I had a mastectomy, sentinel node biospy and immediate diep recon about 6 weeks ago. The new breast is higher than the other one and feels very firm. Is this normal experience and how long does it take to droop? I also seem to have some fullness under the arm. How long does it take to feel softer>? I think my tummy is still swollen as well.
Sorry to go on I think the whole diagnosis and everything has hit me and am worrying about everything. Any help would be very much appreciated. Love to all
I had same as you 7 weeks ago next Tuesday. My new breast is higher, larger, wider and extremely swollen. The swelling has gone up and down, sometimes swelling under arm is very uncomfortable and then the next day seems softer and less. Also tummy swollen, again seems to vary day to day. I am numb in the middle of tum from belly button down to pubs and this also feels very firm. In myself I feel fine just uncomfortable.
I lost 14 lymph nodes, all clear, thank god. I too worry constantly, last night was a doom night. Today I feel fine. How are you? Do you wear support corset still. My ps said not to bother after two weeks though I do wear support pants.
Some of reconstruction tissue died so ps cut this out two weeks ago so I have been having hole dressed each day. I return to ps tomorrow just for check up.
You are the first person I know who had mastectomy and diep recon at same time. Which hospital were you, I was at Morriston in Swansea, South Wales, which was 75 miles from my home in Pembrokeshire.
It would be good to swop notes as we had op at the same time.
I wore the corset for three weeks and was told that I just needed to wear big pants with some lycra in them. I sometimes wear light support pants particularly if I am going to do some walking but not all the time. My tummy still feels firm from the belly button down. I’m still wearing a sports bra 24/7. I see the ps again this week and hopefully I’ll be driving again and my not be wearing the sports bra all the time. I had a skin saving mastectomy with a scar round the nipple area but had another scar under my arm where the sentinel node biopsy was done. The biopsy was clear. The underam scar has been sore because it tends to rub against the bra. If you put tape on it it restricts movement. Over the last day or two this has got better. I tend to be more swollen in the evening. I have managed to get into a pair of stretchy jeans which were too big for me before the op, much better than constantly wearing oversized joggers!! I’ve still got surgical tape on my scars in order to keep them flat.
Do keep in touch an let me know how you get on with your visit to the ps
Hi Cassie,
I had a delayed DIEP nearly 7 weeks ago so although it wasn’t immediate, I can certainly assure you that my reconstructed breast is higher and firmer. The surgical team gave me the impression that it can take several months to settle.
My stomach is flat below the belly button which is fantastic but it does bulge above it. The skin above feels very numb and will probably take a while to settle down.
It’s probably the impact of everything which is hitting you. Take it easy and don’t be too hard on yourself.
I felt great after the op and have been doing really well but I do have my moments and then I get better again.
Coming on here certainly helps!
Please keep us posted and sending you a hug,
BethXXX
I had an immediate reconstruction and DIEP in August and am pretty pleased with it. It has settled down quite well athough I will need a couple of minior tidying up ops including a new nipple and also where I had a small infection on the circular scar where my nipple was, and also some adhesions at the edge near my arm where the lymph nodes were removed. I had 20 out and 2 were affected so I am halfway through chemotherapy, doing OK and optimistic.
My stomach is very tight at times, but lovely and flat and I am happy to have lost half a stone and be back to my target weight of 8 and a half stone! I find small meals definitely help although the chemo has an effect as well, makes me constipated.
Just to make you laugh my ps offered to hitch up my other boob, but I don’t want that, like to remember how I was with both, and feel fine in a bra and not unhappy to be a bit lopsided.I will ask him next time if he fancies doing the bags under my eyes instead!!
I am just the same, still wearing sports bra 24/7, did try one night without but was very uncomfortable, also wear support pants, look a right sight, but who cares. I have been wearing maternity jeans from M&S which look just like normal jeans, which means at least I don’t look too laid back when I go out. Also bought a larger pair jeans from Next which are stretchy.
Saw ps today who explained that the swelling and firmness in tum will soften in time but I may not totally recover feeling, I think that’s not a prob. Also the boob is very swollen but he expects to be able to do liposuction about Feb 08 to reduce the new breast to size of good boob, I was only 34 A cup. Did discuss have good boob made larger but he does not think this would be a good idea.
I have scar underarm too because only had nipple removed and breast tissue taken out through this area sounds like your op. Scar underarm also painful due to rubbing on bra strap.
I think all in all everything will be fine just a matter of patience.
Thanks to everyone else for comments, very useful.
I will be in contact very shortly, let me know how you get on with your ps. Got to go now, hubby shouting dinner is ready!!
