DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
Comments
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Slv58: I am happy to hear that you safely completed Stage 2. It has been 2 years since my Stage 1, and my abdomen is a big issue for me. I am finally ready to meet with a new PS in 2 weeks to discuss Stage 2. My only concerns are can they release the scar to reduce huge bulge and remove the dog ears. Why did your PS forget to release the scar? What did your PS do during your Stage 2?
I would truly appreciate any thoughts regarding release of th scar or reduction of bulge. I know that there is mesh in my abdomen, but I feel like it collapsed within 6 months of DIEP.
Lisa
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Hi Lilyn, did Dr. O'Neil tell you how soon you can do abdominal exercises to strengthen those muscles? Great to hear that you won't need any additional surgery.
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Mom4four - Having help those first 2 days will be very helpful. I was able to do the self care (toilet, drains) by myself right when I got home. I had a unilateral, which meant my left side was pretty much normal. I really am happy it was easier than I anticipated.
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Thanks farmerma. I am having bi-lateral. I am hoping that by the time I leave the hospital I will be going to the bathroom unaided, my bathroom at home is close to my bedroom. I am so scared this time, the BMX I was concerned but not so scared. Lots of anxiety, not sure why.
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Taag- so jealous that you could swim at 3 weeks post op. I want to swim at the lake so I'll probably have to wait. My incisions are all healed but BigSister pointed out that lake water is probably a no. 😉
Mom4four- You will be grateful for help the first couple of days home, but I didn't need help with drains or toilet even in the hospital. Walking as soon as you can and as often as you can in the hospital will help you be stronger to do more for yourself when you get home. I did need help with my binder (pulling it snug) and I was happy to have my hubby nearby when I took my first shower. I didn't need him but I felt better knowing he was there if I did. I also probably ate better because my husband made sure I ate even when I didn't feel really hungry. Food will help your body have the energy it needs to heal.
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Question- does the tightness in the abdomen go away? I feel like I can't get a true lung full of air because my abs feel so tight. I'm walking at a good pace for about 3 miles a day. If I walk first thing in the morning my abdomen feels less tight and I can go farther but as the day progresses my tummy seems to shorten up and walking isn't as easy as it is in the morning.
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Someone else on this site wrote that their new breasts were like two wide-set hamburger buns. That pretty much describes mine as well with the added "benefit" (snarkasm!) of them laying outward toward my arms not inward for cleavage!. I have been unable to find a bra that will fit properly since my reconstruction two years ago: until today! Maidenform Personalized Fit with Memory Foam Comfort Devotion. Got at Sears on sale approx $27.
Maybe I had problems finding one that worked because of my band size of 40 - so others may not have the same bra fit problem I did. But just in case, I thought I'd throw it out there! I am sooo happy because it makes the girls look like they're in a more natural position and not laying outward. I don't quite fill up the cups but I think because of the memory foam it all works out.
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Thanks omickijo, that makes me feel like I have a good chance of doing ok. I am physically in good shape and feel great after the BMX it will be hard to take it easy, but I will
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Li-RI, I have never heard of 'releasing the scar'. I'm not sure what that is but I never had any problem with my abdominal scar feeling tight or anything. My PS explained that sometimes the abdominal muscle weakens after diep surgery and she went in to tighten it. Originally she had intended to use mesh but morning of surgery she said she wanted to try without mesh. My stage 2 involved reducing and lifting my natural breast- fat grafting to fill areas around poles of flap, making my nipple,dog ear revision and the abdominal muscle.
Mom4four, I'm pretty sure you'll have no problem with the washroom. They get you up and walking the next morning and encourage you to walk.
Omickijo my abdomen felt tight right after surgery but loosened up quite a bit shortly after, I think as everything heals and the scar matures that you will become more comfortable.
Like you I'm so jealous of being able to swim. I live on a lake and have only been in once before surgery- and this is the hottest summer I remember! Wearing this compression band sucks! I plan on asking my PS when I can swim. Seems there are differing opinions (as usual!)
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slv58:
Thank you for your response! I hope your healing continues!
Mom4four: I do recommend getting help for the 1st couple of weeks, help with meals, children, and household chores - I was pretty out of it. I also had a visiting nurse and someone to help shower me. I had some issues with the 11 1/2 hour surgery (narcan). You can do this!
