Hi im new to this sight but felt i must reply as i feel so alone,i had a skin sparing masectomy almost two years ago and its not good it feels like a brick.I found out about diep flap surgery and after a lot of thought went on the list which ive been on for a year,in october this year things started moving but was told i couldnt have the surgeon that i first saw.They put me with another surgeon,and i got a date to go in,only for it to be cancelled,they then put me with another surgeon, and im due to have op wednesday 13th nov,and wont know if im having it till tues its bad enough with the stress of the op without all the letdowns.Im glad all went ok with yours as i know you were feeling like me.l
Hi Chris,
Following neoadjuvant chemo for bc in my right breast, I chose to have a bi-lateral mx, with full ANC clearance on the ‘bad side’ and immediate DIEP - on the 27th June this year. No rads required. Having ongoing Herceptin, now 14/18.
Make no mistake, this is a massive operation - although having just the one side done is somewhat easier, and of course the hospitals are really good at pain management, so I couldn’t say that I had much pain at all.
The operation is a long one, for me it was about 10 hours, but to be honest, once you are asleep, that’s it. Of course a side effect of a long anaesthetic can be nausea, but again, that is managed with anti nausea injections.
I was in hospital a full week after the operation, but some ladies are out a few days earlier.
Recovey time for me was pretty quick, and you improve day on day. For example, I left hospital in a wheelchair as I couldn’t face the long walk, maybe half a mile, to the car. But literally, just two days later, I managed that walk, and some, as I attended the dressing clinic and then went to the ward for some anti nausea tablets that hasn’t been ready when I was discharged. All in all I must have walked a good mile, mile and a half - and this was just 10 days post surgery.
I was a size 10/12 with 32DD breasts - and I’m still a size 10/12 with 32DD breasts - but these new breasts are more like the breasts I had 20 years ago lol - I’m 55 now.
Was it worth it? For me, yes. I chose this recon because it gives the best results, and once it’s done, that’s it for life.
But, there is the tummy scar, mine looks quite good, it’s very low down, and even now, just five months post surgery it is fading well and looks good - much better than I was expecting at this point. Lots of women say DIEP is good because you get a tummy tuck thrown in.
The biggest piece of advice I would give anyone thinking about DIEP - especially neoadjuvant girls - is to go in to it as fit as you can. Believe me, you will need all of your strength and stamina. I was very fit, and otherwise healthy, but it was hard going - but then, I am 55 so if you are younger it may be easier!
Most important though, is your choice of PS - you really really need one that specialises in oncoplastic breast surgery.
Good Luck!
I’m in the Altrincham area.
Sue xx
Hope you do not mind me joining in, but just need some advice.
I am having a DIEP reconstruction on 3rd January. It is a one and half hour journey from my home so we are not sure what to do about my husband visiting. He is taking me in the day before the op and doesn’t know whether to stay overnight nearby so he can see me in the afternoon/evening after op or will I not be up to visitors?
Can anybody let me know how they felt about having visits in the days after the reconstruction as it is a long journey for him but I dont like the thought of no one coming to see me!?
Hi Sue, please feel free to join in - we are all here to help if we canl
I’m lucky as I live a maybe 10/15 minutes away from the hospital where I had my op, so visiting was really easy for my husband and family.
I’d agreed with my husband that he shouldn’t come and visit me on the day of the operation. It’s a long op, and even after you come around, by the time you are taken back to the ward, it could well be late evening. I was quite ‘dopy’ when I came around, and can honestly say I didn’t miss my husband being there. There is so much going on around you with the half hour checks, plus members of the surgical team wanting to come and check on you.
My Ps rang my husband as soon as she’d finished the op, and so he knew I was ok and that everything had gone well - so I would guess your hospital will do something similar.
My husband visited me the following day, and that was great! I really didn’t want lots of visitors, so I restricted it to just my husband and my children.