Have seen ps and he’s happy with everything. He said I can now wear any bra including under-wired, no need for support pants and I can drive. He says breast will drop and soften but will take time possibly 3 months maybe more. Once it has settled he’ll do the nipple recon. He also said that if breast is too wide then he’ll use lipo to reduce if necessary. With a bra on you would not know it was a reconstructed breast. Lady in shop where I bought new bras suggested wearing ones with a little bit of padding which helps with the lack of nipple. I had gone up a cup size and I managed to find a bra that does not rub the underarm scar.
I can now get into my old clothes which is great. I think I just have to be patient. How are you doing?
Hi Ladies
I had my DIEP 6 months ago…gosh that went quick!!
New boob almost drooped to same level of other boob (2 cm diff) I ahve been offered a breast lift on that side but have decided against it!!! Took tummy a good 4 months plus to go right down and im still very puffy and numb under my arm and around towards my back…tummy also still feels very odd…overall i love my new boob and it looks fab in a bra!!! Tummy tuck fantsatic!!!
Hope that helps!!
Px
I had reconstruction with tummy tuck and reduction of the good breast 20 months ago. The new boob is still firm and slightly smaller than the other one, but it is nice to have a cleavage again. Tummy I find is still a bit numb around the belly button, under arm also has numb patches. I do remember feeling as if my trousers were undone during the healing time.
As I have always been a bit overweight, I find that if I go over the top all the weight seems to accumulate around my midriff. On the whole I am happy with what I have now as long as I am dressed. I am able to go without a bra when the garment requires, which is more than I could do before (some positives in all this).
My hobby is horse riding and I have my own horse so have to keep going no matter what. I had my big op in March last year and was back in the saddle in May. This year we have been competing again with some success. So I hope this will encourage you all to bear with all the horrible bits to a very good end.
Good to see you are feeling good and back to wearing normal clothes. I am too! Hurray! I am now used to having different sized boobs and can and will wear virtually anything, a scarf can cover a multitude of shapes.
It was good to hear from Joy and Picasso their info made me feel alot better. So thanks girls.
I am back to see PS end of month and oncologist in December.
I am still puffy and numb under arm and back area, tummy still numb and swollen but I can see and feel improvement almost daily. Also belly button which did seem slightly left has now gone central. I cannot believe that I would think of that after all the bad stuff, it’s amazing how the brain works sometimes. My hubby and cancer doc shake their head in disbelief at the things I say.
Hope all goes well with you, let us know.
Good luck to everyone and thank you to all for comments on all topics which help so very much.
Glad to hear things are going well for you. Thank you to the other ladies who posted, it’s really good to know that there are others like us out there who are so positive. Like you I am still puffy under the arm. I think that the new breast is getting a bit softer. I have a bit of a dent over the top of the breast and a small one midway under neath it. Strangely I also think my belly button is a bit to the left. I think in terms of volume it is the same as the other one but just distributed differently. With the bra on it is not noticeable. I had great fun going out to buy new bras and found the shop assistants very helpful. An excuse for new underwear because of the change in size!!!
My hubby thinks everything is great. He was saying he didn’t mind whether I had recon or not but has admitted that if it were him he would have done the same. Possibly we see pictures of people who have had recons and want everything to be perfect but forget that we weren’t perfect before. I certainly had a dent in my breast where I’d had previous surgery. Did you see the ones in the Sunday Times? It did show what can be achieved.
Thank you so much for your post and do keep in touch it’s great to be able to compare notes.
Hi All
Hope you dont mind me joining your thread. I am due a diep flap and reconstruction mid October and found your discussions so reassuring. I am having the surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea like Linda (hope you dont mind that I sent you a message)and any advice would be so appreciated, I have so many questions i.e. What do I need in hospital, what was the hospital like and the wards and care. What is the surgery like afterwards regarding pain and the drains, wow So many questions lol sorry…
You all sound so nice and at mo im feeling a little over whelmed by all of this so hope you dont mind me rampling on. I am new to all of this and this site so any advice would be wonderful. Thank you so much.
Hi all, I had a second case of breast cancer in same breast, first 2002, lumpectomy and radiotherapy and Tamoxifen for 5 years. Then different tumour, had R mastectomy in 2015, followed by FEC chemo Zoladex and Letrozole. Wanted L boob removed but surgeon said she would do at a later date if I was still sure. Fast forward to Monday last week when I underwent a L mastectomy and double DIEP reconstruction. R was complete reconstruction and left a skin sparing reconstruction.
All ok, had scare last night as very breathless and ended up in hospital with suspected PE! Had scan today and turns out have some water on both lung and a very small collapse of one lung, side effect of such a long time under anaesthesia, they think and will resolve. Anyone else had this problem? How long did it take to get better?
I am thrilled to bits with reconstruction on R but L, the skin sparing is huge! Very hard and much lower than the other!! Hoping it will settle? Anyone else had the same op? Abdominal wonderful!!!
It’s so hot with bra and corset and the lovely white tight! Feel like a trussed up chicken in the oven!!
Thanks in anticipation, lots of love to all xxx