DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2016
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Simplicity, very glad to hear- a collective sigh!
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Simplicity, congrats!
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Afternoon ladies: hope everyone is having a good day! Got great news yesterday they are only going to watch the nodes in my lung and follow up with another ct in june. They also sent a email off to my plastic surgeon tell him about the trouble Im having about getting any information from his office. Hopefully he will now get me back in for my second stage and fix this bulge in my stomach.
I hear ya LiLi I am so done with being stuck with needles, can't even imagine having to have a pic line yuck!
Simplicity so glad those they decided to come out for you, Something so small can be so annoying.
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taag4, that is great news! I had that abdominal bulge as well, it was fixed during stage 2. I had to wear a binder after surgery for 2.5 months and I wasn't sure the surgery worked because I could still feel that bulge but now 7 months later it is much improved- not perfect but good enough! I think the bulge I felt post surgery was fluid that took time to dissipate. My PS said it was a weakened muscle from diep which is not unusual but surgical report said hernia so I'm not sure if it's the same thing. Good luck getting an appointment for stage 2!
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Well, I'm on the count down to my surgery. It's next Tues. Jan 24th. I'm really starting to get butterflies in my stomach. I think it's 50-50, between excitement and nervousness. I need to make a list of what I need to take with me. I did get a neck pillow today. I figure it may come in handy both at the hospital and for the ride home. Plus I figure I'll be sleeping in my lazy boy for a bit and it may come in handy for that too. Do you guys think I should bring something to do while in the hospital? I know I'll be on dilaudid for the 1st couple of days, so I'll be a zombie at that time. My hospital stay will be in 4-5 days. I do plan to bring a book at least. Will I be able to get a stretchy shirt over my head? Or do I need to make sure to bring a front button shirt? I sure will be glad to get started with this part of my journey.
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Well, I'm on the count down to my surgery. It's next Tues. Jan 24th. I'm really starting to get butterflies in my stomach. I think it's 50-50, between excitement and nervousness. I need to make a list of what I need to take with me. I did get a neck pillow today. I figure it may come in handy both at the hospital and for the ride home. Plus I figure I'll be sleeping in my lazy boy for a bit and it may come in handy for that too. Do you guys think I should bring something to do while in the hospital? I know I'll be on dilaudid for the 1st couple of days, so I'll be a zombie at that time. My hospital stay will be in 4-5 days. I do plan to bring a book at least. Will I be able to get a stretchy shirt over my head? Or do I need to make sure to bring a front button shirt? I sure will be glad to get started with this part of my journey.
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Well, I'm kinda glad that I cancelled my DIEP in Feb. Found out today that I only have 19 hours vacation time and zero sick leave. Guess my surgery will have to wait another year. Which sucks, because I really wanted to get this done this year so I can have a knee replacement next year. Looks like this is going to drag on forever.
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button front shirt!! Lol. And sandals or flip flops, something you can slide into. I had my Kindle and laptop, one lady brought adult coloring book. I doubt you will be up to much 1st couple of days. And they checked my flap every hour on the hour for 4 days....NO SLEEP!!. So finally on day 3 I asked for sleeping pill. You may want to keep that in mind. Gooduck, will be in your pocket. I was 65 at surgery, and already had 3 LX behind me. You can do this!!
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First, I have been reading, learning and taking comfort from many of you these last few weeks as my diagnosis and plan has unfolded. Thank you for sharing experience and encouragement here.
I am trying to get scheduled for mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction for early Feb. My PS at U Penn didnt talk about phase two when we met for the first time yesterday. What do i need to know? I chose this, in part, because I thought it would entail less down the road plastic surgery than implants. What is "down the road" for DIEP?
BTW, one friend suggested baby wipes for cleaning on days when I cant get showered. something for the prep list above.
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Cwayman, definitely bring a button front shirt for the ride home. Yoga pants too. I stayed in the hospital gown the entire time because it gave the nurses easy access for the hourly doppler checks on the flap. They give you two gowns so you are completely covered. It also helps with the IV line. A sleep mask and ear plugs will help you get some rest. My nurses would try not to wake me when they came in during the night.
