DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2017
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i thought I was healing ok but noticed last night a firm lender lump around one part of my incision that has an open area leaking clear fluid. No pus no blood. Are not hot to touch. Has been 4 weeks since surgery. Might have been there before but didn't poke around that much.
Anyone else had similar?
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Falconer,
My bloating or swelling above and below my abdomen incision is still there. My DIEP flap surgery was March 8 but it started swelling after my 2nd treatment. It was doing fairly well before that. I've had 3 cytoxan and taxotere treatments with one more on June 29th. I hope the swelling goes down after my last treatment. I heard this is a side affect of taxotere. Anyone else?
I would like to hear from anyone who had their second DIEP flap surgery. Mine is scheduled for August 4. It is my understanding my PS will remove the flap and round out my breast, as well as give a lift. In addition, he will remove the dog ears from my abdomen. He said he could also make nipples? My question is if I do tattoos, will they go directly onto the skin of the breast? I thought I read somewhere where a nipple is made and then a tattoo goes on the nipple. I guess I'm confused. What have others done?
Thanks for all of the good comments. Overall, I am very pleased with my breast, I just wish my stomach was not protruding out like a basketball.
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Cwayman, does it feel like the skin or deeper where you have the pain? I remover sensation was pretty funky for a long time as the nerves figure it out. Some ladies found using light touch to be helpful.
Regarding stage 2 and nipples, the tattoos go on the nipple and around it to color both the nipple and the areola. If you decide on 3D tats, no need for nipples.
Having done nipples, I am not sure they are really necessary if you are going the 3D route. The scarring from the nipples can hinder the tattoo, and the 3D kind are pretty amazing.
I had mine done with Vinnie last weekend, and LOVE them. He said my nipple recon was unusually good. He said an awful lot are not. The 3D tats could make the nipple recon superfluous. I hadn't really thought of that before. But the 3D made them look even better. :
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Wondering how long it takes until I can sleep in some position besides my back? When I try to lay on my right side my left (reconstructed) side falls asleep and hurts. I can't even think about laying on the left side. I've tried propping pillows all sorts of places but it is no use. I'm not a back sleeper and I'm not getting a lot of restful sleep at this point.
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I am sleeper too, so I hear you! I think it was at least six weeks before I could sleep a little propped to the side. Probably a couple to three months before I was fully on my side again.
I did get used to sleeping on my back. I also propped pillows behind me and leaned a little to one side. That helped.
Benadryl is great to help one sleep.
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Big Sister 2,
That is a perfect name for you. Sometimes the pain is deep, (usually), but other times its the skin. Feels like a sunburn. My incisions circle my breasts and the sides are in the dip just in front of my under arms. Makes it uncomfortable to wear a bra. I feel like a whiner. I just thought by now I wouldn't have so much sensitivity and pain. Thank you all for listening. I don't know how I would have gotten thru without this group of friends.
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Hi Pam, I too have ab swelling but I had my recon after my treatment so not sure how chemo affects it. I do remember reading , maybe on the 2016 thread, about bloating. I wonder if it's something that stage 2 will take care of? Sorry you feel like a basketball belly; it probably feels worse than it looks! Hope you're doing ok with your treatments and know that someday it'll be behind you.
Cwayman- I find that if I put a small pillow between my knees and one under my top arm, I can lay comfortably on my side. In Aug when I had the mx my DH bought me a body pillow, but I didn't use it so it went back. No wonder I kind of wish I had it.
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Bigsister2
Benadryl is a no-no for a month or so after DIEP surgery, because it constricts blood vessels. Same for any antihistimine decongestant. You are a ways out of surgery so it's fine - I just wanted to warn recent folks like me that isn't a good solution for sleeping.
What works for me is CBD tincture. It's an extract of one component of marijuana, available in health food stores. It's pricey, but only a few drops are needed. It has no THC, so it's legal.
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So, I finally have a date for stage 2 on July 17th! Not guaranteed yet, but at least it's a date. Stage one was April 28, 2016. This is with Dr. Hofer in Toronto.
I posted this question on the DIEP stage 2 page as well but it's not very busy there so I hope someone here could tell me how long it takes to recover from stage 2 touch up surgery. The PS is supposed to get rid of the dog ears and do a bit of lipo to even out my breasts as one is bigger than the other. He also will do the nipples.
Also, I read here about getting a 3d nipple tattoo - is that better than reconstructed? In what way?
Thanks!
