DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
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Maya- I'm up a whole size with more upper polefullness. However it takes 3 months to know final results. She put 90-100g each breast and it takes about 100g to increase one cup size. I'd be thrilled to keep 70-80% of fat transferred.
I've heard The Story of Us is good. I like Poldark and the Outlander series. Timeless, orphan black,
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I keep saying that the dissolvable stitches dissolve too quickly but no one seems to be paying attention. That's why the wounds open up.
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I still have a stitch on the side of my right breast that drives me crazy I want to pull it but will wait till surgery to mention it. I am hoping and praying he doesn't have to redo my incision I still have the pan on my right side of my stomach that no one seems to be able to tell me what it is coming from. Also the ER told me the pain where my incision is scar tissue from being cut in the same spot all those times I had surgery. PS wants to remove the scar tissue but if it is a chance of it opening again I will pass... Stage 2 surgery next week and they are making sure they get their monies worth out of me at work...
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I had a huge metal staple right in the middle, under the belly button. It didn't come out until my 1st post op visit. I am 8 months post op now, and all healed up, although my tummy scar is quite wide and still purplish. Guess that takes years, if ever. The mx scars are fading nicely, but the reduced side is pretty fresh. Still look like Franken-Mummy. Best healing wishes to all.
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My scar is not white below my stomach but I never experienced the problems you guys are. I mean wounds opening up yikes. I don't have any exercise restrictions but I don't like the core exercises my trainer has me doing.
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Hate is a compression garment on your wounds
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Dlia,
They can usually cut those off easily in office. I had a big knot of stitches on my right breast. Both times. They're bothersome for sure.I'm in on Wed for my abdominal scar revision (in office). Nervous. Oh the work thing. I hope they are showing some compassion and you are able to take it easy when/if needed!!! I'm scared of mine opening again too *sigh* but it's way less invasive and I think the scar tissue relief will help my current abdominal issues, IM HOPING.stellamaris, do you massage the scar area? Mine is bright pink but the veins below it, well, some are more prominent now. Hoping that will give a bit once the puckering is relieved Wed.
Hope everyone is having a good restful weekend. Cold here. Been having trouble sleeping. Met a friend for breakfast (her mom just passed. They were/are some of my fellow infusion center friends. Some great new people came into my life during those times). She is doing ok but it is sinking in now that she is back home (from CT) Her and her mom have almost always lived together and she had been taking care of her since dx. Such awesome, strong people.
Oh and Dlia is pretty awesome and a strong, driven woman too
I got to meet her! 0 -
Simplicity - wishing you the best and a speedy, uneventful recovery this time. I did not massage my scars. I used the silicon bandages for a while, and some scar gel, but I honestly am not very good at maintenance. I will be going for phase 3 in the spring - fipple, tatoo and removal of dog ears, and then I will be done - 1.5 years after initial dx. I am very happy with my results, and consider myself extremely lucky relative to how quickly I healed. Fingers crossed that you and all the ladies here experiencing difficult recoveries get some relief soon. My heart goes out to you.
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Maya15, Simplicity and all of you, thank you so much for helping me to feel like I am not the oddball with the opening up and delayed healing. They keep saying my abdominal incision is not infected but it has a smell to it that to me stinks. They assured me that wounds have their own smell and they would know if it were infected. Do any of yours have a smell? My breast flap opening is not that bad yet but the abdomen just looks likenit doesn't want to heal however, there isa little more pink flesh in there now so perhaps it is. At this rate though, I won't completely close for a couple months at least.
You all are such strong women. We are blessed to have each other here to refer questions to in order to help us thru each excruciating step of the way.
Hope you all are healing well
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We are very blessed, yes, I agree Sunshinesprite.
I woke up shaking like a leaf! Unsure why I am so nervous about an in office 'procedure'. Not like I have never had any surgeries but wow is my head and body in full revolt right now! lol I think it's the only local and knowing I will be awake and likely will want to try to see. Yea, I find this stuff oddly fascinating, until I realize it's me, which takes maybe 3 seconds.
