Inner Thigh Flap (TUG) Anyone?
Comments
-
Glad I found this thread. I am post BM (4 mos ago) and just finished up radiation treatments 4 wks ago. I have bilateral TE's and have my first visit with the PS in 2 wks. I don't think anyone in my area (ATL) does this procedure, but I was thinking about going to Johns Hopkins like densin1. I have been told I am not a good candidate for a TRAM or abdominal procedure, and I really don't want implants. I was wondering for those slender ladies who have had this done, how much volume were you able to get from this procedure? I used to be a D (and 10 lbs heavier before this whole ordeal started, could really use them now!) and would like to be a C. My thighs are probably the chubbiest part of me, so I think this may be well-suited for me. I am currently 5'2" and 116 lbs. Also, any additional info on persistent numbness at the donor site, along the incision? As for the hairyness issue, I think that would be uncomfortable. Anyone had laser done to the inner thighs before the surgery? Also, how long were you recommended to wait after radiation, those of you that had to have it?
Thanks to all of you for your candid responses. I think most of us really appreciate the details that you are willing to share.
0 -
I forgot to mention that my surgeon says i need to wait until at least 3 months after the initial surgery before he will do the nipple reconstruction. He said he will do it in his office. When I asked him how he does it, he likened it to origami! I have read somewhere on this site that it's important to check with insurance before having some of these kinds of procedures done, because some only pay if it is done in a hospital.
Regarding the laser hair removal, my PS said that it would be very painful if I had it done to my thigh before the surgery, whereas getting it done after the surgery and healing would not be very painful because a lot of the feeling would be gone. I had a skin-sparing mastectomy, but not nipple-sparing. So my thigh skin has filled in that area, and then some. The shape is sort of like a football--a fair bit larger than my remaining aereola. I don't know how much of this will be taken up with the nipple construction. The thigh skin does have some hair on it, unfortunately. I haven't decided what to do about that yet, if anything. The skin color is not as dark as my remaining aereola, but it's dark enough for me--at least at this point. I don't know if it will fade or not.
I am 5'10" and about 120 lbs. Only my very upper inner thighs touched before. When he drew down my leg with a marker, he told me to put my thighs together so that the lines would offset onto my other leg in a mirror image in case he should need to use that leg instead. But my overall my thighs wouldn't touch. I was and remain only a size A, or barely B in some bra brands. The new breast is a bit bigger than the untreated one, but I am told that it is still swollen and that it will actually be a few months before it settles into its final shape and size. Before the procedure, he told me that he would use most of the gracilis muscle in my case. I have read that for some people they can get by with just fat and skin and no muscle.
I only had DCIS and will not be having radiation or chemo. I initially was planning a lumpectomy + radiation + tamoxifen and was considering PS to fill me back out. He said he would do that reconstruction (a modification of the latissimus dorsi) BEFORE radiation because it would work better to have healthy tissue attaching to healthy tissue, whereas if I had radiation first, it would have been healthy tissue attaching to radiated tissue. I am sure that others have had tissue reconstruction after radiation, but I just thought you should hear what my PS said for me.
Regarding my incision , it is pretty far up near the groin crease, starts at the middle front, goes around between my legs, and halfway back around under my butt. My hubby says it is pretty well placed in the back. The front would show in regular undies but not in boy short undies. My incision does not go down my inner thigh at all. He "tunneled" down the leg to retrieve the gracilis muscle. I do have some odd feeling there--kind of a combo light burning/numbness.
Regarding numbness, it is decreasing steadily, but not quickly. My surgery was 3 weeks yesterday. My butt cheek was initially numb and is no longer at all. The back of my thigh and my inner thigh both still have numbness, with the greatest being immediately below the incision in the back. The front of my thigh was never numb. I have an occasional sensation of a "spark" for a second. I am pleasantly surprised to find that none of this is really bothering me, at least not at this point. I am still wearing compression shorts and notice that when I have them off for an hour or so when showering and drying, it is a relief and I seem to gain a bit more sensation. Then the shorts go back on, and it seems a bit more numb again.
I am still mentally at the point of "let's give all this time to settle down and find a new equilibrium," so I am actively avoiding evaluating things and rather am just trying to make objective observations.
