DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
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grateful99 Ill be at St. Joseph's hospital London Ontario. Have to be there for 6am I live 1.5 hours away. Guess I won't be getting much sleep. Thanks, thinking Im going to need that cheering lol.
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taag4, don't worry about sleep, you'll catch up on it during surgery and after.
But let me tell you, I was STARVING after surgery, so my suggestion is to have your support team bring some food when they visit as soon as you're allowed to eat. I'm sure you know what the hospital food is like. I was also drinking a lot of water to get the medication flushed asap. My favourite? Push button pain meds.
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gratefull99- Too funny, hope there are lots of meds! Ya hospital food really isn't the greatest Ill use that suggestion. I was told I could only have two visitors a day and only between 4-8pm I guess Ill have to have a stash of food in my drawer. Also good idea with the water. Every little bit of info helps. Thanks
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taag4, you'll be sleeping lots, but in between, breathe deeply to clear your lungs of the stuff they give you in OR. And like BigSister here said, don't stretch out for three weeks, sleep with lots of cushions under your back and knees. Go back through the posts here, there is one or two that describe the whole process.
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Okay great thanks Gratefull99
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Taag4 - seems like Tag-you-are-it - you are next up. I am now Post op day 2. Getting there. Expect things to hurt more after the second day - I was getting my pain meds just as needed, and suddenly at 3 am everything caught up with me, I hadn't had any meds several hours, and I was pretty uncomfortable for an hour or so. Now on the every 4 hour med schedule. Biotene mouth spray was a lifesaver the first 24 hours. They won't let you eat or drink anything, and my mouth felt like the sahara. Hospital food is terrible, but toast and a boiled egg are hard to mess up. I do have lovely friends bringing me stuff. Fizzy drinks day 2 are helping my digestion:)
Best of luck to you.
Here is a laugh for all - I have been losing my normally thick brows quite unevenly, but i think they must have taped my eyes shut for surgery - when I woke up, almost all of my right brow and the few little lashes that had been hanging on were gone!!! I can only imagine what the anesthesiologist thought when she looked down at the tape!
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Congratulations on your surgery, zinny, how do you like your new foobs? And may your eye brows grow back soon! I got a bikini wax during surgery, and I'm sure it wasn't a shave but a duct tape yank.
Yes, it's a bit of a shock to give up the pain pump and then depend on nurses getting to you in time with pills. I was told that it takes 20 minutes to get the narcotics because they have to be special ordered each time through a computer, so I asked for an extra Tylenol to keep by my bedside, just in case but the nurses were wonderful and made sure I had what I needed.
Fizzy water was lovely too but my son had to bring it in. You should have a fridge for patients on the floor by the way.
What I didn't realize is that when you go home with hydromorphine pain meds, that's all you get - no refils, so make sure you space them out as needed and not every four hours otherwise you'll run out before the pain is under control. After that I used Tylenol 1 and then Tylenol Extra but the hydromorphine was my favourite.
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Evening ladies. Hope all are well. Going to try to read a bit, but thought I'd jump in.
Just had DIEP/TRAM surgery May 20th. The tape is off my abdominal incision and lost 3 drains Tue!! WooHoo!!!
Yesterday was bad, recovery wise. Pain everywhere it seemed. Today is much better.
My question, are any of you dressing your incisions after the initial dressing comes off? I haven't been but am seeing or reading rather, that a lot do to help with scarring...
I love my new cleavage. My boobs still need reshaping. Looks like someone took a bit out of my right one lol I call it my boob nose Both my flaps look really good. The tape/dermabond is still on my breast incisions, and belly button he had to move? or rebuild? whatever...
It's been rough. These dang kids seem to be taking advantage of mom down. Least they haven't killed each other or burnt the house down. Resting is still a challenge. Miss my bed
Hope all are doing ok as can be....
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Taag4, how are you feeling today?
Zinny, try to stay on that 4hr schedule. It really helped to manage my pain. I hate pills/meds typically due to family history of addiction, But given the incisions we get with a recon? ah hell no uh uh. They sent me home with percocet. 2 every 4 hours. Then switched me at my one week check up Tuesday. Wednesday sucked!! Today is much better.
Nice to see you ladies here so soon after surgery. I didn't do anything but sleep while in the hospital since there were no animals or kids.