Let y'all know how the abdominal scar revision after dehiscence goes. Wish me luck!
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Simplicity - good luck to you! Hope it all turns out how you want it. In about 6 hours I'll be at the PS office for my stage 2. Like you, I'm nervous about being awake while he's doing the procedure in the office, but it's better than paying the big hospital bill I guess. Let us know how it goes!
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Simplicity- luck and a prayer this will be the easiest procedure yet!
Tigs
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Simplicity and Farmerma, positive thoughts for quick easy procedures!!
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I'm pretty new on this site. So far have just been browsing posts by others and have not posted anything. There is a lot of reassuring information (and some not so much)from others who have undergone what I am now facing; but I realize that everybody has a different experience and there is really no way to know what your own will be. Anyway, I truly appreciate these forums!
Please add my name to the list of those with upcoming surgeries. I am scheduled to undergo a unilateral, skin- and nipple-sparing (hopefully), left mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction as well as a slight 'lift" with nipple repositioning on the right breast. At least, that is the way I understood the plastic surgeon's explanation of the right-sided procedure.
I had appointments at Stanford Cancer Center in Palo Alto, CA, with both the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon on the same day and in that order. I have two areas of stage-1 carcinoma in the left breast and had resigned myself to the idea of a mastectomy and knew I wanted immediate reconstruction of some type (was originally thinking implants on left and on maybe an implant on the right to match). However, in consult with the breast surgeon, she said she favors tissue sparing when possible and said she could remove both tumors by lumpectomy. I initially agreed and was happy not to have to lose my breast to mastectomy. I signed the consent, was sent from there for preop lab and preop anesthesia consult. I asked the BS if I should cancel my afternoon appt with the plastic surgeon; she said I should go ahead and keep it.
The plastic surgeon explained the possibility of breast disfigurement after two lumpectomies followed by radiation and unknown risk of future recurrence of cancer in remaining tissue. I asked about mastectomy with implant along with implant in the other breast for symmetry. He explained that and the other options of autologous tissue reconstruction (which he favored as being more natural and with fewer complications). On exam, he proclaimed me to be "an excellent candidate" for DIEP reconstruction (guess it's a blessing in disguise that I didn't stick to that last New Year's resolution to lose weight!) He said my BS has expertise in skin- and nipple-sparing mastectomy procedures.
With my head spinning from information overload, I went home not knowing what I should do. Over the next 2 days I changed my mind several times - thinking I'd made a decision on lumpectomy only to remember another pro or con and changing my mind back to mastectomy and DIEP and then back again. Discussing it with others elicited differing opinions - some wondering why I would even consider undergoing a complex operation that would take many hours and involve several days of hospitalization when I could have the lumpectomies taking probably less than an hour and go home the same day. Pretty intimidating stuff! After hours and hours of indecision and a couple of near-sleepless nights, I took a plunge and sent an email to both surgeons before I could second guess myself yet again and informed them I had decided on the DIEP.
My initial routine screening mammogram, followed by diagnostic views and biopsies, was in late October 2016. If I had chosen lumpectomy, it would have already been over with in November. But the DIEP is not scheduled until January 30, 2017 - a long 3 months since diagnosis - due to coordination of both surgeons schedules and availability of a specialized microsurgery operating suite. Three months seems like a very long time for this horrible disease to remain in my body and I have concerns that it could be metastasizing to the lymph nodes while I sit here waiting. The long delay before surgery can be done has provided me with lots of time to again question whether this is the right decision.
On Dec. 19th, an MRI is scheduled on both breasts. After that, I don't have another appt. until Jan. 5th, and actually have at least four different things going on that same day - bilateral mammograms, ultrasound of non-surgical breast with biopsy if needed (this wasn't going to be done prior to lumpectomies?), appointments with both breast surgeon and plastic surgeon to sign surgical consent forms. Then, barring something unforeseen, nothing until the surgery at end of January. I am anxious to get on with it and get through the recovery and whatever follows - chemo (?) and hormone therapy (pretty certain).