My new breast has some firmness that I am a bit uneasy about, and the PS said that it may or may not be fat necrosis--it feels borderline to him, and he wants to give it some time about 3 months) to do what it is going to do--or not do--healing-wise. Then we will go from there. I am hoping and praying that it is not necrosis, but we shall see. My sense overall is that once the swelling goes down more, it is going to be a pretty good match to the other side. All the healthcare professionals I have seen in the last 3 weeks say it looks great, and they have seen lots more of these things than I have!
Your PS should be able to give you an idea of what size you might be able to expect when he examines you.
Best of luck to anyone considering this! It is a major undertaking, but that being said, I am amazed that my surgery is already 3 weeks behind me.
0 -
Hi Pink Butterfly,
I'm 5'2" and 125 lbs. I'm 50 years old and was a saggy "C" cup prior to surgery. After surgery I was a perky "C" (maybe a bit larger) and they were able to create nipples out of the fat and gracilis muscle from my inner thighs (the fatest part of me). My incision was across the top of the thigh, not going down the thigh. Also, my scar was around the areole and they saved the skin outside of that.
I still have numbness on the areole and nipple of my breast but I'm only 7 weeks post-op. I'm told that some of the sensitivity will return during the next year. However, I was also told that some numbness may be permanent.
I had radiation 17 years ago and had such a large dose that they won't do radiation this time. So, I can't help you with this issue. Also, I have very little hair and I don't notice any on my new breast area. I hope some of the other Good Ladies on this thread can help you with these issues.
Good luck with your planning Pink Butterly and please PM me if you need to.
0 -
Thanks, lifelover and Louisa2. It's such a long road, sometimes overwhelming to think about it. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
0 -
Pink you might want to check out Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction in Charleston. From what I hear, they do a lot of microsurgeries. I believe there are threads with Charleston in the title in the breast reconstruction section. That would be a little closer than Johns Hoptkins, but of course it doesn't seem like you could go wrong choosing Johns Hopkins. It's certainly a top hospital in general.
I think you just have to have your plastic surgeon assess how much cup size he can get. I was a B before. Right now I'm wearing one size bigger sports bra and I look bigger but it is probably still swollen. I have always carried my weight in my backside and legs so its not a big surprise I could do bilateral this way. I'm kind of like Louisa, my PS is thrilled with the results, my husband is thrilled with the results, the breast surgeon says they look marvelous and I didn't really care. to evaluate It's only been the last couple of days that I finally looked and said, I think its going to be good. Maybe its because this is the first time I got into one of my T-shirts so I can see I look like my old self. My thighs are not settled yet. They are more swollen where the drains were so they are not even yet, but I know I'll be thrilled to have thinner thighs too.
0 -
Hi Louisa 2 and thanks so much for that great summary of your TUG experience. The compression shorts your hospital gave you sound wonderful. I hope my hospital has those. The idea of pulling shorts up and down over those incisions does not sound comfortable. The zip/hook closure sounds much better. From your description of recovery I think I am definitely going to need help for several weeks. I will definitely be seeking some help with meals. I should be able to get help from the Mother's club and we also have a non profit in the area that does meals for cancer patients. I will also definitely be buying your pee funnel. Great idea! Glad to hear that you are making a good recovery at week three. Did you do sking sparing/mipple sparing?
0 -
TwoHobbies, Yes I like your idea about looking for a mother's helper. Maybe that would be cheaper. I'm going to start looking as soon as they finalize my surgery date. Two of the surgeons are available on July 5th & I'm waiting to hear from the 3rd. I'm hoping for that date or I will have to wait until August. Thanks for describing your nipple surgery and the process involved. I think I would need the laser hair removal too. It sounds like a bit of a process getting the nipples done but maybe worth the decreased risk of breast cancer in the nipples down the road. There is a surgeon here who does the verical incision too. Do you know what the reasoning is or benefits are for doing the veritcal incision? My surgeon does the horizonal one.
0 -
Two Hobbies,
Thanks for the suggestion about Charleston. I will definitely look into it.
I spent the whole day on this forum and now I am scared and confused. I knew it wouldn't be easy but I was hoping for just one more surgery for good. I saw pictures of the thighs after a TUG and they scared me. I read into the fat transfer thread and it sounds too good to be true. Then, the issue of it not being proven long term in terms of recurrence, and I am definitely risk averse. So, I'm going to log off for the night before I burst into tears.
