2018 DIEP Surgery
Comments
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dvhmouse - you'll definitely want a camisole under the binder! I didn't start wearing my binder until my drains came out. I ordered a three pack of shelf bra style camisoles from Amazon. I ordered my normal size and wished I had sized up. Chest is so bruisy, you don't want any squeezing. You may also want ones with no shelf. I like the Duluth trading ones. They run big and long.
I kind of liked the binder too to help me stand up straight. I didn't have the hot room or the hot blanket thing. I cant imagine wanting pjs in the hospital...The first few days are tough and you're not going to want to change clothes, plus you'll have an IV. Also, if there's a chance the pjs ride up or down and touch the ab incision - yikes. The gown was fine by me.
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For the those of you that had a port in place before surgery, did they use the port for your IV or did they still stick an IV in your hand or arm?
Thanks,
Diane
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I just had my 10 weeks post op with the PS. Says it all is healing well, small area of fact necrosis, we will see if we are doing anything about that. Asked me what I wanted for phase 2 of the DIEP, because we can at 3 months. Well, I have so much hair (no complains, just factual observation) in the new boob that I think I need to take care of it first. That would be so weird to have the fake nipple in the middle of all this hair. That would definitely not be feminine. My husband bought me a PRIA 4X laser for hair removal. I tried to yesterday for the first time on another area. In about 1 month I can start using it on the hairy breast. It may take like 6 months. I did not plan on that. Greatfull it all went well though.
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lawyergirl, I'm in the same boat. I had a left MX back in 2014 with the "recalled" implant and lift/implant on the right (not recalled). I had a second consult today and we discussed all options. I loved the PS I met with a few weeks ago and when the PS today asked who I had met with before, was surprised to find out he actually trained him. They are both excellent and have wonderful bedside manners (something my former PS lacked). I am going with the PS I met today, because he has more experience with reconstruction. I am considering the DIEP, because I hate my implants, hate them. But I am scared after reading posts on the recovery. I'm not sure I want to go "flat", but I scheduled the surgery for April (he is booked until then), so I have time to do more research.
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Claire, I am 10 weeks out of DIEP. I hated the implants and I was sooo scared of DIEP. I waited a long time and I almost cancelled it last moment. I am glad I did it and especially that the implant is out. The reconstructed breast looks natural (minus the lovely hair), it does not bother me like the implant. Of course it is not like my old breast, but we can't turn back the time. I just feel like I am healing from all of this - cancer, reconstruction crap and before there was no healing, just stuck feeling, stuck physically and emotionally. Silver lining...my tummy looks flat.
I met women who told me implants are great and they don't feel them. That's great - for those women! And I just also thought maybe they are not honest with themselves, they have accepted this whatever physical feeling and told themselves that's ok.
Recovery is not easy, but it is doable. I thought it was going to be tougher. The first week was tough. I stayed at the hospital for 4 days. I was out of my house at the end of the 1st week. I was driving at 2 weeks. Went back to work at 4 weeks. danced at 6 weeks and by no means I am this super positive upbeat and athletic woman every PS wants to see. See how I whine in my post?! If you are only worried about recovery - you can do it.
I missed coffee and chocolate for the first 4 weeks, they said I cant have it. I had back pain and sleeping was challenging. Pain meds are not ok with me, I have to be super careful, sometimes they make me sick, still it was manageable.
I think the trick for every woman who is thinking of DIEP is to have a good idea what to expect look wise, the pictures they show are just not what YOU might get. This is the second time it happens to me, different PS - probably the best in Boston, chief, professor, over 1800 DIEP procedures. And accepting living half done for years. It's been 2 years so far. At least 1 more year, despite him telling me its going to be 3 months
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Alice, thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it. I feel confident my new PS will do a great job. The surgery will be at Georgetown, where he is the Executive Director of Plastic Surgery and Reconstruction. I guess another good thing about removing them... mammograms should be a little easier, since they won't have to move the implant out of the way. And I do worry that may miss something.
Thank you again!
Claire
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dvhmouse,
I had my port put in before surgery. I asked the nurses to access it for the surgery, and they did, only to have my PS tell them to deaccess it. He said it was in the surgical field, which it was, so it was in the way. So, I had an IV put in my arm. My port is in my left chest and I had a right mastectomy
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Adhoney - Rats, I was really hoping they could use the port. The fewer holes they put in me, the happier I will be! Thanks for the information,
Diane
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I have my second phase November 22nd. PS is saying about a week recovery but I will have a abdominal binder and bandages for a week. Is a week realistic for fat grafting and lipo?
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I think my stage 2 recovery was a week. Switched to spanx after that.
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Hi Trish!
