am the only one who knows. My husband even forgets that they are really tissue from my hips. He says, "Honey, they are boobs and they are awesome."
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Pam!!! I have done that before! Try pushing that down with pudding next time! I am amazed that didn't make you sick... I totally vomited after I did that w/a Keflex capsule (I still remember vividly)... and this was about 8 years ago!
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PAM! LOL... too bad the cameras weren't rolling.. you could have put that on YouTube!
Laughlines - it is unbelievable how "spot on" your post was to how I have been feeling for a year.... I tried to talk myself into NO recon so much.....but in the end I realized that there was a reason I kept thinking about it and thinking about it... it was because I was just NOT okay with not having breasts. I think it hit home on my first beach vacation after the BLM... shoving shower scrubbies in my bathing suit. I too had a consult where they only offered me a lat flap and I was so not okay with that.....So... I'm scheduled for a bilateral SGAP with Dr. D on Feb 23rd in NOLA.. I have no idea what I'm in for and I'm nervous.. but I'm hoping for the best......and yeah... it all started with emailing naked photos of myself to New Orleans.. LOL. Your Dr. Suess thoughts cracked me up! When I sent my photos, as soon as I hit SEND, I pictured the email somehow going viral and suddenly pictures of my scary naked body would be all over the internet.. LOL. Then I thought.. "well, at least I cropped off my head".. LOL
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Eve, don't tell on me!!
Yes, I think Dr. D has gorgeous eyes. And I have only seen them in a photo, not in person. I can only imagine...
Anne
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Pamin, I think on the NOLA pictures, there is one example of a lady who has an implant too. I did ask about this, in my quest of hoping not to do both front & back to get "enough". It seems it is not done genearlly, and you could not add the implant during phase 1. It would have to be done later after the flap is all safe and sound. (I asked).
Jaim - I would let the surgeon get his hands on you and decide what is best, lumbar or GAP or whatever. If it's all the same to him then ask where the incision lines will be for each of them, then pick the one where they'll for sure be hidden in your underwear! (Which is probably both of them anyway).
For me, it's Dr. D's cool shoes. Have you ever noticed that man has the coolest shoes? take a look!
Sandy, OK I will wait the 6 to 9 months GLADLY, but I am pretty sure. I have a totally flat skinny torso except for a roll of fat directly under by boobs! Though that was marked with the blue pen, it seems they missed it. It does not show at all when i am lying down!!! But when sitting up, or bending over, it bulges out! To me it just looks funny given everything else is now so sleek and skinny minny. ha! But I will wait, oh yes, I have HAD IT! I will wait!
I am hoping to do this tweek, plus fat injections when I do the tattoo. Does that make sense? Can you do a tweek and a tattoo around the nipple, as long as the tweek is not a Nip Girl sort of tweek? (Fat injection needed on one side....)
Very glad to hear that insurance pays for "beyond phase 2", and that this is not all that unusual. Phew!
Spring.
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Thanks everyone for the info, If I don't hear something soon, I'll give Katie or Liz a call.
Anne, I meet Dr. D in October during my consult. He had a goatie and looked pretty darn good. Great eyes! I really liked him. He came in and introduced himself as Frank. Very easy to talk with.
Laughlines, yeah you lose all modest when you go thru all this. Taking photos is like a permanent record of what we've been thru and there is no getting away from it. I took photos of my old boobs and will document my journey this this process. I want to be able to look back and remember where I've been. I never once thought about not getting new boobs. I told Dr. D that I don't want 50 year old boobs, I want 30 year old boobs.
Cat
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Cat1 - I will be there for my stage 2 on the 25th... I fly in the 23rd and have pre-op the 24th... maybe we can meet up at some point? If you are feeling up to a visit on the 24th, I will come stalk you in the hospital...
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PS - Stephanie will you still be there on the 23rd? (I am thinking no... but wishful thinking that you might still be around...)0
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OK, I went to Target tonight and thought I would look and see what kind of undergarment/spanx type they have there. They had Assetts Shapewear by Sara Blakely brand for $24.99 that looks just like Spanx. I bought it and hope it works just as good.
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Thanks Spring you are right now I need to find something else to obsess about...lol...
