Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction
Comments
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Cindy - Not mean at all. Money can buy just about anything and new boobs is one of them. "Reality stars" are just that - living in a fantasy world.
I am post-op 1 week today and feel pretty darn good. If I did not have to put up with 2 drains on my left side I would be great. Don't think I am going to lose any range of motion which is super. I want to play golf again sometime this summer. I am not a pro - far from it - but it is one activity that DH and I like to do together. Have my first follow up with my PS on Friday. May have to tell him again what an amazing job he did - LOL!
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Faythnme - I feel the same way. The stars get the best of the best doctors and don't have to settle for their hometown general surgeon for breast surgery like I did and have a screwed up mastectomy. I could go on and on, but won't.
shredbetty007 - Welcome to this thread. Be sure your PS has done several hundred LD flaps. I read on here some where that one lady couldn't even open a jar lid and regretted her LD flap. I haven't noticed any weakness on LD side with normal day to day activities. I did try to use my exercise bands and could only pull down half way on LD side and back started burning. I only did 5 reps and quit, thinking it's probably too soon to be doing this type of exercise. I see my PS Monday so will ask him if I should even be doing lat exercises. He did tell me the butterfly stroke would be very difficult and when golfing the lat muscle is used, but he used the words olympic and pro when he referred to swimming and golf.
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jo1955 - Glad you are feeling good. The drains are a pain in the #$%.
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nurseronda - The drains are a real pain in my side as well as a bigger pain in my ass. This should be classified as cruel and unusual punishment. The crap we do to have nice looking boobs.....
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Jo you are cracking me up about the drains. I hear ya! when I had my recent revision I had a drain and luckily it didn't have to stay in for as long as the lat surgery. They are annoying and always in the way.
You know, I'm on the fence with the Guilliana business. I think I watch because I'm curious, but really, it's not MY reality. So that's that.
shredbetty007 - I can't honestly answer the swimming question because I have always been a weak swimmer. Also my surgery was in Oct (lat on left side too) so I could better answer this after the weather is nice. I can say that I am still able to workout with free weights. I haven't tried the machines yet. Pre surgery I used 20 lb dumbells and now I use 15, but will probably make it back to my regular 20 lb once I'm done with follow up revision surgeries. I was almost feeling like I could comfortably do it and then I had revision on April 13. I haven't found anything in my day-to-day life that I can't do.
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I just found this site and this forum. I had a BMX with LD reconstruction 16 days ago and I am glad to read that being annoyed with my remaining 4 drains is perceived as a positive step toward recovery because that is definitely where I am. I am also interested in the discussion on getting back strength to lift weights as I was taking a yoga with weights class before the surgery and had worked hard for years to get up to a bench press of 30 pounds. I was wondering if I'd ever get back there again and if so, how much time it would take.
jwilco - Like you, I had immedidate bilaterial LD reconstruction with implants, no tissue expanders. My PS also said the LD muscle would support the implant.
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Question about massage - how often and how long do you massage your LD breast? I had the surgery in December and for the most part it feels soft and 'bouncy' however there are a few areas that are not.
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Massage? I did not know I was supposed to do this. Why, how often and for how long????? I am only one week post op so I am not behind the power curve yet. Any info would be appreciated.
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I just left my PS office. One more drain out and one to go. Thinking it could be awhile for that last one. I am two weeks post-op. he told me to start massaging 3 times a day for about 3 minutes each time. It helps to prevent build-up of scar tissue.
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joan - Congrats on one more drain coming out.
I am really beginning to think I am going to be stuck with mine for a while. It would be okay but they constantly hurt and I am getting crankier by the day. Sorry to whine but really?????
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So jealous, Joan. I'm just over 4 weeks out and I've still got 2 of my drains. They don't seem to be slowing down at all yet. They get more and more sore at the incision as time goes on - ugh, I just can't wait for them to come out.
I wasn't told to do any massage either, but I've wondered about it. I'll have to ask at my next appointment.
