DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
Comments
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Just catching up and LOL at Simplicity's comment earlier. I don't really like the wound vac but it is what it is... I think you all look good. Aside from my incision being opened I am very please with my stomach and breast. The ps is also talking about revising my incision but if it means that I would have to go through tubes and possible wound opening... NEVER MIND I'm good.
Lemint don't worry about asking too many questions that's how we all get through this we are all here to help each other and some of your questions may be something someone else may not have thought to ask.
Sending healing thoughts to you all!!
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Hi Dila, Simplicity, Mom4four and everyone. I'm 2 drains down 1 to go. Mt PS actually stitched up my incision opening. He said the side area on my breast will have to be addressed but giving it a little more time. I think the red areas are from the surgical glue, I'm highly sensitive and the nurse thought it was possible also. I hope everyone is having a good day.
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Simplicity and Mom, you look great. My own pictures are too graphic to post at this point. I am packing the abdominal incision but it only seems to get worse rather than better and I am getting discouraged. Simplicity, how long was it until you started noticing some progress?
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Yay Lemint!! Hate those things. I had so many different wounds going at once, weird how they are all different and need to be tended to differently. Glad he stitched it up & hope that helps!
Maya - Not sure, really. I have always had issues with sense of time. I'd have to look back. They had spurts of healing. Seemed like there were no positive changes, and then all of a sudden, they would take off healing again. You'll notice a difference in how much gauze you use. I got the abscess towards the end of the abdominal dehiscence, so my focus changed. Probably around 3-3.5 months
Mine were deep, and there were 4. Mine didn't open all the way across, per say. They were 4 distinct holes, with little tunneling. I'm guessing you are doing a wet to dry dressing? Just curious, why do you think it is getting worse? Sometimes it may look that way, but actually it's fine-hard to distinguish, I know.
A nurse told me if it looked like mayonnaise in there, I was doing good?Hang in there lady. No matter. It will heal. Maybe not as quickly as you'd like, but it will. You are welcome to send me pictures via PM if you like. I had a couple of extra sets of eyes on my wound(s). I'd recommend taking photos during dressing change also to keep an eye on, and record any changes.
Dlia, so nice to see you pop in
I was growing concerned. Love your spirit! 0 -
Good morning to all of you wonderful ladies. I hope your all have a great day!!!!
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Simplicity, thanks for the advice. By worse, I mean it's opening wider and deeper, and I don't like the look of what's in it. But I just saw the PS and she says "worse is better", it looks worse because it's actually healing. Apparently I am looking at the inside view of my own abdomen fat and there is new granulation tissue growing. Not for the faint hearted. She thinks it's going to heal "fast" and says within a couple of weeks there will be a sudden spurt where it improves drastically. I'm hoping she is right.
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Morning ladies.
Maya-I hope she is too. I know this isn't easy but you're handling it very well, considering! I didn't ask my PS but my deepest hole, that's probably what I was seeing too. I had a nurse look at it when a friend was in the hospital with an awful wound (Horse had stepped on her foot), and she's the one who mentioned mayonnaise appearance.
Tired today. Have to work 12-8 and my DD is in such a mood!!! Omg! This change in weather is really messing with my sinus's. My small in comparison spots aren't healing fast enough for me. idk what I am doing wrong. I know one of the nurses told me moist skin breaks down faster than dry skin, so I skipped the bacitracin last bandaid change (I AM DOWN TO BANDAIDS!!!!) The little tiny hole where the abscess was, bleh, just wish it would heal already.
To all having wound healing issues; one day, you'll be down to bandaids too. I promise. Hang in there. Love to all
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This is for all the awesome ladies who are healing slowly
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This is me doing the happy dance! I've been approved for the DIEP by NOLA! Now my insurance info goes to the business office to see what Cigna will pay.
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mustlovepoodles 😀😀😀😎🎉🎈🎁🎊
That is awesome news
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Congratulations!!!!!
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I'm getting my new nipple for Christmas!!! Saw the PS today and he's happy with how everything looks and is pleased that the radiated skin is as pliable as it is (been massaging it after showers with BioOil, not sure if that helped). So he will create the nipple, reduce the size of the flap area to proper areola size and even remove the dog ears from my abdominal incision. All this is right in his office! I'm a little nervous about that part since that means I'll be awake during this process. Anybody else have it done this way? Good news is I don't have much, if any, sensation on the reconstructed breast, so that part should be okay, just a little strange to be awake while he's doing it. So, I'm scheduled for December 20th!
