Well my time has finally arrived. I’m having diep or tram done (fingers crossed) on the 29th July at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
I am a little bit concerned about how I will cope during first 24 hour when I will experience heat heat heat! to keep the breast tissue well and circulation running. Have tried during menopausal night flushes to imagine ice being pored on my body to cool me down, sometimes works, but usually I take the nightie off and fling it on the floor.
I have my nighties and all the necessary bits and bobs. My question to all you ladies who have had tram or diep is
*How long were you in hospital for?
*How did you feel over the first few weeks?
You are bound to get loads of replies and will practically be an expert by the 29th!
I was DIEP’d in May (now in 11th week recovery). Please note, these were MY timings. Some ladies recover really quickly, others take a little longer. Days 1-3 were very hot with bear hugger (like a lightweight lilo) which was put on top of me. I also had ‘pumping boots’ which contracted my calves to keep blood flowing 24/7 for a few days. Oh yes, and a cateter (which was actually OK, in fact I quite enjoyed downing pints of water and astonishing nurses, well, gave me something to do!! I woke up with no dressings which was good. Tummy wound had ‘glue’ over it which keeps you ‘together’ and stops bugs getting in. I was ‘helped up’ after day 3 which for me was tricky so tried again from day 4 onwards. You’ll have as much help as you need and pain relief will be excellent and you’ll possibly be amazed at how little you need. Oh, 1st 24 hours, you won’t be left alone for more than about 15 mins day & night as nuses will need to keep checking your boob (flap).
Few tips. TAKE A MINI FAN!!! Mobile phone if allowed (godsend), money or debit card for tv. Ask about bra (if you can get a front fastener, you’ll be doing yourself a favour!! Nighties? Well, I took PJ’s but lived in hospital gowns as there was some leakage from drain sites (you’ll have 4, 2 on boob & 2 on tum) and I didn’t want to take dirty PJ’s home! Please note, all this ‘advice’ is from my experience and different hospitals do things differently (including dressings etc) so best to check with them if you can. I was in hospital for 9 days & needed some help for 1st week once home. Felt OK, just frustrated at lack of ability to do much for 1st 3-4 weeks. Driving at 4.5 weeks, walking ‘normally and straight’ from about week 8). Just don’t rush anything, we’re all different.
I’m going to shut up now as you’ll have lots of replies to read. Please feel free to PM if you wish, otherwise, Good Luck and lots of love. Cathy xx
PS: Tram flap uses tummy muscle, DIEP doesn’t (DIEP is better recovery as tummy muscle is not moved) once again, best to check.
Thanks for your reply Cathy. Hubby is going to be off for my first week after I come out of hospital. He is well trained, but I have cooked a few meals and frozen them. I am going to have a cleaner in for a couple of hours a week (looking forward not to be cleaning).
Would love to hear from other ladies who have had their ops.
Hi,
Saw surgeon in Taunton who suggested LD flap. Then moved, so I’m starting again in Maidstone tomorrow and will take her advice. I had a bilateral mastectomy so it is going to be a long op. Its not something I relish but I loathe the prothesis. I had my op in Jan and I’ve worn them once, heaavy and hot.
I’ll let you know how I get on.
Kathy
i’ll share my experience, i had a tram flap reconstruction 5 1/2 weeks ago. i was in hospital for 6 days. i was in a bear hugger and did not wear pjs at all… think i was naked for 1st 24 hours!? and then hosp gowns and sexy surgical stockings - it is all a bit of a blur… i didn’t wear a bra until going home and it was a crop top that cost me £2 from matalan.
yes i was hardly alone for more than 30 mins but quite liked being cared for extensively. i had oxygen as well, morphine on a button and cafeta, liked not getting up for a wee, was a bit miffed when i had to.
yes it was hot but they kept me plied with cold water. got up on day 3 and had my hair washed which was wonderful. i just had tapes over my wounds, no binders or anything.
i love the result altho i have had 1 or 2 hicups and had to have another op because of infection in tummy scar.
when i got home i needed help for first week or so and still doing no lifting/stretching/bending and have always been able to walk straight. started driving last week (5 wks post op)
tummy is still tight but i’m not going back to work until sept… so still have plenty of time to get well.
hot tips:
have a small bag with essentials (comb,mirror, lippy etc) to keep close for first few days as you won’t be able to reach the bedside cabinet.
make sure you have some lip cream etc coz lips get dry.
have some sucky sweets to hand to help your mouth feel better
i agree about the mobile, it is a life line.
