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DIEP Flap Reconstruction 2017

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Comments

  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2017
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    botzey, thanks for letting us know how things are going for you! Glad to hear the drains are out. That's a relief

  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 163
    edited March 2017
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    minatabo I did delayed DIEP. I did bi-lateral skin sparing mastectomies with tissue expanders under the muscle and Alloderm slings. I did no fills just what he put in to the TEs during surgery. My scars from this surgery was a straight line across the middle of my breast about 5 inches long. The TEs did not give me any trouble.

    I did 5 weeks of radiation and no boosts. My skin did very well. finished radiation Nov 12, 2013 and did my DIEP Mar 10, 2014 (4 months).

    My breasts have small football shaped skin paddles and my scars are fading nicely. It is not a bad cosmetic appearance. I ended up with full C cups.

    My PS would not do immediate if there was any chance of radiation but I see where some do.

    Good luck making your decisions.

  • IrishLuck
    IrishLuck Member Posts: 33
    edited March 2017
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    Hi Jbdayton and thanks for starting this thread! Can you please add me to the list of 2017 DIEP surgeries. I am scheduled for a double DIEP on March 30th at Stanford with Dr. Lee. Currently running around trying to make all those last minute arrangements. Thank you so much for the list of recommendations for what to bring to the hospital. Looking forward to getting to know all of you. Thinking of all of you going through recovery right now.

  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2017
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    Best wishes to you, IrishLuck. Hope all goes smoothly next week!

  • RTChris
    RTChris Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2017
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    minatabo - I will be having my delayed uni-lateral DIEP in 9 days. I have been waiting for more than two years for this. I had my radiation treatments in April/May 2015 (a total of 25 fractions - to my right chest wall and superclav regions).
    My plastic surgeon won't even do consults until at least 9 months to a year post radiation to give the skin a chance to heal and so he can see what he has to 'work with'. After that there was a 14 month wait to get a surgery date.

    I found out yesterday at my pre surgery consult with my PS that he is thinking of doing the lift/reduction of my left breast at the same time, so if the surgery is going well I should wake up with a matched set.






  • aquilegia
    aquilegia Member Posts: 54
    edited March 2017
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    minetabo - the plastic surgeon I met with told me not to try to gain weight to get a bigger flap, as he said the breast would just get smaller when I got back to my normal weight.

  • cdv4251992
    cdv4251992 Member Posts: 110
    edited March 2017
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    Morning, I'm just going to vent here a minute about my PS to get it out before I call his office again. They are the least responsive office I have ever dealt with. Great surgeon, his nurse asst is great....in person. Getting in touch with them over the phone is impossible. My surgery was scheduled at the beginning of Feb for March 2 and they were supposed to give me an informational handout about befor/after surgery, the way he does things. After not speaking to anyone, my breast surgeon's office got in touch and said they promised to email me all the Stuff I should have received in Feb. I got nothing andwaited 2 weeks and then called. No response. I ended up calling every 2-3 days and finally my breast surgeon's office called (to ask if I scheduled a preop appt they forgot to tell me I needed) and that nurse said she would email the other nurse. Still nothing. It took my husband calling and not so kindly requesting someone call me (unbeknownst to me).

    Now I'm having a lot of under arm swelling and redness under my arm and it's hot to the touch and one of the incisions, that the nurse told me to watch on 3/17 looks like it's opening and the skin around it is red. She said all I had to do is call and they would have me back right away because I start chemo Thurs and I don't want to start if there is something going on with Lefty. But no return call Friday and again none from yesterday's call.

    Serenity now! Thanks for listening.

  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2017
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    CDv so sorry to hear that you are worried about infection and have an unresponsive PS. I switched MOs for that very reason. Really if it gets worse you must get medical attention somehow!
  • cwayman650
    cwayman650 Member Posts: 63
    edited March 2017
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    Cdv, I totally agree with what Falconer suggested. If you can't get into see your dr. and you start running a fever or feeling icky you should go to the emergency room. If it is infected it could go into you blood stream. Being a nurse, I have seen these kind of things before. If you start getting any red lines coming from it, it's an emergency. I don't want you to panic, just trying to keep you informed. Keep us posted and best of luck.

  • cdv4251992
    cdv4251992 Member Posts: 110
    edited March 2017
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    Thank you all. I did finally get a response and I emailed them some pictures. There is infection and the prescribed oral antibiotics and silvadene. I have an appt with the doctor on Friday and chemo has been postponed. I don't have a fever, so does that mean it is early? Or can you have something serious with no fever

  • RTChris
    RTChris Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2017
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    cdv, How are things going? Did the doctor put you on antibiotics?

  • cdv4251992
    cdv4251992 Member Posts: 110
    edited March 2017
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    RTChris, yes started on antibiotics and silvadene cream yesterday. I have an appt with the PS Friday morning. Fingers crossed I'll be on the mend and no other interventions will be needed. Thanks for asking!

  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 163
    edited March 2017
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    cdv keeping you in my prayers for good progress with your healing. I know you are getting anxious to get started with your chemo. Keep us up to date.

  • Kali44
    Kali44 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2017
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    Hello everyone,

    Cdv hope you are feeling much better now :) Irish luck hope you are feeling well. To everyone else I hope you are all having good days as we await our surgeries.

    I am hoping mine will be on schedule as my doctor has now ordered a Pet Scan for me Friday 7th which I know is necessary but I am worried about because he noticed that my enzyme levels are elevated. So naturally your mind goes to the worse but you hope and pray it is not :( I am also hoping that it can be dealt with easily so as not to delay my surgery.