Lisa
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Hi all! Three days post-op and feeling much better than I expected. Far less pain, but still pretty tired. My BP tanked the first day post-op so they wouldn't let me out of bed until Saturday - but it was a big day, unhooked from the cath and Bear Hugger and morphine drip. Walked three times, and it felt amazing. Today the flap monitor came off and except for daily dose of antibiotics, I'm not even hooked up to the IV. I've been told I'm progressing really well, and so far everything looks great. The hardest thing (besides that Bear Hugger, which made hot flashes almost impossible!) is not being able to have anything caffeinated for two weeks - coffee, tea, chocolate, soda. 😕 It's a small price to pay to keep the flap healthy!
Expecting to be released tomorrow - can't wait to be home!! I hope everyone is doing well.
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Nancy, so great to hear from you and sounds like your doing fantastic! Isn't that warm round mound amazing!? It feels so much a part of you. Be good to yourself and don't overdo it. Each day gets better and before you know it everything will be a distant memory
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Great to hear from you Nancy! I have been checking everyday to see if you posted. Glad you are on the other side of surgery and on the mend. I can't wait to hear more about your experience and any tips you can give me. One more week for me!
Hope you get released tomorrow and get back home.
Joy
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Lili - a visiting nurse would be great. I will ask abou that
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Nancy- Glad to hear you are feeling well on the other side of it. I feel your pain on the coffee front. I didn't like that news either. I didn't miss it in the hospital, but at home it was such a morning routine that I made just enough for one small cup. I wasn't told I couldn't have any....I was just told that caffeine intake should be minimal. One cup for me is minimal.
Mom4four- You should be eligible for in home nurse visits. I wasn't because my husband is home (school teacher), but when my mom had her lumpectomy she had a nurse come by to see her and help her for several days after her surgery because she lived alone. That was covered by insurance. I don't know what I didn't think to say something. Good call LiLi-RI
Slv58 - Do you recall how far out you were when your ab didn't feel so tight?
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Thanks for the feedback on icepacks. I was actually thinking about using them for my abs and not the flaps, but I will definitely ask the PS. It's on my long list of questions in the pre-op discussion.
Did anyone get specific progressive exercise instructions from their PS? It would be nice to set goals for raising my arms, walking and straightening up. I understand that everyone is different, but it would be nice to have some guidelines/goals.
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NancyHB- good to hear from you. I've been reading all I can on here the last few weeks. My surgery phase 1 is next Tuesdat August 2nd. It really helps to listen to real experiences from real woman going thru this. Funny you mentioned the bear hugger and hot flashes that is really my only concern. The first time I strip down to my birthday suit in the middle of the night not sure how the staff will handle that...lol. So looking forward to your sharing your healing experience I trust it will go well for you. I'm ready to be on the other side I have only had these expanders in for 7 plus months but I am over them.
I am a hairstylist so it has been interesting getting my 27 years of clients set up for me to take 8 weeks off. I am really hoping that is adequate time to recover. When I do go back I will start out real slow. Any ideas from you all who have been thru it if I have a realistic goal?
The other distraction I have right now is my youngest son leaves for the Air Force the day of my surgery so I have been transferring my energy to that experience instead of completely focusing on what's coming up!!
Rosiegirl-- sounds as if we are on the same time line let's keep in touch and share.
My prayers for everyone recovering and heading into this... Peace and love
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omickijo-3 miles a day - good for you! I have had lots of abdominal tightness like you describe, increasing over the day - feels like a braxton hick contraction in my abs- and it is now settling 8 weeks out - still happens if i walk fast or run to get across the street before the light changes!! Because of it, I have not been walking the brisk hour a day I was preop. Which also means my abdomen seems to have grown a little
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Zinny - I don't know how I got to three miles. It was weird how one day I couldn't stand up straight and the next day I could. So the next morning I tried to go for a walk (I have a loop I used to run/jog that follows the river). Just prior to this I could barely walk around the park near my house (that loop is 0.4 miles). I have noticed that I need to do this walk in the morning when I'm more stretched out from sleeping. As the day progresses and the more I sit the more hunched I become and my abs shrink and are tight again. This is the part I really don't like. Thanks for sharing that you are going through the same thing. I hope in another month or so you are back up to that hour long walk. It does make me feel better to get that walk in even if my abs do tighten back up during the day. My inspiration to walk comes from wanting to be able to get back on my horse at week six like my doctor told me I could. My husband doesn't believe me but riding takes a lot more effort than you think it does. After loping around the arena a few times I am sometimes out of breath. Of course my horse is kind of lazy so I really have to work to keep her moving. Kind of like myself----I have to work hard to keep myself moving too.