Also asked him about the bulging at the end of the day. He felt everything and was confident there was no hernia. He thinks it's just weakened abdominal muscles. He recommended some core strength exercises for the next month. If there's no improvement by then he'll order a scan to make sure everything is okay in there. He said he's heard of this happening but has never had one of his patients experience it. Lucky me! So, "crunch time" for me for the next month!
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Hello ladies. I am back from a summer away and have been catching up on reading. Just saw my PS on Thursday for a three month check up, which is really six months post DIEP 1. He said I'm ready for stage two and so now I am waiting for a date.
To those of you who find lumps in your new breasts - I did too but now they're mostly gone. Massage really helps. Both my breasts feel quite natural when I touch them until I bump into something and don't feel the pain - but the PS said I might eventually get back some feeling back as the nerves regenerate. The scars are still visible and I'm putting Vit E on them.
Also, my tummy is now flat, so another benefit. I used to have a wheat belly. Also, I had trouble with the abdominal scar opening up and it took about two months to fully close and then I couldn't swim for another two weeks but eventually it got better. The scar is still very visible and the doctor doesn't think he can do anything about it. Oh, well, I won't be going around naked too much except in candle light. As long as my lover still finds me sexy...
To those of you who are anxious, depressed and wonder if you're making the right choice - I am 65 and feel sexy again! I can now wear a nice swim suit and revealing and form fitting tops and dresses. I feel 100% better about my body. Actually my breasts are bigger than before (I was quite flat), so I feel better about my body than ever in my life.
I am so grateful for my new life. I hope you all feel (or will feel) the same.
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Looking for recommendations for a waist cincher in Canada. My PS wants me to get Spanx but they're $50 each. And I don't want panties because they're too difficult to get on and off to go to the bathroom and may cause yeast infection with lack of air circulation. I don't mind second hand if any of you have a binder you no longer need.
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Congratulations mustlovepoodles!!!
Hope everyone is doing ok.
He grateful99! You do look sexy!!
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I got my UMX and DIEP in NOLA and everything went fabulously... with the surgery and reconstruction. Not so much with the final pathology. The tumor was WAY huge-r than the diagnostics said. And I have positive nodes even though diagnostics showed no node involvement. So... chemo AND radiation AND hormone therapy... here I come.
My margins were clear, but they had to take my nipple to make it so. Oh well. My boob tried to kill me. The bitch. So I killed her first.
My PS gave me a LOT of extra fat in the boob since I only needed on in the event that radiation kills some of the fat cells or I have skin constriction issues. And huge side boob as well. In fact, if the amount of fat and skin are affected that we anticipate, when they go to stage 2 my butt, my left should match my right boob almost perfectly. How cool is that? They made that decision after we talked before surgery. I had about 25% chance of radiation before surgery so we knew that was a possibility. It's the chemo that was a surprise. Anyway, they also did an auxiliary dissection for which I will be ever grateful because 2 of my aux nodes were ++ after finding 2of my 3 sentinels ++. Diagnostics showed NONE of this. They showed my nodes as clear.
Anyway, I am pleased as punch at how quickly I've been able to do stuff and move around and my energy level. Which I'm sure I will need. Because just about the time I feel really great, I have a feeling my MO will begin the program to make me feel crappy again.
Life is a journey, right? Not a destination. So. I'm still treatable and curable. Which is all I need to know to take the steps to make sure I reach the CURE finish line. One thing at a time. And whatever comes next, I WILL kick it's ass as well.
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Grateful, thanks so much for the update! Where you are in that picture is exactly where I want to be when I'm done with all this. Right now I'm dealing with an open abdominal incision and 2 holes in one of my new breasts, so it's very encouraging to hear from others who are over that hump.
Congrats to those of you who have had/are scheduling surgeries!
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Ladies, I remember a discussion about swelly belly in the 2014 thread. One of the ladies who was a nurse suggested that we massage our bellys in a certain direction to help the fluid find a new pathway. I think they provided a diagram.
Grateful, I bought one waist compression garment from medical supply store for $30. I also used the gray exercise belts which are cheaper. I still use them occasionally when I need to make stomach smaller for a special event dress.
I finally got nipples reconstructed 4 weeks ago so I am finally finished with surgical procedures. I was one of the fortunate ones who never had complications, bad pain or wound problems.
Good luck to all of you as you go through your procedures.
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Yippee! Got my stage 2 date - cancellation list, so it is in a week! 8 days, actually:) Strange, thought my only feeling would be excitement, but there is a fair bit of trepidation there too. I was doing a spin class with a friend the other day, and I was huffing and puffing and sweating everywhere, and laughing but embarrassed at how much I was gasping for air, and she was saying how great I was doing and just think of what my body had gone through in the last year, and I started to cry. And I realized how much I have been trying to pretend that everything is normal again. Which I guess it mostly is. Though a new normal. And then when I found out next surgery was coming, it kind of rocked me. Time to process another new normal. Thanks for being a place to vent to people who understand.