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Good morning all. Feeling better today! More sleep. Probably need a little less meds! The surgeons here all seem to like Tramacet, but it was terrible for me when I had my partials in September, so I have been taking hydromorphone, which my PS does not like. Guessing I will swap to codeine today - not allowed caffeine, so can't use T3's….
Sticking to the Tylenol round the clock for now, though.
Checking out my new foobs and they look pretty stellar. Smaller a little far apart at the moment. Looking forward to bra shopping:)
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Well had my pre-op done things went well until my dermatologist call and said I have skin cancer on my chest. Told everyone I could today during my pre-op and notes were sent to the PS , so I hope nothing gets cancelled. Got home and on my discharge instruction sheet that she stuck in my booklet for me to bring to the hospital on Monday morning was a check mark beside Free Tram Flap. Funny because I corrected her when she said it to me (Diep) but somehow she still checked the Free Tram Flap box. Hope this was just a mistake. Guess Ill find out bright and early monday morning 6am.
Zinny thats crazy about the brows. Hope they grow back soon for you. At least they have time while your recovering. Think I'll have to look for some Biotene spray tomorrow thanks, my mouth is alway dry as it is. Hope you have a fast recovery.
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taag4, I had to remind my PS team that I did NOT want implants because they were checked off on the permission paper. Almost forgot in the rush at 6am. Hope all goes well for you on Monday!
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I misunderstood. Hope all goes well Monday taag4.
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Taag...I'm so sorry about the additional skin cancer. I will pray it doesn't interfere with the upcoming surgery...in fact, maybe they can take care of it while they're at the diep. I'm sure your PS knows what surgery they are performing on you...even if the facility doesn't!
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grateful99-I think I will go over everything with my PS again just to be safe, nor do I want implants lol.
Simplicity- Thanks the nerves are setting in now but I have enough to do to keep be busy until monday to not be thinking of it constantly.
Lessharp- You are reading my mind. Im going to ask if he can take care of it while I'm on the table it can't hurt.
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taag4 do you have someone going with you? I find it helped my nerves.
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Hello everyone. I completed chemo in March and just finished up radiation a couple weeks ago. I will be seeing my plastic surgeon in a few weeks to schedule my reconstruction surgery. I was just wondering if anyone here had a diep flap reconstruction on one breast only. I had a unilateral mastectomy in October of 2015. Just concerned about symmetry of both breasts and if anyone has any experience with this. Thank you.
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Taag, best wishes for a speedy recover this week. When I was at the hospital for follow-ups last week, another woman I had met was having her DIEP. I saw her the first night and I was reminded how exhausting that first night after surgery was. Her biggest complaint was dry mouth/throat (only allowed ice chips) and stiffness/soreness from surgery positioning. She didn't have anyone there with her that first night, so I helped her with the ice chips while I was there and made sure to let the nurse know she was going through them fast. They won't let you have anything to eat or drink until after your surgeon visits the next day, but ice chips....you can have as much as you want. As for the stiff/soreness...for me it was my right shoulder and bicep. For my friend, it was her neck. My nurse heated up a wet towel, put it in a ziploc bag, and laid it over my shoulder. It worked like a charm to loosen up the stiff muscles. They didn't really respond to my friend when she complained of the stiffness, so I asked the nurse if they could apply a hot compress. They did. So...if you wake up feeling sore from how they stretched you out on the table, speak up or have someone else prepared to speak up for you. The heavy duty pain meds and lingering anesthetic numbed 90% of the pain after surgery, but did nothing for that stiff/sore muscle feeling.
That first night is going to be a long one. There shouldn't be a lot of pain, it's just long. Between the leg compression (to prevent clots), the blood pressure monitor, the visits every hour to check your flap(s)....I don't remember much of it now, but am left with a recollection of just wanting the night to end. When I went to visit my friend the next morning, she looked 300% better then the night before and was already sitting up in the recliner in the room in anticipation of the Physical Therapist coming by to make her take her first lap around the halls. His suggestion to her (which I hadn't gotten) when walking for the first time was to take in the scenery as she walked around the halls. By keeping your head up, you'll minimize your natural desire to hunch over because of the tightness. It seemed to help her, because the second time she walked, she was hardly bent over at all. At the end of that day, I kept reminding her that she was already at the end of day 2 and that she was nearly on day 3. The time will really fly by and you'll be feeling 1000% times better each day.
