Hi All
New to this link and feel that now is the time to start thinking of having Breast Reconstruction .
Would like to have the DIEP FLAP has anyone any comments ( good or bad ) about this type of reconstruction ?
Thanks
Janet
x
Hi Janet
I am sure you’ll receive lots of informative replies soon, but in the meantime, you may find our factsheet on the subject of breast reconstruction a useful read - here’s the link:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/breast_reconstruction_dec06_web_0.pdf
It can be either downloaded or ordered through this site.
Kind regards
Louise
Facilitator
Hi Janet,
I had a different type of recon (expander implants) so can’t give you any specific info on DIEP but there are plenty of threads on here dealing with DIEP and I’m sure some ladies will share their experiences with you. Apart from the link above, I also found CancerBacup site useful - their booklet has a table comparing different types of recon. Also a link on Elaine Sassoon’s website leads to some factsheets on how the operations are carried out and the pros and cons. Using google can also lead you to some helpful sites to get more info.
Hope some of this helps
Best Wishes
Misha
Hi Janet
I had a DIEP FLAP done on the 13th June and i am really pleased with the results and it was only 3 weeks ago!
It is a very long op 7-10 hours but thats just hard for family waiting, apparently on waking up my first words were" that didnt take long".
I was surprised by how little pain i was in but did have plenty of morphine. The first few days were very rough but cant believe how well i am doing now.
I have a lovely flat stomach, first time since having 2 children and the breast is shaping up nicely. I will be having a slight reduction on the other side and a lift and nipple recon in about 3 months when everything settles down.
If you have any questions dont hesitate to ask.
Rachel
Hi Rachel
Thanks for you reply.
So glad things went o,k and it sounds as though you are doing really well . Which Hospital did you have your op ? Its 3 years since my Breast Cancer ( op. chemo & rads ) and I do now feel ready for the next stage which is The Breast Reconstruction. Just waiting for an appointment to see the consultant.
Did you have to wait long for the operation after seeing the consultant ?
Thanks again and KEEP WELL !
Janet
Hi girls
I’m having a DIEP flap this Friday! Can’t wait but not looking forward to the pain/discomfort afterwards.
I’m having it done by Elaine Sassoon in Norwich (she of ‘The Boudica Within’ fame).
Rachel-in what ways were the first few days really rough? Do you mean pain etc? How often did you have the pulse test done on new boob? I’ve been told the nurses do it every half hour but for how long?
Any tips for getting through the week stay in hospital or aftercare of the new boob?
How long until the dressings come off?
Sorry if this sounds like the Spanish Inquisition!!
Love Gill x
Hi girls
Janet- I had my operation at the Bradford Royal Infirmary under Mr Rhodes, i was very lucky to have private medical insurance through my job so had op 6 months after last dose of radiotherapy, this was the earliest it could be done, I had left mastectomy in May 07 i am still on herceptin at moment and finish Dec08 so wanted to try and get everything done before end of year.
Gill-I wasnt in too much pain infact was very surprised my problem was the anesthetic it made me very sick so was unable to eat and blood pressure became very low and just slept constantly for the first 48 hours after op, i was told i would be in the high dependancy ward for 24-48 hours but ended up there 4 days until i was drinking and eating but this was just a reaction to anesthetic.
I was monitored every hour for about 48 hours usually 24 but due to blood pressure been so low they did it longer, my flap (boob) as the referred to it was checked every hour and i had to have warm air pumped up my cover to keep the flap warm after that it was checked every few hour.
I was very surprised at how little dressing i had on both boob and stomach it was just a very thin tape across the cuts and i could see imediately the results which i was very pleased with.
The nurses and doctors and all staff were wonderful and very helpful so stay in hospital was as pleasent as a hospital stay could be, it did seem to pass quickly but i did sleep most of the time.
The consultant told me to get M&S secret support vests to wear in hospital to support the breast and i still am wearing them as still too sore for a Bra.
I hope Ive answered some of your questions dont hesitate to ask anything.