Did any of you use anything on your scars? She hasn't told me to put anything on them, but I keep feeling like I should be using some sort of ointment? I will say that the scars on my back are looking pretty good. In some areas, they're already a pretty fine line versus the giant purple scabs I started with initially. The front ones aren't as great, but I had an extensive amount of work going on there and I've had a lot of swelling. I had a lift (I was pretty busty with a G cup naturally) and my nipples were moved up, so I have incisions around both nipples and then the typical lift incision going straight down. Don't get me wrong, they're looking better and better and I can almost imagine them looking normal someday.
Hope everyone is doing well and continues to heal quickly!
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I bumped up the topic "Post Recon Surgery *Implant Massage*
Massaging will help keep the breast pocket(s) open to keep the scar tissue from forming...Capsular Contracture...or CC for short.
before you begin massage go to the topic and read all the post....
if you are going to develop CC it can come on quickly or could be several years
Radiation treatments tend to bring on CC. I had rads years ago with my lumpectomy but had the bi-lateral 4 yrs ago and have not had any problems with CC. I did massage therapy after I got my implants.
I just clinked on that site and it does not work anymore....they must have taken it off for some reason.....sorry
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Jen - Mine drains already hurt at the incision sites and I am just over one week post op. I see my PS tomorrow for my first follow up and I know for certain mine aren't coming out. They are not slowing down either. They stay pretty constant at 30ccs each 12 hour period. My back drain seems to do better than the front one.
Hope you can get the rest of your out soon.
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I wasn't told to massage either. Will ask when I go Monday.
Jen78 - My PS had me use Aquaphor healing ointment on the scars, but only after they had healed which was about 2 1/2 weeks postop.
My LD breast stays a little on the pinkish side. Don't know what's up with that. Does anyone else have this problem?
I guess I should feel fortunate to have had all six of my drains out by day 12 after surgery. I feel for you guys that have to put up with them longer. They sure are miserable.
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Nurseronda- I had pinkness on one side. My PS drew lines around it to make sure it didn't spread and she changed my antibiotics. It got better after a couple of weeks. I also ran a low fever for the first 3.5 weeks. That all seems to have resolved now. My PS said as long as I have drains, I have to stay on antibiotics, so I'm still taking them.
I was hoping I could get rid of the drains this week, but they've been busy. Now I'll hope for next week.0 -
Jen78 - the pinkness comes and goes on my breast and some times the skin seems a little puffy. I'm starting to think its breast lymphedema. I did have truncal LE and a little area of edema on my side prior to LD flap surgery along with mild LE in my arm and thumb.
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NurseRhonda-Thanks for responding. I'm pretty sure my PS has done quite a few lat flap surgeries....I will double check on the numbers, but he has shown me quite a few pictures of his work and I also plan on talking with some of his patients who have had this surgery to see how they are doing. I don't plan on being an olympic athlete, but still hope I can swim, bike and run once this is all said and done. I'm not sure if plastic surgeons can take a certain amount of muscle when they do the lat flap, but I'm going to ask mine if he can take the least amount as possible since what I really need is skin to replace all the damaged-radiated skin. I see you are a nurse too. I work neurosurgical ICU and told my manager it would probably be about 4-6 weeks until I would be back to work. We have to roll our patients who are on vents alot and I don't want to go back to soon. How long do you plan on staying out of work? Thanks again!
JWilco-Glad to hear you can still do all your day to day activities and that you are lifting weights again. I've been working out consistently for years so am hoping that being in good shape before the surgery helps me recover quicker. I know it did for my initial mastectomy back in 2010. Do you run or bike at all? If so, has the surgery slowed you down any with those sports? Thanks again!
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I have my first PS appt this morning and will ask about the massage. I already know the drains are not coming out - bummer. That are miserable. The stitches on one of them have come loose from my skin and it actually feels a bit better. Will let everyone know how it goes.