This started out a private message so you would add me to the surgery list, but once I got started I just kept writing. If you think it is more fitting as a post on the forum, please feel free to move it there.
Thank you for being there to listen/read all of this!
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Stage 2 complete! What they told me would be an hour-long procedure ended up taking almost 2-1/2 hours. My PS is very thorough and pretty much a perfectionist so he took his time and was happy with the result. He did lidocaine shots in the dog ear areas, which was not too pleasant but tolerable. I felt nothing of the lidocaine shots in the foob, which was a good sign.
He took quite a bit off the dog ear areas, stitched with dissolvable stitches, covered with steri-strips and gauze.
I was really not sure what his markings on the foob were going to mean. He removed some of the skin from the flap area and did a purse string stitch that he pulled together and closed up the area to a round areola shape. He did some "oragami" with the skin and--poof--I now have a nipple! If healing goes well he said tattoo could be done in 2-3 months.
The lidocaine is wearing off now on the dog ears and they are starting to sting pretty good. (Still no pain in the foob.) He said Tylenol, but I might hit those pain meds I have left over just to get some sleep tonight.
He did say it would not look great right now but once it heals it'll smooth out and the nipple (which looks huge right now) will flatten. I've learned to not freak out after surgery but give it time.
Looking ahead to the end of this journey
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Congrats farmerma! Simplicity, hope everything went well.
Lemint, hope you're ok? Can't believe you had to have 3 bonus surgeries and still having problems.
Sunshinesprite, you're right, we're lucky to have each other. Although I did freak out when my incision opened up, thanks to the women on this site it didn't come as a total surprise and it helps to know other women got through this torture. Pink fleshy tissue is very good, according to my PS. She told me the other stuff I was seeing was fatty tissue, not an infection. It does come away little by little. She said it was actually more likely to get infected or not heal properly if she closed it prematurely, so it was 2 months before she did the second abdominal surgery.
I am celebrating, as of today I have officially "made it to the other side" of the DIEP surgery, after more than 2.5 months. Stitches are out, the abdomen incision is properly closed, and I am finally allowed to go out and walk around! So I get to enjoy the next 2 weeks before my stage 2 surgery (for me it's in the OR under general anesthesia).
Canotme, welcome! Hard decision you have to make. The appointments are endless, aren't they? Be aware they might add a couple of things to your list: preop testing at the hospital and possibly a CT angiogram (for the PS to see where your DIEP blood vessels are).
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Im home form my DIEP stage 3 abdominal scar revision procedure and feeling fine. About an 8 inch incision. I was surprised how small the piece of scar tissue was. Oy pain pill and nap time
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Congratulations Simplicity on your surgery. I'm glad you're feeling good. Maya I'm currently on a wound vac, they say it could take 4-8 weeks. The PA thinks my body has been rejecting the internal stitches. They keep coming to the surface along the incision. She thinks that's what is causing the problems.
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Canotme,
Welcome to this discussion board. I'm glad you decided to join this group. The women here have been a great source of comfort and encouragement.
Your comments mirrored so many of my own thoughts prior to surgery. I was torn and overwhelmed by the choices. My mastectomy and DIEP were 2 1/2 weeks ago at Penn in Philly and I'm healing on schedule and pleased with the outcome so far. I'm confident I'll continue to be satisfied in the months ahead as I continue to heal.
Initially I was scheduled for lumpectomy in November. My oncology surgeon scheduled me for a consultation with a PS in case the margins weren't clear and a mastectomy was necessary after the lumpectomy.
The PS laid out my options clearly. The possibility of 2 surgeries, disfigurement, radiation, and a better result with immediate reconstruction made the decision to do DIEP easier. Implants weren't for me.
I didn't expect my friends to understand fully all the options because they weren't there to hear the results of the mammos, biopsies, ultrasounds, and MRI's. I included only my sister in the decision making - she's an ICU nurse. When I did tell my friends they were very supportive.