Oh the pictures of me nekid...oh my poor eyes... It was horrible I am a photographer so I got my lights set up right but my poor eyes after looking at myself nekkid.......I have gained 10lbs since that time so I would most likely cry now... I did add my little flair to the pictures I added my Ravens undies...loll...
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Hi all....nothing much going on, just taking it easy hoping counts will be good enough this week for chemo.
I saw my medical onc ever since my 1st diagnosis in 2001, and just now having chemo after my second diagnosis. 1st time was just lumpectomy, rads, and tamoxifen. It worked, cause this is not recurrence, but new primary and is her2+ unlike my 1st one. But having such a long term relationship with my onc has made it easier going thru the chemo, and trusting his judgement.
Everyone keeps talking about their CT's pre Stage 1? I didn't have anything like that....maybe because I was having immediate reconstruction? Dunno...
Anyway, just checking in more or less just to say hi to all my "sisters" here... Keep warm, ladies!!!
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Gin - Hi! And it's hard to keep warm in Minnesota in January!
Laughlines - You are so funny! You just need to think of the docs as Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Did I remember my Seuss correctly?)
Pam - I heard a story about one of the docs laughing too near a beignet and inhaling the powdered sugar. So be forewarned!
Springtime - All you noticed were his shoes?!
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Ha Minnesota! Thing 1 and Thing 2 - I think you just named my future drains for me!
I just had my hubby take the photos and emailed them off to Liz fast before I could think about it too much. But I was in such a rush that I forgot to put my panties back on for the side photos - hello doctors!
Nordy - I have checked out your pics on TimTam and you look so transformed. I want that! I would love to PM you as things move closer for me.
And HoltBolt - I'm cracking up over the shower scrubbies! No matter what we end up with from NOLA, I'll bet they can outdo the scrubbies, eh?!
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Minn, Dr. D warned us against laughing while eating beignets, but didn't admit to doing that himself!
Spring, I know that last summer, when Dr. D was doing the fat grafts under the nips, I was told I could have my tattoos retouched the following day, but I didn't feel comfortable with that. It's a good thing I didn't accept that offer, since the nips were completely re-done in November. But fat injections into the breasts wouldn't disturb your nips, so I would think you could do tattooing during the same trip. I didn't really care---just a good excuse for another trip to NOLA was how I saw it!
As of today, just four more months of wearing the nip guards. I'm going to pick up some of the soft ones that I had just out of surgery, to keep pressure off the areola areas. I know that months of pressure can cause a permanent indentation in the tissue and since I already have a flatness issue in that area, I don't want to make it worse.
Well, I've got to get to bed, since our flight leaves in the morning and I still have errands to run before going to the airport. I always get really hyper before traveling and stay up way too late for my own good.
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Too Funny Laughlines (the forgotten panties)
Minn- I am very carefull when eating anythign with powdered sugar. You know the Rosette Cookies? The ones that are thin & you fry them in oil on a Metal Shape.
Then you sprinkle the top with Powdered Sugar. Well me & my Sister used to flip them & fill them with Powdered Sugar! I did choke on them many times!
Nordy-the Keflex must have been discusting. I was lucky this Vitamin did not have alot of flavor.
Pam
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ccbaby- We discussed Spanx & other brands maybe back in Sept?
I was trying to find cheaper easier to find brands. i did buy a Maidenform brand at Kohls- it seemed sturdier their the Fleexe brand there. But it had an inside leg seam. That did end up bothering me - wearing it 24/7. So I ended up getting spanx anyways.
So I would check & see if what you bought has seams.
Pam
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CCBABY - Yes the center has called me numerous times since Stage 2, but they probably will not call anymore now that I am almost 3 weeks (as of tomorrow!). I was thinking they might call one more time though. The itching is really a lot better, only have a few spots that bother me, and thats it.
Jennifer Jane - YES back full time. Monday I was so exhausted, I literally was asleep IN THE BED by 8:30, not just dosing in the chair. Next Monday I will be back to YOGA and I can not wait for that. I so need to stretch it all out. It is so darn cold here,you can not go outside for a second without freezing! We are supposed to get a slight break from the cold next week, so I am hoping to get some evening walks in and the back to the gym week after next. Life is so good these days! Rest well and take it easy going back, remember to drink your fluids and get plenty of sleep...it sure will take it outta you. xxoo Mel
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