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shredbetty007 - I was off work for 6 weeks and told my PS that when I went back I wanted to be on light duty (no lifting or pulling) for 4 weeks. He was pretty much agreeable with whatever I wanted. I work in a small hospital (25 beds) and the majority of our patients are there for rehab, however, we get a few frequent fliers that weigh 300-500 pounds that want the staff to constantly pull them up in bed. I went back April 18th and have done fine so far. I have not lifted or pulled on a single patient. I carried groceries in last night and could feel my back burning on the LD side. Personally, I think it takes about 3 months to fully heal from surgery. I am hoping to be off at least 3 1/2 weeks with the exchange surgery. I cycled for years and ran some in my 20's then started running again 6 months before my BC diagnosis. 6 months after completing chemo, I developed neuropathy in my feet and although my feet don't hurt while I run, the soles of my feet become so sore afterward I can hardly walk. My ONC said it is not that unusual to develop neuropathy a few months after chemo. My feet feel the same way after working a 12 hour shift. I have been on Gabapentin since October. At first it helped a lot but then quit working. I started riding my trainer again. I have not tried to run since the LD flap surgery. I'm not sure about the muscle, although I wondered the same thing. That was one of my questions that I forgot to ask him before my surgery.
Jo1955 - sorry you want be getting the drains out, but hopefully it won't be too much longer.
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Back from my PS appt and it looks like I will have the drains for at least another week. I had expected that yesterday when the levels were way up. I am 10 days post op and got the okay to drive and go back to work half days. I can sit and work on my computer - frankly I feel so darn good I am getting bored at home. Since I did not have implants or any thing extensive done I can pretty much return to the majority of my routine activities. DH will continue walking our dog - which I miss the exercise I got from it but will resume that once the drains do come out.
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When I had my DM last March I had a LD flap on the one side and was left with a 12 inch scar (which has faded to almost nothing)
I started massaging scar areas as soon as they healed (about 2 weeks) with a rich lotion morning and night. Truly now you can hardly see my scars unless you are searching for them.
I was in the hospital 10 days with my DM and reconstruction and the first day home started back walking on my treadmill.I started pt with gentle massage by the pt 6 weeks after surgery. At 12 weeks under the PT I started gentle strengthening exercises and running on the treadmill. Now a year later I have managed to slip the disc out between L4 &5 and have bilateral pinched sciatic nerves. After 8 weeks of physio my physio has started me on Pilates and now a month later my back and sciatic feel better and surprise, I have more strength upper body where they took the LD muscle. Be sure if you do pilates, at least the first 6 sessions are private so you are watched that you are doing it safely, correctly, and for the most benefit to you.
So I can highly recommend pilates for strengthening. It's slow and controlled and meditative, like a more physical yoga.
I worked as and ICU nurse too, so I would recommend taking at least 6 weeks off from work as when you go back you will find that even with two of you rolling a patient on a vent, it will place a lot of stress on where your lat muscle was harvested. There is two small muscles left there under the lat muscle that will try to work for you, but I found I was tensing my upper and lower back to compensate - not a good idea. Also, you might try at home a low dose of Flexeril to take on the days when you work to keep those muscles from tensing as you won't be able to take any pain meds. .....take 8 weeks off!
Have patience with your drains - they need to be there as long as your drainage is more than 20cc a day!
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Sorry to hear you still have the drains Jo. It just takes time. I know it's hard, especially when you start feeling so much better.
Regarding biking or running. I only bike for recreation, nothing fast and serious. And running, well, if my husband saw this he would laugh. I hate to run. I always feel like I can't just relax and let my body do it. So sorry, no real triathlon experience. But I have been a regular gym person for years. I have toned down on the weights a bit but only because I'm working out at home rather than a gym. I do take weight training classes at the local college some times. Just like going to a gym and I earn .5 credits. :-)
I took quite a bit of time off after my lat surgery but mostly it was due to my drain being in for so long. I wanted it out before I went back. I had my surgery on Oct 11 and the drain didn't come out until the week before Thanksgiving. Also, for me, dealing with all the BC decisions regarding treatment, no treatment, etc., sort of drained me mentally. (I didn't tell anyone but three people at work. Still not sure why I made that decision but I did. Sometimes I wish I had told, but how do I do it now? and why? Oh well.)
