Hello Tina, 

A warm welcome to our friendly forum and thank you for sharing your story. You've been through a lot recently with all these surgeries poor you but as you say, it is good news that your cancer was caught at stage 0. 

I hope you won't mind but I have slightly edited the title of your post to include the words 'I've had a Diep Flap reconstruction'. This will allow others who have also had this type of reconstruction to spot your post more easily. 

I am sorry to hear that it is all pretty swollen after surgery. I hope it all settles down soon and that you recover very quickly. We have some information on our website about the DIEP flap here which you might be interested in having a look at and you can also read more about breast reconstruction on this page. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Cancer Research UK nurses on 0808 800 4040 from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can talk to them about any concerns following your surgery.

Many of our ladies here will have had the DIEP flap before and I really hope they will be along soon to share their recovery experiences with you. I've done a little search on our forum for you and have found for example that [@rah50]‍ recently had a mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction and you can read more about her story on this thread. [@cruk123]‍ and [@Jaks64]‍ would also be able to tell you more about their own recovery following a DIEP flap reconstruction. You can read their accounts on this thread. 

I hope this helps and that you will soon be chatting here with other ladies who have been in a similar place recently.

Wishing you a full and speedy recovery after all these surgeries. You'll deserve a nice treat when all this is over :) 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Thank you Lucie. I was trying to find info about DIEP and must have been searching incorrectly.  Thank you for your help.

Tina

Hi Tina, I had a right mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction on the 11th June. I'm really please with the outcome of my breast and nearly 3 weeks post Op the swelling is still present but marginally. I'm sure but think it's from the nerves as it's sore in the numb areas. I've been. Medication free since yesterday and feel really good considering the surgery. 

I wish you all the luck in the world. I was grade 2 and get my final pathology on Wednesday so my fingers are crossed. 

Keep us all informed of your progress please xx

Hi, you got your surgery about two weeks before I did and I’m wondering how your doing now, with it over two months behind you, if you don’t mind sharing. My surgery went well, my time in hospital and the first week home were uneventful but I’ve since had issues with all three of my surgical sites having trouble healing so, 7 weeks later, I’m still going for dressings changes! It just frustrating me no end that my body seems to refuse to heal. I’m in good shape, don’t smoke, am not overweight, eat well- all the things they said would help me, so I guess I just want to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, did you experience “puffiness” in the pubic area, especially at the end of the day?

any insight will be appreciated- thank you!

I am doing great.  Still somewhat swollen but the Dr said tghat was to be expected.  I got my last drain pulled out on the 25th, but because it was still putting out more then they wanted i am still dealing with the puffiness from that around my waist. but she is super happy with my progress,  I am almost 7 weeks post op.  I will have one more surgery in October to get the left breast reduced and to make them match.

Thanks, Tina

I am doing great.  Still somewhat swollen but the Dr said that was to be expected.  I got my last drain pulled out on the 25th, but because it was still putting out more then they wanted i am still dealing with the puffiness from that around my waist. but she is super happy with my progress,  I am almost 7 weeks post op.  I will have one more surgery in October to get the left breast reduced and to make them match.

To answer your questions, Yes I am still swollen in the pubic area.  She said that was normal. The fluid flows down and she said it will be absobed eventually.  I am sorry that you are still dealing with the bandages.  It will get better.  I had my right waist drain in for almost 6 weeks and they only pulled it because they were worried it would get infected.  I notice that when I do to much walking, I tend to have more fluid buildup, so I try to not overdo it.  I am back at work this past monday part time.  It was great being back so its hard to take it easy.

Thanks, Tina

Thanks for the response Tina, I really appreciate it. I guess we each have our “thing” and, after reading all you went through to get where you are today, I am just sorry you went through so much and am glad you’re in a better place now, it seems. I went back to work after four weeks, maybe that didn’t help my cause. Now I just have to focus on the positive that the surgery got all of the cancer and just be patient, while being a good patient. We will all get there!

be well.

Christine

Hi Tina,

The only site I had issues with was my tummy. It took 7 weeks to completely heal, when one side appeared to be healing the other side started although I think changing the dressing every other day didn't help but that was what I was advised to do. It does heal eventually..honest. This week is the first week I've felt myself totally tbh and am really pleased at where I am now. I didn't have puffiness in the pubic area but have still got it just above my tummy scar and this tends to swell later in the evening. 

I don't know about you and would be interested to hear but did you suffer with stomach ache. I've had it almost daily since the Op, some days worse than other and I feel I bloat very easily!

Are you happy with your new boob? Under the circumstance I'm very happy with mine but it is weird, especially with it being numb.

Amanda x

Hi Amanda,

thanks for your comments, they do make me more hopeful that this will heal, just on its own schedule (I had to delay a trip home to see my family in the US but now I’m headed there next week no matter what! Just no swimming in the ocean I guess, but I need to see my family). As for puffiness above the scar, I’ve only got a little - but that may well be me eating too much, not a surgical issue! All my puffiness is below the scar- another woman put it perfectly in another thread- looks like a Ken doll down there at the end of the day. It made me laugh, such a perfect description.

I’ve not had any stomach aches, some strange sharp pings and pulls occasionally but nothing overly bothersome. I feel a bit bloated too but can’t tell if that’s just the same as the puffiness, just spread out a bit more. Either way, 7 weeks out, it does seem to be settling down a lot and more and more of me has some level of sensation.

Overall I’m happy with my boob, it’s easier to tell what it will end up like now that swelling is subsiding. In clothes, it looks the same, maybe a tad bigger, though naked the shape is definitely a bit different (wider and flatter), and I have one area, right along the cleavage line, that has a large, hard, lump but, as you say, under the circumstances, I’m happy. The PS promises me this hard area is normal and will settle down as the blood flow gets better and better. It does seem a bit better from last week anyway and I have a bit more sensation in it each week. My back and side were numb, now I can scratch them and feel it, the underarm is alive again, and  parts of the outer section of the boob can feel more but the main part, the middle, has little to no sensation. It’s definitely weird, but I’m adjusting.

Christine

Good morning,

Love the example of looking like a Ken doll, strange how we can be so different I suppose. 

At 7 seven weeks you are doing brill, I wanted to go to US (we now go 30th Sept) dinner but was told couldn't fly long haul for 12 weeks so I'm envious!!

You describe your boob much like mine th but I don't have a lump but a dint near the cleavage, I'm told it will need filling using liposuction procedure later on. 

You sound lucky with the sensations as well. I'm still numb under my arm, down the back of my upper arm (bingo wing) , most of my boob and some of my tummy although that I'm sure is slowly coming back. It feels at time like I'm wearing a band around my middle..lol.

I'm not complaining and feel lucky compared to some. We need to compare further down the line, or of curiosity I suppose. 

I hope you have a fantastic time with family, enjoy xx