DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
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just got off the phone with Nola. They congratulated me on having great insurance and now all I have left is to schedule my DIEP .
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Karen, one thing I brought to the hospital was flip flops, which turned out to be great for walking, as I did not (could not lol) bend over to tie shoes. Good luck!
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hooray mlp!
yes, my ps says i can get repeats til i am happy. I also have weeny teeny belly button now.
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Morning ladies tomorrow is my first day back to work after 2 months my incision is still open about 2 inches long. I'm scheduled for my stage 2 December 20th and then another 4 weeks or more recovery. If my incision closes I don't think I want the ps to revise the incision. I'm pretty happy with the breast and after they fill in some areas and fix the dog ears I don't think I will have any more surgery.
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Dila - Good luck at work. Just remember not to overdo it. Ask for help lifting if you have to. You don't want to set yourself back. I am also scheduled for stage 2 on December 20th! My PS says no down time for it. I'm actually getting it all done in his office. He'll fix the dog ears, reduce the size of the "football" to be as close to areola size as possible, and create the nipple. Hopefully all that'll be left is a tattoo! I do think the DIEP side is smaller than the other (good thing that started out as the larger one!), but I doubt I'll do any implant to get symmetry--I chose DIEP to AVOID having implants, why add them now?
Mustlovepoodles - Congratulations!!! And thank god for good insurance!
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just got a surgery date from NOLA --Feb 1, 2017. almost exactly 1yr post-BMX .
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mustlove, congrats!
My incision is also still open and it looks like I've earned myself a bonus abdominal surgery to fix and close it. It was open about 6 inches with another inch hole under the skin, but yesterday my PS cut the skin open an extra inch to help with packing and drainage. I've also had painful buildup of fluid in the abdomen that drains through the open incision after a couple of days.
My PS prescribed a cream with an enzyme that destroys dead tissue (santyl) and at several hundred dollars for a small tube, I feel like I'm pouring gold into the incision. Surprisingly my insurance actually paid for it, and it does seem to work. The "bonus surgery" will take one hour under general anesthesia, booked for 28 Nov.
The good news is this isn't going to delay stage 2 which will probably be in January. I too am reluctant to have anything done to the abdominal incision once it's closed. My PS talks about "scar revision" and I find myself wishing I had a scar to revise. BUT, on the bright side, after this thing is closed, I think the results will look great. I am happy with the breasts, if anything, aside from the scars, they look better than the originals. And (again, aside from the gaping open incision and the scar) I have a nice flat tummy.
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Maya my ps keeps saying the same thing he will do the revision but the incision seem to be flat so I don't know why he keeps saying he wants to do the revision...
Farmerma there is no one in my office to help me lift I am the only IT person here in Charlotte... I only had one ticket today but that is only because no one knows I'm back...
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Good evening everyone. I haven't been on in a while it's been a total roller coaster. I had my abdominal area open up and had to have 25 stitches. Those have been removed and seems to be resolved. Now I have had fat necrosis on my breast and have had to have that opened scraped and restiched twice and today another area has opening up. I have to go in tomorrow to have it done again. I'm so scared I don't know why it keeps happening. Has anybody had this happen to them? Any insight would be appreciated.
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Lemmint- I'm sorry your going through this. I am sending prayers your way. You are not the only one who I've read that has had wounds open or fat necrosis. I wish I could be more help.
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Lemint, I had stitches open up too and it took two months to close up. Sorry to hear you're going through the same thing.
Anyone from Canada: Just wondering how long is the waiting list in Canada for stage two. I'm in Ontario, seven months past stage one and it looks like a long for me once again...
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Lemint, I can't say I have any insight but I'm with you on the roller coaster. Every day I wonder when these holes are going to stop getting bigger. I'm 7 weeks out, I had 2 holes in the breast which have now healed and you can't tell they were ever there. But the abdominal incision is a different story. It's now 7 inches wide and still getting bigger (the cream they gave me is removing the dead tissue and each time there is just more underneath). At this point I'm just glad there is an end date for this: 10 days until my surgery date when my PS is going to fix it and I will wake up with a *closed* abdomen. I just have to hope it doesn't open again after that (she says that can happen).
My stage 2 is booked for 5 January and that's giving me hope that after a year of cancer hell the end is in sight.
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Thanks Tigger, Grateful99 and Maya. It's good to know it will heal. It seems never ending doesn't it. Grateful I hope you can get your stage 2 sooner then later. Maya so happy your getting your tummy repaired and your stage 2 scheduled. I'm going in at 1 to close me up again urg!!