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BigSister2 - you went to Vinnie!? I've heard so much about him. Where did you go, what city? Maybe I should call them before my Aug 4 stage 2 surgery to see what they recommend regarding nipples. My PS said he had a tattoo person, but I've heard so much about Vinnie. How long did you you have to wait after Stage 2 before you went to Vinnie. I live near Indianapolis so I know it will be a drive. But I think it is worth it.
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Here is Vinnie's website. I thought I had read somewhere that he likes to have you wait at least 4 months after your last revision. I waited over a year.
http://vinniemyers.com/section/105672_Nipple_Areol...
I live near Fort Wayne, Indiana and went to the Maryland location. It is about 45 minutes from Gettysburg, so I took my girls with me and made a long weekend out of it. While I went for my appointment, my girls rented bikes and had a great day biking around the national park.
The shop in MD is really nice. It is on a nice area and the room was private and comfortable. A friend of mine from Virginia drove out and met me (such a friend!) so I wasn't alone.
I talked to Vinnie about nipples. He prefers that women not get them. He said mine were unusually good--like 1 out of 100 good. He said most nipple jobs that he sees are not good. They are also hard to tattoo because the scar tissue might not pick up the ink evenly.
So, I lucked out.
The nipples I have really shrunk, so I am not all that impressed with them. I don't think they make that much of a difference. Had I known the risk, I might not have done them. I am also fortunate that I don't scar much. Vinnie said if you scar badly, it makes the nipples that much worse.
The tats are amazing. The really draw the eye from the rest of the scars and make me feel much more normal. I am really glad I went.
Could I have gotten similar results elsewhere? Maybe. But after all I went through to get here, there was no way I was going to risk botched tats.
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Going tomorrow for radioactive tracer since surgery starts at 7:30 in the morning Thursday. BigSister2 what is the risk with nipple reconstruction? Trying to make sure I have everything in order before I go.
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Hi All,
I'm heading in to the hospital tomorrow for Stage 2 so I'll let you know how long the recovery takes. They expect the surgery to run 3-4 hours and there is a lot to do. Part of my stomach is protruding and he thinks there is fluid build up, so that will be solved. Plus, I'll get a lift, a size reduction, fat injections to help the lift, breast reduction under the arms, something with the abdominal scar and lots of liposuction. I'm super nervous and really don't want to go through another surgery but glad it's finally here. I"m in New Orleans and its been raining and storming since we got here. I'll check back in when I'm on the other side of this.
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Good luck, MAPBB!
My PS wants to schedule my stage 2 surgery for late July, but I want to lose at least 20 pounds first. Hopefully by early fall.
Hope all goes well with your surgery and recovery.
Trish
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Good luck MAPBB. My Phase 2 is scheduled for September and my surgery will be pretty close to what you are having done. I too have fluid in my abdomen so I'm hoping that issue gets resolved at that time.
Marlene
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All the best, MAPBB and yes, it will be good to have that behind you.
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Rlsteadman, I was just passing on what Vinnie told me. I have not heard of ladies who were upset with their nipples. But Vinnie had seen some awful ones. Moreover, hesaid sometimes the scar tissue won't take the dye right, so you might need another tattoo session.
If you plan on having 3D tattoos, you don't really need nipples since the tattoo will do the job and trick the eye. My nipples are so tiny now, they don't really show--just more scars, which are now hidden under the tats!!
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After sailing through the first six weeks of recovery except for a seroma, I have hit s snag. I have intermittent pain in my lower right ab area. I'm not sure if it's a hernia (there is no bulge althogh is a little tender to the touch) or a pulled muscle. I'm praying is not a hernia . I called my PS and talked to the nurse . She didn't seem too concerned . I go back for a checkup next week so we will see what the dr has to say
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MAPBB- good luck. Can understand why you're nervous but you've made it this far!
Songbird sorry to hear about pain. Hope it's all clear.
I'm at week three. Went back to work. After the third day I'm really sore and achy. Otherwise all seems to be healing fine.
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Thanks Falconer. I'm glad you are healing well too!
This board is such a great support!
Cwaymann--I slept in the recliner for the first week to week and a half. Then I moved to my bed using a wedge pillow and sleeping on my back. It was probably 4 1/2 to 5 weeks before I was able to side sleep. And as Falconer said, I used a pillow between my knees and a small pillow under my arm on the reconstruction side. I hope you are able to sleep on your side soon!