Keep well Rachel
Gill,
I had my Diep done by Elaine 2 years ago. In fact, i am featured in Boudicca Within. I was expecting far more pain and discomfort than I got. I found the mastectomy, and node clearance more painful. The nurses check the pulse every 15 minutes for about 2 daysYou do tend to suffer from sleep deprivation but just doze when you can. They advide that only your partner visits you for a couple of days so you don’t have to worry about making conversation with visitors. The main discomfort is when you try to stand straight! I had a large dressing which was laid over my chest and abdomen. It wasn’t attached in any way so that the nurse simply lifted it to feeel the breast when testing the blood supply was good. When I became more mobile, I the dressing was loosely held up by a circle of mesh around my body. The nursing care is second to none and Elaine is the best! Are you local? Good luck. I’m sure it will go well. Having the reconstruction was one of the best decisions i have ever made. I am just so grateful that i live near Norwich and got Elaine Sassoon as a surgeon.
Kelley
Hi Rachel and Kelley
Thanks for that! Am so excited about having 2 boobs again!
Kelley-I can’t find you in the book-did you use the name Kelley?? I live in Hethersett so only 10 mins from the hospital. Feel very lucky to be having Elaine do the op. How long were you in for? Did you have your own room or were you on main ward? Did you have to go to high dependancy ward?
Rachel-Did you manage to lift your arm OK to get a vest top on?
How long were you both off work for?
Thanks again!
Love Gill x
Oh yeah! Meant to ask-how long before you were out of bed? Can you get up for the loo OK?
Kelley-did Elaine insist on only 1 visitor for the whole stay or just the 1st couple of days?
Sorry about all the questions!
Love Gill x
Hi Jill
I had good movement in arm it was nothing like when i had nodes removed. nurses or OH helped with vest but after about ten days could manage well myself. I had op on Saturday and the first time i got out of bed was Tuesday and only managed to sit for about half hour i had catheter in until Wednesday but this was due to the sickness and reaction to anesthetic that i was laid up so long, by Wednesday evening i was in my own room and walking down the corridor.
I do feel it has been worth it.
Love Rachel
Thanks everyone for all your relpys
Just ordered Elaines book The Boudicca Within so will look out for you Kelley
I live in the North West just waiting for appointment to come so don’t know who my surgeon will be yet. (just wished I was closer to Norwich reading up on Elaine Sassoon she sounds great)
GOOD LUCK Gill for friday and please post when you can to let us know how you are.
Janet
Sorry Janet-seemed to have hi-jacked your thread here!
Will post as soon as poss after op to let you know how it went.
Love Gill x
Hi Janet
If I recall correctly from some months ago you live in the same town as me. I have just had a tram flap reconstruction done at Whiston hospital by Mr Iqbal ( I saw him in outpatients at our local hospital) he doesn’t do the diep but Mr Graham at Whiston does so ask to see him. I am really pleased with my tram flap I wasn’t a suitable candidate for diep because of smoking.
Good luck
Julie
Hi Gill,
Kelley is a nickname. I’m the first in the book- in the hat! I’d never have believed i could do something like that but Elaine just carries you along. I don’t think i was in the high dependency.You will have your own room and the best of care.A nurse will test the new breast every 15 minutes. The room is kept very warm to help the blood flow! I was pleased to have my husband only for 2 days. I liked having him there but could just doze off when i wanted to. After a couple of days i was happy to have visitors as it helped to pass the time. I wore a hospital gown with only one are in a sleeve so that the nurse could just lift the gown and dressing while she checked the breast. I sometimes managed to doze through this procedure!
I’m sure you will be pleased with the care and the op. Are you having Richard Hayward operating too? My op only took about 4 and a half hours as it went so well.
Good luck.
Kelley
Hi Gill
Don’t worry about hi-jacking my thread use it to post back after the op so I can pick it up.
