2018 DIEP Surgery
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Lanne & Geminigirl, I am 9 months out from my BMX with DIEP. My breast were a bit lumpy at first. Following my Stage 2 surgery, they were much softer. My left (cancer) breast has a hard area. My PS said that it’s scar tissue and fluid. He gave me permission to start massaging it more vigorously. I have focused on doing that because I am going for my 3D nipple tattoos on the 15th. I am amazed how the massage really works to break up the scar tissue.
Having said that, Gemini don’t massage yours yet. You just had your surgery and you don’t want to injure those new vein connections. You had a big surgery. It takes awhile for your new breast to heal and settle down. You still have a lot of fluid in your breast. I can promise you that with time you will love your new breast. Lanne had a good suggestion on the PT. Many women here have had very good results using PT.
Best wishes for a smooth recovery.
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Hi! I am scheduled for BMX with Diep reconstruction on Nov 26. I finally finished reading this whole thread! Thank so much for the great information. It helps a lot to read through other’s experiences.
I am DCIS only as of now, right breast only. It is grade III and a very large area so the recommendation was MX. I chose bilateral for lots of reasons. More than one person has mentioned “surgery overkill” to me. I am terrified of the surgery and recovery and know I am at a very early cancer stage... am I crazy and is this way too much surgery for my dx?
Also, anyone on here have little kids? My kids are 6, 3 and 18 months and several people tell me I’m crazy for choosing Diep with its long and horrible recovery. Tbh, being separated from my kids feels like the worst part of this. I am so so sad about it. Lots of good reasons for choosing Diep but should I choose my kids and just go implants?
All personal decisions, I know. Just chickening out a little andlooking for reassurance or honest feedback. Thanks again for sharing all your experiences!
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frogdog -trust your gut. Don’t make a decision that lasts a lifetime by only considering the short term. Yes DIEP is more complex and invasive than implants. Either surgery can result in complications. I am 100% confident that the short term challenges are worth the long term effect. And you probably were too when you scheduled surgery.
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Shelleybeans - I completely understand how you feel. I have been in pain constantly since my BMX. I thought the TE on the right side was the culprit for all the pain (it shifted under my arm) but I’m two weeks out from DIEP flap on both sides and there is a hardness that feels the size of a fist on my right side. I asked the PS about it and he said it’s scar tissue. I guess I didn’t realize that I would be in pain still. I can not even think about revision surgery or being in a hospital. Ugh
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Bella2013,
I just started massaging my right side (radiated side) when I saw your message! Thank you so much for the advice to not massage it yet. That makes perfect sense to me and Iwould have been upset with myself if I had done something to hinder proper healing. I need to be patient and listen to those who have gone before me. Thank you so much for your advice and good luck with your tattoos
Please let me know if there is anything else you can think of. And thank you for the well wishes.
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Gemini girl, I had about a quarter to half of my breast which was rock solid. I took everyones advice to massage and after three and a half months nothing had changed. It took that long for my doctor to believe me and order ultrasound therapy. I think that it helped soften some of it but not all of it. I had phase two on Friday and go figure my doctor could not feel what I was feeling. He said that since the area was far from the incisision, he'd have to cut more skin to reach it. The other option was to just live with it and see if it gets better on its own. Needless to say, I'm a little disappointed
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gosh ladies I'm so sorry about the hard areas. I don't have any hard areas except for along the incision itself but it's getting much better. Getting my stage 2 on Thursday. I hope this is my last surgery! I'll just do the nipple tattoo. Not sure how long you gave to wait for that.
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Frogdog12 - recovery from DIEP is not that much longer or harder than BMX alone, really maybe only a week or two, if that. The time does go by quickly enough and you will find ways to make it work with your family. Even a few months now in your kiddos' lives won't have a lasting effect - and you have a great oppty to teach them first hand about being gentle and empathetic with ppl who need extra care.
Statistics are great at the macro level but even the small % difference in long term outcomes btwn lumpectomy, MX and BMX was too much for me. I haven't regretted my BMX or switch from planned implants to DIEP for more than a minute. Trust yourself and neither will you.
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Parachutes,
Thank you for your response. I neglected to add that the same side had 13 lymph nodes removed and I had 25 radiation treatments after the TE was filled. Did you have any of that take place prior to your DIEP surgery?
I completely understand your disappointment. We’ve had too much done to our bodies to not feel 100%. Being cancer free will need to be my focus.
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I never had "wires"?
The rash has finally healed with the help of a dermatologist and 2 weeks of constant care (it was worse than the surgery!)
I am not sure what the cause of the rash was; the lycra bra they fitted me with post surgery or surgical wash; but it was awful!
I am now going to be allergy tested; as I do not want this when I go in for stage 2.
But other than that recovery is fine; am back to doing things, but there are sometimes limitations to what I can handle. Am able to drive again!
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Are the "wires" the lines from the medicine ball for pain?
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yes and they were pulled when three out of four drain tubes were removed
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Going in for consultation for phase two this afternoon. Any tips on specific questions to ask? If you’re done with phase 2, what did they do? I think I need scar revision, dog ear removal, lift of non-diep breast, nipple recon, then nipple tattoo. I know they can’t do all that at once, but not sure how much of it they can do in one session.
Thanks!
L.
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frogdog - I have two kids, they were 2 and 5 when I had my DIEP. DM me if you'd like to discuss details. In summary, it's really ok! Extra work for my husband to take care of them without any help but I agree it's been good to teach them about being helpful, doctors taking care of the bad things in our bodies, that bodies look different (they've noticed I no longer have two nipples), etc. I also chose it as it seemed like more up front work and less long term maintenance, I was 41 at DX and figured I didn't want a life of implant issues.
