NOLA in September?
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hope all went well with Kelly and Maggie today. My pre-op appt. with Dr. D was rescheduled from today until tomorrow. Kind of bummed that I flew in by myself this morning for the appointment, and I had a full day tomorrow for exploring. It is so cold here I have not done a thing all day!! I'll see him tomorrow afternoon, and it is supposed to warm up tomorrow. No sight seeing for me this trip! My hubby comes in tomorrow night around 8 and surgery first thing Friday. I'll be glad to have this over with!
I'll check in tomorrow after I see the doc, and hopefully will get a chance to check on the stage 1 gals here this week.
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Aw sorry you got rescheduled... That has happened to me. Keep us posted.
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Dianne- I know this is disappointing as we built ourselves up emotionally for these appointments. Have a peaceful evening and it will all go smoothly. Thinking of you and wondering how Kelly and Maggie are doing.
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Dianne--We're all waiting to hear how your pre-op goes. If you have news of Kelly and Maggie, let us know!
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My stage 2 surgery was a few months ago. I am happy with my results so far but the scars are still very red. Do you have any scar cream recommendations?
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Betsy,
I have tried finding you on FB and can't? Not sure what the problem is. Mine is public now if you want to try-Shawn Chauppette Bordelon
Thanks!
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vwbordelon,
Not sure if this will help, but I had problems finding Betsy as well. If I searched in the main field across the top left (assuming your are on a computer not mobile device) that says "Find people, places, and things" I could not find her. However, when I used the "Find Friends" feature (top right), I was able to find her.
Not sure if this will help you or not.
Edited: for typos because I can't type.
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Shawn... I friend requested you... Not sure why you are having trouble finding me... odd.
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I'm new here to the discussion group and have been gathering so much info, I thank you all very much. I was recently diagnosed with DCIS in my left breast that is stage 1 but not treatable with a lumpectomy since the lesion is too big. I've decided to have a mastectomy and I'm leaning towards DIEP flap. I have been seeing physicians at Brighams in Boston and I've been happy so far. I'm posting here because I've heard that NOLA is a very good place to have this kind of surgery and so I've checked out their website. It seems to me that the photos posted there are quite different from photos I've seen at any other institute in that the scarring on the breasts and abdomen seems minimal. I was wondering if anyone could offer advice on this topic. It would be very difficult to travel to New Orleans since I live on the Northshore of Boston but I feel that I want to go to the place that offers the surgeons with the most expertise since this seems to be a relatively new procedure and so I would be willing to travel if necessary.
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Hi Comet.... Women travel from all over... I live in NJ and so not that different from you. I think pictures speak for themselves. If you like what you see then you should seriously consider it. I was told by a local highly respected PS that no reconstruction could give me breasts that will look as good as my originals. I beg to differ. Perhaps HE couldn't give me a great aesthetic results, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. The NOLA docs are the best!!!!
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Comet,
I can not tell you how happy I am after 3 weeks post DIEP. My only regret is that I didn't have them preform my first mastesctomy. I had to pay a considerable amount out of pocket, but I would do it again! Piece of mind is worth a lot also! Best of luck in your search. Remember to take care of yourself. It's all about you now. Prayers heading your way.
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I traveled to NOLA from Michigan and am very pleased with the outcome. Make sure you go to docs that have LOTS of experience with these types of surgeries. You have time to make a good decision. I was out of network and paid a considerable amount also. I am a retired teacher and it was worth every penny.
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Had a great visit with Dr. D and Jeanine today! He was very happy with how my breasts looked and even asked if I wanted any more volume!! Um, no thanks.
He laughed and said he thought I could get the most beads on Bourbon St. Told you-- the girls are big. He seems awfully proud of them! He's going to shape some from the outer edge and fix my gap scars and huge puffy area about my butt crack. All in all, he seemed very pleased and thinks this surgery will be the perfect finishing touch. I did tell him to do as much lipo as the law would allow, and then suck a little extra for good measure! Also, Vinnie was there today, but he was rushing into a room as I was finishing up so I didn't get to meet him. I have tentatively scheduled tattoos on July 9th. Not wild about another summer visit here, but I can't travel after Sept. this year for work reasons. I can't do May or June, and I think April will be too soon for healing. So July it is!
Gorgeous day here today. I walked around the French market this morning before my visit, then browsed a bit along Royal this afternoon. Hubby should be here shortly, so we are going to grab a light dinner then get ready for tomorrow.
For new folks coming down, they've started doing hop on/hop off tour buses. I think this is a fun way to see a lot of a city in a short amount of time. Nice addition to the city, I think. I didn't take the tour, so I can't give a personal recommendation, but I've enjoyed them in other cities.
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Sounds good... Say HI to Dr D... my fav.
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Comet,
Sorry about your new disgnosis.
I travelled from Virginia to go to Nola. I interviewed the 2 local surgeons who do DIEP here in the Richmond Area and only one showed me photos and I was not impressed. I was thinking: this is your best work? So I decided to come to Nola instead.
I do have red scars but I'm 6 months out from stage 1, with stage 2 less than 2 weeks away. Even though I'm not finished I am very happy with my result so far. I went smaller since that's what my flaps could create, so instead of droopy DDs I have perky Bs like I had in my 20s. I thought it would feel too small but I love my new size and it makes me look much younger.
In the 6 years since my first diagnosis I have read about many women who had failed recons, or were not happy with their results. Not most people of course, it's the horror stories thst stand out. Some of these women went to nola to fix what no one else could. I decided that I'd invested enough of my life in cancer treatment and I didn't want to risk another disappointment, so even though it felt extravagant I went for it and I have no regrets. I talked to a number of women on the phone who post here and it made it more real than just reading a thread, and it gave me what I needed to make the decision. Feel free to PM me your number, and I'm sure anyone else here would be happy to talk with you.