Hi Julie
So glad you posted and glad things have gone o.k for you. Yes we must be from the same town because its Whiston Hospital I am going to (no surgeon in warrington hospital) I will make sure I ask for Mr Graham. I am still waiting for the appointment to come through. how long ago did you have your op? was your stay in hopsital long and was you happy with the level of care? also how long from first seeing the surgeon to having the op.?
Sorry for all the questions hope you don’t mind.
Thanks again to everyone for you support.
Janet
Hiya…
Rachel, are you from Bradford??
I was due my recon in April (which was cancelled!) with Mr Rhodes at B.R.I
Looking unlikely I will have it done now as I was diagnosed with liver secondaries 7 weeks ago, so it was quite fortunate the op had been cancelled!
Julie.
X X
Hi Janet
I had my delayed diep recon done last Oct - 8 months ago. The op was 10 hours long and I was in high dependancy for 3 nights. They checked the flap, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels etc every hour to start off with. They got me up on the 3rd day and I walked to my room. I had the catheter out on the 4th day. I was in hospital for 7 nights altogether. (The Nuffield - Brentwood). I hardly used the morphine pump they gave me - just used paracetomol.
They gave me a post surgery bra and girdle to wear 24/7 for 6 weeks. Each hospital and surgeon are different with what they want you to do afterwards. Mine didn’t want me to wear a bra with seams in and it had to have a wide underband and medium support. I ended up wearing the post op bra all the time and using another one just while it was drying. I bought some magic knickers to wear instead of the girdle but found them too tight and difficult to get on and off, so I only wore them if I was going out.
I wore the gown in hospital until I was in my room and then the best thing was button through nighties. I wore pyjamas one day and got into a right muddle with the drains. I had 4 - 2 for the boob and 2 under the tummy scar. Make sure the nurses teach you how to get out of bed on your own - I was really worried about how I was going to manage at home because the hospital beds lift and lower. There is a knack to it but it’s managable.
Once home I did as little as possible for a couple of weeks and then gradually started walking a little each day. I didn’t do any lifting or housework. I found it comfortable to sleep propped on pillows and with one under my knees as everything is a bit tight to start with. Be very careful stretching. I leant out to shut the car door and managed to pull the internal stitches. Even though they don’t use the muscle they have to cut it to get to the blood vessels. This is then stitched up along with the layers of fat and skin. It was occasionally extremely painful for about 6 weeks while the pull healed.
I wasn’t prepared for the fact that my pubic hair was going to be 4 cm higher than it used to be! I suppose it’s because I’m slim and the surgoen took as much fat as possible so everything was extremely tight. Because of that the tummy scar didn’t heal properly and I’m still massaging the scar now.
I slept every afternoon for about 3 months. The doctors all think you should be recovered after 3 months but I think this is unrealistic. It is such a major op and I still get tired 8 months on. I think we underestimate the trauma to the body and the amount of time needed to truly get over all that anaesthetic. I posted a few weeks ago about still feeling tired and one answer was from some one who only started to feel more normal after 12 months. So take as much time as you need and be kind to yourself.
Good luck
fantan
1 Like
HI Julie
So sorry to hear of your secondary diagnosis, I am from Bradford, there doesnt seem to be many on here from Yorkshire.
Why was your recon cancelled ?
Who is treating you now? Is it Dr Bradley?
Are you from Bradford too?
Rachel
Hi again
Kelley-you look FANTASTIC!!! hope my results are as good! Have we spoken on this site before? I’ve spoken to a teacher called Kelley-works at a primary school beginning with B not too far from Norwich???
My last day at school tomorrow before being admitted on Thursday.Am feeling very emotional about the whole thing now-I guess because it concentrates your mind on the whole cancer issue again. The kids at school know I’m going back into hospital and I keep getting cards and pressies delivered to my office!
When you have the time, can you let me know about nipple sharing? Couldn’t tell from looking at yours that you used your other nipple! Sorry -sounds a bit strange to admit that my partner and I have been staring at your boobs all evening!!!
Anyway-good luck to anyone else having reconstruction!
Thanks for all the advice and tips-I really do appreciate it. What would we do without this site?
Love Gill x