Beaniebaby great that you are home and pleased with the new boob. I’m sure that you will enjoy being home after the constraints of being in hospital. It’s worth just jotting down how you feel and what you can do each day and you will soon realise that each day your body is healing and you are getting stronger.
Love to all you flappers!
Pam x
Hi Petal 5,
Thanks for the words of encouragement. The main problem thus far is trying to get comfy in bed. i am sleeping propped up in bed but it is so hard to sleep on my back. I am trying to think back to when i first had my mastectomy and how i coped then. i can’t really remember it being this difficult. I guess it’s the added discomfort of the abdomen being so uncomfortable. My son has brought me one of the nursing pillows. I am giving it a go, but guess it’s trial and error. Any advice welcome.
A x
I had the same problem once I got home from hospital. I must admit their beds were fab. I tried various arrangements of pillows but didn’t find any that worked. I gave up in the end and after a few days at home slept on my side but still well propped up with pillows. As I understand it the propped up on your back is to help blood flow and the pillows under your knees to stop tension on the stomach wound so propped up with bent legs on my side was a good compromise for me and meant I got a good nights sleep.
Pam x
Hi
Well its 2 weeks since my op and I am loving the new breast, I am healing well although I have had a couple of tearful days 1 each week. I think its because I like to be in control and thats been taken away temporarly!! (you think I would be pleased!!).
The well- being have stopped helping so I had a melt down yesterday, what I think needs to be done and what my OH thinks is a differnet matter, I also think sitting around etc doesnt help.
I hope the weather improves and then I can go for short walks, I also hate not being able to dirve (I sound a right grump!!)
Oh well thats my rant over
Hope your all revoering well
Beaniebaby: how did the spreadsheet go down???
L
xx
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Hi all
Not been able to get access to a PC for a bit.
Sorry to hear you are having tearful days Tinfish but … join the club! With me however it is screaming matches - I think it is the stress - I even went thru a short period where I wished I had just had an mx with no reconstruction as the healing would have been quicker!! I am hoping that as the tiredness wears off we will get back on an even keel.
Sleeping: I still find that sleeping on my side means pain in my boob - I can do it for a while now but not for long.
How are you stacking the pillows? The difference between getting them right and getting them wrong is quite small.
You need two on the bottom layer… one by the head board and one alongside it …
One in the next layer … just a few inches back from the edge of the first
One in the next layer …just a few inches back from the previous one … and so on until you have enough height
You might need another one down the back for support of the ones that have a gap at the headboard end.
It takes a LOT of pillows!!
Hope this helps - good luck!
Liz x
PS I am in week 6 post op and I still need to lie propped up - just not quite so many pillows!
Hi Tinfish,
Spread sheet went down well thank you. I keep leaving it under his nose on the kitchen table. I agree with you when you say you have no control of any thing. Things that you just do around the house automatically, without even thinking.
Yes I agree not being able to drive is one of the worse things. Hostage in my own home!
Roll on the better weather when we can get out for a gentle walk. I am tempted to walk around outside the house for a little but i fear the neighbours will think i’ve gone crazy and call the authorities!
Liz deb i will study your pillow recomendation, made me chuckle becase once you’ve sorted all the pillows out you are exhausted.
My eldest son is coming this afternoon to do some ironing for me. I thought that was really nice of him. I have three sons and think this is where i am missing a daughter.
Any way, its so good to have a little rant on here. I go to have my dressings off tommorrow so i’m hoping all is well.
A x
Lizdeb
Thanks for the pillow hints, it doesnt hurt me to go on my side but I am not sure if I should.
Beanie baby: I had my dressings changed on Monday but they re applied them, you do have a good son ironing for you. The first week people couldnt do enough but this week has been a completely different story, I made a list for my OH he has done some of it so I am happy with that, my Mum however hasnt helped much in fact nothing this week she is saying she has a sore foot but still managed to clean her top kitchen units. My youngest daughter hoovered for me Monday but even with just 2 of us here it still gets un tidy so OH did that yesterday. Ironing, my neighbour did it until this week and havent seen her this week but she is coming for a cuppa later so hoepefully!!! I do have another daughter but she lives 1 1/2 hours drive each way and works full time and left her husband a couple of months ago so she has quite a lot to sort out herself. I did walk up and down the garden a couple of times today, before its rains yet again.
Pam Yes the hospital beds are great and have been putting a pillow between my knees.
No tears today hooray!!!
L
xx
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Hi Beanie Baby 
Yes well my OH tried to do it for me but it was easier to struggle to do it myself than try to explain how to do it 
but I still get it wrong myself and wake up really uncomfortable in the night! The knee pillow is important too - I was lucky in that we had one of those cylindrical ones
This spreadsheet sounds interesting!!
Glad you had no tears today Tinfish
I have just gone for my last dressings clinic visit. If any further help is required I have to go to my GP nurse.
See the PS for the first time since leaving hospital on Mon 23rd. Must try and start writing down questions!
Must go for my nap
Liz x
Hi
Just woke up from my nap!!!
I have a question which I forgot to ask the nurses on Monday, does anyone know when you can have a bath after the DIEP op, of course I can shower but not sure about a bath (not sure if I could get out of it!!!) but would love one
L
xx
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We cannot have a bath until our wounds have completely healed over 
Running water does not encourage bacteria like standing water does.
Sounds as if I need to add a mound of pillows to my pre op shopping list!
Hi
Be strong
I have 4 pillows 1 v pillow and a small barrel one, my OH is sleeping in one of the other bedrooms as he is frightened of rolling on me and hurting me!!!
Lizdeb
Oh well I will have to wait for a bath, my water costs should go down then as we are metered
I ordered some shopping yesterday on line, it made me feel better I have chosen what we eat, (so no donuts!!)
