Come join others currently navigating treatment in our weekly Zoom Meetup! Register here: Tuesdays, 1pm ET.
Take our poll: Caregivers, what do you find most difficult about caregiving?
Weigh in: What are the best and worst gifts for people with breast cancer?

Follow my Brava and Fat Grafting Day by Day

13567…26

Comments

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited June 2012

    Eileen just keep on trying.  I think we used to call it the pioneer spirit.  You go girl.

  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 2,461
    edited June 2012

    Best wishes for your surgery clb!

  • faithhopenluv
    faithhopenluv Member Posts: 154
    edited June 2012

    Best wishes clb! I'm not sure how extensive your grafting will be. I had a fair amount taken from my thighs for the first pass. I felt much better after the first few days

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited June 2012

    Best of luck tomorrow, clb!!!

  • EileenKaye1
    EileenKaye1 Member Posts: 166
    edited June 2012

    was able to achieve another successful 8 hour nite--as required by Dr. Ahn.  Was able to sleep--no skin irritation.  Amazing.  There may be hope for me using brava domes. 

    Best of luck--to clb.

    Eileen

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited June 2012

    I'm back.  Sometimes when we anticipate, it never comes about and that was me with lipo.  I knew I was going to be sore, but the soreness is only a bit more than exercising to the max.  I will take a pain pill this morning only because it is my stomach and getting up and down hurts and I want to be mobile.  Today is a free dome day and so tomorrow I start the next six weeks of pumping.  I am looking forward to it and having the domes stick a bit better now that I am even.  I went into the OR at 8am and I was home by 2:30pm.  Pretty amazing and I cooked dinner.  Not that my husband was not going to do it but I felt well enough and so I did it.  All in all a pretty good day.

    I am so excited for eileenkaye1 and her 8 hour nite.  yeh.  

    Having done the expanders I have learned that we humans are not very good in the patience department.  I am trying every day, as we all are.  Thanks for all of the good wishes.  I will talk to you soon and keep up the good work.

  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 2,461
    edited June 2012

    clb, so glad to hear how well you did with the lipo and first graft - yay!

  • faithhopenluv
    faithhopenluv Member Posts: 154
    edited June 2012

    Clb - so happy it went well!



    My brava start date is July 17th, I will be ready :) thanks again for sharing

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    faithhopenluv,

    I have an appointment on July 18th. If all looks good I will resume my BRAVA then in preparation for August 16th surgery.

  • EileenKaye1
    EileenKaye1 Member Posts: 166
    edited July 2012

    clb--congrat's on your first lipo session. 

    Lizdehart-best of luck on your next surgery

    My PS was not clear--what would be the best routine for using Brava prior to surgery? 

    By the way--was able to achieve a 12 hour nite--but it did wear me down(physically).  Would not be able to keep-it-up.

    thanks for the input.  Eileen

  • faithhopenluv
    faithhopenluv Member Posts: 154
    edited July 2012

    Thats great Eileen!  You may get used to it, the thought of a 12 hours night seemed impossible a couple weeks ago. 

    Are any of you in the middle of chemo pause?  I'd really like to wear it at night if possible, but I get so many miserable hot flashes I'm worried that I'll lose the seal and not realize it.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Hi Everyone.....First night back on the domes and not to bad.  I didn't take a shower though before I put them on and just washed with a wash cloth.  I think a mistake since I had trouble getting them to stick.  Finally good enough to sleep and only woke up a couple of times.  Tummy still sore but not anything that I cannot stand.  Bra off this morning for a shower and some chores and then back on this afternoon.

    Eileen why did it keep you up?  Let me know.  

    I definately have little boobs and my chest is not so concave.  In thinking about this and my determination to have this done, I have decided that it is because everytime I looked at a concave chest I thought about cancer.  My journey is so I will have days that I don't think about that.  

    Thanks for all your blogs.  It certainly helps to have friends in the same place as I am.

  • EileenKaye1
    EileenKaye1 Member Posts: 166
    edited July 2012

    clb-you are making great progress.  Brava appears to be helping.  Keep up the good work. 

    Felt fine during the 12 hours--it was the next day that I felt exhausted.  Perhaps I did not sleep well-not sure.

    Faith-after the 12 hours--the 8-10 should be easy.

    Requesting information on the usual pre-opt  recommendations.  My PS was not clear.  Eileen

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Eileen, I was told 10 hours on 2 hours off for the 3 days prior to surgery.

  • EileenKaye1
    EileenKaye1 Member Posts: 166
    edited July 2012

    lizdehart-- thanks for the input.  What was the routine prior to those last few days? 