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Marsha, I had to retread your post as the first two sentences made it see it was NOLA you were unhappy with. Clearly you were happy with them!
Comet,
I flew from JFK in NY to NOLA, direct flight, jetblue. The cost of the flight was less expensive than the alternatives (southwest, delta). As Boston is a jetblue hub ,if there is nothing direct you could connect in NY.
The NOLA experience was fantastic. Very professional. From arranging discounted hotel to arranging to stay free at the American Cancer society Hope Lodge to their free car service, great nurses and of course the docotrs themselves! The length of time I spent in surgery was 1/2 the time I was quoted by my NY doctors and I also spent less nights in the hospital. They responded to an email inquiry and had a price quote for me within a week and they stuck to their word. I knew what each stage of surgery would cost me, no surprises. (I couldn't get answers from my NY docotrs)
Wishing you the best.
Pat
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Comet, I traveled from Oregon and it was doable. There is a really bad PS in my town and a lot of women here have gone to NOLA to be restored. After seeing a lot of the NOLA reconstruction, I can tell you that the result photos on the web site are very typical. I'm one of the few with a complication (scar tissue necrosis), but I will not hesitate to go back to NOLA to have it corrected. I know I will have the best care there. If you contact them, they will start paperwork and ask for photos, then you can have a cost estimate in a few days and know if it's realistic. A huge weight was lifted when I made the decision to go there for my BMX and reconstruction.
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Pattysmiles, I made a slight edit -- so hopefully that is more clear now. Thanks!
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Deb... I don't know anyone with an implant in the natural breast, but I do know of at least one woman who got a flap added to her natural breast... No implants here, so can't comment further.
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You all are welcome! xoxox
Betsy, congratulations on winning the King Cake! I got it once, and it was like a party in a box! Lots of beads, a CD with music, etc.
ENJOY!!!0 -
think my last post disappeared, I'll try again. Thanks for all of the info about NOLA, that is very helpful. My plastic surgeon doesn't feel its necessary to travel but I am pursuing this. I have a diagnosis of DCIS in one breast but I'm concerned about the possibility of a recurrence in the other. Very difficult to think about losing both breasts but I will speak with the oncologist about this next week. Talking with people seems like best results with a DIEP are when the mastectomy goes well and a good amount of skin is preserved for the recon. Seems that allot depends on the surgeon doing the mastectomy as well as the plastic surgeon. So many decisions, my head is spinning
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Thanks Beverly!!!
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deb-
When i was a uni (now just got the other side removed-uni no more ) my ps put a small implant on the native side
for symmetry. The implant he put in the native side was small and it helped with the contour when matching the reconst. side. It actually turned out to be a good match. However, I then had to have the other side removed and his match was not great.
If it was me, I would just go ahead with both sides removed- go for a bilateral then You don't have to worry about this stuff down the road ....
Hope this helps
Stix
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Comet, you are correct that there is a better result if it's immediate reconstruction. When I was trying to figure out how to proceed, NOLA was fine with me having my mastectomy at home and then having reconstruction done there, but they explained that they prefer to do it at the same time, and the oncology surgeons at NOLA know exactly what the PS needs for reconstruction.
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Question for the ladies who have had Stage 1 and 2 in NOLA. Everything is set for my Stage 1 with Dr. S on 2/18. I heard from the Center last week, and they wanted to schedule my Stage 2 for sometime in May. I have yet to send them pictures and I'm not even sure what procedure I'll have, so I don't know if it's possible to know if this is enough time before undergoing 'fine tuning.' A new friend from this board told me that she was still swollen 3 months out, so I'd like to know your opinion. Also, do I need to schedule around Dr. S's schedule? Do you have to have the same Dr. for Stage 1 as Stage 2?
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I was told Stage 2 could be done at a minimum of three months after Stage 1, but they left it up to me when I wanted to do it. Yes, you will have the same surgeon. It may be that they want you to get it on the books since the schedule fills up very quickly. You could wait a little longer, and they will coordinate with Dr S's schedule. But I would schedule as soon as you can pick out a date. I scheduled mine for about 41/2 months following surgery, but I called them with a date the week after I came home from Stage 1.
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Mine was 3 months out and it worked out fine. I was trying to get everything done, in one year, for insurance reasons. ( I ended up with 3 tweaks since Diep) If that is not a problem for you I would go 4 to 5 months out and let things settle more. I am more impatient and wanted all this over as soon as I could. It worked for me, but I had no complications from first surgery.
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you do however, want to get on the schedule as they are busy docs and fill up fast.
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I went back at 3 months because I had narrow surgical margins in the MX and wanted to have that area re-excised. I wish I'd waited longer because my flap partially failed but it took a long time to realize that is what happened. When I returned for Stage 2, Dr. D thought the hard area might be swelling that would resolve. When I came back a few months later, it was obvious that there was a lot necrosis that would need to be dealt with. I wish we had known this prior to Stage 2, which for my cancer breast was rather pointless. This is a very rare occurrence though! Having your Stage 2 in May would mean getting it over and still having plenty of summer after you recover.
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I had my stage 2 done 3 months after stage 1 with no problems. I was even asking at my post op appt. when I could schedule stage 2. After stage 1 I was even making appt. for tattoos cause I knew Vinnie filled up quick and I had that scheduled 3 months after my stage 2, but instead of tattoos I had another surgery for revisions, now I am scheduled for tattoos in April. I also had the same doctor for all three surgeries.
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