I have a wonderful husband and 2 beautiful children who need me. Why am I so worried about my boobs (I just can't help myself.)
Thanks to all of you brave ladies for sharing what you have been through.0 -
I don't think there is any medical reason to do one over the other. I was initially going to do the horizontal. My doc said he would do either but he recommended the vertical because he thought it gave a better shape. That may have applied to my legs only - not sure. I was freaked out about the scar because I do wear bathing suits a lot. Everyone said the boy shorts cover the horizontal scar, but I've never looked good in those. Doc said he found the horizontal scar to be more eye-catching and that it tended to travel down the leg farther over time. I then met someone who had the vertical inside the thigh and she was very happy and said her scars were barely visible, although I did not see them. My husband said trust your doc so that's the route I went.
I wish I was a year out and could advise you better on the actual look. I feel vain even caring. It's not like sports illustrated was going to call. If they do show a lot, I will still wear my swimsuits with my scars. Maybe I'll tell everyone that was where the shark got me in my surfing accident. LOL.
0 -
Hi Ladies,
I think it is natural for us to be concerned about our breasts. I never really thought much about mine. They were just there and I never had children so I never gave them much thought. However, there are some days when I grieve over losing them and miss the sensitivity during intimacy with my DH. However, he keeps reminding me that they took out the cancer and the risk of further malignant lumps and I wouldn't want to go back to the way I was, living in fear of this. He also keeps telling me that they are beautiful and we massage them to encourage sensitivity. The brain is amazing - it will learn new ways to register sensitivity.
Pink Butterfly, it is okay to cry and to explore your feelings. It is a journey with our emotions to come to the point where we accept our beauty as we are.
One other thing on the bra size front: my surgeons suggested I get a bra size one size larger, but not cup size, chest size. So, I was a 34C and my sports bras are 36C.
0 -
Pink Butterfly: I found the decision on reconstruction to be very stressful. The only good part of it was I was so obsessed with reconstruction that I think I forgot I had cancer! At first I was signed up to do implants, and the very next day I was in a panic. That's when I looked for my current PS, who does many types of surgeries. I think that would be my recommendation for you. Find a PS who does many surgeries and go for an appointment and see if you feel comfortable. I was instantly at ease and it made my decision easier. You do have the luxury of time because you're not having immediate reconstruction.
Did the pictures scare you because of the scars or the shape? One thing I would say about the scars is I think the pictures are showing scars that are pretty recent, not a year or two out.
This is all a grieving process and you have to grieve. Don't feel guilty about it and don't feel guilty about wanting boobs.
0 -
Two Hobbies,
I can totally relate to being so obsessed with the reconstruction and forgetting (almost) about the cancer! My husband doesn't understand it - he thinks I should be grateful (which I am) for being better now, but I don't think I will feel that it's behind me until this part is too.
I think the pictures I saw must have been right after surgery. It basically looked like skin was removed from the thigh and put back on like a jigsaw puzzle. I know this is not accurate, but that's how it looked to me. The possibility of a thigh scar doesn't bother me so much, as I think that's where I'd be most comfortable having a scar over an abdominal or buttock scar. It's just the thought of all that cutting, and the realization that even going to the bathroom is apparently going to be a challenge after this surgery. I'm no stranger to the cutting, as I had bilateral lumpectomies with lifts prior to my mastectomies, and it was a rude awakening as to what it feels like when you are cut all over. I wonder, too, about it affecting my ability to exercise and whether it will increase long term chances of having a blood clot in my legs, which is already higher due to being on tamoxifen. And what about intimacy? I think I can probably get myself past the short-term stuff as long as I keep my eyes on the prize, but I really want a one - stop procedure, hoping this would be my last.
Thanks for suggesting the Center in Charleston. That looks promising, and is only a 6 hr drive from where I live. I will check out that thread as well.
0 -
Lifelover,
Thanks for the encouragement.
How did you find your surgeon? Even though I live in a fairly large city, I Can't seem to find anybody (in the whole state for that matter) that does this.0 -
Ladies, I am totally with you in terms of obsessing over the reconstruction approach. Because of everything I'd read, deciding I needed to get a mastectomy was easy as soon as I heard the doctor say "2 margins of the lumpectomy were less than 1 mm." I got so, so tired of reading about various surgeries, trying to imagine the realities of living lopsided and using a prosthesis, looking at a half-flat chest and scar every day, and most of all not being able to find very many photos of women built like me. I found it impossible to project a) how I might look after unilateral mastectomy without recon, and b) how I would feel about how I would look, and c) how annoying I might find it to have to use a prosthesis whenever I left the house.