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leatherette - sorry I missed your post this morning. Hopefully you are set. I had ab scar work, dog ears work, lift on real breast (donut), reduction on diep side with additional incision to make the two breasts sit at the same level. Honestly, the pain from the lipo to reduce the diep side was the hard part of stage two.
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I agree with you Runcrb, the lipo pain was a big surprise. The good news is that it’s not nerve pain like the BMX and DIEP, it’s bruising and tends to heal a bit faster. I told my DH I was looking for the bat he beat me with because that is exactly how I felt and my torso looked like I had been beaten also.
Happy all my surgery is behind me...I get my nipple tats on Thursday🤗
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I kinda thought to ask questions at the last minute....but thanks, runrcrb! I’m getting dog ears removed and a lift on my non diep side. I may also do scar revision on my abdomen-not sure how much of a difference it will make. If any of you did scar revision, did you find it to be worth it? I can’t tell if what I have now will just look fine over time, or if I should just do the revision. My PS is leaving it totally up to me, which doesn’t help. I don’t know good scars from bad. What do you all think, for a 4 month out from DIEP scar?
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sorry the pic is so huge! looks a little scary! and a little scarry
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FWIW, your scar is better than mine!! What do you think needs to be revised? What would the Dr try to improve?
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I agree with Lanne. My abdominal scar looked so bad (ragged and jagged and crooked) that I started calling it the "Himalayas". I just had a revision, and now my scar looks almost as good as yours😁
If it were me, I would leave it alone. It looks fine .
Best wishes.
Trish
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I agree that scar looks pretty good! Is it hidden mostly under clothes/underwear/bathing suit? If so I'd probably leave it be. However I wasn't offered scar revision so not sure what that entails. I had Phase 2 and we fixed dog ears on abdomen, left everything else alone. My breast was reduced and lifted but not finished -- in preparation for Phase 2 they discovered a recurrence, so now I'm having radiation, and we'll do final fixes including a nipple in a Phase 3 that I'll learn more about end of January.
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Stage 2 complete. Sore and tired but this was the easiest of all the surgeries I have gone through. Home in my reclining bed and looking forward to resting.
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Congrats OCDAMY, this healing is much easier than previous surgeries. Rest well
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Yay Amy!!
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OCDAmy love that you are through Stage 2. Definitely rest!, I’m sure your body is bruised - I remember feeling like I was beaten up a bit but so happy to have my shape back.
How was your daughters wedding last month? Was your dress a hit? My daughters wedding was about 3 weeks ago- I absolutely loved my dress and didn’t have to worry one second about holding in my stomach for pictures! Lol
Three days after the wedding I had thyroid surgery because of an incedental nodule that showed up on my PET CT . Biopsy came back indeterminate so I had to have half of it removed- Pathology came back benign so relieved and excited to be done with surgeries!, Today I had nipple reconstruction Trying to get everything in before nov 30th when my insurance plan year ends.
Wishing everyone continued peace and healing .
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leatherette I’m jealous as your ab scar is beautiful! It’ll fade nicely. If it were me I would not touch it.
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Teaberry, I did find a dress for my daughters wedding. I still looked "hippy" but my tummy looked great. Stage 2 included fat grafting from my hips and even with the swelling and brushing my hips already look much slimmer. Yippee
Anyone have face flushing after surgery. This is my third surgery and I never had it but this morning my cheeks were warm and splotchy. I Iooked it up and it said you can get that after anesthesia.
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Ouch, wow the lipo hurts. They did my hips and around to the back of my upper butt, the " "muffin top". My lower back hurts so bad! How long before this pain subsides?
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HOLY SHIT! THEY ARE NOTHING LIKE THE ONLINE PHOTOS! I'm so so sad, utterly disappointed, downright shocked with my breast after stage 2!! I thought PRMA was suppose to be the bomb. Before this surgery sure I was lopsided and my DIEP breast was like a wide hamburger bun (filling in every space of the tissue expander) BUT at least I was symmetrical in a bra and even in a tank with a light shelf bra and tankini, I was symmetrical. Phase 2 did shave off some of the side-boob and some fat grafting took place to fill some "indenting" and then I said yes to the lift. I specifically told him I didn't want or need to look like I have an implant.
But then I get home and take a look and I'm flabbergasted! My DIEP breast is still a hamburger bun but a little smaller. Then my poor poor native side was lifted so fricking high! So high, I not only get disgusted but embarrassed when I look down at it cause there it is looking right at me! I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror or let my husband look at me. I can't even cover it up. I look ridiculous because I'm so small and now it looks like I actually got a boob job...on one side! It would take now padding my DIEP breast to match it. My daughter tells me it's still swollen but really, swollen two cup sizes? I thought maybe I'd be uneven in terms of height but I never thought I'd be so uneven in size. I feel like I'm going to have to bandage my breast like Hillary Swank to even go back to work. In fact, I'm suppose to wear the surgical binder for another week but feel like taking it off to not support the unwanted lift.
I know this forum is filled with ladies who love their outcome but is there anybody out there who wasn't? Does anybody know how long I have to wait to get another revision and most importantly is insurance going to pay for more fat grafting and maybe even now a breast reduction? I'm so sad. Every time I think about it, I just brust out in tears.
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Parachutes, if it isn’t the way you want it them make them fix it. They might have lifted your non diseased breast a little higher because as it settles it may droop some. I don’t know how old you are but I am 61 and sometimes gravity does its thing on us
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