Long post alert
So, sharing my most recent update/setback. So glad I chose to write this today rather than yesterday when I was in a very dark place and feeling absolutely awful. So here goes.
I had DIEP reconstruction about 4 weeks ago. Was in hospital for a few days but got home and was recovering well. The exercises made a huge difference to my mobility and strength and I was going lots of walks and feeling good. All the time though my new boob was still swollen, bruised and achy as well as leaking a lot of yucky fluid. I had been attending clinic each week to get it checked out but to be honest I hadn’t seen any improvement in a week or so. Anyway, fast forward to yesterday when I attended clinic but this time surgeon was present as she wanted to give me the go ahead to start chemotherapy in a couple of weeks. Almost as soon as she looked at the DIEP she says she wasn’t happy. Checked it with a Doppler but no “heartbeat” and when she scratched the outside it didn’t bleed. She believed it had become infected and there was damage to the live tissue. She knew she had to go in and have “a look” so I was admitted and put on waiting list for theatre. Meanwhile we discussed all the different options and possibilities but I made the decision to just have the whole thing removed if the tissue couldn’t be saved. I was absolutely devastated - not so much at losing the breast - but that the procedure had failed and that I hadn’t known there was anything wrong and so much time has been lost. I have been curled in a ball and crying for 24 hours feeling very sorry for myself. My temperature also spiked overnight and I was placed on IV antibiotics I had surgery today which was only about an hour. When I woke up I discovered the whole breast had been removed and I have decided to remain flat for the meantime. Hopefully chemo will not be delayed by too long and I can move on from this.
My surgeon seems genuinely devastated that it’s come to this and has offered me lots of support (psycologically and practically) as well as advice for if I decide to have recon further down the line. It seems to be very rare that this would happen so far down the line. Usually first 72 hours are where they know if it’s going to take or not.
If I do want to have recon she would probably advice using the back muscle next time or even implants. I honestly don’t think I could go through this again though. I’m hopefully done with the operating table. I feel better already and it’s such a relief not to carrying about a big, hard, sore swollen boob. I’m a bit sore where stitches and drain are but nothing I can’t handle.
Just another wee hurdle that I’ve overcome and I’m feeling good this evening.