Once I decided to do recon, the TUG was pretty much my only option besides implants, and I just didn't feel comfortable with the idea of something foreign that would pretty much be guaranteed to need replacement down the road. I didn't worry too much about the thigh scars because I can't swim! My bathing suit has a short attached skirt, which I am pretty sure would cover the scars, and I tend to wear longer shorts in the summer anyway, so I was confident that only my hubby and I would see them. And I tend not to scar very badly.
One thing that might help anyone trying to decide, which helped me, is that the physician's assistant gently reminded me that the first goal of reconstruction, and prostheses for that matter, is to make you look normal UNDER CLOTHING. After that, you need to do your best to assess whether you would feel comfortable using forms, or getting implants, or having tissue recon. I actually took a field trip to a prosthesis boutique before my lumpectomy, where a wonderful woman took the time to show me different types and sizes of forms, including one that was likely what I would have needed (had my lumpectomy been more successful). She showed me the bras, and let me try some on with a form. I sort of "bounced around" with it on to see what it would feel like. That information led me to conclude that I would be fine without recon after my lumpectomy (even knowing that they would be taking a sizeable bit of my size A).
Then things changed, and I had to start all over again. That is when I finally cried--I think more over the anxiety of having to wade through new sorts of info related to mastectomy and full recon, than over the idea of losing the breast. I knew the breast had to go for my long-term safety, and that was sort of confirmed because in the mastectomy pathology, they did find a few more spots of DCIS.
Pink Butterfly, I don't think you can absolutely count on the TUG being just one surgery/procedure. There is some risk of fat necrosis, and my PS says that can be treated down the road by removing it with either liposuction or surgically. He said that they can do microfat grafts to fill in any resulting divots, but that procedure is supposed to be rather painful and he said can take multiple sessions depending on how much fat you are needing to replace. And then there is the nipple construction if it is not done during the initial surgery. But those things can be spaced out until you are ready for them, if you even need them. Or you could decide that you don't want them regardless. You really do have some control over this. I think the key is to take your time, which you can do since you've already had the BMX.
Best wishes for peace of mind and an eventual decision you have confidence in.
0 -
Thanks Louisa2.
I do have time, and sometimes that feels like a blessing and a curse. Guess I am just too impatient. At first, I didn't want nipple recon or the tattoo. Now, I want it all. I realize that I will have scars out the wazoo. Yesterday, was trying on swimsuits, and there were 3 visible, not counting the ones from the lumpectomies, lifts, and MX. There's the port scar and one under each arm from LN surgery. Then there's the fact that my left half is still visibly scarred (front and back) from radiation. So, I get that I will never look the same without clothes (there goes my modeling career). But, I am hoping at least for natural looking and feeling breasts. I've seen some really good pictures, so I am hopeful, but have to remind myself that they weren't perfect before. (I'd just never had medical personnel critique them. Let's see, they were droopy and one was bigger than the other - after I had been poked with big biopsy needles several times, that is.)
So, I guess I have several more months of obsessing overhow to get the perfect boobs with the least amount of pain. Too bad they don't just grow back like a lizard's appendage.
Thanks for listening and sharing. Thanks, too for the dose of reality.0 -
PinkButterfly - I haven't heard anyone say it affects the ability to exercise long term. On that one, my doctor said its not a muscle you use much. Even now, I can move my legs any way I want. And I haven't heard any long term blood-clot risk. Anytime you are bedridden you do have an increased risk of clots and that's why they put the cuffs on that massage your legs that Louisa mentioned. And they gave me shots to preven blood clots in the hospital. If you're on tamoxifen, they may send you home on aspirin or some blood thinner for a few weeks. Write down all these questions so you can discuss them with the surgeon, because of course, I am not a doctor.
I was kind of overwhelmed by the big surgery and the idea that it take so long and they move body parts. It helped me a lot to know that other women had done it. And it seems like everyone is happy with the results.
Louisa, I hope you are healing well. Lifelover, I hope you can get your chemo started smoothly today. I am going back to work in one week. Not sure right now how that will be physically so I'm not looking forward to it.