I was in a side room on my own, so it could have been quite lonely without visitors. Also, because I had the double recon, I effectively had no arms nor stomach to help me do anything - I couldn’t even get out off bed unaided. So I really relied upon my husband to come and look after me - and yes, that included showering me, and even doing ‘the paper work’ after I’d been the loo. Sorry, that may be too much detail!
But, if you are in a ward with other women, then things may be easier, you will have company, and you may not need the same level of help - especially if you have a good arm you can use! You are not allowed to lift anything heavier than a small glass of water.
Ask away if there’s anything else…
Sue x
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone
Hope you all get what you want in the coming new year, I got mine early a lovely new boob
I hope you all a healthy and happy 2013 and many more to come
L
xxx
Hi Sue
I was the same as you re: journey, my husband dropped me off and made sure I was settled etc and then said he would come in the mrning of the op but I told him not too. For me this was better there is so much to do the morning of the op that you dont get much time. He came the nest day I think although my op was in June it seems like ages ago, when he did cme however I remember I was sleeping quite a bit bu so pleased to have a visitor.
If you want to PM me I can give you more info.
I do want to say 6 months on I do not regret the op at all and love having 2 boobs
L
xx
Hi all, I too feel I got an early Christmas present in my new boob. I had the diep op on 27th Nov. My husband took me in for 7am on the day of the op and then when I went into theatre, he went to work. He came back to see me when the op was finished but I was a bit dozy. I kept saying my foot was hurting - he thought I was mad given the big scars elsewhere but those still had local anaesthetic in whereas my foot had a line in as they couldn’t find a vein for a cannula in my arm. I was in hospital 6 days due to drains.
It is painful. I have multiple abcesses on the tummy wound, which are being treated with antibiotics and mannuka honey dressings. Would I do it again? yes, yes, yes 
Very best wishes to all you ladies. So pleased to be living with and loving my new boob. Theses past 6 months have flown by. Glad to hear that you are all doing well. X
Merry Christmas my DIEP girls! Hope you all had a lovely day, and wishing you all health and happiness for 2013:)
Sue xx
As I’ve been through DIEP on my left breast (June 13th) will be going in for stage II - scar revsion and nipple construction on January 16th. I’m feeling rather cavalier about it this time around. We live an hour and more away, and I’m first op, so I’ll drive myself to hospital at 5:30am, husband will get our son off to school and take the train/taxi to where I am and be there when I’m out of surgery. I had quite a bit of physio because at the end of September developed frozen left shoulder and that was my only set back. Received an injection for that and back on track. My PS said the lipo on both my hips will be painful for a bit and I thanked him as he never told me how painful the first surgery would be. My tummy filled lefty is much larger than my healthy right so it will be nice to finally be even looking and small again. All I’ve wanted was to get back to looking like me, all me and continue on aging gracefully. 
Happy New Year wonderful woman!
LB, x
Hope all has gone well LB and you are feeling good!
Sue
Sue, thanks for asking and I’m feeling great! This was a walkin the park compared to the BMX and well, I’m so happy with what results I can so far see under hte massive brown medical tape. The anesthesiologist was fantastic and got it spot on as I woke clear as a bell, no druggie hangover or blues. I think I had come to the end of my rope with this large, bulky, awkward shaped left diep breast. I was feeling very disfigured lately as it had enlarged from holiday eating and I’m a small breasted woman. My goal was to get back to looking like the old me - same size match as my healthy right (including nipple size and aerola shape) and to age gracefully (for a long time to come). I finally after 9 months feel like I’m finally coming back to me and it’s fantastic! It’s been a long, painful haul.
Hope all is well for you as well Sue and that you are keeping warm and cozy.
LB, x
Hi Ladies
Hope your all having a good Monday!!
I just wanted to update you, on Wednesday I am going in hospital to have the niplle reconstruction, a tidy up on the breast scar (only a little) and some lipo above the reconstruction it self.