Once the pathology report came back after the surgery I was glad I chose mastectomy because cancer was found outside the original lumpectomy site.
Trust your instincts. The waiting is stressful. If you are worried about what might happen between now and January, ask the experts at Stanford. They have the facts and yourtest results and won't put your health at risk. I have found Penn's nurse navigator and the CRNP and PA at my surgeon's office responsive and a great source of info.
Wishing you all the best and confidence in your decision.
J
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Canotme, sorry you had to join us, but welcome. Have you started AI or tamoxifen? I also had a 3 month wait for DIEP and mx, but my Drs. We're not concerned because I was already on the AI. It is tough though, worrying about what it might be doing.
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I'm having my diep flap reconstruction on Jan. 24th. I have my pre-op on the 5th along with the abdominal and pelvic ct. I never thought I would decide on reconstruction, but after 2 1/2 yrs flat, I'm ready to get this party started.
I was wondering if this group will go on into the new year or will a new one start for 2017?
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Another one with a 2017 (2/13) DIEP surgery date...shall we start a new thread?
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I'm also scheduled for 2/7/17. Like you, cwayman, I went flat. I truly thought I would be okay with that, but my chest is so mutilated that I can barely even look at myself in the mirror. And forget my DH looking--Not. Happening. So, almost exactly one year after my BMX I will be DIEP surgery.
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wishing you both the very best. I went from uni mx & DIEP on the right and very saggy DD on the left to a very uniform (looks to be a C) on both sides. my results are great, my DH is as thrilled as I am with the tltesults (although he was fine with the old me). I think you both will be very happy with the natural feel of the results. It's a little more complicated right out of the gate, but honestly, so wonderfully natural feeling. I feel blessed that I had the DIEP option immediately. . Hang tough, you can do this! To everyone - thank you for being here. You have no idea what a life line you have been, and continued to be. Hugs
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Regarding a 2017 thread, it would be great if someone started it. Jlstacey started this one for 2015. I'm sure she would appreciate someone else managing next year.
All you have to do is start the thread with some kid of intro and add the dates as people send them. Put in the intro to have them PM dates so you don't miss any.
Any takers?
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Hello This is my first act after creating an account. My DIEP Flap surgery was Dec.7th 2016. Also had an umbilical hernia repair. I love my new R breast. Shoulder pain and trying to exercise. They forgot to mention that necessity! My big concern today is the tightness of my belly. Does this go away in time or does it always feel tight?
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Hello This is my first act after creating an account. My DIEP Flap surgery was Dec.7th 2016. Also had an umbilical hernia repair. I love my new R breast. Shoulder pain and trying to exercise. They forgot to mention that necessity! My big concern today is the tightness of my belly. Does this go away in time or does it always feel tight?
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BrightFuture,
My surgery was December 2 and I've had lots of tightness in my belly too. My surgery also included an umbilical hernia repair. My abdomen has started to loosen up. I've noticed it's tighter at the end of the day, after I've been up and active for an hour or two, and after meals. Avoiding salt, eating smaller meals and taking breaks between activities seems to help. Also I wear compression yoga pants when I'm up and moving.
Please let me know what works for you. I'm trying to be more active without making the swelling worse. It's hard to find the right balance. Ideas and suggestions that might help would be great.
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Hi Brightfuture, and welcome to Breastcancer.org!
We're sorry you have to be here, but really glad you found us. As you can already see, we've got an amazing network of supportive and knowledgeable members, many in a similar situation as you.
We hope you find answers here, and we look forward to hearing more from you soon!
--The Mods
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Hello Bright future and jan 16. I'm wondering how long after my surgery before I can stand up straight? Also, how long will I have to wear compression on my top and bottom. (I'm assuming I will have to have them). I think my surgeon is doing stage 1 and 2 at the same time since my surgery will be 10-12 hrs. long. I have my pre-op appointment on the 5th, plus my pre-op pelvic and abdominal ct that day. I'm just so ready to get this started.
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