0 -
Regarding the newness of having medical personnel critiquing one's breasts, my husband and I had a good laugh over the mammogram or MRI report that described my left breast as "unremarkable."
Yesterday I felt a tiny tug on the back of my thigh incision, and with my hand I felt something sort of stiff and scratchy. I thought it was maybe a bit of skinny scab, so I got my husband to look at it to see if everything was OK. It was a barbed thread, about 1.5 inches long. I went to see the PS today and his intern/resident removed it for me. She drew a cool picture and described how they have deep sutures, and then these others that are under the skin and done as a sort of zigzag stitch with sort of locking loop at the beginning. Very interesting. Anyway, I got the all clear to drive and don't need to go back for a couple months. Yippee! The narrow scabbing and marker around the thigh skin insert on my breast is gradually flaking off. He said it will take up to 3 months for the swelling to go away entirely. So I am happy with my progress and still being very careful with the sitting and bending.
Yesterday I did a bit of pruning. Tomorrow my friend is coming to plant my veggies for me! I had better get out there and figure out where I want her to put everything, so I don't waste her time. Lifelover and TwoHobbies, I hope your gardens are doing well and not taunting you with too many weeds!
Livelover, good luck with the chemo. I hope you can tolerate it really well.
0 -
Thanks Two Hobbies, but the chemo afteraffects are really getting me down at the moment. I'm sick to my stomach and have a bad headache. I can't believe how much medication I'm taking. I'm sleeping most of the time.
I love my garden but the weeds are a bit out of control. I'm trying not to worry too much about it.
Yuck, I just want to fast forward to the end of my chemo courses so I can go back to doing all the things I love.
0 -
Pinkbutterfly, I totally understand how you are feeling overwhelmed by all of this. It is such a big surgery and there are so many unknowns. I worry about the thigh scars too. I have only seen a couple of photos though so dont really feel like I have a real grasp on the final outcome. Can you tell me where you found before and after photos?
Louisa2 congratulations on getting the all clear to drive and being able to do some pruning!
Lifelover I am sorry the chemo is getting you down. I hope today is a better day for you.
0 -
Lifelover, I hope your chemo side effects only last a day or two so you can have some good days in between. May it speed by. I do sometimes wish I had discovered this cancer thing a couple of months earlier so I would be 100% now.
I've been getting out of the house a little more. For me, the worst part of going anywhere seems to be getting in and out of the car. Still sore and I don't have full range of motion but the burning pains are mostly gone. Speaking of full range of motion - I went to buy a spanx type garment to wear under work clothes since I can't wear bike shorts to work! While I was in the dressing room there was a cute top someone else had tried on. I tried it on and it was easy to get on but then I couldn't get my arms out of it. I thought I would have to get a sales lady to help me, but I did finally get out. So don't shop alone!
It has been quite rainy here this week, but today is sunny so I'm going to get out in my garden and flower beds before the rest of the day's activities start up.
0 -
Lifelover and TwoHobbies,
I hope you are both doing OK. I've been thinking about you! I hope you can both get some help in your gardens if you need it. Lifelover, when is your chemo done? Hang in there. TwoHobbies, I'm glad your burning has decreased. That is a weird sensation coupled with the numbness, isn't it?
For anyone looking for compression shorts: The brand I have is Marena Comfortwear. Here is a link to the pair closest to mine that I could find online. Mine have both hooks and eyes and zippers, and this description mentions only zippers. I would think that the hooks/eyes would be a good thing; otherwise, the tension against the zipper might be enough to break it. The hospital supplied these shorts, which was good because they cost abotu $100 per pair! Ouch. I kind of love them and hate them at the same time. I've been wearing them for almost 5 weeks. My incision is healed, at least externally, but a week ago I decided to not wear them at night, and when I got in bed I felt kind of insecure, so I put them back on.
http://marenagroup.com/garmentstore/product/tabid/199/p-85-1st-stage-girdle-with-short-legs.aspx
0 -
Hi, Louisa. Our vegetable and herb garden is being well-tended by my husband. My flower gardens-not so hot. He's not interested in those, like I am. I'm working a little on the front yard only and they look pretty good. The back will have to wait. Although there was a "weed" that turned out to be a foxglove so there is one benefit of not weeding.