    I have totally fallen apart while trying to save face in front of my children but I am a wreck to be quite honest. I was also wondering if anyone has had a bone density test and if so was the machine similar for the Pet Scan? Just trying to be prepared. I think I may need to take my Ativan over the next few days. I am really freaking out.

    Thx for listening.

  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited April 2017
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    Kali, I understand your anxiety. I'm not sure how long you've been on this road, but for me it's been less than a year, and I'm completely on and off with dread. I imagine that time builds confidence.

    The bone density test was the easiest. Wide open on both sides, like a table and then another above, not enclosed, and quick.

    Good luck with the PET results. Let us know how it goes. Holding you in the light.
  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited April 2017
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    cdv- how are you feeling? How was the visit to the PS?
  • cdv4251992
    cdv4251992 Member Posts: 110
    edited April 2017
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    The PS said it was looking better than the pictures I sent. It's still red but not as warm to the touch. PS didn't do anything but said come back in a week. He said he would decide next week if he needed to do any stitches to close anything up. Thanks for thinking of me. Chemo is off for another week at least. I really was hoping to have a few chemo treatments under my belt before i go back to work. At this rate I'll be be going back to work the week I start chemo. I also hoped to be able to wear a bra back to work. When is that going to happen?

  • RTChris
    RTChris Member Posts: 17
    edited April 2017
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    cdv I will keep you in my prayers ( I hope prayers don't offend you). I truly hope that all of this clears up quickly.

    I can't imagine the fear and uncertainty of having to go through chemo as the same time as you are recovering from this major surgery and its complications, and throw work in there as well. As much as I was upset that my medical team refused to do reconstruction until everything else was completed, I am kind of grateful right now that I only have to deal with one.
    < < < Hugs > > >

  • cwayman650
    cwayman650 Member Posts: 63
    edited April 2017
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    cdv, I sounds like you are on the mend for now. I'm so glad your dr. got you in, plus the fact that you could e-mail them pics. Todays technology huh. Since you are now on the antibiotics you should be healing up to move on to the next part. One of the clerks where I work had her chemo while working. She scheduled it so that she had a couple days off after chemo and it worked out fine for her. Hopefully that will be the case for you as well. Thank-you for keeping us updated.

  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 163
    edited April 2017
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    To Trishyla and RTChris I am sending good wishes for a successful surgery tomorrow. All you have to do is show up and let your team of doctors do their magic.We will be in there in spirit.


  • trishyla
    trishyla Member Posts: 698
    edited April 2017
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    Thanks, Jeannine. I just got back from seeing the plastic surgeon for pre surgery marking. I firmlt believe they don't really need to do it, they just like to mess with us! I bet they sit in their little plastic surgeon's lounge swapping stories about what they've drawn on their patients. I swear mine looks like a map of downtown Dallas. Wait a minute, my PS used to practice in Texas! Yep, definately a crudely drawn map of Dallas. I guess it could be worse. If he had practiced in D.C., it would be a large pentagramHappy

    Good luck tomorrow Rt. Hope both our surgeries go a smooth as possible.

    I'll try to post sometime on Wednesday if I'm feeling up to it.

    Trish

  • cwayman650
    cwayman650 Member Posts: 63
    edited April 2017
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    Ok Gals. I'm kinda freaking out here. I'm 10 weeks post op with no complications. I just found a lump in my left breast. Same side my cancer was in. It is by the scar like but feels like a round marble. I checked along the scars but this feels different. I can't see my Dr until wed. I'm trying not to panic but crap. I thought I was all done with this. (Even tho I knew better)

  • RTChris
    RTChris Member Posts: 17
    edited April 2017
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    thank Jeannine,
    I am only 12 hours out now. the fear is there.
    I think I look more like Sarah from 'Nightmare before Christmas'. Looks like stitched lines everywhere

    Trishlya - good luck tomorrow

  • trishyla
    trishyla Member Posts: 698
    edited April 2017
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    Thanks, Rt. You , too. After all we've been through, we got this.

    Trish


  • trishyla
    trishyla Member Posts: 698
    edited April 2017
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    Oh, and btw, Rt, my bmi is probably 30+, I'm an ex-smoker, and I'm having bilateral reconstruction. You should be fine!

    Trish

  • BigSister-2015
    BigSister-2015 Member Posts: 298
    edited April 2017
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    Cwayman650--that lump must be terrifying, but don't panic yet. Cancers take years and years to get that size, not 10 weeks. It is most likely some kind of fat necrosis.

    Your doc may have you massage it so that it can be absorbed. If it is still there at your revision, he can remove it then.

    Fat necrosis is very common, so don't panic!

  • cwayman650
    cwayman650 Member Posts: 63
    edited April 2017
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    Thank-you Big Sister. I appreciate it.

  • Hammie28
    Hammie28 Member Posts: 29
    edited April 2017
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    Well I'm still here. One month out and able to function but still recovering.

    Soooo... I have a tip for you guys! I need to get back to the office, but I can't really show up in yoga pants, you know?! My solution... I have busted out my maternity pants! I'm folding the band over so that it is doubled and it feels good across the incision. And I look presentable!

  • Falconer
    Falconer Member Posts: 801
    edited April 2017
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    Hammie- after my third child, I'm pretty sure I got those pants out of my house ASAP! Didn't want anything lingering around that might make us think of a fourth. I laughed hard when I read your post- good suggestion but no chance for me

  • Hammie28
    Hammie28 Member Posts: 29
    edited April 2017
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    Haha! My sister had all of mine. I think she nearly had a heart attack when I asked for them back!

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