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Javamama-Yay!!!
I agree Maya. It does help. I think Grateful was one of the first to reach out to me. This place is awesome
GwennyMD-Thats awesome!!
Zinny-Conrats!! Wow. That was quick!
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Hi all - sorry for my absence of late. You ladies were so incredibly helpful and supportive when I was falling apart after my DIEP and complications and I feel terrible that I've not been around. I'm so glad to see that some are doing really well, but sorry to hear of Dlia and Maya's complications. My prayers are with you for quick and easy healing.
There is light and hope at the end of all of this! My wound has finally closed up, and I've been told the infection is no longer active. I have two rock-hard lumps in my reconstruction - one at the bottom and one towards the lower-inside - that I've been told are walled-off areas of the infection (the body does amazing things to protect itself!) My PS says these will reabsorb "over time" and the hardness will lessen. The swelling has reduced so much that Lucy actually has some "drop" and bounce, and no longer looks like a giant implant sitting high on my chest.
I realized yesterday that my pain has diminished considerably. I can wear a bra to work again and I'm not crying by the end of the day. I can sleep on my left side without waking myself in searing pain, either. It's funny how I didn't notice the moment when this happened, but just realized that it hadn't been happening, if that makes sense...
I'm putting my stage 2 off until next summer. I originally planned on March, but I want to (finally!!) run my first half-marathon in May, so I'll postpone surgery until June.
I may not post here much but I do read posts every day, and am keeping all of you in my thoughts.
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Hey NancyHB! So glad to read you pop in and hear of the healing!
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Good Morning everyone. Simplicity, Maya and Dila I hope you are healing and feeling better. I go in tomorrow and will get this last drain removed. I have a tiny tummy area that is opened, I hope he stitches that up like he did the other area. I have a area on the side that has a big hard scab that will have to be addressed he said last week. Can't wait to be drain free. Almost 3 weeks out.
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zinny, so happy for you getting one step closer to completion. I am in Vancouver and had my stage 2 balancing breast reduction August 23. Was well enough to go to Hawaii Sept 21 and pick up all my normal activities. You will do great! Btw, I love how my new body looks in clothes (scars not so much, lol). Stay positive, I promise, this too shall pass. Hugs!
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Lemint, wishing you luck for tomorrow. 3 weeks with drains is nasty. I hope they can close the other hole, because the alternative is not pleasant. My PS wouldn't close mine when it started opening because it was draining and she said there was a greater chance of infection if she closed it. Now it's about 6 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep at the deepest.
Nancy, how long did it take for your incision to close?
Dlia, how is the wound vac working out for you?
Zinny, what is your PS doing for stage 2?
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Maya - my docs said infection will find a way out (like opening incisions) and closing them up either traps the infection (making it worse) or the wound will simply open up again, so he never closes them. I had a very small pinhole that opened on my nipple incision, but my surgeon opened it larger to allow serous fluid and infection to drain. The incision was really deep - about 3-4 cm. They told me "a couple of weeks" of wet/dry packing; it took 8 weeks. I had two other small areas on the nippke incision open up but never ended up packing those, and they closed on their own after a couple of weeks.
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I really think those dissolving sutures dissolve too quickly and that is why the incisions open up again inviting infections. In my case the non-dissolving sutures and the tape were taken out on day four, and soon there was nothing holding the incisions closed, so they opened up. It took two months to close them again with lots of complications and now my scar is very large. Totally unnecessary if the dissolving sutures did what they're supposed to which is to hold the incision closed until the body heals completely. Something to talk to the PS to about prior to your surgery for those of you waiting your turn.
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Thanks Stellamaris!
Maya, my PS is doing lipo and contour reshaping ( i.e. filling in the divots and sunken central chest) and probably nipples at the same time. Might get rid of the dog ears as they haven't flattened on their own - she said they might with the lipo.
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well I was approved to get my diep surgery but have to wait til feb 2017. the surgeon Im going to waits 6 months after radiation to do surgery so the inside can heal more. I'm so happy I can't wait. when I have this surgery it will be one yr Ann. from my mastectomy .
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Hi all! Looking for anyone who had surgery at Penn Medicine. My sister will be coming to stay in Philadelphia for the length of my hospital stay and I'm wondering what the ICU will be like for visiting hours. Have final visit with my surgeon, preadmission tests, and CT scan of my abdomen tomorrow and surgery in one month. Anything else you can share about Penn experience would be great - thank you!
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