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Grateful: I am in BC and was told the wait is 4-8 months. I had my DIEP March 24, and my Stage 2 (balancing reduction on the left side) August 23rd. I only got in in August because someone cancelled and I was offered the spot (one week notice). Apparently there is a very complicated process which involves the hospital providing Operating room time over a 2 month period, and the longer surgeries are scheduled, and then whatever operating time is left in the day, is scheduled; so if someone has a 3 hour operation, then the next available hours are given to someone who need a 2 hour operation; if there is no one, they schedule two 1 hour operations...and of course, if there is an emergency, it wipes the schedule out; and also depends who is ahead of you on the waiting list...lol...good luck - and hope you don't have to wait too long
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I had DIEP flap on both sides in March 2016 and will have my final surgery in Jan 17.
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Grateful, I am in BC too. My BMX was May 31. My surgeon put in the OR request in early September. They asked if I would be on a short notice list, and i was, and like Stella had 1 week notice, for surgery November 7.
My surgery was surprising in that it was 1) ahead of schedule - meant to go to the OR at 12:30, they were wheeling me down the hall at ten past 12 2) Quicker than expected - thought it would be 21/2 hours, was back in the PAR and awake at 2:45 3) thought the PAR time would be a couple of hours, but they were calling my husband at 3:30 to come.
10ish days out and I am wearing real pants:)
Was worried about the frankenboobs, not sure I liked the change, but the nipples have shrunken back to a more reasonable size. It is remarkable how that little detail makes them seem more "normal." When I catch my reflection, they look like boobs again, not mounds. Can't quite get my head around it:)
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Thanks Stellamaris and Zinny. It seems that in Ontario it's longer. I had my DIEP stage 1 April 28 and it will be 8 months before I can even call the assistant to see what my PS's schedule looks like. I'll make sure to ask to be put on a cancelation list as well.
Glad to hear you're both done.
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I am scheduled for my surgery December 1st. Bilateral mastectomy, with DIEP flap reconstruction, and sentinel node biopsy( all in the same day) if all goes well with time in the OR. I live in a two story house with the bathroom on the second floor. My mother has offered to let me stay with her in her one story home. Should I plan on staying with her, or do you think I'll be ok to be home. Either one is fine by me, just don't know what to expect after. Can anyone give me tips on what to expect and how much help I'll need?
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NIo322, everyone varies…that being said, I consider myself pretty stoic, and I really appreciated my parents staying with us to help for about 10 days after surgery. i was able to get myself in and out of bed, though it wasn't pretty. It is really worth practicing how you will roll in and out without using your abs at all to get a sense of how you will manage. I was able to do all of the self care stuff ( i was worried about whether i would be able to go to the bathroom on my own) from day 1 in hospital. That was pretty much all i did for two weeks! Dealt with the drains and wound stuff, watched Netflix, occasionally ventured downstairs for a visit. I remember I went and sat in the garden for a bit about 8 days post op - and lasted 20 minutes. I didn't cook anything myself for about 2 weeks.
Hope that helps
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Hi everyone,
I'm new to this thread. I had my appt. with the plastic surgeon the beginning of this month. I'm having the diep flap surgery done Jan. 24th of 2017. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I never planned on getting reconstruction but after 2 yrs. flat, seeing my belly sticking out below the flatness and being very uncomfortable trying to wear the foobs, I'm ready. At first I planned to just getting rid of the dog ears, but all of a sudden decided that I don't want to be flat anymore. I feel like it's keeping me in the 'cancer' reminder mindset. (not that I can forget it, but don't need the reminder everytime I look down or in the mirror). My surgeon told me that I won't be able to stand up straight at first. That stupid fear of the unknown stinks. I want to thank all of you on here making it so I can read everyones trip and advise.
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Cwayman650, I was so glad to read your message. I am having MX on right with DIEP on Dec. 2. It took months to weigh the options and seek second opinions before making a decision and I feel confident that this is the right one for me, for all the same reasons in your post. I always thought if I had breast cancer I would go flat. My decision surprised me! What I hadn't counted on was how I imagine (and you describe) it might feel to lose a breast. I believe it would be a constant reminder of the cancer as you say it has been for you. It was surprising how quickly I changed my opinion after meeting the right plastic surgeon. I really think it will help me move forward once I am healed. I'm scared too. Have never had major surgery and don't know what to expect. It is equal parts anticipation and dread. Reading about others' experiences in this thread and reaching out to those who had surgeries earlier this year has answered lots of questions and provided great suggestions. I've even found two women here who had DIEP with the same surgeons! Sending prayers to you.