Pamela, I had my surgery at UPenn in December. You are in great hands. My phase two is optional. My PS (Dr. Kanchwala) will create a nipple and do a little tuck to lift my real/left breast so they match better. Both procedures will be done at the same time in the office, not the hospital. It'll be done in a few months and then I am finished. Others on this discussion board can tell you more about their phase two. Regarding wipes.... There was a recliner in the room. The nurses covered it with a sheet and then set a basin with warm soapy water on the nightstand so I could give myself a sponge bath. I did that instead of wipes. Please private message me if you have any questions about Penn.
J
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here is a pic of 9 months post DIEP on right and 5 months post balancing reduction on left.... Started with DD. I was 65 when diagnosed.
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Ladies, I took your advice and getting a second opinion. This will lengthen my journey but as many pointed out, I need to be confident with my decision and ps.
I met with a radiation oncologist to learn more about why I couldn't have radiation on the same area eventhough it's been 8 years. She explained that a recurrence in the same breast indicates that my cells didn't responding to radiation. And to increase the levels of radiation to the point where the cells would respond had more risk of side effects; not worth it for a DCIS. So, back to mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
The ro said that I could take 4-6 months to get the surgery but definitely not more than a year. This experience is very different than my first DCIS. I'm taking the time to make the right decisions for me. Your support is helping me do that. Thank you.
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Thank you for the suggestions. Button up shirt it is. Did most of you end up sleeping in a recliner? How long till you could stand up straight? I knew they were going to watch my circulation in my noobs, but every hour. Wow! I'll also bring the sleep mask and ear plugs. Since they are not going below the abdominal muscle, is there a problem with gas pain after surgery? I know this is a lot of questions. Guess I'm a bit more nervous than I thought. The closet it gets the more my memory takes a vacation, and the more butterflies I have.
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I had my DIEP done a week ago and have totally lost my appitite. I am still in hospital and this may effect my discharge as I haven't usefd my bowels either despite taking meds for that.
I am happy with the work and with my healing but wonder if anyone else has had this issue.
KarenAus
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If you don't want to invest in a button up shirt, a zippered hoodie works great. I got a couple of thin ones. You can even keep the drains in the pockets
Before surgery, I cut off the hood and used it to make pockets on the inside for the drains, but they are usually long enough to come up to the outside pockets.
Hope all goes well!!
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silv58 thats good to know that you could still notice a bit of a bulge after surgery. Now I will know to give it some time. My ct said that it wasn't a hernia but the receptionist won't call me back to explain what it did show so maybe its the same thing. Really getting fed up with this office but have not clue what else to do. Glad to hear you are happy with it now.
Stellamaris your results are fantastic, I can only hope for the same once Im finished.
Cwayman650 Checking the circulation sounds like a lot but believe me every time they do you are listening right along with them praying you hear that pulsing. I had no gas pain, really had no pain at all. I was sore and it was hard to move around and couldn't stand straight, but not really painful. I think the worst was when I got a headache about the third day after surgery. The nurse figured I was having maybe a coffee withdrawal. Now that was pain. Good luck to you sounds like your pretty much ready.
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cwayman - It's natural to be nervous the closer you get, I'm sure we all were. I personally slept in bed from the first night I was home. I had lots of pillow propped under my knees and behind my back. I also had to have help getting in and out of bed the first couple of nights, but it gets easier every day. The recliner was where I spent my days, so it was nice to get in bed at night for a change. I had my surgery on a Wednesday and went home on Sunday. The first couple of days I had an oxygenation monitor attached to the flap. After day 2, my PS realized it was not functioning well as readings were dropping but using the doppler there was definitely a great pulse. He ended up taking the monitor off, but they kept up with the hourly doppler checks. It's pretty annoying after a while, but also reassuring when you hear that whoosh-whoosh that you're waiting for. I had my gallbladder removed last year, so I know the gas pain you're talking about--definitely didn't have that with the DIEP surgery. I was not able to eat much for a few weeks (which I had hoped would lead to a nice jump start for some weight loss, but sadly it didn't
). With everything in the abdomen being tightened up so much, just putting a little food in the stomach felt like I had just eaten a huge Thanksgiving feast! Also had issues with the bowel movements and gave in to the suppository when they told me they wouldn't let me go home until I had accomplished something. That did the trick! Hopefully you'll have no problems. Please keep us posted!mustlovepoodles - So sorry for everything you are dealing with right now. I'm sure it's frustrating with the lack of vacation time. The good news is, if you have a PS that you trust, he/she will be there for you whenever you are ready and able to do it.
