2018 DIEP Surgery
Please PM me if you'd like to be added to our surgery list or if something needs to be edited. Sometimes it can get lost in the thread as fast as it moves. Thanks!!
I'd like to welcome future DIEP ladies and thank you for sharing your journey, and also thank past DIEP ladies who are so graciously sharing their experience and advice! We are all learning so much from each other!
Update: So it looks like we've got a good thread going, if you've had DIEP recently or not so recently we'd love to hear from you. Support and positivity are very much appreciated!! I'll try to stay on top of updating the dates and such but help me out if I need to fix or update anything:)
Hello, just wondering if we should start a new thread for 2018 DIEP. I've seen the January 2018 Surgery thread and the 2017 DIEP which are great so I'm not sure if it's needed so let's see. March 2nd is my Bilateral DIEP Surgery date.
——-Phase 1——-
Fme Feb 2
Lifewins Feb 5
2002chickadee Feb 5
Newusernam3 Feb 12
MommaGin Feb 14❤️
Dr Boutros, Houston TX
Casun19 Feb 19
Mitzi458 Feb 21
Dr Tseng UCLA
bella2013 Feb 22
Baptist MD Anderson Jacksonville
Help3 Feb 23
Dr LeFaivre & Dr Robinson Charlotte NC
TWills63763 March 2
Dr Klein & Dr Lee
Orlando Health/UF Health Cancer Center
Opt4Life March 7
SadieSue09 March 12
Scorpiogirl March 13
Kahnartist March 16
Outdoorsy March 19
Dr Levine Dr Allen NY
Hydrangia March
Dr Marke Burke Dr Thom Loree
Buffalo NY
Just Me2 March 2
Staceysjourney April 9
Marg2018 April 10
CyberCathy April 11
Dr Momeni
Stanford CA
Jsm22 April 17
ScubaMom24 April 30
Beth Israel Deaconess Boston
Lulabella May
Dr Charles Tseng UCLA
Finn21 May 2
Dr Sean Boutros
Shaleae May 10
Dawnann May 15
NOLA
Primrose24 May 17
Brigham & Women's Boston
Dr Pomahac
Parachutes May 30
Teaberry11 June 4
CarolDee June 4
Cev20 June 26
Justkeepmoving June 29
Leatherette July 2
Dr Beschilian
Polyclinic Seattle
OCDAmy July 6
Washington University/Siteman Cancer Center
KLWilliams22 July 9
Dr Bajaj
St Anthony's OKC
carmstr835 July 10
Dr Pelletier Dr Lui
CTCA Zion
Lanne2389 July 17
Carmen71 July 18
Elijahgirl August 7
Dr Wang & Dr Jatoi
University Health San Antonio TX
Mustlovepoodles August 17
Dr Wise
Nola
SoniaL August 22
Dr Robinson &Dr Korn
Charlotte NC
MCOlivia Sept 5
BethNY3 Sept 6
Shellybeans Sept 10
Dr Lee & Dr Klein
Orlando Health/UF Cancer Center
LPH Oct 1
Moonie_tricks Nov 6
Dr Crisera UCL
Cjzach Nov 12
Ibethewife Nov 26
Atly Oct 1
Kickin-cancersbutt-2014 Oct 23
Mncteach Nov 6
Pharmdgirl7 Nov 6
NOLA Dr Trahan
Frogdog12 Nov 26
tkmadonna Nov 30
Ceecee10 Dec 3
Deweydell Dec 6
Middlemore Hospital Auckland New Zealand
———2019———
Vslush Feb 22
Dlpaquette March 11
Simbobby March 12
HappyGirl1631 March 26
University of Kansas Dr Butterworth
Flynn April 1
Vanderbil
Stephanie980 April 17
—-Phase 2—-
Mitzi458 May 10
Bella2013 July 20
Trishyla July 26
Dawnann August 24
Nola
Ishallovercome August 29
TWills August 30
Dr Klein
Orlando Health/UF Cancer Center
Casun19 August 31
Teaberry11 Sept 11
Cev20 Sept 18
Carmstr835 Oct 16
——Phase 3——
TWills Jan 18 2019 Fat Transfer
Dr Klein
Orlando Health/UF Cancer Center
——Phase 4——-
Twills May 10 2019 Fat Transfer
Dr Klein
Orlando Health/UF Cancer Center
Comments
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HI Twillis,
Good luck with yours, mine is April 17. Bilateral DIEP at CTCA in Zion. I am worried, but also looking forward to having a normal body with less pain. I heard the pain I have been experiencing after my radiation the healthy tissue and fat they place on the radiated tissue seems to have a healing affect when the DIEP is completely healed. THey said they can only make me a B cup. If I want more they need to use an implant. Well I gues B is better than nothing cause I am completely nothing now. My plastic surgeons agree to do the ketorolac before and during the 10-12 hour surgery. However they insist I stop the perjeta 6 weeks before the surgery. Not sure I want to miss my perjeta 3 more times, already missed it twice during the radiation
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Hi All,
I’m planning on having my DIEP surgery in the later half of May. My PS also said that I would be a B cup but I think I have enough skin and fat for a D...lol.