(all these tips were given to me)
won’t lie and say it’s easy peasy but it is definately do-able and worth it…
hope all goes well on the 29th chamomile and make sure you ask all the questions you need to when you see the surgeon kathy, maybe take someone with you coz it is a lot to take in,
Taking my husband, don’t like leaving him out, but I wish my friend was coming with me. He doesn’t retain as much info as I do, if I think about it I’ll take a notebook. Tips were great thanks!
It was really interesting. I expected the surgeon to agree with the doctor where we lived before and have LDs.
Iwas so shocked, I’m having 2 different recons.
On the good side(left) I’m having an LD. I will be able to have that whenever.
On the cancer(right) side I’m having a DIEP. She won’t do anything until a year after rads.
Her reasons were all very plausible, she spent a long time explaining everything to me in detail, drawing diagrams etc.
Iwas so impressed!!
It didn’t occur to me that anyone would do different recons.
I was told before that no way could have a DIEP. My age didn’t warrant it, as it was such a long op, and I didn’t have enough fat.
I’m a stone and a half overweight!!!
He said the fat wasn’t in the right place!!!
She wants me to see her colleague, just to confirm that she is making the best possible choice for me.
I’m really quite happy with everything, she really was very reassuring.
When I went in for my recon at the beginning of July, I was lucky enough to go to a BRA meeting the night before the surgery. I got talking to a lady there whom had had a DIEP on one breast and an LD on the other (I’m not sure which was done first) and they looked fantastic and were almost perfectly symmetrical. She was delighted with the results and was waiting for nipple reconstruction.
I had my diep recon in Oct 07. I was in high dependency for 3 nights. I remember being kept warm for the first 12 hours with a fan heater and I had to wear the boot things too. I was checked every 30 mins at first then hourly. I had a catheter too which I was dreading but wasn’t a problem at all. In fact as Lenny said it’s more hassle once it’s taken out as you have to get out of bed (although that’s good in one way, just don’t let yourself get desperate to go!!)
I wore the hospital gown until I was back on the ward. Found button through nighties (matalan) better than pjs. Face wipes, moisturiser and lipsalve all useful.
My wounds had a thick rubbery tape on so I didn’t see them until about day 5 or 6. Stayed in for 7 nights in total. Had an elasticated girdle on post op and wore it for 6 weeks. When I left hospital they gave me a post op bra - again I had to wear it for 6 weeks.
Needed help when I got home - hair washing etc, and my OH, bless him, came in the shower the first time to wash me! Took things very easy for a couple of weeks at home - Mum came to stay. Went for short walks and slept loads. I was very tight afterwards so slept with a pillow under my knees and 3 pillows under my shoulders.
Make sure they teach you how to get out of bed on your own. Didn’t drive for 6 weeks, and did exactly as I was told with regards to what I could and couldn’t do. Still managed to pull part of the muscle where the internal stitches were just reaching out to shut the car door. It was excruciating so be very careful in all your movements. You’ll need at least 3 months, in fact I took longer before I went back to work (part time reflexologist.) Can’t think of anything else.
I’m really happy with the results even though I didn’t really have enough fat and the boob is smaller. I feel whole and balanced again and even without a nipple, visually I don’t have that constant reminder that I’ve had breast cancer.
I had a DIEP, it is a big operation but worth it - although I didn’t think that for a day or two after the op, but as time went on and I was able to move about a bit more, I was very glad I’d had it done and still am.
It is now 4 weeks since my op and I’ve had no problems and feel fine. My scars are healing up nicely and the tightness in my stomach area is easing up as well. I will probably be off work for another 6 weeks as I have a very physical job involving lots of lifting.
Hi Ladies, thank you for all the tips and kind thoughts. Had the confirmation of the bed and off to hospital very soon. Will touch base with everyone when I get out of hospital.
Chamomile
I’ve just read this thread and may be too late to reach you before you go in to hospital. Best of luck anyway. I had a mastectomy and immediate breast recon using the diep flap just under 4 weeks ago. I live not too far from leicester, but had to have my op at Nottingham, because of it being an immediate recon. All the suggestions Cathy, Lennie, Tracey and others have made here are the best. My experience was - the first few days I felt awful and only then really appreciated how major an op this is, and then “turned a corner” in that physically I began to feel much better and everything looked different. Now I an so glad I had this op, and am pleased with the results and how everything is healing so far - though still very, very tired like I’ve never been before and sleeping loads/doing nothing - so just be prepared you may feel like this and it is normal.
Hoping you read this when you get home if not before your op, and ask if there’s anything else you want to know,