Can you wear any bras now and are you in any special knickers? I seem to read of lots of variation with this and different surgeons. How uncomfortable was your journey back as I would have a similar journey to you? Will you need any check ups with your breast surgeon near your home?
I think I have spoken to you before on a different site Sally. Have you been given any indication when your IGAP might be? I really wish I was suitable for this procedure. I am trying to put it to the back of my mind and not think about it so I can consider the other options- do nothing or have DIEP.
Yes, Elaine has pencilled me in for Saturday 24th January (I am going private this time though) - I think it was only pencilled in as I had a new lump and got sent off for an ultrasound and and to have 2 core biopsies - thankfully, I got my results on Monday - it was a benign fibroadenoma, so the surgery can go ahead as planned.
Yes, it was the other site that we “talked” on! First time, Elaine recommended the DIEP without mentioning the IGAP but I didn’t know anything about recons then. However, knowing what I do now, I would still go for the DIEP first. She said that the IGAP is a more complicated and longer op, but I didn’t want to have the LD recon as I always seem to be reading about ladies have trouble with their backs and arms - this is on my right side and I’m right handed. Also, I preferred to have the scar under my bottom rather than across my back, though I believe they try to do it so that your bra covers the scar.
From my experience, I would have the DIEP and not leave it - I know how pleased Lisa is with hers, and you’d be in the best of hands. Don’t forget, scars do fade!
Hi Girls
I am now back home in Middlesbrough - a long 5 hour journey, but not painful at all. Infact, I havent even taken any pain killers today, and it is only day 11 after the op. Cora - the journey was not a problem. Infact, the day I left hospital, I think that I could have done the journey. My car is very low so I was a bit concerned it would be an issue - but it isnt.
Elaine Sassoon doesnt use dressing and does not recommend tight pants or corsets! I had my post-op appt on Tuesday this week, and for the first time she recommended that I use steri-strips along the scars to help to reduce the redness that can develop - this is for 8 weeks. Both of my scars at the moment are white and minimal, however, I am told that my body will now be releasing histamine (which causes the scars to itch) and this is what causes the redness of a scar. The steri-strips help to reduce this.
She said not to bother with tight pants etc since the healing is inside. When I asked about bras she said that a sloggy type (which I was wearing) was ok, and in a few weeks to find a nice pretty bra! She explained that she had seen no evidence that wearing corsets helped the healing process, and that dressings often agrivated area around the scar so prefers to use nothing. The wound is stitched inside and there is plenty of glue on the outside so you dont feel as though you will come open!
I showed my Mother and sister today - both were amazed.
What a terrible experience with your new lump and waiting for the results but good news that it is nothing sinister Sally. How long ago did you have your DIEP and what is your scar like? The only photos I have seen look horrific (red deep scarring). Elaine Sassoon was very helpful to me. When I explained my reasoning for not wanting DIEP she suggested that it would be useful to for me to see some of her DIEP patients who were 2 years or more post surgery as the abdomominal scar is fully mature by this time. She suggested I get in touch with her reconstuction nurse to arrange this. After what you and Lisa have said I will go ahead and do this.
It is good that you did not find the long journey uncomfortable Lisa. I have been talking to my husband about this(he tells me I talk of nothing other than reconstruction) as he feels that we should do what you did and stay in Norwich after the op but I don’t relax or sleep well away from home. I like to flop out on my own bed with my own pillow.
My husband was against me having reconstruction at first. I think he was worried about what could go wrong. He also feels that I have been through a lot over the past year and so why put myself through unecessary surgery. He now feels that I will probably only be happy once I have had reconstruction.
Thanks for your advice. You have spurred me into action.x
Hi all of you. It’s so good to read what you have felt and thought about recon. as it echoes so much of my feelings. Am due for diep on 11th December at East Grinstead (Sussex). I had all the feelings of unhappiness and often cried when I read about happy women post recon (especially seeing extract photos from The Boudicca within in the Sunday Times some months ago) adnd thought why can’t I make the decision to have it done. One day I had that light bulb moment and said I’m going for it, I don’t want to feel this unhappy for the next 30 years or more (please) and so many women say how glad they are they had it done. Feeling peaceful once I made the decision and got things in motion is the best way to descirbe how I’ve felt since and am looking forward to next week with calm. Of course some nerves but that’s normal. My husband would rather I didn’t have it, he loves me whatever, but he is totally supportive and I wish I could be around for him while it’s happening, we’ve cerrtainly shared the journey so far. I have a chest infection at moment which is a bug…r but surgeon gave me antibiotics and is still planning for it to go ahead. I’m crossing everything it won’t be postponed.
