2018 DIEP Surgery
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cev20, I'm fine it just scared me. I'm a bit young to start this falling business lol.
About the healing process, I definetly think age has something to do with it as well, I'm in my mid 40's and would have done better in my 30's for sure.
Camstr835, do I have the correct date for you up top?
Haven't heard from Scorpiogirl, Outdoorsy or Hydrangia, not sure the exact date for her though, hope all is well:)
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Yes Twills. They changed my date to July 10th; on account the PS thought the Herceptin and Perjeta would slow the scar development and inhibit healing. I am disappointed and relieved at the same time. I get to enjoy part of my summer and get some much needed work done, but I was anxious to get this done and over. I am hoping the stages can all be completed by Dec 31 to help with deductibles and co pays. Barring any issues, my PS thinks he can complete it all by then. Scuba Mom was talking about my old date, she maybe did not see the new date.. I wish you well Scuba Mom!
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Carmstr835, gotcha, just making sure:) This thread moves fast which is great, but it’s easy for me to miss stuff so hopefully everyone will help me keep it straight.
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For those of you that have had your surgery, how soon after your surgery were you able to stand fully upright?
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Twills, I am 4 weeks + 4 days post op. My ability to stand up straight seems to come and go. There are times that I can stand up (or at least I think I am standing up straight) and then I am hunched over again. I am still quite sore inmy abdomen.
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Bella, that's kinda what I'm dealing with now. I’m 3 weeks and 3 days out and was told I could start trying this week but every time I sit it's like I'm starting all over again. I know it will be a process. I'm not in pain or discomfort when I try it's that my muscles are so tight between my boobs and my belly button. I'm hoping over the next week I'll make good progress, I definetly don't want to hurt anything. This is getting old though:/
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It was explained to me that we have many many many stitches internally in our abdomen that we can’t see. I think it just takes time. My external sutures and scars are healing beautifully. That can be misleading about what is healing internally and the different pace of healing
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For sure, the visuals I saw when I was researching are seared in my brain forever. I’m definetly more concerned about the layers underneath.
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TWills and Bella: It took me around week 4 or so to feel "ok" to stand straight. All of a sudden, I was standing! We do have a lot of internal healing so please do not rush it. I hope you both continue on your positive healing trail! Hugs, Lis
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Parachutes, sorry for the late reply. I think a combination of me being strong and fit to begin with, plus the switch from diep to siea made a big difference.
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TWills, I am 4 weeks 4 days post op. I was able to stand straight with a binder on at 2 weeks in the morning, but not by late afternoon. It felt like I got tighter as the day went on. Now I am fully straight.
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Ironmom3, I feel like that too. Good to know I’m on track. Thanks guys
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Hello Ladies,
My name is Lori. I am scheduled for the DIEP surgery on Wednesday (day after tomorrow), I am scared. I'd expect after all the surgeries, chemo & radiation this would seem like second nature but nope, still scared. I've been reading all of your posts. Thanks to all of you for the advice & suggestions! I have a question if you don't mind. How long were you guys in surgery? I will be getting both sides constructed as long as it goes well. My ps says it will take around 12 hours. That freaks me out! To be out for that long. I know my double mastectomy was around 8 hours which seemed long enough.
I am fairly healthy like you guys 😊 I make it to the gym almost daily except this last week. I'm so nervous and sad that I haven't really felt the gym lately. Plus I dont want to lose any weight in case it's needed. I dont have much belly but the ps says I should have enough for 2 small breasts & if they aren't big enough we can add implants later.
Here's a little of my story. I am 49 & was dx in Oct 2015. Had double mastectomy in Nov, chemo in Dec. & Radiation by March 2016. After my radiation skin healed I got permanent implants Nov 2016. 6 months later I was okay'd to get areola tattoos. I went through some ladies that did them just for breast cancer patients. They had a training session and each student worked on my tattoos. I thought each one was doing a portion, turns out each student did the full tattoo. So I got 6 tattoos in 1 spot on my radiated skin. I had a hole that would not heal and got infected and the day before Thanksgiving I was in for emergency surgery as my implant was showing through the hole and I had a bad infection.
That brings me to today. Scared & sad I am having another surgery.
Sorry for the novel. Any advice is very appreciated.
Best wishes for everyone ♡
Thank you~
Lori
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Welcome Just Me2! Oh my what a terrible experience with the tattoos! I'm sorry that happened to you. My surgery was 6 hours and I was also bilateral but I had two surgeons working on me so the timing sounds about right for you. It is a long surgery and that's scary for sure, just make sure to be patient with your recovery and follow the post op instructions. You'll be fine and we'll all be rooting you on. Best of luck tomorrow!!
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Thank you so much TWills!! You've helped me feel better. I just heard from my ps yesterday that I will have 2 surgeon's. She said they will still plan 12 hours but I feel somewhat relieved to know it could possibly be less than 12 hours. I hope your feeling better with less muscle tightness today 💗
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Best of luck, Lori! Sending lots of positive vibes your way.
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just me 2- 12 hours is about right for double DIEP even with two surgeons. My single was estimated for 6 hours and was 5.5. There’s a lot of detailed micro surgery involved. Have no fear - you’ll be asleep the whole time. 😇
Given the story you described on the tattoos, this will be a walk in the park.