Thank you for telling me about the lymphedema. I believe that's what's going on now. It's been a month since my 2nd phase lipo and my tummy is huge, arm is swollen and tight. I go to see a PT tomorrow to talk about the Lymphedema massage but I made an appointment to go back in before my scheduled follow up because I'm so uncomfortable. In your experience or from what you may know (or anyone) what do they do for this? I had 3 nodes taken from my infected side (that side back to normal) and 7 or more taken from the side that they weren't sure because I made the decision to have the bmx (side that swells and is tight) stomach swollen, tight and I think skin is stretching???
Looking for any info on personal experiences, home remedies, things that make it better or worse?
Second phase on 9/3. Liposuction, fat grafting.
Thank you in advance
Crystal
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Hi Trish!
Thank you for telling me about the lymphedema. I believe that's what's going on now. It's been a month since my 2nd phase lipo and my tummy is huge, arm is swollen and tight. I go to see a PT tomorrow to talk about the Lymphedema massage but I made an appointment to go back in before my scheduled follow up because I'm so uncomfortable. In your experience or from what you may know (or anyone) what do they do for this? I had 3 nodes taken from my infected side (that side back to normal) and 7 or more taken from the side that they weren't sure because I made the decision to have the bmx (side that swells and is tight) stomach swollen, tight and I think skin is stretching???
Looking for any info on personal experiences, home remedies, things that make it better or worse?
Second phase on 9/3. Liposuction, fat grafting.
Thank you in advance
Crystal
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I have a question about timing of surgeries. The plastic surgeon who would do my diep flap is booked out further than I am comfortable waiting for surgery. Has anyone done a delayed diep flap? Did you just go flat and then do the reconstruction later? Did anyone do tissue expanders immediately after your mastectomy for the diep flap surgery later?
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i had tissue expander placed at my mastectomy. DIEP was 15 months later.
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My surgery is bright and early tomorrow! Actually in about 8 hours... yikes. Will post an update on how it went later this week. Fingers crossed for a successful procedure and easy recovery. Thanks to everyone here for the information to help prepare.
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Good luck lawyergirl. I do not post much. I am meeting with my PS October 25th. I am undergoing Taxol until November. We Snowbird in Florida. I hope to get my surgery scheduled so when we return I have it 1st week of April. Recover and have my Summer back that I lost in 2019.
Hoping journey can give many details.
Praying you have a positive experience
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I’m praying for you, Lawyergirl. You can do this!!!
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Hope everything went well Lawyergirl. I am 24 days post surgery and doing pretty good. Just keeping a close eye on my incisions as they heal. Not sure how long it really takes to make sure they do not open up. I work in an office so am planning on working a few hours a day this week and getting out of the house a bit.
Hope everyone else who is still recovering is making good progress
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I am 16 months out from my original DIEP surgery. I am having the hardest time finding pants or jeans that fit! The waist falls down but I can't get a bigger size because my hips and butt are still the same. I never used to wear belts but now I have to. Anyone found a brand that fits well?
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I wish I had that problem. I'm built like a column, lol. Try looking for curvy cut. American Eagle has a wide range of cuts, sizes and lengths and they're not very expensive if you want to order a few to try them. I think they say if you have greater than a 13" difference from hips to waist, then a curvy cut is better. Example 42" hips - 28" waist = 14" I think Levis also has different cuts for curvy, straight, etc. My daughter has to buy curvy and has luck at these stores. Even though I'm in my 40's I've tried these same brands (not in curvy) and like them.
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I have had all my surgeries around October as we love being on the water! Had my DIEP last October now going in for the final fix tomorrow; fat graft, dog ears and scar tissue etc. Finally get my hips in line with my waistline! We have been on high protein low carb for years now down 6 sizes and love it!
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Ugh. I went in for my three month followup with my MO and she found a lump in my right breast. She believes its fat necrosis from my DIEP surgery but wants to be sure. What is interesting is I went to my breast surgeon the day before and she said everything was fine. Of course I couldn't get in that day and the earliest I can get in is next Monday. Talk about anxiety.
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Cat94925 - I had a BMX followed immediately with tissue expanders as the original plan was implants. When it was time to swap out the expanders for implants my PS offered DIEP, which I did, by then about 13 months after BMX. Since I had large breasts, my PS was able to keep enough skin during BMX to accommodate 500cc expanders and so there was no need to use the flap skin to create breasts during DIEP, they just used the fat.
During DIEP, I also had a lymph node transfer from my groin to my cancer-side chest and so far so good, no lymphedema on that side. I’d had 17 nodes removed during BMX.
Lanne
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4 weeks today post diep and ended up in the ps office as I have a yeast infection under the breast. Glad it is not anything more serious just didn’t expect that. Was given a ointment to put on daily
How long did it take until you felt comfortable or were able to wear jeans. I have been wearing mainly stretch pants which sit above the stomach incision
Jenkins00 sorry to hear about the lump. I am sure it is fine but will be keeping you in my thoughts
For everyone else just getting through surgery hope all is progressing well and you are on the road to recovery
Connie
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Thank you to everyone for sending kind thoughts and prayers for my surgery! I was expecting to be back online sooner, but it’s been an intense week and my head Is just now coming out of anesthesia fog. Overall my surgery was a success, and I’m already so much happier with my new warm, softer, smaller breasts.