Hope your all recovering well
L
xx
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Be Strong: Have you got a date?
Tinfish: If lying on your side is not painful then no reason why you shouldn’t as far as I know. Other ppl have reconstructions using their backs and they have to lie on their side so I wouldn’t have thought it would be a problem. If worried why not ask the helpline here?
Liz x
Hi All,
Ive had the dressings off today and everyone was very happy with the results. It seems to be healing nicely with just a little redness where the abdomen drains had been. Nurse says its ok to have a shower tomorrow, just dry gently with the hairdryer on cool then reapply the tape. So i am happy with that. I do not have to return until the 5th September to see the PS.
Now if i can just get a decent nights sleep i will be well happy.
A X
Hi Beanie baby
hope you slept well last night, I’m I ok sleeping until about 4 ish and then awake. I see my consultant i think 23rd august, they changed my dressings and they told me they would come off themselves in time (about 2 weeks) as I am so allegic to other dressings mine look like brown paper tape and havent had any reactions with these, my belly button looks good (that isnt covered). I have been getting “pinging” in my stomach which I was told about last week they said it waould be the disposable stitches and bl**dy hell did I know about it last night.
Hi evveryone
No tears for a couple of days which is a good thing but I am not counting my chickens too soon, We went to Dunelim miln yesterday and all I did was was have a gentle walk bought a couple of things and went back home, I was really tired and went to bed in the afternoon for a nap, it makes you realise you cant do much and how major the op was. I am looking forward to do a bit more every few days and I am sure I will still be resting this time next month. Oh well it will be worth it I love having my boob back even swollen etc.
Hope you all have a good weekend
L
xxx
Hi Tinfish,
Last night wasn’t a good night. Think i was up several times. I just can’t get comfy. I do go and lie down through the day and have had a couple of short naps. I sat in the garden today for half an hour in the sunshine. It was lovely to see the sun, had almost forgotten it!
Glad you were able to get out for a short while. It’s nice to see something other than your 4 walls. Had a great shower today. Just felt i could stay in it forever. I dried wounds as told and hubby reapplied some more tapes as shown. He is used to doing that because the orrigonal Mastectomy took an age to heal and he was very gente and patient with the dressings. His attempt at hanging out the washing however leaves a lot to be desired. I wish you could of seen it. Its hard to believe anyone can make such a bad job of it.
I hope to have a short trip to a shopping center tomorrow and buy some sports bras. I will take it easy but will be nice for a change of scenerey.
Any way keep up the good work. I didn’t know about the stitches pinging. I will watch out for that. No one had said this would happen. Thats why is so useful to compare notes. It is such a help to know you are not alone.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
A x
Hi girls - I can finally post - this new site continues to be a challenge and I’ve not been able to post!
Well, my op went very well - bilateral MX, immediate double DIEP recon and ac on rhs. Phew, one heck of a lot of surgery. I was in hospital for a week, and since then day on day I have come on in leeps and bounds. I’ve just come back from a weekend in London where I met up with seven other lovely ladies off this site - so much laughter - and no tears!
I feel really really good, full of energy, but I’m still a bit bruised and battered, but am sleeping well - just the two pillows plus the one under my knees. The hardest thing is getting out of bed unassisted as I have no arms to help push me out and I don’t like straining my tummy muscles - thank goodness for a strong and helpful oh! Showering on my own now, and can pretty much dress myself.
Its so good to see everyone doing well,
Sue x
Hi Ladies
Hope your all OK, went out again today with my daughter for a couple of hours and its so humbling and I as exhausted when i got back so had an afternoon nap. Havent been sleeping too well this week, I am still finding myself on my side so its even more pillows to the sides tonight.
I wish it would stop raining so that I can have some gentle walks and increase them and I keep looking at the weather so it looks like I will start soon. I have been walking around the garden but its nt the same.
Beanie baby: yes it is hard watching the OH’s with the chores specially the washing etc, today I noticed black socks in a white wash but luckily all was OK, and at least we have them to help.
Sue: you sound as confident as ever, getting out of bed does get easier !!!
Havent cried this week so all good.
Would love to hear from you ladies further on than me, to hear how your getting on, when you started drving and doing things in the home
Well it looks like another rainy night
L
xx
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Ahhh, my post dissapeared. Hope you are doing well, sounds like you are. I know I used to sort of pack myself into bed in a bit of a fort of pillows and was almost upright so didnt hurt trying to get out.
Hard taking it easy when dont feel great, keep getting a little fresh air, and I wouldnt rusht the driving, be spoilt and give some orders out as you will soon be back to normal.
Diet started as didnt really get tummy tuck as such as had such a big bulge above but exercising like I havent done in years so its giving me more confidence xxx
Take care and hope the sun comes out this weekend
Hi all
Back online after a week without access!!!
I was told to have a nap every afternoon for the first 3 weeks after the op - still need it sometimes even now!
Take it slowly Tinfish and rest often when walking about! I can now walk a mile at a reasonable pace without having to stop but it took weeks for me to build up the strength to do that!
My wounds are now nearly healed - only two small bits on my breast need medihoney and about 4 on my stomach wound. Going to see the PS for my checkup on Monday - I presume they give us a schedule for the next stage then? Mind you right now I am thinking no more surgery - even minor stuff!! Who needs a nipple???!!
Lisaf: I must get started on my diet LOL - I have been using the excuse that I need to build my strength up after the op to eat more than I should! Must stop that now as it is not true anymore I don’t think!
Glad to hear your crying jags have dried up Tinfish
Sorry to hear that you had a bad night on Saturday Beaniebaby - hope you are sleeping better now. It is difficult but hopefully will improve! I have finally graduated back to my normal sleeping position (more or less) - no more stacks of pillows :)
Sue: Glad all went well for you
Good to be back online