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cwaymann- I'm just now getting to where it's comfortable to sleep on my side for an extended period of time. I've slept in the recliner almost exclusively since release from NOLA back in feb. Part of that was my husband accidentally hit me across the chest in his sleep on one of the first nights I tried to get back in the bed. He didn't mean to (said he was dreaming about fending off an attacker and had to use his karate moves), and it was more unexpected & surprising than it was damaging but for me the risk of it happening again was too much. I'd still hop in the bed for a nap though and try to lay on my side. Mostly I stayed on my back propped up on pillows and a pillow under my knees. We tried a bed wedge called the back max but it was hard as a rock and had to go back to the store. So I guess I'd say getting back to our normal sleeping positions and sleeping location is different for each of us. Hopefully you have a comfy bed and plenty of pillows as well asa comfy recliner :-)
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Songbird, it is hard to say what is causing your pain. I don't see when yo r surgery was, but it might be muscle fits as it heals. It could also be due to being more active.
Even with a pure DIEP, they have to dig through the muscle to get to the vessels. That has to heal.
I've been struggling with abdominalmuscle spasms, and I am a year and a half out. This spring I did all sorts of things in the garden. I am sure between the healing, scar tissue, and not doing much for the last two years are to blame.
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Big Sister--I am hoping that it is just muscle healing and me being more active. My surgery was May 8 so I am just 6 1/2 weeks out. It felt better today although I can still feel a little hardness under the skin. My PS said she had to take about 2cm of muscle during the surgery
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Songbird, I would chalk it up to healing. I remember one morning feeling a terrible tearing sensation when I got up one morning. It hurt quite a bit for awhile, but then settled down. My PS thought it was some scar tissue that needed to readjust.
Remember, scar tissue isn't stretchy like the original tissue. So it needs to reshape as things heal and settle in. I did a fair amount of massage to try and keep things soft. Moving around with careful stretching to keep things from getting too tight is a good idea as well.
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Hi all. I had a BMX with diep flap reconstruction on Wednesday. I had chemo first so I can't comment on chemo after reconstruction. Today is a Friday and I am sitting up in a chair but have not walked much. The first night was a struggle to get on top of the pain. Since then, my chest wall and stomach feel very tight but not incredibly painful. I guess this is just the start. Even having the surgery was a big scary ordeal. About two weeks ago I pulled my self together and put my trust in my decision and the surgeons and did not look back. It's a big leap of faith but the thought of expanders and refills left me even more frightened. Anyway, thanks to this group discussion, I was able to jump into the deep end of the pool. : )0
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Congrats Suburbs! That was pretty much what I had to do---not think about it too much. Hopefully you will be as happy about your decision as most of us on here.
Big Sister2---I think you are right. It doesn't hurt at all today so I'm thinking I just tweaked a muscle. Praise the Lord! I did NOT want a hernia.
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I'm considering having a DIEP Flap done to replace my implants since they have always been uncomfortable.
- Are you happy with the DIEP results?
- If you had implants first, how do you feel internally (implants vs. DIEP)? Any discomfort?
- Shape:
- Are you happy with the shape of your breasts after DIEP as compared to shape with implants?
- Any sagging after DIEP?
- Do you need to wear a bra "all of the time" after DIEP or no, like after implants?
- Anything else to take into consideration?
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thank you jbdayton hope you are doing well, I am just now getting to the task of reading as many entries as I can, I will try and find that NOLA in September thread
I am scheduled for 12/4/17 at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia/Dr. Kanchwala. This is a revision, scheduled way out cause of stuff in life...
I totally trust my surgeon, but the practice is huge, and though they advertise a peer program, it has been a month since I was in and I have been asking to be connected with someone, I have not received so much as a call from anyone in the office.
I am sure hoping I can find someone to talk to whose situation is a bit like mine.
- implant only recon
- 6 years ago
- athletic/probably part of the reason I am so unhappy with the implants. The muscles deform the implants too much. plus one side is moving up - I can only wear dark colored shirts else i can notice
- 5'8" and 170 lbs, enough fat to do tiny flaps OR smaller implant with tissue on top
Do I really want to put myself through this??? I have so many questions.... I am 53 and I know I would have to have the implants changed out sooner or later but I am afraid of the big scar, and all the down time... I also work for a very small company wondering what to expect as far as how much time to tell them I will be off... the nurses said 6-8 weeks! yikes! I have no clue how to handle that.
If anyone has any input to any parts of this, much appreciated! I am going to try and keep reading and following your stories too,
best,
Michele
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