Good luck to all of you and thank you for confirming my own decisions.
Hi Lynbee
Good for you. For me, I was very calm right up to theatre - I surprised myself. I think that once you know what you want, you just keep focused on the other side - having your body back to normal (or as close to it as possible). When I looked down after the op, I didnt feel anything but peace - it was back. Almost like a sigh.
Good luck for next week, and let me know
Cora - good for you. The house we stayed in Norwich was lovely - very modern and clean. Everything you could think of from a Bosch washing machine to a Sony 40" tv, conservatory, beautiful big couches. Like a home from home. I totally relaxed, and slept well each night. I can give you the property details if you want - it is only about 15 minutes from the hospital. The whole experience does overtake your every thought, and I dont think I have spoken about much else. Hopefully, I will move on now, but I will never forget. My scars are very good - Let me know if you need anything or if I can help in any way.
I understand what you mean when you see photo’s of the scars, I too used to be worried, but I did see some of Elaine Sassons patients after surgery and I was really impressed, I felt releived, I even asked one lady what she had done as the scar was so small.
I now have my date…28th February
Hi Lisa
Sounds like you are doing really well. How was the journey home. What do you feel like now, can you do much or are you still resting
I dont need to see anyone until my nipple recon. However, Elaine said that if I had a problem and wanted to see someone urgently, she would contact the local plastic surgeon and ask him to see me. The scars really are amazing. They have healed very quickly although I know the healing process is over another 8 weeks or so, I am very impressed.
As for the nipple…mmmmmmm… not sure what I am going to do. She can just use the breast, and take a little skin and sort of cut in like a jacket potato and fold it into a nipple - this is my preference. I dont really want nipple sharing (which is Elaine’s preference), or the labia! Ouch!!!
Hi Deb
I am sort of still resting - more restless actually. I keep looking around for things to do. I feel like I can do most things, but I know that I will jeopardise my healing if I do. So, I am trying to be good! 28th Feb will come around very quickly!
Good luck for Thursday Lynbee and I hope your chest infection is better and so won’t affect you having surgery.
Thanks for your input Deb. When I explained to Elaine Sassoon that I found the scarring with any of the abdominal surgery very off putting she said that she had only ever had one person who was not happy with her tummy scar once it had fully matured and suggested I see some of her patients. It is good to hear that you have seen some of her patients and were impressed with the scarring. Do you live in Norfolk?
Decisions decisions Lisa. I don’t think I would go for nipple sharing as I feel that it would mean another area of scarring that could be avoided. I suppose you would get a perfect colour match. There was an article in The Daily Mail a few weeks ago which showed one of Elaines patients for whom she had made a nipple from her ear lobe! how clever is that? I don’t think I would fancy a nipple made from my labia either- NOOOO.
I don’t live in Norfolk, I live 86 ,miles away. I went to a conference about breast recon run by a group called “keeping abreast”, (Elaine Sassoon is a patron). The man who works with her did a presentation which was really interesting, then some of the ladies who support the group went into a private room and showed off their new bodies.
Elaine Sassoon told me about these meetings but they are always in the evening. When I had my appointment with Miss. Sassoon it was in the evening as well and I had to make elaborate arrangements for my daughter to be picked up after school and stay over at a friends house as we didn’t get home until the next morning. Elaine said I could contact her recon nurse to arrange a time more suitable so I was thinking of a morning. This group sounds brilliant. I asked the breast care nurse at my hospital if I could see a patient of my surgeon who had undergone TRAM reconstruction so I could see what the tummy scar looked like and she said no one had ever asked that before. I just could not think of having such major surgery without at least speaking to someone who had undergone it. My mastectomy was different as it was essential surgery and so I accepted whatever outcome might happen.
I bet you are really excited about your surgery. Elaine won’t consider doing mine until I am at least 6 months post radiotherapy. I want to get the ball rolling now and go back to Norwich as soon as I can.