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March, April, and May, yay. We'll learn a lot from each other:) My PS is Dr Klein and Dr Lee will assist. They are at Orlando/UF Health. I live about 2 hours from there so that will be an additional strain but why not, after everything else, what's a little more aggravation.
Carmstr835, I totally understand missing treatments or meds, it really interfered with the confidence in my treatment plan, as if we need to worry about that! My PS also said we could add an implant after a few months if I don't feel large enough. The expander I have now I would say is a B and if I'm close to that I think I'll be satisfied.
KimE, my PS told me at my consult in Nov that I shouldn't loose any weight when I asked if I had enough for bilateral. I took that advice and ran with it during the holidays! Everything I ate I concidered a donation to my boobs, I might be up to a D as well. Lol
I told my PS at my consult that I knew I had been hanging on to this baby weight for a reason, the young nurse said "awww, how old is your baby?" I said...21...years old. Lol
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I guess we'll just go in order by month....I should be having my DIEP in June. Getting tissue expander on Valentine's day.
Mine is unilateral, just the left side. I was also told I would be smaller and need the other reduced to match. I’m only getting one, and I have a nice mompouch going, don’t understand. PS said almost everyone has less fat on their tummies than they think.
I’m a D, so a little smaller is fine, but I still want to look like me, not radically changed from how I started out. We’ll see!
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Hi Leatherette, mom pouch lol. I understand wanting to look like yourself. I guess I just want to look balanced and be comfortable. Seems like a lot to ask when I read through these boards sometimes. I know the worst scenarios are generally posted but still. I'm actually looking forward to my surgery so I can check another thing off of my list to get back to some normalcy.
Anyone's Dr's told them what type of bra or support should be worn after surgery, like after drains come out?
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TWills- each dr has their own bra recommendation. Some want compression, some don’t. Some give you the bra they want you to wear for the next 4-6 weeks, some don’t. The one thing they all agree on however is absolutely no underwire. After the initial 6 weeks in the bra they gave me to wear,I did genie bras and the full coverage pocketed anaono bra from their makemerry collection.
https://www.anaono.com/collections/makemerry-collection/products/pocketed-full-coverage-wirefree-bra
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Thanks Lula73, hoping to continue wearing bralettes like I'm wearing now. I just like to be prepared, I was not after BMX because they don't tell you anything before hand. So frustrating!
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Leatherette, I'm a D cup and had single DIEP flap in Dec 2017. At 5'7", 155 pounds, and athletic, there was enough tummy pouch for a D new breast - mine are very similar in size. My plastic surgeon had told me originally that if I did bilateral, the new breasts would be noticeably smaller. When I saw him at my last post mastectomy check (and roughly 11 months prior to DIEP), his response to my "is there any thing I should do between now and surgery" question was "don't loose weight." I was 145 at diagnosis and 155 post chemo and held steady most of the year.
TWills, I was worried about bras, etc after reading much of the 2017 DIEP thread. My plastic surgeon said NO BRA for 4 weeks. After that, anything I wanted. He suggested staying away from underwire merely in case it rubbed - with limited feeling I might not notice it. Needing a bra to wear when returning to work, I ended up with a bralette from Soma. (https://www.soma.com/store/product/embraceable+wireless+plunge+lace+trim+bra/570187651?color=719&catId=cat11489275) Post mastectomy and post DIEP, the tender spot is the drain hole. Once my abdominal drains came out, I started wearing waist-high panties as I found lower cuts hit either my ab incision or the drain incisions. I wore yoga pants for the 5 weeks I was at home; since returning to work, I've stuck with skirts and dresses as pants irritate my abdominal area after a few hours (and I have a personal rule of no stretch pants in the office).
