try again

seof
seof Member Posts: 819 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am going to try again with this question. Last time I posted, when I went back to check responses my question was gone. Lets see if this works.

Here's a brief background: Bilat. mastectomy in Dec. 08. Reconstruction with DIEP in July. Complications with healing. Now ready to schedule phase 2 of recon: revise abdominal incision site, reduce breast size and improve symmetry in breasts.

I want to schedule the surgery to interview as little as possible with work. I work in Public school and have a 2 week break at Christmas and one week in March for Spring Break. I wonder if anyone has experience with this and can tell me how long in hosp, how long the recovery was, how much time off work, etc.

I see the surgeon tomorrow, and I hope to get his answer,but I would like to get the voice of experience too.

Thanks, seof

Comments

  • LC815
    LC815 Member Posts: 155
    I wish I could help, but I
    I wish I could help, but I didn't have the same recon as you had. I am, however, a teacher, too and know exactly what you're going through trying to schedule surgeries on school vacations! Sub plans are worse than actually teaching!

    I just had my ovaries out (laproscopic -- to reduce estrogen production)and my doctor told me I couldn't drive for two weeks . . . that was two and a half weeks ago. I didn't drive for about five days, and after that I just prayed I wouldn't sneeze because that hurt like the dickens! I still don't feel 100% pain free, but I'm okay.

    Don't rush back to school, however. I did and I've been exhausted ever since.

    Let us know what the surgeon says tomorrow,

    Peace,
    Linda
  • Eil4186
    Eil4186 Member Posts: 949
    Seof, I cannot advise you on
    Seof, I cannot advise you on this type of surgery, but I wish you the best of luck and will pray for perfect results. Eil
  • cats_toy
    cats_toy Member Posts: 1,462 Member
    Hi seof,
    I replied to the other post, but if you cant find it, I can go copy/paste it. Good luck again with your decision, and feel free to pm me if you have more questions!
    =^..^=
  • jk1952
    jk1952 Member Posts: 613
    cats_toy said:

    Hi seof,
    I replied to the other post, but if you cant find it, I can go copy/paste it. Good luck again with your decision, and feel free to pm me if you have more questions!
    =^..^=

    Seof, I had a bilateral

    Seof, I had a bilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction done in April, and I'm planning to have one of the new breasts reduced to match the other one. When I asked about restrictions, the plastic surgeon said I'd be out of work a couple days and have some limitations for a couple weeks. I'm planning to have my surgery on December 29th, take off the rest of the year, and return to work on Monday, January 4th. It is an outpatient surgery, and I'm assuming it will be similar to when I had lumpectomies: sore for a couple days and then fine.

    But, I won't have anything done to my abdomen, and that was the area that gave me the most trouble with the original surgery. So, that could increase the recovery time.

    Joyce
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    jk1952 said:

    Seof, I had a bilateral

    Seof, I had a bilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction done in April, and I'm planning to have one of the new breasts reduced to match the other one. When I asked about restrictions, the plastic surgeon said I'd be out of work a couple days and have some limitations for a couple weeks. I'm planning to have my surgery on December 29th, take off the rest of the year, and return to work on Monday, January 4th. It is an outpatient surgery, and I'm assuming it will be similar to when I had lumpectomies: sore for a couple days and then fine.

    But, I won't have anything done to my abdomen, and that was the area that gave me the most trouble with the original surgery. So, that could increase the recovery time.

    Joyce

    remember not only are you recovering from physical surgery everyone is different how they metabolize the anesthesia and how tired they are