Reconstruction

Hi Funky Chick,

How long is it since your mastectomy and RT finished? Particularly the RT? It can take quite a toll on your skin and they prob want to allow you some time to recover before subjecting you to a major op like the DIEP.

I don't know whether the herceptin will be an issue or not. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone saying that they had to be finished it before their recon surgery but, with my menopausal brain, I can't remember for sure!

Have they given you an approx timeframe at all? And what conflicting medical reasons are you being given? If you are getting different info from a registrar vs the actual surgeon, listen to the surgeon!

Do you mind me asking where you are planning to have the DIEP? And which surgeon will be doing it? I ask because I have an appt coming up in a few months with the plastics team in the Mater to discuss my options regarding some form of tissue recon after my implant recon failed earlier this year.

Regards,

Flo.

Ta for your response. Am really sorry to hear about your failed implant recon. As a Dub & a nortsider I am going to Brian Kneafsey in Beaumont - top man!!

Spoke to oncology last week & they say they would like me to be off Herceptin 4 weeks before surgery. Think it's to do with the fact that Herceptin can damage the heart - it hasn't so far for me.

Had mastectomy end of May & am finished RT 3 weeks. Got a really bad burn 1 week after finishing due to the bolus. They did warn me about this but I thought I got away with it as when I finished RT I only had a small burn, forever the optimist!! I want to be on the waiting list as as soon as possible so that my waiting time coincides with my burn recovery & with finishing Herceptin. I have to face the fact that I will probably have to return to work before I get my recon, I just hadn't considered this before now (too much to cope with during treatment).

Lets know how you get on or if you wish to contact me at thekeatings@02.ie you are very welcome.

Hey Funkychick,

Your skin should improve a lot during the next four months until you finish your Herceptin. Did you team recommend that you apply oil or cream to help it along? I think others hear found Bio-Oil or something similar to be good. Keep pampering the skin as you did when getting the RT as its effect is cumulative (I think) and it continues to affect you for some time even after treatment is complete.

If you are considering heading back to work, be as careful as you can. I never believed the warnings about fatigue lasting for months or years after treatment but discovered (to my dismay and frustration) that it can actually hit you very hard. Even when I felt ok and thought I was back to full strength, I'd occasionally find myself in a heap after trying something like mowing the garden or spring-cleaning. Or a lot of travelling still occasionally takes it out of me. So if you can, try to go back part-time, or start slow and gradually increase your hours over a few months. And if you are commuting, make sure you get a seat on your bus/train!!

Do you have any prosthesis and special bras to tide you over until your recon? You are entitled to both, so talk to your Breast Care Nurse about getting them if you don't have them already. This will help your body image somewhat for returning to work.

Keep us posted.
Flo.

PS - My appointment with the Plastics team is not till Feb. I am totally flat now and just using two prosteses when I need them. At the moment, I feel like I have had enough and will not be going for any further reconstruction surgery. But I am going along just to talk to them to see what my options might be. Will update in Feb!

Flo,

thanks for all that great info & sorry for delayed response. Was on holidays Who'd believe it, I actually had a whole week away from Beaumont Hospital (& survived to tell the tale!!). Went to Spain & tested out my new compression sleeve, also had to wear the flight socks, am like an old lady when flying, FunkyChick is a misnomer!!

Am starting to talk to my HR dept in work & am looking at going back on a phased basis starting with a 2 day week some time in the new year. I will be having discussions with them over the next few weeks.

Am like a woman possessed at the moment. I don't know where all the energy & enthusiasm is coming from but am blitzing the house, it's never been so clean (well not this year anyway). Am clearing out presses & wardrobes, I filled 4 black bags today. Am going to have to pace myself.

I got 3 prosthesis - 1 soft one after surgery, 1 ordinary day to day one & 1 swimming one, I even got a swimsuit. I hope to start back swimming next week. Was a great swimmer but will probably sink to the bottom of the pool.

Have an appointment with the Plastic Surgeon on 29th Nov so am compiling my questions over the next few weeks. Any advice on questions I should ask would be much appreciated.

Ciao for now.

Hi there...........I have just recovered from a failed DIEP FLAP Reconstruction - 20 hours surgery, v traumatic - now the LD Flap is being discussed as an alternative, if I am ever brave enough to return to St. Vincents - anyone give me any advice on the LD Flap procedure please ? How was it for you ? any problem s ? I am very nervous about it...

Many thanks

Hi Funkychick

I didnt realise there was a wait due to herceptin.I had chemo 16th dec to 29th march TCH.I then had surgery 1st may mastecomy and Diep flap reconstruction 14.5 hours which i am 6 weeks on from and am doing well thankfully.I am still on herceptin and will be till november so it wasnt an issue against surgery.I would ask what the reasons are for delay.Please feel free to pm me if you want to know more about diep recon its not a walk in the park but i am very happy with results.I am in st vincents in dublin.

Hope info of use
xx

Hi positive girl

So sorry your diep didnt work i know how traumatic that surgery is.I hope you get sorted with the ld i know a friend who had it done and it worked well for her in st vincents same as myself.Do you mind me asking who your PS is in vincents?

xx

Hi Funkychick

I have had reconstruction but have to go back for a bit of a "tweak". I am on Herceptin and there isn't a hope that my surgeon will go near me until that is finished.

As far as I know, it's to do with potentially affecting the heart; the biggest risk in using Herceptin is how it affects the heart, so with surgery on top of that, it increases the risk of further threats on the heart!

Hope all is OK otherwise; take care x

I had an appointment with the plastic surgeons in the mater yesterday. They said there's a 9 month waiting list.

I'm over surgery 2 years now, and just wanted to start the ball rolling. I would love to have it this time next year, so that the kids are on holidays from school, it will be easier. I've another appointment in October, and if I want to go ahead, they will put me on the list then.