For those of you that have a physical aspect to work, yes, take off as long as you can or come back with light duty or part time. If you do too much you will feel it. Better safe than sorry.
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jwilco: I was just like you and only told my two close girlfriends about my BC. At the time I was just to fragile emotionally to talk about it and I was trying (and failing) to be brave and strong for my husband and teenage son, as there is no other family other than us 3. As my husband is 20 years older than me, we all assumed if there was to be some life threatening illness, it would be my husband rather than me. I am the leader in our family and I fell apart.
I felt that the mental aspect of BC, rather than the surgeries, pain, chemo and radiation and loss of energy was worse. Like you, now I am faced with people wanting to know why I disappeared for a year, cut my always long hair off, and am 30 pounds lighter. Granted, I could of used with dropping a few pounds, but not 30. Also, my attitude has changed. I have no tolerance for petty issues, or chronic complainers.
If you want to tell someone, all I have done is said I had to deal with BC, having a double mastectomy and chemo, and just wasn't able to verbalize it to anyone outside of my immediate family and now I'm trying for life to go on.
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justagirl - thank you for sharing that. How have people reacted when you have told them all you've gone through? I too feel like my tolerance is limited these days. I don't have any children, my husband has two older children from previous marriage. So other than our family, it's just us. I had people at work ask about my me being off work but I just gave a vague answer, then the curiosity died down. Then when I had my recent revision I was only out for about two weeks. When people asked where I went for vacation I just said I didn't go anywhere and basically flubbed my way out of explaining.My husband thought I should have just been open about it. But I've worked at my office for 20 years and I just didn't want the gossip. I also didn't want to be judged for my decisions of my treatment or anything. Mostly though, to be honest? I didn't want people to look at my chest. I was so terrified that I would look different. That they would stare. Well, I was lucky that I had immediate reconstruction on my BC side so I woke up with a boob. Granted it was actually slightly larger than the other side and sort of weird (I had skin sparing, but not nipple sparing with immediate implant). If you really really looked when I was dressed you could notice, especially if my shirt was tight. After my recent revision they are a much better match. I didn't have chemo and I guess if I had then people would know.
Anyway, sorry. I'm rambling. I guess I just haven't had someone else share how they dealt with other people and have it hit so close to home. Thank you again. Maybe some day I'll just tell it like it is, or if I'm wearing a BC survior tshirt I suppose they will figure it out.
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jwilco: yes, for people that crossed my path while I was going through chemo, with my head covered and ghastly thin, if they had that look like 'what the heck is going on' I would just say 'breast cancer' - then they would say something like 'are you alright?' and look so worried I would just say 'looking good'. Then usually I would say, 'well, I've got to keep going, my girl is waiting for me at home (my dog) and end it. People would stare at me in stores and at the doctors office. Who, in warm Australia would be wearing head coverings, long pants and two sweaters except someone sick? I really did try when I went out to wear a cotton cap and then a full scarf with a fringe and I would tie it at the base of my neck and it would hang down like my hair used to and I took special care to put base, mascara, cheek colour and lipstick on besides drawing in my eyebrows which fell out too but then my eyelashes fell out - ha!
Reactions were kinda mixed of those who found out about the bc way later. One friend, who lives in Calif and we only talk like once a year and I send a card every Christmas but she doesn't, well she found out from someone my husband told (my husband was the chatty kathy and told everyone who crossed his path) and this woman called me up and said I didn't have the right to of not told her. Hmmmm and she is the psychotherapist?????? My standard answer for those people was it was just too much for me to deal with telling people and that was my choice then.