    I think I can handle a short term marathon-especially now that I am prepared.  Eileen

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    10-12 hours a night up until the last 3 days.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Hi guys.....I wore the bra right up to my surgery to get the max pumping.  Now I am supposed to pump for 8 to 10 and then off for 3 or 4 and then back on etc.  Personal family problems have prevented me from putting them back on yet today.  I have to go for blood work and when I come back I will put them back on.  I hate this heat even though I have air conditioning, it is warm here.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Well another day done under "the dome".  I put it on yesterday about 4pm and it is 8am now and it is still on and sticking.  They want you to turn them upside down so that if there is any draining from the lipo surgery it will not get into the pump.  I did not have any draining and I could not get a good stick with them upside down, so last night after some frustration, I ended up putting them on the right way.  Got a good seal, no draining and slept through the night.  Going to see the doctor today.  Bruising from lipo is much better and I am encouraged.  Hope you all are doing well.

  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 2,461
    edited July 2012

    Clb, did they tell you to switch them from left to right, etc. (and up/down when you do get them to stick)?  This will prolong the life of the domes. 

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Hi dancetrance.....Yes I swapped them and also tried just up side down and I could not get them to stick.  I am lucky on this lipo however, I have no draining.  So I could do them normal and get them to stick.  Not sure on the next lipo though.  Doing this one day at a time.  I have boobs though and I am so excited.

  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 2,461
    edited July 2012

    Awesome clb!  so happy for you! 

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    So saw my doctor today and he has me pumping with just the pump for two weeks and then resting for two weeks before I go to hand pumping three weeks before another lipo.  Not opposed to this since I will need to give my skin a rest and we want to make sure that the fat is taking.  So back on bra this evening a 4pm with good suction and will try to make it until tomorrow morning around 9am.  Tummy still sore but I am getting there.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    It is almost 9am and I am going on 17 hours with the brava bra on.  No problems believe it or not.  I will take it off this morning and then back on this afternoon at 4pm.  This is easy so I keep waiting for "the other shoe" to drop.  I have kept the suction all night and the pump has barely gone on.  Wow so far so good.  Happy 4th of July everyone.

  • Hindsfeet
    Hindsfeet Member Posts: 675
    edited July 2012

    My plastic surgeon doesn't want to put fat in the area where I had a lumpectomy. The is a devit in the area where the lumpectomy was...left breast not the right where I had a mx. My plastic surgeon says he won't get near where that cancer was although it was removed. I would like for my breast to match. I'm tempted to let him fix the breast he's worked on and let another surgeon fix my lumpectomy side. Not sure. Surgery is coming up. I'm thinking about postponing the surgery until late August.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    I am back.  Sorry but there has not been much to report on.  I am doing the brava every day for about 17 to 18 hours at a time.  I did take one day off to let the irritation on my sking "take a break".  It seems to be better although still itches.  My surgeon has me using the brava for another week (so two weeks post op) with just the battery run pump and then I will take two weeks off before I start pumping by hand (heavy) for three weeks.  This will put my second lip about mid August.  Still so far not a hard thing to do and I no longer have a concave chest.  To tell you though that I won't be jumping for joy once I no longer have to wear these domes would be a lie.  I will celebrate.  But, nothing is easy when it comes to cancer.  We do what we have to do.  Talk to you soon

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    I would be lying if I said I was not enjoying my brava break. It did what my PS wanted, to loosen up the skin folds from my BMX to prepare for another graft. I am so thrilled with my choice!!!

  • dancetrancer
    dancetrancer Member Posts: 2,461
    edited July 2012

    Brava is indeed a love-hate relationship!  Love more than hate for me, for sure!  I'm very happy with my choice of recon as well.   

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    Been a few days but still on my two weeks with just the pump.  Finishing up today and then two weeks without any pumping before three weeks of heavy (hand pump) before more lipo.  I will admit that doing this in the summer is more difficult than in the winter, especially when on estrogen therapy.  Between the hot flashes and the weather I sweat a lot  but the first time that I had a bumps instead of a concave chest I knew that it was all worth it.  I know that this will be worth it.  And, for sure it is not as painful as expanders.  Tongue out

  • brcamomof2
    brcamomof2 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    So excited! I have a surgery date of August 16th. I took a 5 week BRAVA break to soften the skin folds which was successful. Hoping this will be the last surgery.

  • clb052975
    clb052975 Member Posts: 42
    edited July 2012

    I am now on a vacation from the brava.  I have noticed that it looks like most of the fat did not take and I am back to being fairly flat.  My surgery though was to straighten out the sides of my chest and not necessarily for the boobs.  I am still opomistic and can't wait for the next step.  My chest is loving the break from the brava and so am I.  Hope all of you are doing well.  An "atta girl" being sent out to lizdehart and her surgery date of August 15. 

Categories

Join Us on Zoom: Upcoming virtual meetups. Read more...
Give your account some personality! Add a profile photo.