slv58 - I still have the abdominal bulge to, almost 7 months post-DIEP. My PS told me he didn't feel any hernia and that it was probably weakened abdominal muscle. I'm doing my ab exercises but will probably bring it up again if it's still not better when I see him in a couple of weeks. Always seems worse at the end of the day. It's definitely better than it was, but still strange.
stellamaris - Thank you for sharing your photo--I think you look great! I am 4 weeks post-Stage 2 and can't believe how much better it looks (and I feel). My husband recently commented "wow, it's looking like a real boob again!", so I guess that's progress. Just a tattoo left for me!
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I have a 3 story row home with spiral staircases. I plan to mostly recover on the second floor where I have bedroom and a very large bathroom. But will I be able to get up the stairs after release from the hospital? It is so helpful to have guides here for what to expect. Thank you.
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I have lost my appetite as well, but I think the issue is with the AI. I think it is normal to lose your appetite post surgery. The hospital food didn't help lol
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i Started walking on day 3 in the hospital. I wouldn't say I could run up the stairs, but I think u should be OK taking it slow. I was hiking slowly 3.5 weeks post .
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I have a question abou tthe binder. It is so tight that is leaves welts on me after just a few hours and it took 2 nurses to do it up today. PS says he doesn't want it bigger but it is no use if I can't get it on.
KarenAus
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KarenAus that seems a little harsh, your right its no good if you can't get it on by yourself, my ps didn't have me wear one, I guess all Dr, have their own way of doing things,
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KatenAus, I didn't have a binder for stage 1 either but needed it for stage 2 when my 'abdominal bulge' was repaired. Mine was what I'd call firm. It was actually comfortable to have the support- I could do it up myself without struggling. I must admit wearing it in the heat of summer was awful, I hid in air conditioning mostly! Can you get someone to check at your hospital pharmacy for the next size up? It sounds like yours is really tight unless maybe your surgeon feels you have a lot of fluid retention which might dissapate quickly? Mine left very light marks but no more so than my socks! I also got the two flap style which made it easier to get on.
Shari
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Well, tomorrow is the big day. I'm nervous and excited. Hoping I can sleep tonight but if I can't I can make up for it in the next few days. Lol
Any last minute advice?
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We'll be thinking of you! Try and get some rest tonight.
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Talked to my PS this morning and he wants me in the binder due to having to use muscle on one side due to no veins on that side. I am getting the bigger size and hopefully can get into the smaller size as swelling goes down. I think I might be one of those in between sizes.
I have got the ok to go home tomorrow with the last drain slowing down. As I live a fair way from hospitals and have a bad habit of getting strange complications he has kept me in for a week and a half. I am so ready to go home.
KarenAus
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KarenAus - I can imagine you are more than ready to go home! At least your PS is cautious. Better to be in hospital than have to return due to complications. Here's to a steady recovery at home!
Cwayman - Relax and don't stress. We'll be thinking about you tomorrow and waiting to hear a good report from you when you're feeling up to it!
Pamela - The nurses do a good job of getting you up and moving in the hospital. I have a two-story home and was able to get up to the 2nd floor to go to bed my first night home without much problem. If you can limit how much you go up and down the stairs, that will be good, but stairs weren't too bad. Be prepared for feeling out of breath though. With everything tightened up in the abdomen, you tend to feel out of breath very quickly for a while, until things start stretching out.
Thought I'd get bold and post my pictures. I believe this was about 5 months post-DIEP (uni-lateral obviously):
And this is 4 weeks post stage 2:
I see PS in another 2 weeks to get my referral for the tattoo. I actually think the abdominal incision looked better in the first picture. The second was at the end of the day and I really felt like I was bulging, with quite a divot in the incision under the belly button.
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KarenAus, yaay to finally be going home! Farmerma, great result! I am also still waiting for my tummy scar to at least fade a little bit.
Cayman, thinking of you and am in your pocket.
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thank you for being brave and sharing photos. You look great after only 4 weeks!
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farmerma: thank you for posting your beautiful pictures. I am a few months away from my surgery. Your photos are inspiring. You have healed so well.
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