Random topic: Day two after my surgery my period started. I was told by the nurses that anesthesia will do this to women. I had my period just two weeks prior to this so I wasn't expecting this little gem to appear and it was a little scary at first. So for those of you having this or another major surgery and you are pre-menopausal be aware this could happen so that it isn't to scary if it does.
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Lilyn thats fantastic no revisions. I know I will have to have my breast lift and reduction on my non surgery side, but sooooo looking forward to it. Good for you!
Mom4four- I think you will be just fine after doing drains, bathroom even food if you have things pre-made. But you will appreciate your daughter being there. Nice having someone around. My daughters showed were here for the weekend after I had been out for one day. They changed the sheets on my bed made me comfy did the little bit of laundry (after my sheets were changed) just made me feel more like a person again before they left for home. I wasn't allowed to shower for the first week home so sponge baths did the trick, I stuck my head over the sink and washed my hair( boy was that nice to do), after two weeks it needed it. Really I didn't do much the first week home just sat in bed or on the couch watching tv and net flick.
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LiLi-Ri what is releasing the scar? This is the fist time I have heard of it.
Omickijo- Walking 3 miles thats great. For some reason my energy or stamina just isn't there. Maybe it just me I feel like I have a can't be bothered feeling. Funny because Im usually into everything always walking running yoga, gardening. Did get into some poison ivy on the week end. Its not summer unless Ive had it. My abdomen is the same was better in the morning tighter by night. I think its just those muscles getting there work out. Every couple of weeks it seems a little better. Im 7 weeks today. I can't believe you want to be on a horse at 6 weeks good for you. All that bumping in the car drives me crazy can't imagine being on a horse.
NancyHB- glad your on the other side of surgery and doing well. Just remember to take it easy and you'll do fine once you home.
Dragonflywins- you can search up lots of exercises on the internet. Can't remember if you had your mastectomy as the same time as your deip, The exercise they gave me to do were the same for both so I looked on line to add a few. Arm up the wall, reaching between the shoulder blades, or what I call the butterfly wings(lay on the floor, hand at ears and move your elbows from floor to touching above your nose) they are the basic exercises.
Zinny-My stomach also feels like its expanding. Not getting my exercise in that I'm a custom too. If I keep this up my wonderful flat stomach will be back to were it was,
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Nancy, Omickijo - giving up caffeine and chocolate was tough, and I read somewhere that the recommendation was to give it up for 6 weeks (I have no idea where I read that) so I did. lol. But my DH found some really good decaf and made me a latte with it every morning, which took the edge off - psychologically, anyway, I didn't feel like I was missing much!
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Taag4 Thanks I am happy about that too! I had a question about cutting out caffeine I remember reading about that but with my doctor they said no longer the case. guess depends on doctor etc.
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Stellamaris- you're killing me! Six weeks? Lol.
Lilyn- i like your doctor better.
Taag- I was riding her right up to my surgery daily. She's getting fat now so I need to get back to it. Nothing too strenuous for either of us since we've had our time off. Bumps don't seem to bother me anymore so I think I'll be okay
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I didn't have to give up coffee either but I was in hospital for a week with no caffeine so maybe that was long enough? Or worse, I forgot I was suppose to!
Ladies have any of you had extreme itchiness? I'm going crazy- it's right between my breasts where there has never been surgery. I had to get up last night and take a Benadryl it was so bad. No cream seems to allieviate it but I'm wondering if it is somehow nerve regeneration from my MX 17 months ago?
Christiana, your almost there! We'll be in your pocket during surgery cheering you on with love, you'll be fine!
Nancy, hope your getting released, it's so much better being in your own home. Dont overdo but try to get up and walk a bit, so good for healing.
Omickijo, I just looked up my apt. dates and I saw my PS in Nov last year so that would have been 8 months post surgery but remember I really noticed it about a month prior to that. I had absolutely no pain and had read about this syndrome so just waited until I saw her. I had chemo again right after my diep and put on over 30 pounds (thanks steroids) and wonder if this large amount of excess weight contributed to it. It wasn't until I lost about 20 pounds that I noticed it, guess it's possible the fat was hiding it and I already had it? Even after my latest surgery to correct it, I can still feel my right side bulging a bit
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Happy Tuesday everyone! I was released yesteday morning (actually, pretty sure I escaped because I started pushing them at 6:00 am to get out. They finally let me go at 11:00). First day home was good, nice to get settled in, both of my adult kids stopped by to check in on me. My husband is "working from home" this week to take care of me (I'm pretty sure i'm more work than his day job). I slept like a baby last night, it was really wonderful to be home.