I also felt that people who didn't live near us, what could they do - why worry them and I already felt my whole life centered around my boobs, or lack of and it was truly too much for me. And yes, people who know I have had a double mastectomy stare at my chest when they first see me and then look at my face. One woman, after my dear husband told her I was having a DM with silicone implants said 'wow, now she can have really big breasts. I wonder if hers will be bigger than mine.' This woman had breast augmentation a few years ago and since then, I have to tell you, we all know she is proud of her breasts and flaunts them.
I used to wear loose fitting tops but now am getting back into more fitted things but the problem is they are all so low cut and one of my implants is liking to head toward my armpit so I have 'uneven cleavage'. If I wear a bra it isn't noticeable but a bra is very uncomfortable for me so I prefer to wear short cami tops, which aren't as low cut as bras. As my implants are small (224cc) and I was a natural 500cc, many people don't think I've had reconstruction.
Ah heck, this is why I don't get into it. Jwilco, let them wear the situation and you do and say whatever makes you comfortable!
I think the talk of cancer makes many people uncomfortable and then makes them say things that I hope if they really thought about it, are totally inappropriate. Other people, well, either they are plain dumb or mean. Let them go............
I had skin sparing but lost my nipples but was lucky I could have immediate permanent implants put in (that's why I chose smallies). I was also lucky to have a skilled breast surgeon and a wonderful plastic surgeon who always work together and 14 months later, my scars have faded to nothing and I have had my nips and aerolas tattooed and for all of it I am grateful.
My husband thought I should be open about it too, but one friend sent a mass of white lillies that would of been more appropriate on a casket (and white lillies have long been associated for me with death) and two other 'friends' just showed up at the house (we live out in the country) with flowers, crying and I had to make them coffee, serve cookies and calm them down. Great.
Maybe you are like me and I didn't want people to say 'there is Debbie - she has/had breast cancer and had a double mastectomy' - I want them to say 'there is Debbie, Max's Mom and Jerry's wife'.
Be kind to yourself.
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justagirl - Thank you again. We could probably both go on for hours but I completely understand about not wanting this disease to be your identifying factor. I agree with that!
I hope you have a really great weekend!
To the drain gang, hang in there.
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Well, it took 5 weeks, but the back drains are finally out! I felt instantly lighter and more comfortable. It's been about 2 hours and I can feel little bubbles popping in my back when I lean back, but it's fine. The PS said she'll most likely drain a bit next week.
I was interested in your stories about telling versus not telling people you had BC. I was 33 when I was diagnosed and I kept it largely to myself - I just didn't want people to look at me and and think of me only as the "girl with cancer." Slowly, I told my closest friends and family, but it wasn't until I'd had the lumpectomy and scans and knew that everything was clean and that I had a good outlook. At work, my entire department knew and they were amazing. So far, I've been really lucky with the people in my life - they've been totally supportive and have been really good about not treating me any differently.
Now that I've had the BMX, I'm a little bit more nervous about heading back into the office (working from home for now). I'm hoping that people don't obviously look at my chest...but I think the curiosity is natural).
I hope everyone is feeling well and hanging in there!
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Jen78 - Congrats on getting the drains out.
I am really hoping I get my 2 drains out Friday afternoon. I don't want to give up another weekend.
Hope everyone is having a good day.
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Jen78.. congrats on being drain free! I am almost 3 weeks out and I still have one left. It is looking like it could be awhile yet too. Darn! My PS said that when it gets down below 25 for at least a couple days, it could come out. I am not going to rush it either as I have noticed that my LE has gotten worse since the other drains came out.
Otherwise, I am feeling pretty darn good. The incision on my back is getting itchy though. And I can feel those inside stitches stretching. Feels wierd!
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Jo and Joan - hope your drains slow down and come out soon. It really does feel good. Glad to hear you're both doing well, though.
The itching on my back slowed down around week 3. Surprisingly, a good stretch of those scars has already thinned to a small pink line - they look really good. I can kind of picture how good they'll look a year from now. I'm not all that concerned as I view them as battle scars, but it's nice to know they won't be barbaric looking forever!
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