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TWills - my PS was very strict about no bras for the first 6 weeks, because it could cut off the flap blood supply. I wore a loose mastectomy camisole with pockets for the drains. After that, bralettes and a camisole to protect my skin from chafing from the abdominal binder.
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Awesome aquilegia, that's what I was hoping. The surgical bra that they put on after my TE surgery was torture. The band dig into me something aweful. I took that thing off before I was supposed to and wore one of my bralettes instead. Luckily I didn't have any problems.
Actually just reread your post, abdominal binder...tell me about that. Sounds horrible!
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Runrcrb, thanks for all of the great info. Love the no stretch pants at work rule, that should be a law. Lol
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TWills - an abdominal binder is a stiff cotton-covered wrap with a velcro strip on one end that wraps tightly around your middle. It keeps the DIEP incision from getting pulled and keeps it from swelling. I have a short torso and the stiff edges wore holes in my skin before I figured out to wear it over a camisole.
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Well that sounds lovely, I'll start getting mentally prepared for that.
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Twills - ask your surgeon if you will have an abdominal binder. Mine doesn't use them so ... I didn't have to spend mental energy preparing myself.
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Hi Ladies:
I have experienced most of the complications, but I am not here to scare anyone! These threads are such a wonderful source of information for me since my initial diagnosis in 2013. I have experienced a lot since April 2013. 2 time survivor. 2013 in right and 2014 in left. In 2014, I had the DIEP PROCEDURE. In October 2016, I had Stage 2. I have a wealth of experiences during this process. I want to give back. So, I am here for you all to provide dvice and support! I am here. Lisa
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Thank you LiLi-RI, it would be great to here from you since you went through it a while ago and would have some time to recover and reflect.
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runrcrb, good to know! I'll find out more about that at pre op the last week of February.
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Hello ladies! It’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve been on this site. In fact, this is my first post since probably 2007.
I was dx’d Iin 2005. Triple Negative. Chemo, Mastectomy on the left. More chemo, rads. Then in 2017 had another mastectomy on the right (prophylactic, although they found some pre-cancerous cells) with a lat flap recon at the same time. It was not a good experience so I never went back after he put my implant in. So...here I am. 10 years later. (Cancer free!!). My oncologist, who I love and adore, is pushing me to finally get my reconstruction done and put it all behind me. Since it will be my 60th b-day in March, I decided that this is the best b-day present I could give myself (except a face lift but my husband is digging in his heels on that one!!) : (
Anyway...i’m In the process of interviewing surgeons. I have to do this in February...the sooner the better due to my job which requires traveling (I tour with a rock band looking after the singer). I have to be able to work by last week in April. I really wanted to get a bi-lateral DIEP flap. One surgeon I met with said it’s possible, and said I would be close to the size of my current implant which is a C, and would try to match them “as best he can”. The other surgeon, who did my lat flap the first time, said he could only get enough fat for one side,The other has to remain an implant. I have two more surgeons to meet with but they’ve are both out of my insurance network so not sure I can afford them.
I’m a super positive person but i’m already feeling confused and have a ton of questions, I don’t want to have another bad experience like I did last time.
I am so happy to have people to talk to on this board. I have a feeling it will be my lifeline. Sorry to write so much but thought I’d better let you all know what’s up. Hopefully by coming here it will arm me with the info I need to make the right decision
Thank you ladies! Looks like I’ll be the first one up in February once I have a date set. As of right now, I’m looking at Feb.1st with one doc, February 21st with another. Hopefully I can lead the way into 2018 with a wonderful positive experience!
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hi Mitzi! Welcome back! Since you want this to be a different (better) experience, may I recommend consulting with the docs in NOLA and/or Dr Massey in Charleston, Chicago or Salt Lake? The before & afters on their site speak for themselves (I’m living proof) and I can tell you that the care experience is far different from any other hospital/dr care situation I’ve ever had (and I’ve had more than a few). Definitely worth checking out!