Surgery day was a very long day. Up at 3am for a 5:15 check in, and in the pre-op room getting set up by 5:45. I think they rolled me back to the OR around 6:30 or so. I remember seeing my surgeon counting tools in the OR, and then don’t remember anything until I was coming out of anesthesia dropping f-bombs at the poor nurses around midnight. Let’s just say I don’t do anesthesia well.
According to my husband, the surgeon came out to talk to him at around 10:45pm. She said that I had a lot more scar tissue than they expected, both in my abdomen (prior oophorectomy) and my previously reconstructed breasts, which apparently complicated things. And then they had difficulty re-attaching my blood vessels for the flap, and the surgeon had to re-suture a number of vessels multiple times because they kept springing leaks. Yikes.
I was in a hospital room by about 1am, and finally got to see my husband. I was pretty loopy and exhausted.
The morning after surgery, I only remember waking up in intense pain. I had sharp, shooting pain... in my ANKLE. My entire right foot and ankle were swollen to twice their size, and any sensation or movement sent lightning bolts of pain up the outside of my leg. Later in the morning, my first three toes on my right foot turned bright red from the top knuckle up. I was terrified of infection and had no clue what was wrong. Neither did the surgical team. Over the next several days I got visits and testing from ortho, rheumatology, and PT. They managed to rule out all of the really bad things it could be (whew!), but I was terrified and also in a ton of pain - the ankle . Even the oxy couldn’t touch my ankle pain. And to top things off, I couldn’t get out of bed and walk on it either. Very frustrating.
In the end, they decided that what probably had happened was a stretching/sprain injury caused by my ankle being strapped in an “awkward” (their words, not mine) position for 14+ hours during surgery. Of all the things it could have been, I suppose this is one of the better diagnoses, but still... super annoying.
The silver lining is that I really didn’t have any other pain related to the surgery to speak of. The flaps took just fine, and the nursing team monitored them regularly for the 5 days I was in the hospital. My breasts seem to look good, if a bit bruised and swollen, and my stomach incision seems like it is going to look fine when it heals.
Because of the ankle injury, I’ve really been easing into walking. I was worried about coming home since I live in a very vertical house with 4 flights of stairs, but the PT gave me some helpful tips for maneuvering stairs. Being home has been so much better than the hospital! I haven’t been able to walk much though. Turns out “rest, ice, elevate” isn’t entirely compatible with “walk as much as you can.” Sigh.
I had my first post-op appointment today, and they pulled 3 of my 4 drains, which feels sooooo much better. I’m walking/hobbling in a very hunched over position still, and am afraid of standing upright at all. And showering is a long and exhausting process. It feels like recovery is going to be a real slog, but overall my pain is nonexistent other than the stupid ankle sprain, and I truly am happy with the initial results
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wow - lots of updates. Lawyergirl - I cant believe the ankle situation! That stinks and is so unexpected! I hope it heals quickly.
Duzy- I think I wore low rise jeans around 4w out but it was tender. I started wearing more high waist jeans around 7 or 8w and that's comfortable. Waist sits above the incision and it's not as tender now. I think if the waist sat on the incision, I would be a little uncomfortable still at 9w.
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HopeWins thank you for the suggestions I will have to try a few different types of jeans
Curious how long after surgery did it take for the swelling or fullness to subside in the diep breast. I am still dealing with the yeast infection under the breast so not sure how long that takes to clear up.
I hope everyone is healing well
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My DIEP is scheduled for 12/5. I have been digging in the comments and haven’t seen anything of such; but was wondering do you have a top 10 list of must have’s, do’s, tips and tricks that helped or worked in preparation before and after surgery. If I’ve missed a list/info like this please forgive me and point me in the right direction. I’ve gotten a few wedges, and clothes. I’m about to order a body and husband pillow (I’ve seen a few, but if there is a brand that is better than another I’d love to know), and those underwear like they made me at the hospital during my BMX (I found some on amazon).
I was better prepared during my BMX and chemo by reading great info and comments and hoping to do the same for this upcoming surgery.
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If you've had a MX then you will be prepared mostly. Some of the instructions are similar. I went without underwear for awhile so nothing rubbed. Also sleeping in a nightgown or night shirt might also be more comfortable. High waisted yoga pants. Some of us wore abdominal binders. If you do, get a soft camisole or tank to wear underneath. Also invest in some spanx. Some PS don't require the abdominal binder. Good luck! I found this surgery easier than BMX.
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OCDAmy thank you for your input! Question on spank, like a full one that goes under your boobs or a lower one?
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