Good lu
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Hi everybody. The duration of the DIEP varies quite a bit from hospital to hospital. I had a BMX and DIEP together and it took 8 hours. A colleague of mine who did not have adjuvant chemo had a 5 and a half hour operation at the same institution. She also recovered in a much quicker time period having avoided chemo. A teaching hospital typically that does more diep surgeries can complete the operations in less time due to the number of surgeons working simultaneously. I haven't heard that a quicker operation improves long-term outcomes.
Personally, having immediate reconstruction was a big draw of the diep surgery. When radiation is a question mark, implants mean expanders first.
Healing time is a wildcard. I had my share of trials, but, that does not mean that you will. While a delay in surgery might be a setback, it may mean a better outcome and a quicker healing period as you will be in better shape to recover.
Anyway, wherever anyone is in the process, pre or post surgery, I am sending support and positive thoughts. I don't regret my decision for one minute and I hope that you will feel the same
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Thank you Runcrb 💕 you guys have helped me feel better. It's going to be hard to sleep tonight but I will get plenty tomorrow 😉 Best wishes ~
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Just Me2, you will do well tomorrow. You have the easy job tomorrow...just sleep. I think you will be pleasantly surprised as to how well this surgery will go. I am 5 weeks post op for BMX with DIEP Flap reconstruction. I was first told that it would be an 8-10 hour surgery. Then I found out the OR was blocked off for 7 hours. My surgery only took 4 1/2 hours. I had two PS’s and two PA’s harvesting fatty tissue and veins while my BC surgeon was removing my breasts.
I understand your concern about being under anesthesia for so long. You are healthy and in shape and will do well.
Blessings for a miraculous result!
Barbara
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Thanks Suburbs~ that makes sense. There are so many reasons for a shorter or longer surgery.
So happy to hear you don't regret having your surgery. I've been hoping all day I am making the right decision. Hearing everyone's super advice along with great outcomes I know I will be happy once I get through it.
Thank you for the support & positive thoughts 🤗
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❣Thank you so much cev20!!
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Hi Barbara,
I followed this site while I went through cancer, BMX..radiation & chemo. I got busy going back to work and trying to get back to normal & kind of disappeared. You guys are so inspirational & supportive!! Thank you, thank you! I know I'm not going to sleep much tonight but your experience & reassurance will help me get through the night. I will expect up to 12 hours so if it is less I will be happy! I hope your doing amazing at your 5 week mark 💟
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Scubamom24, I've been waiting for someone to post a UMX/stacked DIEP surgery (bonus would be someone also with a tissue expander placement). Bells2013 I think you hit the nail on the head when you wrote "I believe there is a difference in recovery time for someone having BMX with DIEP Flap reconstruction verses someone having a UMX or having a mastectomy at a previous time and then having DIEP Flap at a later time". I want so badly to "know" what to expect but I am slowly realizing I am experiencing the same but different anxiety that stems from only removing one breast and having already gone through the trauma of a mastectomy. Lord knows, if someone would have told me I could have done it all at once, I would have jumped on that train in a heartbeat! The more I search, the more I realize women who have a UMX/DIEP are a minority and that kind of scares me.
Still waiting to get scheduled for my stacked UMX/DIEP. You ladies are so dang brave. It's like all the monks collectively mediating on peace, all these women all over the world collectively being brave. Kinda cool that it's out there for me to grasp.
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just me 2, Thinking of y ou and wishing you a speedy recovery. Hope to hear from you soon.
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Justme2 -Good luck today!!
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Hi Parachutes, I'm seeing my PS Friday and will ask him about the prevalence of UMX/DIEP vs. other options. I chose it because although it's a more complex surgery and longer recovery, if all goes as planned with no complications, I'll feel more comfortable with my my own tissue and won't have to replace an implant later. And I like the concept of one longer surgery with both aspects addressed at one time.
I'm also anxious - someone here compared this stage to like having your first child — trying to get everything organized to prepare but not knowing what to expect.
Let us know when you get your surgery date. And sending thoughts of wellness and prayers to Justme2 in her post surgery recovery.
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Parachutes - I ended up going with a UMX with immediate DIEP reconstruction. When I initially met with my PS I wasn't sure if I was going to do BMX or UMX. He was very frank with me that I would not have enough tissue to reconstruct both breasts to their pre-surgery size (DDD). He felt i would need to do DIEP plus a small implant in each breast to get anything over a B cup. I was not interested in an implant only option.
In the end, I made the decision to go with UMX based on what I learned about my specific cancer and my genetic counseling. I did not have enough tissue to create a DDD new breast, but it's a good C cup and I will reduce the left side to match it during revisions later this year. I just had my UMX/DIEP surgery on 3/12, so I am pretty early in the process.
So far, I am happy with my decision. The whole cancer experience has been traumatic, so keeping one of my breasts intact has helped me cope. If you have any specific questions about the UMX/DIEP stuff, let me know.
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Just_me2, please post an update when you can. You have been through so much that I can't help but think that this time is your turn for a good outcome. Your overall general health will serve you well. Sending healing thoughts and positive energy. All the best
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**Update***New surgery date: July 2, 2018
I went for a fill today-60ccs-and I got to schedule my surgery! Everything is going well now. I had a poky thing sticking out from my expander, but that went down 2 weeks ago.
If work wasn’t such a pain in my ass right now, I’d be very 😃.
Lori, hope everything went well yesterday!
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