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Hi Mitzi!!! Congratulations on 10 years cancer free!!! I think 2018 is going to be a great year for all of us!!!
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I sure hope so KimE! I had a procedure today to "unfreeze" my frozen shoulder, as if I need an additional Dr and medical issue. Hoping this will help me be able to hold my arm in position for the DIEP surgery.
Welcome Mitzi! I added you to the list up top. Keep us updated!
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TWills I hope the procedure worked. I think after everything has healed and I’m finally done that I’m going to get “Badass” tattooed somewhere. If we can go throughhell and back, we are all badasses.
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I think that's a fitting tattoo for all of us. I think the procedure worked, I had PT today and could actually move my arm higher than I could before and now it just feels tight instead of impossible to move. They said 5 days of PT and then continue on my arm seemed reasonable.
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Hi, everyone! Had a BMX with TE's in June, then chemo & now going through radiation. Planned on having implants put in, but PS says not an option with the radiation. The DIEP seems to be the best way to go. If I have it done, it will be later on this year.
Can you share your thoughts on reconstruction and your choice of the DIEP? Hope you don't mind me hanging out. Guess I'm still bummed that after the BMX, chemo and radiation...here comes another long surgery & recovery. But i'd like to get as much of my life back as possible.
Thanks,
Ouray
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hi ouray17- I had DIEP last year and would do it again in a heartbeat. My breasts look very natural and they are soft and warm. Really they feel like my originals without the nipple sensation of course. With that being said, it takes time to get to this point. I had mine done at the center for restorative breast surgery in NOLA. Where are you having yours done? Feel free to ask any questions.
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Hi, I am having Diep flap in mid February. I ended up here because I had a few bumps in the road and complications with my original reconstruction. my expanders were removed due to an infection. I have been living without breast for about 1.5 years and anxious to get them back!
Lula - can I ask if you had any revision surgeries or a stage 2 with your Diep? You sound very happy with your results, I hope to be just as happy
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Welcome Ouray17 and Casun19,
I can tell you from my experience that I did not want DIEP when I started this whole process, I also had an infection and lost one of my TE's during radiation. That took away my option for an implant on that side. It is what it is and I'm sure I'll be better off for it, possibly, but I didn't like options being taken away from me. I know some people have a one track mind and tend to hype up certain reconstruction options because thats what they did but it's such a personal choice with so many deciding factors. Recovery time, scaring, etc...
I hope we all learn how to navigate this process with one another and make it easier to go through. Thank you for everyone's input, it's much appreciated!
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Mitzi458, have you made any decisions yet on your Dr or surgery date?
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Mitzi another place to call is PRMA/Center for Advanced Breast Reconstruction in San Antonio, Texas. They have a patient advocate on staff to help with travel and housing arrangements for ladies coming from out of state and other areas of Texas. They take some insurances NOLA doesn't. Their link is
www.prma-enhance.com.
Good luck.
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hi Casun- yes, I had a stage 2 revision surgery. The first stage is really just to harvest the tissue from the donor site, transfer it to the breast site and establish a good blood supply. They will often overfill the breasts as well because that tissue has a better chance of not being reabsorbed into the body. During stage 2 they do scar revision, fat grafting (often needed in upper poles of the breasts), lift, reduction (if desired), and lipo. Going into stage 2 I didn’t think I would feel any different after. Boy was I wrong! I feel pretty much like my old self again.
A little about why I went DIEP: I had all my other options taken away. I had previous rads to my chest for Hodgkin’s lymphoma which meant lumpectomy with rads was a no go (I’ve maxed out my rads to the chest for a lifetime) and a BMX was a necessity. Then because of the rads, my chest wall wouldn’t hold an implant (had multiple consults with all telling me the same thing) and all pretty much telling me flat was my option. I had heard about natural tissue recon years ago in passing and brought it up to be told no one does that around here. What?!? I live right in between 3 major well respected teaching hospitals that people are routinely referred to from my area and no one around here does this?!? Incredible! Off to research where I can go for this natural tissue recon... after much research I came down to 2 centers: NOLA and PRMA. NOLA won out for me. If I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, even with the option of implants being a viable one, I would still go DIEP. Just my personal feelings.
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