I'm having the diep done.

Hi All,

just to update you. Even thou I've been seeing plastic's since May of last year they now tell me that they only put me on the waiting list in Nov11. I thought my waiting time started in May & now I've been told Nov11, am devastated as there's a 12 month waiting list in Beaumont for diep & now I won't be done till after Nov12, could even be early 2013. Have asked for appointment to see plastics as I'm devasted by this, can't plan the rest of my life until this is done, seems doubly cruel that I couldn't have it with mastectomy & now I find out they didn't put me on waiting list when I saw them first, I don't know whey they waited till Nov, why can't your recovery time be counted as part of your waiting time????

Hi there,
sorry thought I had replied to this weeks ago in a PM.......but maybe I didn't.........can't blame chemo brain now !! Colin Morrison was my PS in vincents - nice man but doesn't always tell u the full extent or possibilites of what the surgery can throw at you. Hope ur doing well. Am still trying to decide where or what to do next, I still really want to get reconstruction, but after the 20 hr surgery and it failing I am nervous about going back into the process.........
Keep well and healthy
xx[quote="wilmaone":1r5o4qw2]Hi positive girl

So sorry your diep didnt work i know how traumatic that surgery is.I hope you get sorted with the ld i know a friend who had it done and it worked well for her in st vincents same as myself.Do you mind me asking who your PS is in vincents?

xx[/quote:1r5o4qw2]

Hi Girls,

just to update you all I'm scheduled for Diep end Sept. Any advice or tips are very welcome. Am delighted with this date. Was diagnosed Jan2011, surgery May2011 & now re-con Sep2012 has been some journey.

Look forward to all your tips girls.

A

Hi Funkychick

I had the DIEP last August and dont regret having it at all. I still have some "tidying up " to be done but am in no hurry to have any more surgery. The op is quite long and the recovery for me was slow but steady. The worst part was the tightness in my tummy where they had removed the fat. Sleeping sitting up was much more comfortable so make sure to have plenty of pillows and also put one under your knees as this takes the pressure off. The first 48 hours post surgery are the worst as they have you wrapped in a " huggy" blanket which is sweltering hot - this is supposed to help the blood vessels take in the boob. They also check the flap every 30 mins for that 48 hours but to be honest I was as high as a kite on morphine so that made it more bearable. Try to get up and move about as soon as they let you as you need to straighten up . The drains were a royal pain in the ass but mine were removed before I left the hospital. Make sure you bring front buttoning pyjamas and elasticated bottoms. I got some in Pennys and bought them in a size or two bigger than normal cos you will be very padded up both on your tummy and your new boob. Plenty of baby wips is also esstential as you wont be able to have a shower for a while and also some face cloths that someone can keep putting on your forehead to cool you down.
I dont know who your surgeon is but mine was really fussy( but brilliant) and insisted that I didnt drink coffee as it shinks the blood vessels .
Other than that just make sure you have plenty of support at home because you really are restricted for a few weeks when you come home as the most simple things like pulling up your knickers was a marathon task for me!!!
Finally and I hate to mention it but one of the biggest side effects from the surgery and all the meds they give you is constipation! Not pleasant and they wont let you leave the hospital till you have a pooh, so eat plenty of fresh fruit and fibre before your surgery and have a bottle of senokot at the ready. !!!
You will be fine , and just focus on the end result of being able to buy new lingerie and clothes!!
Best of luck and if you need anything just shout. Im here!

Sinéad

Hi Girls,

thanks for all the helpful info. Packing my bag this week, surgery is planned for Weds 26th, Senokot is first thing into the bag!!

Funkychick, did you have your surgery. Am due to see plastic surgeon this friday to find out about mine. Am in Cork. I had masctectomy in Jan, followed by radiotherapy; am very impatient now about getting it done, really feel I can't move on till I have a boob again!. Any advice on what to ask would be appreciated as I'm clueless - last time we spoke he said we'd probably be doing the DIEP as have a bit of a tum so should be plenty to spare

Hi Kazoo,

yes had my Diep re-con & am soooo HAPPY with it!! I, like you, could not move on till I got my new boob. I don't know what I expected but this has exceeded any expectations I had. I didn't have enough fat so my new booby is a B cup & droopy dora is a C cup. They will "tweak" this in a couple of months when they're giving me a nipple.

My surgery was the 2nd fastest ever - under 7hrs (think it was about 6&1/2), which is record!! They had said that it would be anything over 10hrs probably 12hrs. I had the easy bit there as was sound asleep when all the hard work was going on. It's a tough recovery & I would say that you need to be in the full of your health for it. Physically I found it tougher than the original Mastectomy & I had myself in good shape fitness wise coming up to the op. But have to say once recovery starts you improve so much each day it's amazing. Think it's the serotonin that get's you through it. I didn't take the conventional pain killers (no PCA morphine pump for me thank you very much!!) so if you want advice on that let me know & I'll PM you. Also as recommended by others on this forum Senokot is very important, so bring some in with you.

I did get a bit of a fright 2 days after surgery when they thought I was having a "partial fail" fortunately it was a false alarm but I had to go through a second anesthetic to discover this.

I would ask your surgeon about his record with Dieps, how many has he done, has he had any fails or what's his experience with partial fails. Is he happy that you've enough belly fat for same size cup or will you need "tweaking" later. When does he think he can do it for you, you need to have a rough date to aim for.

Good luck & let me know if you want any more info!
A

FunkyChick, thanks a mill for your reply. I have my questions all ready for him for Friday. Can't wait now. Delighted your op went well, I find it so hard to discuss this with people I know as it's an emotional subject and I don't feel they could really understand, so I love this site for advice. I'll keep you posted how it goes. Thanks again. Xx