Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction
Comments
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rozem - I am very happy with my results. I had to have a little revision work done on the breast flap. It looked like a small bubble hanging down. My PS did this in the office. I also have to go back to surgery and have more nerves cut since they were still moving and it was bothersome. Now all is well and I am done with all this.
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For those who have an implant to supplement your lat dorsi, does the numbness in the foob go away? How long does it take to get used to the implant implant being there? It just feels so weird!
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Momluke so sorry to tell you that my surgeon told me that there will alway be no feeling in the flap, unfortunately. I am lucky to have some of my own tissue and my nipple, and there is feeling there.
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Momluke so sorry to tell you that my surgeon told me that a flap will never have any feeling. I had two lumpectomies so I have some feeling in my latissimus flap breast
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Oh joy! Oh well...prayerfully I will get used to it!
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Momluke, so sorry to tell you that my surgeon said there never will be any feeling to a flap.
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Momluke I read your story and you have been through so much. You are strong and if you got through all that, surely you will get used to your flap, and be fine with is. HUGS!
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Thank you so much KateHudson for the encouragement! You know, going thru this whole thing, part of me wants to try to get back to the way things used to be. I really need to change my focus because the way things used to be would mean walking around with a cancerous breast! I WILL find joy in what I have today...a numb foob...yet a cancer-free foob!
I CHOOSE JOY! 0 -
momluke - My PS also told me that the numbness in the flap would not go away. My "patch" is small but none the less there. I am just grateful to be cancerfree and to have the new foob. We all have been through so much and I think this is just a very small price to pay. I have been keeping up with your story and you are one strong lady - you will get past this.
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Thank you Jo1955. I believe that all of us are some of the strongest women ever. We have all been through so much and our determination to "fight like girls" and our willingness to share so openly about our struggles from constipation to drain frustrations to chemo woes, has been empowering us beyond words.
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Momluke - My cancer was left sided and I remember asking my PS if I would ever be able to play golf again and he told me to play left handed. Talk about determination - I can play golf like I have for so many years. I am not very good at it but it is one of the few things DH and I can do together. I wanted to prove my PS wrong and I did.
You are absolultely right - we can talk about anything and not have to "sugar coat" it. We are empowered beyond words. I know I have learned so much from doing my own research and reading all the information packed posted on BCO.
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Momluke I love your attitude. You go girl!
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I felt great yesterday, but today I am totally uncomfortable. The drain site area and my back are painful, and sore. Is it normal for me to be experiencing this discomfort 19 days after surgery?
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Katehudson,
I would have a day of feeling worse after several days of great progress. For me, those good days became days of doing too much because I felt good. Before my last drain came out, I had to tape it down more becuase I was moving around more. The stitches would begin to feel more uncomfortable than I desired.
Are you still on your pain meds?0 -
Hi Momluke thanks for letting me know. I stopped strong pain meds, and I am only doing tylenol now.
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katehudson - My back did not hurt much - I started very gentle stretches a week out from surgery but the one drain I had in for what seemed like forever, the drain site did hurt and the stitch pulled. I could not tape it down because I have tape sensitive. If you have to, take your strong pain meds maybe just before bedtime so you can get some sleep.
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hi Jo1955, the pain went away, but now my back scar is unbearably itchy. Did you or anyone else still feel itchy around 3 weeks after surgery?
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Katehudson....YES!!! The itching drives me crazy and I am scared to death to use my DH's back scratcher to scratch it. My PS said the itching at the scars itself is a sign of healing so I'm trying stay focused on that. Even my lifted/reduced boob is itching! I've also notice my skin, all over is drier than normal. And extra dry on my chest (on the boob and foob)
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Katehudson - Yes!!! i also have itching and somedays it just about drove me crazy. There were parts of my back scar I could not reach. Mine is on the left and my left arm doesn't get around the back like it used to.
Momluke - Gently use the back scratcher. It will feel so good.
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surgery went well on friday 2 negative nodes. came home sunday midday. really glad to be home. Did any of you have numbness in lat flap and over TE 've been running a low grade fever. They tell ,its just from the trauma of the surgery.0
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Robertson,
I'm afraid the numbness in the lat flap may be permanent. One of the other ladies told me that and I confirmed it with my PS. So sorry...I'm trying to get used to that too.
That fever may be a sign of infection. Are u on any antibiotics?0 -
I am also numb in the lat flap and yes, it will be that way. My PS did tell me that.
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Hello ladies!
I had an appointment yesterday with PS and microsurgeon about my future reconstruction. My left TE failed twice. MS thinks I am not a candidate for the DIEP...We are almost sure it will be Latissimus...I also have another opinion appt in 9 days. Nurse navigator in Rex hospital mentioned about limited ability to use an arm after operation, because muscle will be removed. PS said it won't happen.Only workers f.e. in construction will have problems. I am a knitter. I hope I will be able to knit. I am scared and nervous. I try to read the topic but I have difficulties to concentrate because of chemo head.Do you , ladies feel OK after operation? What to expect?
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Hi Olgah! You will still be able to knit.
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Olgah! Like DLL66 said, you will be able to knit. I make quilts and play golf. I am 5 1/2 months out from surgery and feel a little tightness. Nothing to write home about - it is very doable. One week after surgery, I started doing some gentle stretches and worked my way up as time passed. I would say I have almost 100% range of motion. Most days, it doesn't feel like I had anything done.0
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Thank you, ladies! It helped me a lot! 0
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Momluke - I have an implant to supplement the Lat. I am no numb so much as 'less feeling'. If I squeeze I can feel it, if I touch my breast I can feel it; the only are I can't feel is the spot where the nipple was. My PS told me to massage my new breast every day to help everything settle and I can feel the implant moving against the other tissue - not uncomfortable or anything.
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A funny thing just happened to me. I was reaching for a pillow that was to the side and somewhat behind me. When I reached it kinda felt like my shoulder was trying to dislocate. It was such a freaky feeling. Anyone else had something like this happened to you??
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momluke - don't get me started on shoulders! I had never had a shoulder issue in my life before bc & the surgeries, and now it has become a chronic problem. I got frozen shoulder on the left side - my non-mx side, which is a little strange. Had to go to PT for that. It got my range of motion back, but both of my shoulders ache all the time, and certain movements hurt, particularly reaching back like you described. I have felt like my major breast spasms have caused my shoulders to constantly tense up with every spasm, and has pulled them all out of whack. When I finally had the Botox shots in the breast and armpit area, it cut the spasms way down. I have felt some relief in my shoulders, though they continue to have this weird feeling of fatigue & achiness. Go online and find some of the shoulder exercises and stretches that PT's give. Maybe you can nip this in the bud and not let it flare up as much as mine did.
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Lalove55,
Thanks for the advice! You are right...the incredibly intense spams does make my shoulder feel strange and it raises up as well. I find myself purposely lowering my shoulder all day. Its like the spasms are forcing me into the 1980's shoulder pad look!0