It was a brilliant group. I had made up my mind to have a recon but I really thought the scars were going to be awful, as I mentioned earlier, after seeing these ladies I felt really relieved and relaxed. I am really excited about the surgery, its bad eh but I am trying to see how long I can wangle off work.
The man you speak of is Richard Haywood - a brilliant man.
Elaine and Richard work as a team - my partner noted that they actually finish each others sentences. Both have a great mutual respect for each other.
I had a DIEP 2 weeks ago, performed by both of them. In this way, they reduced the op time down to 5 hours, and I believe they have also done it in less.
The ladies from keeping abreast are great. One of them came into see me while I was in hospital.
Are you putting anything on your tummy scar (like tape) and are you still having a problem with standing up straight? I expect it is difficult not to do things that you see need doing but as you say you do not want to delay the healing process.
Straight after the op, Elaine does not put dressings on the wounds - nothing. Through experience she has learned that often the dressings can interfer with healing and scaring.
However, after 10 days, when I went to the ‘dressings clinic’ (which was my follow up appt), she showed me how to put steri-strips along the scars (not across them). SHe placed 1/4 inch width dressings length ways along the wound. She says that intially the body has been in shock and that the real healing starts after 10 days and this is when the scars can become thicker and red. The steri-strips help to minimise this. Mine look great, I keep taking a peek under them to check!
I am just about upright now I think - not quite. I have been naughty and been doing odd things. Yesterday my sister came around to help me put up the Christmas tree. It was a fun-packed day full of her saying, ‘Stop doing that’, 'Put it down, ‘Get down those steps!’…
I am really surprised how well it has gone.
I am so very happy with the cosmetic result - it really is fantastic. The skin flap is quite large, so that I only have the one scar visible across the breast which is my old mastectomy scar. The other side of the skin flap scar goes underneath my breast so is out of sight.
What is your new belly button like? It is really good to hear that you are so happy with the cosmetic results of your new breast and the tummy scar. I hope to only have one scar visible across my new breast(if I decide to go ahead that is) but I think it may be higher up than my mastectomy scar as Elaine said that the rads had left me very tight and so she would need a bigger flap.
My belly button looked a bit strange to me at first (let me just have another look now…). Mmmmm its different to my original one. My own went very in and was flat inside, this one is more of a bubble but in. It looks ok though, nothing alarming! Its just different to the one I had. You really need to meet someone who has had it done!
Deb
I have done arobics and body toning twice a week more more than 10 years, so the exercises were not really new to me. Having said that after 10 years I still had a large enough tummy to get a D/DD cup!! Therefore I dont know if it made a diffference or not, but I would certainly recommend doing exactly as Elaine says!! I think Elaine Sassoon is a bit like Father Christmas - she knows everything, she knows when you are being naughty or nice… or up steps probably ( and when GillC had sex! after her op!)
I did climb steps to reach the top of the tree when my sister wasnt looking. Its awful having to rely on someone else to know exactly what you want doing!!! I am so impatient.
‘Please God give me patience, and give it to me NOW!’ As for Christmas dinner, I do normally cook for about 10 people each year but this year we all going out for Christmas dinner!
I am quite looking forward to it, I wont need to spend the whole of Christmas eve in the kitchen!
I am very excited, just got confirmation today that my insurance company will pay for everything, so its all systems go. I must admit I dont want to do the excercises, I am the laziest person who ever existed, and the thought of excercise makes me fall asleep. (You think I joke, I blame it on the tamoxafin)!!
Hi Deb
I feel great. I have been Christmas shopping today! I bought myself something too - a nice slinky dress to show off my super-flat tummy, and a little cleavage (but not too much).
Hey - I always avoided those types of dresses before because my tummy showed too much. Now I am showing off my tummy at the top (breast!)
My tummy area is quite swollen and sensitive but it is still flat. No I just need someone to sort my bottom area out!
You really should do the exercises Girl! Just keep doing the tummy lifts and chest strengthening exercises. You could chant, ‘I must, I must, I must improve my bust!’
To be honest, if I didnt go to my local classes, I wouldnt be so regimented to do it at home. I would rather lay on the couch eating chocolate and watching soaps.