I really had an urge to try to ride my bike yesterday but I thought I might kill myself if I lose my balance and I can't correct myself due to a sore spot. But still contemplating...
I'm almost seven weeks post-op and most of my discomfort is still in the chest and from the sentinel node biopsy. The feeling in my breasts is coming back. It's still dulled but not completely numb like a few weeks ago. I feel pretty good in the morning. By about 2 pm I'm sore again. This is when I wish I had a decent pain med I could tolerate, since I can't even take ibuprofen or aspirin now. I also noticed my range of motion problem is in the side that had the SNB. I can only lift that arm to a certain point and the other one I can lift all the way. So I'm working on stretching the bad side a little more.
I also feel a little insecure without the compression on my legs, although I don't wear them to bed. Until the last few days, I was getting some ankle and feet swelling, so I figure its good to continue to wear them during the day at least.
.Lifelover, I send hugs and wishes for you to feel good again.
0 -
TwoHobbies, That's great that your hubby is doing the veggie garden! One less thing to worry about. I can't imagine even thinking about riding a bike-- I'm still wanting a pillow to sit on if I'm sitting on a hard chair.
Regarding your range of motion on your SNB side: I developed cording, or axillary webbing syndrome, about 2 weeks after surgery. I had been doing the exercises they gave me to do in the hospital, but one of the precautions was to not raise that arm above shoulder level. No one told me to watch out for this condition. I identified it on one of the topics on this site--someone posted pictures. It looks like there is a tight string in the armpit, and I could feel the tension extending down my arm and wrapping around to the inside of my elbow--very uncomfortable when extending, to the point of being painful.
I call the breast surgeon's nurse, and she said she had seen it a couple of times and that she would have the physician's assistant call me back. She never did. So, after reading everything I could about it, I found a physical therapist who specializes in women's health and lymphedema and got my plastic surgeon to fax a prescription for treatment. After just two sessions with this amazing therapist, my range of motion has increased dramatically. She does a combination of various stretches, massaging, bending, and pressing for maybe 20 min. or a half hour tops.
Cording/AWS does not appear to be a very well understood condition. But it is very real, and the relief I have obtained from therapy is huge. If you have anything resembling a "piano wire" in your armpit, you might want to check it out.
I'm glad your foxglove was spared! I love those.
0 -
Hi Louisa and Two Hobbies!
Thanks for the information and support and yes, I'm feeling a bit better after my first FEC chemo. It was a rough first week for me and I just went to bed. I haven't been on this site much since then as I've been a bit depressed about having to go through the chemo. I know I will get through it though because I want to live as long a life as I possibly can.
My 2nd chemo will be on the 16th of June - every 3 weeks - 6 courses in total.
Uggghhh - my poor garden
The flowers are pretty but the weeds are growing tall too. The garlic are looking good as are the parsnips and baby carrots. Chili's also are doing nicely. I need to keep up with the weeding now that's raining here in our area of England again. I'll get to it Oh yeah, my numbness is better. The hard areas in my breast are soft now and the shape and scars look amazing. My thigh scars are quite large and I'm not terribly happy with these. I still have a seroma on one side - it filled up again after it was drained. I see my surgeon this week and I'm going to ask him what can be done. I'm massaging my scars and my arms where lymph nodes were removed everyday although I think I could probabaly be doing this more.
Enjoy gardening Ladies
0 -
Irishluck,
So sorry to be this late in my reply. I got so absorbed in the fat grafting thread that I spent an entire day reading it, then went away for a week and didn't have web access.
If you google 'transverse upper gracilis flap' about the third entry there is a plastic surgeons blog. It has diagrams and photos of the procedure and the scars. I honestly don't remember where the really graphic photo was that I saw. Looked like it was pretty soon after surgery. I imagine I found it in the same google search, but it must have been a few pages in. I'll keep looking and post a link (if I can figure out how to do that) if I find it.
If I may ask, where are you on your recon journey? As I posted on another thread, I change my mind about every 10 minutes about which way to go. There are no TUG surgeons in my area, and it's hard to coordinate medical care away from home, but I did it before and am willing to do it again if need be.