I hope my journey is at last nearing the finish post
L
LB - so good to hear that everything went well and how pleased you are with strage 2! Yep, after stage 1, I’d pretty much say that ANYTHING else is a walk in the park!
Good Luck for today TF - hope all goes well!
I’m doing really well, I have my pre-op on Friday for my stage 2 on the 15th Feb, and I can’t wait!
My ‘twins’ look pretty good, but the right one has settled a little more than the left and is a little less full at the top, so I am having some lipofil to even them up. To be honest the difference is tiny, but I want them to be as good a match as my real ones were, so I’m going for bust:)
Take care everyone, Sue xx
Sue, I’m glad you are excited and I can so realte to you.
I did come down with a bit of a bump and now two weeks out well, I’m having a few ups and downs. I was hoping for a closer match. The lefty is still bigge and wider than the right. I’m still swollen, so more time is needed until a decision is made as to another shot at it. I saw my PS Tuesday and he removed every-other stitch on my cobbled nipple and I showed him the new blooped swelling on my right hip, where liposuction was performed to smooth the flap incision area,. My “blooped area” overlapping my right end of flap incision was a seroma and about 35cc of fluid/blood was drained. That hurt like hell (a slight oh shit, popped out of my wittle mouth) eye watering pain and then an hour later, I was fine. I think I got that from banging my hip as I sort of recall doing that last Thursday and wondering if I had done any harm - guess I did. I’m wearing a compression garment (shape wear that I already had from the first surgery - medium), so I’m watching to see if it fills up again. It look very purple hued and not extending out like it was. I see my PS again next week and well, I will be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, if you get my drift.
Hi Tinfish,
Hope your op went well on Thursday and that you are happy with the results. Time has gone very quickly. I have an apt. in March with a new PS to discuss having a nipple made. My origonal PS has left the NHS and the hospital where I had the op. So I will be meeting a new PS. I hope I get on as well with this one and feel as confident with her as I did with my other PS.
More than happy with the results anyway. Hope all the ladies on here are doing well. I enjoy reading your updates.
A x
Hi A
spent 1 night in hospital as I had lipo to above the reconstruction so had another general but they did the nipple at the same time. Not getting any pain from the nipple only from the lipo sites and had to have pain relieF. Like you I have a new surgebutane was a little sad mine retired but so far happy with the new team, go to dressings clinic next thursday so will see my new nipple then.
L
x x
Totally understand LB, our boobs are a bit of a moving feast these days aren’t they! And of course everything has to settle down again sadly. My ps told me that it usually takes two or three goes to get everything right - guess we just need a little patience…
Like you Tinfish I’m expecting an overnight stay because of the lipo so expect I’ll be having a general too. My preop was rescheduled to Tuesday next week, so I may get a little more info then.
I keep telling myself no pain no gain, but after DIEP, then I feel I can cope with ANYTHING else:)
It will all be worth it girls - well it better be!
Sue xx
Sue, thanks as I needed to hear that more than once to get it right is per usual. My PS has given me the impression it can be done in one and I can see another will be necessary. I did not have an uplift (hence no drains) so no over night and i was happy about that. Keep us posted on your progress to stage 2.
Tinfish and Beaniebaby, how do you like your new PS? Tinfish, hope you are happy with the results! 
Stage two done and dusted yesterday, and home today! Nipples made, scar revision, and some liposculpture and lipofil to both breasts with a bit removed from the side of the bc one - we think there was some slippage into the pocket drilled for the ANC which took the fullness from the top. All done under a general, with an overnight stay.
I’m thrilled with what I can see - but the nipples have a dressing on them so I’ll have to wait till next weeks dressing clinc to see them. I’m bruising nicely, a bit sore, but nothing a couple of paratroopers can’t sort out.
It was a very positive experience and my ps was brilliant and very willing to turn these good boobs into excellent!
But I am prepared for another one or two goes to get it right - nearly there - and I really feel nearly there:)
Sue x