PS - Michigan is AWESOME. I'm from PA.
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Hey everyone haven't been on in awhile, things have been really busy. It seems to be a never ending list of Dr. check-ups. Hope everyone is doing well.
Saw your post Grateful99, my first surgery was June 6th and I was suppose to have my second stage on Nov 14th, but my surgery time came and went and after sitting hooked up to my IV bag ready to go the Dr. came out of surgery to tell me he was going to have to cancel UGH! Now Im in limbo waiting for another surgery date. Hope you have better luck. This all took place in London. Now Im just hoping I can get back in before Christmas. That would be a fantastic Christmas present!
xoxo
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jcn16,
Thank-you for your reply. It's nice to know we are not alone in how we feel. I wanted to wish you good luck with your surgery. I will be doing lots of reading on here to get a better feeling of what to expect. Even tho we all have different experiences.
taag4, I'm so sorry you got so far just to have your surgery cancelled. That would be horrible! I hope you get the christmas present you are hoping for.
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Taag4, thanks for the update although the cancellation on the day of your surgery must have felt awful. All that preparation and anticipation for nothing. Ugh! I also hope you get your Christmas present.
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Welcome to those of you who are new!
Nlo, about where to stay, you don't mention if you have someone at home with you. If you don't, I'd say definitely plan on staying with your mother. I'd say steps would be very difficult for the first week or two. For the first couple of days after I got home I needed my husband's help even to walk from the recliner to the bathroom.
I will be going back in for surgery on Monday to fix my open abdominal incision (re-excision of abdominal tissue and closing of the 7-inch open incision). Surgery will take 1 hour under general anesthesia. I am told it may or may not involve a drain (ugh!), and it will be back to not standing up straight for 1-2 weeks. Can't say I'm looking forward to it but it will be nice to finally get this thing closed.
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Maya15, all the best in your surgery to close the incision. Your scar will be less visible this way too. Don't let them take the stitches out too soon. That's how mine opened up (and eating too much).
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Cwayman, I can fully appreciate your feelings. I really thought that I would just go flat after my BMX. It never even occurred to me that I would be unhappy with that decision. I'm 60. My thought was, who needs breast at 60? Well, apparently I do. I did go flat for about six months. My scars are so sickening--I had a lot of difficulty with wound healing so the results are terrible. I can hardly even look at myself in the mirror, let alone let my husband see me.
And then I got some knitted breast forms from knitted knockers. The first time I put them in my bra I cannot believe the difference in my self-confidence. I was like a new woman. I knew right then and there that I would not be happy until I had breasts. I got some very nice prostheses in September and they are easy to wear. But that only reaffirms my decision to have reconstruction.
I am scheduled for DIEP in New Orleans February 1, 2017. I get the strong feeling that my husband is not in favor but he is going along with it. He has asked me on several occasions if I'm sure if I really want to do this. I think he is scared and maybe not convinced that this is really what I want to do. I had such a difficult time healing from the BMX. I think he just doesn't want to see me go through that again. But I'm hopeful that this will go well without any bumps in the road. Or at least not many.
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Mustlove, my DH was also not happy with my DIEP decision when he heard what a major surgery it was. I was 65 when dx, and I had an immediate DIEP after surgery. The first week was tough, but every day was an exponential improvement once I got home. I cannot tell you how happy I was with the result. It feels so normal, like I never had the mx. And my DH is now happy for me and also loves the result. It is so hard for our partners, having to stand by and watch us go through the treatments, and also being frightened at the thought of losing their partner. Sometimes I think it is harder for them. Wishing you the best and a speedy recovery.
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Happy holidays to all!
I love reading your stories and progress. I had a MX mid August with TE in case rads were needed. Thank God they were not so I had my DIEP flap done 10days later. I'm three months out and feeling almost normal.
The doctor called with a cancellation and offered me Phase 2 on 12/12. All of a sudden I'm not so sure my body and soul is ready for another healing challenge. Please tell me how you Phase 2 went.
The plan for me is fat grafting from inner and outer thighs plus removing the small monitoring flaps under the breasts. My results are okay so far. The nipples are sunken in and I don't have as much volume as I would like to fill up the breast tissue.
Were any of you scared to go back into surgery for phase two
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I never thought to bring flip flops to the hospital!! Good idea! Thanks
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