Constipation from the anesthesia, pain meds, and inactivity is really annoying after surgery. Take every precaution you can before and after surgery. If they aren't giving you a stool softener after surgery, ask them why not. The last thing you'll want to be thinking about is not being able to go or straining to go when you're worried about the drains, incisions, etc.
Sorry about the skin cancer. I hope they can take care of it easily during the surgery....I can imagine it being quite a hassle if they make you wait until you've recovered and then have surgery with the dermatologist. I had a bcc skin cancer next to my nose in 2010. It was removed with Mohs surgery under local anesthetic. I also had what they call an atypical dyspastic nevus excised from the helix of my ear 3 weeks after chemo and a week before surgery. In fact, my PS had to remove my ear stiches.
I know that the days leading up to surgery are fraught with nervous anticipation and maybe even some anxiety, but just know that you're on the home stretch now and that a week from now you'll just be dealing with those pesky drains and instead of counting down 'days until surgery' you'll be wondering how many more nights until you can sleep 'any which way' again. Take your time recovering and relax as much as possible.
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Zinny - glad healing is coming along and results are looking goood! Pain meds: I was given Emtec prescr.- a t3 without the caffeine as my drug to take once home and it worked well.
Taag - good luck on Monday and wouldn't it be great if they could multi-task while they are in the area!
I started stool softener day before, and then kept using it regularly as a just in case. Straining a no no!
best wishes to all healing!
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lemint ihad a uni DIEP in March. The original plan was to do the DIEP and a reduction at the same time ( it was a mx with Immediate recon). Unfortunately, the DIEP took much longer than expected (10.5 hrs) so my PS had to defer the reduction. I am now on a waiting list for the reduction and it could be months, since now it is elective. I am bummed for 2 reasons. Primarily, because my BC did not show up on mammo or MRI, I was counting on pathology of the good breast to rule out cancer there. 2nd, I have very asymmetrical boobs now - DD vs B+ lol. I only had enough tummy for one boob anyway ( not sure what I will do if they find BC on the other side). That being said, the asymmetry does not show in my bra and Street clothes, so I am managing just fine. It is more about wanting to get this over with and behind me. The piece meal surgeries are very frustrating, because each one comes attached with downtime. Just wanted to let you know so you can be prepared for that eventuality, but I am keeping my fingers crossed you can have it taken care of in one go. Did your PS say u have enough tummy to match the good breast? Or will she need to do a reduction on the good breast to match them up? I guess the symetry depends on what they are starting with, but their goal is symetry, and your PS will likely discuss with you how best to achieve that. Take care
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Theyll more than likely give you colace in the hospital too. Take all your meds with you so they know what youre taking. Old pharmacy tech here, so interactions scare me
Rest. Rest. Rest.
My bmx was much easier recovery than this.
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Hi Ladies I am having my unilateral mastectomy and diep reconstruction on Monday June 6. I am nervous.
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Stellamaris, that's why I insisted on prophylactic MX on the right side and DIEP on both at the same time. I didn't want to worry. It was a long surgery and involved two surgeons but definitely worth it.
Jen1, wishing you all the best on Monday.
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thank you grateful
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taag4 I will be praying that you will be okay!!
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I'm going to have diep on just one breast.. My oncologist said that you can keep an eye on the other with mammograms and be okay that way. I've seen really good pictures of one-sided diep recon, but I'm sure there's varying levels of how good it turns out. I'm just going in wishing for the best and thankful that I'm having it.
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Thanks Stella, wow 10.5 hours. That's a long time. Is that typical for diep surgery? I'm sorry you have to wait for your other surgery:( I have an expander in now, can't wait to get it out, so uncomfortable. I had plenty of tummy for the diep but did lose 20# since I've last saw PS but still think I have enough. I'm only B cup. I don't want to necessarily be bigger but don't want to be smaller. Maybe I'll need a lift or something to match. I dont match now but like you with my bra you can't tell. I'm so nervous yet excited.
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Hi everyone, what is the average amount of surgeries you have to have for the diep to be complete? Thanks!
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Usually 2, but some have more. There is the big one to move the flap and then 3 months later or so, a stage 2 to cleanthings up and make nipples. Another stage 2b can be done if there needs to be any further tweaking.
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grateful iwish I knew then what I know now. My BS here in Vancouver would not entertain the option of a prophylactic mx. I suspect I would have had to have hysterics in her office to get one. It was only after 2 lx that it became clear that a mx was the only option. I hear how other women get them, but did u have to insist, and to what level?
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