The caffeine thing was such a surprise. And my doctor said absolutely NO caffeine for at least two weeks, possibly longer. It would have been nice to have had warning so I could have weaned off before the surgery. The headaches have finally stopped but like omickijo, I miss the routine of the morning coffee. I'm not taking any chances on messing this up so I won't even try decaf at this point - besides, it's just not the same. :-) But morning coffee was always that one thing that got my gut "motivated" and moving in the morning, and even with prescription stool softners I've got a terrific case of the Big C.
So I have a weird clothing question. I got ready to leave the hospital yesterday and realized I couldn't wear the underwear I brought - they sit right on the abdominal incision - so I abandoned them and went commando under my drawstring pj pants. The hospital gave me a mastectomy camisole that has pockets for my drains - genius! - but then there's the tubing. Do you tuck the tubing inside your pants, or do you leave them hanging out? I ended up sending my hubby out to pick up a snap-front mumu yesterday, which has been wonderful for sleeping. Kinda like the hospital gown. I can wear the camisole under the mumu and the lines don't get tangled up in pants when I need to pee in the middle of the night (sorry if that's TMI). In general, though, I'm trying to figure out what to do with the lines. I'm terrified of tugging on them, kinking them up, or accidentally getting them tangled up. Any ideas for protecting them?
I can already tell that "taking it slow" is going to be the hardest part of this recovery. I've promised myself that this week would be nothing more than napping, ready Harry Potter, watching bad Netflix, and walking about the block. My NP knows I was a runner and yogi before surgery and told me that recovery is my "training to be well and healthy" and that's going to help me set realistic yet challenging goals. I just hope 8 weeks is enough time!
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Hi Nancyhb . Sounds like things so far are going well and your idea of napping , reading, and bad Netflix is exactly what is needed, rest is the key component to healing .
I too wore a coverup that reminded me of my moms housedress mumu type that she always wore when I was a kid.
As for drain lines mine were pinned to my cami and or binder depending on what I was wearing and what part of recovery I was in. I had drains in for 3 weeks.
The dr also showed me how to wrap the line around the drain to make a circle too so it hung naturally from there. Not sure that would work in the pocket though .
Hope you recovery quickly and with no complications!
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good morning everyone. had a post stage 1 revision (not stage 2) surgery on the 22nd to remove the fat necrosis on the left breast that just won't heal. just under 2 hours and she did slight reduction/lift on the right to even them out. one drain in on left side. should be coming out tonight!
24 hrs post surgery both my hands started to swell and became itchy with tiny bumps everywhere. spent sunday morning in emerg and they weren't really sure what it was. is it an allergic reation to the antibiotics or just a crazy timing coincidence? we have a specialist appointment today at toronto western to figure it out. they prescribed an ointment but it is pretty useless. my hands are so horrible that i would rather have 4 drains in for 2 weeks than deal with this hand issue for one more minute. i can hardly move my fingers. UGH i am hoping for a high dose of prednisone for a quick fix.
anyways, back to surgeon in 2 weeks and hoping for some relief today............
tanya
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Tanya, I hope you can find relief- that's awful having to deal with that on top of recovery. I guess it isn't a usual side effect of any meds you are on- how frustrating that you have to go to another hospital.
Hope for speedy answers and relief
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NancyH- I was commando most of the time. I just wore loose fitting pj that did't hit my stomach incision. As for the drains I did pull one and it dripped all over the floor until I noticed (what a mess), glad my husband came home just at the right time to clean its up lol. My drains weren't in long. I had three and they were all out by the middle of the second week. Hopefully yours will be out fast also. Make sure you do take it slow. People have posted pictures of what happens when you don't and its not pretty. That was my incentive to sit and do nothing for two weeks, because I know once I start moving around I don't know when to stop.
Tanyarocks30- sorry your having a reaction and they get it fixed fast. Im curious as to how long the lift and reduction took. That will be part of my next step.
Slv58- I had the itching you are talking about. It woke me up in the middle of the night. Mine was more under my flap. So weird to have an itch under an area that you have no feeling in. I tried to scratch but nothing worked. Finally I fell back to sleep and it hasn't happened since. I just figured it was nerves or something like that also. Hope it doesn't happen again.
Happy Healing Everyone!
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