My indecision is complicated by the fact that I just came back from a week's vacation where it seems everybody but me had breasts and could wear whatever swimwear they wanted to, and no scars! I had totally eliminated implants as an option because I don't want foreign objects in me, and want a permanent reconstruction, but now I'm having a hard time with the residual scarring and possibly numbness from yet another surgery. So, after depending the day on the trip down on the 30-pages of fat grafting thread, and the day on the way back up on the implant thread, I'm back again!0 -
I had a seroma in my thigh drained again today.
Tip from surgeon: Wear the compression shorts (I haven't been). Even though I'm 2 months post-op I've been told that when the seroma is drained the empty space will fill with fluid again unless compressed.
Okay, I'll wear the shorts already
0 -
Lifelover, what timing for me to read your message--last night was the first night I didn't wear my shorts, and I was toying with the idea of not putting them on today. It's been 5 weeks. I haven't had any seromas or infections, but maybe I will just wear them during the day for a couple more weeks for safety. Thanks for the warning. Of course, today they are expecting it to be 92 degrees here, and those buggers are hot!
How long did it take for the hard areas of your breast to become soft? I've got a hard area on the side near my sternum. It's significant in size and has me worried, although I'm trying not to think about it. I still have a bit of scabbing on the incision too, and although most of it has healed beautifully with just a fine line between breast skin and thigh skin, about a quarter of it appears wider, more irregular, and a little recessed. I'm not really worried about that, but the hardness is different altogether. If it will have to be removed, then it means more procedures for fat grafting, I guess. After coming this far, I wouldn't want to wind up with a hollow in my new breast! Time will tell.
I hope you feel better all the time and can gain healing of a sort in the garden. Even just lounging in it is good for the spirit. And what's good for the spirit is good for the body.
0 -
Hi Louisa,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I do enjoy sitting in the sun in my garden and listening to the birds. I agree that it is healing for the body and spirit. One day I will be able to go back to teaching with a refreshed and happy spirit and healed body
2-months post-op and all the hardness has gone from my breasts. I remember one particularly hard bit I was upset about and then before I knew it, it was gone. However, the nurse at my previous appointment told me not to get my hopes up about it - but it disappeared!
As for the recessed areas of the scars - my surgeon yesterday told me to massage these areas with moisturizer - just the scars. 2-3 times a day for 2-3 minutes each time.
I've been massaging my thigh scars for a few weeks now and they are starting to look better. Less hard and scabby.
The scabs around the scar areas on your breast will disappear. Mine are finally gone. Each time I showered I used an antimicrobial wash recommended by my hospital and exfoliating gloves and gently massaged the scars and the scabs and stitches (I had outside stitches as well as inside) eventually fell out. I had scabs as late as last week but they are all gone now.
I hate the shorts and the weather is cool here in England - but I'm just not a patient person when it comes to being confined in clothes. I never was a girdle wearer back in the 70's when all my school friends were wearing them
0 -
Timely topic as I talked to my doctor yesterday about the compression shorts because I'm having more swelling again, after it had resolved. He said continue to wear them all day and at night still, if I can stand it in the heat. Yick. I had definitely not been wearing them at night once the incisions healed. Its been hot here too, Louisa, 98 and 90 something the last couple of days, but a thunderstorm last night brought in cooler weather, so hopefully you'll get the same. I'll keep on the lookout for that cording. I definitely don't have it in my arm, but at first I thought maybe I did in the armpit, then a second look I don't think I do. But I hadn't been doing my exercises regularly so I'm trying to do the stretching every day instead of forgetting for two days. .
Lifelover I was thinking about using a little exfoliant on part of my incisions but was a little afraid I'd open something up. Maybe I'll try that. I have spots where they used glue and it isn't coming off by just washing with my fingers and soap.
I enjoy listening to the birds too but I wish they would stay out of my strawberries!
0 -
Hello hope you dont mind if I jump in- although I have not read all posts.
Lifelover- I also had a golf ball size seroma on my thigh. It had started when I had my drains in. I was not instructed to wear a compression garment after TUG- only after lipo in stage 2,
Hopefully the compression garment will help your seroma go away. I had mine drained three times and it lasted for 4 months. I started a low carb diet and within 3 days the seroma was Gone and I have never had it come back but I stayed low carb. Low carb gets rid of excess fluid that you do not need in your body. I did not start the diet to help the seroma but I was thrilled it made it disappear!
I just wanted to share this tip that may help.
Happy
0
