Any words of advice

Minuz

Any words of advice to move forward with a positive attitude in regards to this tram reconstruction. I feel like everything is soooo heavy and soooo tight. I just hope that after all this I am going to be happy with things. I just feel like I have more scars now, more pain now and like I went backwards with my positive attitude. I did this to help my feelings of not being whole but I'm not sure now why I put myself through this. UGH
Thanks
Minuz

mariam_11_09

Sorry you are feeling this
Sorry you are feeling this way. I had DIEP flap reconstruction immediately after my mastectomy on my left breast. It was a heavy duty surgery and even though I knew it was big there was nothing that prepared me for what I went through, not even the c-section.

I couldn't stand up straight fully until at least 5 weeks after surgery, now 8 weeks it feels fine, sometimes a little tight on my stomach. I am still dealing with a part of the incision on my stomach being open and healing in a funky way. I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow. My breast has developed some hard skin below it, a ridge above it and of course has no nipple so is flat compared with my other. I have been told all will be corrected in the final surgery which won't happen until towards the end of the year. So I have one droopie and one perky breast with a ridge above it. Not to mention the port on the other side.

The scars I have been putting Justine oil on them (from South Africa) but Vit. E oil is also good. It really has helped my scars and I just like the way they are healing on my breast and around my belly button.

Really, give yourself time, allow yourself to take care, sleep plenty, get plenty of rest, eat well and hopefully have other people do as much as possible for you. All of this helped with the attitude. But you know what, if you feel crappy, you feel crappy you don't have to have a happy face all the time. If you can keep things in persepective that is also great, like right now you feel a great deal of pain and in time this will pass. However I can't stress rest enough.

I am just extremely grateful that I have a breast and am not disfigured or with an implant AND most importantly am still alive. And life is never the same after a cancer diagnosis!

New Flower

mariam_11_09 said:

Sorry you are feeling this
Sorry you are feeling this way. I had DIEP flap reconstruction immediately after my mastectomy on my left breast. It was a heavy duty surgery and even though I knew it was big there was nothing that prepared me for what I went through, not even the c-section.

I couldn't stand up straight fully until at least 5 weeks after surgery, now 8 weeks it feels fine, sometimes a little tight on my stomach. I am still dealing with a part of the incision on my stomach being open and healing in a funky way. I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow. My breast has developed some hard skin below it, a ridge above it and of course has no nipple so is flat compared with my other. I have been told all will be corrected in the final surgery which won't happen until towards the end of the year. So I have one droopie and one perky breast with a ridge above it. Not to mention the port on the other side.

The scars I have been putting Justine oil on them (from South Africa) but Vit. E oil is also good. It really has helped my scars and I just like the way they are healing on my breast and around my belly button.

Really, give yourself time, allow yourself to take care, sleep plenty, get plenty of rest, eat well and hopefully have other people do as much as possible for you. All of this helped with the attitude. But you know what, if you feel crappy, you feel crappy you don't have to have a happy face all the time. If you can keep things in persepective that is also great, like right now you feel a great deal of pain and in time this will pass. However I can't stress rest enough.

I am just extremely grateful that I have a breast and am not disfigured or with an implant AND most importantly am still alive. And life is never the same after a cancer diagnosis!

Minuz
I am sorry that you feel this way. I had DIEP TRAM 16 months ago and can understand your pain.You will feel better, just give yourself time. You need to believe that you did a right thing, plus have a high protein and fruit and vegetables diet. The recovery time for this surgery 8 weeks!!!. Watch a comedy, read book, listen you favorite music, talk to a friend, do something good for yourself. I hope you are still taking pain medications.
Wishing you easy healing and speedy recovery
New Flower

Alexis F

mariam_11_09 said:

Sorry you are feeling this
Sorry you are feeling this way. I had DIEP flap reconstruction immediately after my mastectomy on my left breast. It was a heavy duty surgery and even though I knew it was big there was nothing that prepared me for what I went through, not even the c-section.

I couldn't stand up straight fully until at least 5 weeks after surgery, now 8 weeks it feels fine, sometimes a little tight on my stomach. I am still dealing with a part of the incision on my stomach being open and healing in a funky way. I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow. My breast has developed some hard skin below it, a ridge above it and of course has no nipple so is flat compared with my other. I have been told all will be corrected in the final surgery which won't happen until towards the end of the year. So I have one droopie and one perky breast with a ridge above it. Not to mention the port on the other side.

The scars I have been putting Justine oil on them (from South Africa) but Vit. E oil is also good. It really has helped my scars and I just like the way they are healing on my breast and around my belly button.

Really, give yourself time, allow yourself to take care, sleep plenty, get plenty of rest, eat well and hopefully have other people do as much as possible for you. All of this helped with the attitude. But you know what, if you feel crappy, you feel crappy you don't have to have a happy face all the time. If you can keep things in persepective that is also great, like right now you feel a great deal of pain and in time this will pass. However I can't stress rest enough.

I am just extremely grateful that I have a breast and am not disfigured or with an implant AND most importantly am still alive. And life is never the same after a cancer diagnosis!

I had a lumpectomy, but,
I had a lumpectomy, but, wanted to wish you good luck! I will be praying for you.

Lex♥

Minuz

mariam_11_09 said:

Sorry you are feeling this
Sorry you are feeling this way. I had DIEP flap reconstruction immediately after my mastectomy on my left breast. It was a heavy duty surgery and even though I knew it was big there was nothing that prepared me for what I went through, not even the c-section.

I couldn't stand up straight fully until at least 5 weeks after surgery, now 8 weeks it feels fine, sometimes a little tight on my stomach. I am still dealing with a part of the incision on my stomach being open and healing in a funky way. I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow. My breast has developed some hard skin below it, a ridge above it and of course has no nipple so is flat compared with my other. I have been told all will be corrected in the final surgery which won't happen until towards the end of the year. So I have one droopie and one perky breast with a ridge above it. Not to mention the port on the other side.

The scars I have been putting Justine oil on them (from South Africa) but Vit. E oil is also good. It really has helped my scars and I just like the way they are healing on my breast and around my belly button.

Really, give yourself time, allow yourself to take care, sleep plenty, get plenty of rest, eat well and hopefully have other people do as much as possible for you. All of this helped with the attitude. But you know what, if you feel crappy, you feel crappy you don't have to have a happy face all the time. If you can keep things in persepective that is also great, like right now you feel a great deal of pain and in time this will pass. However I can't stress rest enough.

I am just extremely grateful that I have a breast and am not disfigured or with an implant AND most importantly am still alive. And life is never the same after a cancer diagnosis!

Thank you for all for
Thank you for all for writing back I truly need that encouragement. My husband and children had told me I didn't have to do this but I felt it necessary, now I have second thoughts that they were right. I almost feel more disfigured now than before I had the reconstruction. I know that it has only been 2 weeks but I guess I expected this to have been a quick fix. I feel like the new breast is so heavy and uncomfortable. I guess it will be adjusted with the finishing surgery's but in the meantime I wish I had faith in my decision to do this. My girlfriend keeps telling me that in time I'm going to be very happy I just want to say I can't think that far ahead because I am so uncomfortable now. I am as you said Mariam happy to be alive I guess I just want to get the old feelings of alive back and now I realize more and more that I have to make a new set of feelings of how I see myself. Does that make sense to anyone? Does anyone else understand that?
Again thanks for the help I've read the messages here to me twice now and they truly do make me feel better.
Minuz