I know you're right. And Jack is backing you on this. He says he'd be hurt if his mom didn't tell him, just as my son will be if I don't tell him. I could even have told my son yesterday, I was strong and positive and thought this just a small bump in my road. Jack and I are having dinner with my son and his wife at our favorite restaurant this coming weekend, and I hope to be able to tell them then. I had it all figured out. I'd do this little remodeling project on my body and move on but, that was yesterday.
Today I'm having a difficult day. I was trying so hard and to do well. I've been able to pretend that I'm fine, so people are feeling better and not popping in all the time to check on my mental status. I laughingly call them moles. They come in to check on me and we laugh and make fun, then they feel better and go back to report to the others. And I appreciate every one of them. But today I'm alone in the office, and with no one to pretend to, I'm back in the hole. I don’t like these ups and downs.
I'm so confused, and may be looking at implants now. I was against having implants, didn't want that foreign body in me, didn't want the possible complications down the road. I want low/no maintenance boobies if I'm gonna pay for them. I want to finish this remodeling project and be done with it. The rest of me is low maintenance, and there's no special treatment. I start making a big deal with the boobies, next thing I know the uterus is going to start getting jealous, acting up.
I have so many questions...
Why do some decide to go with implants as opposed to the DIEP flap?
Do implants look, feel, and move like real ones?
How long is the hospital stay for DIEP flap?
How long till you're 'yourself' or recovered from the implant reconstruction?
How long till you're 'yourself' or recovered from the flap reconstruction?
Yesterday I went to see Dr. KePing Tsao a plastic surgeon in San Luis Obispo, and for the record, I did like him. But for as much as I thought I knew what I wanted to do, and how I wanted it done, I now have even more questions. I did my homework and thought what was best for me was the DIEP flap, at the time of surgery.
Now I may be looking at the bi-lat mastectomy and recovery time before I move forward just so I don't have to be in LA for what I was told was several weeks.
My head aches from trying to sort this all out, I came away with information but please understand that if it’s wrong, or bad information, it’s because I may not have a good grasp of it yet and it is me, and not Dr Tsao that’s a bit off. I’m having a hard time remembering, and I’m getting things crossed up in my mind, it’s all so overwhelming.
Ok so here's where I'm stuck today.
1) If I want reconstruction done at the time of the mastectomy I would need to go to someplace big like UCLA or San Francisco because it’s like having 4 major surgeries at the same time, and I would be in surgery quite a long time. I would need to be in LA (or SF) for many weeks of recovery.
2) The breast implants are less painful and take much less recovery time than the DEIP flap, but can be started at the time of surgery. Implants are the quickest way to get my life (and my breasts) back.
3) With implants, long term I could have issues and require replacement. Implants have a low rate of failure, deflation and encapsulation but there is some chance of that. You can never know how someone’s body will react to them so encapsulation does happen, just not often. (I asked the dr about a local woman having 3 deflate, and he kind of blamed it on sloppy workmanship by the dr. I believe there was probably more to it.)
5) The DEIP flap surgery is more prone to complications up front, but long term has fewer problems and using one’s own tissue is a good thing.
How am I ever to decide? How does anyone? Dr. Tsao said that when I’ve reached a decision I will be happy and content with it. Well, I’m waiting.
I know, I know...pushy pushy pushy.
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I know you're right. And Jack is backing you on this. He says he'd be hurt if his mom didn't tell him, just as my son will be if I don't tell him. I could even have told my son yesterday, I was strong and positive and thought this just a small bump in my road. Jack and I are having dinner with my son and his wife at our favorite restaurant this coming weekend, and I hope to be able to tell them then. I had it all figured out. I'd do this little remodeling project on my body and move on but, that was yesterday.
Today I'm having a difficult day. I was trying so hard and to do well. I've been able to pretend that I'm fine, so people are feeling better and not popping in all the time to check on my mental status. I laughingly call them moles. They come in to check on me and we laugh and make fun, then they feel better and go back to report to the others. And I appreciate every one of them. But today I'm alone in the office, and with no one to pretend to, I'm back in the hole. I don’t like these ups and downs.
I'm so confused, and may be looking at implants now. I was against having implants, didn't want that foreign body in me, didn't want the possible complications down the road. I want low/no maintenance boobies if I'm gonna pay for them. I want to finish this remodeling project and be done with it. The rest of me is low maintenance, and there's no special treatment. I start making a big deal with the boobies, next thing I know the uterus is going to start getting jealous, acting up.
I have so many questions...
Why do some decide to go with implants as opposed to the DIEP flap?
Do implants look, feel, and move like real ones?
How long is the hospital stay for DIEP flap?
How long till you're 'yourself' or recovered from the implant reconstruction?
How long till you're 'yourself' or recovered from the flap reconstruction?
Yesterday I went to see Dr. KePing Tsao a plastic surgeon in San Luis Obispo, and for the record, I did like him. But for as much as I thought I knew what I wanted to do, and how I wanted it done, I now have even more questions. I did my homework and thought what was best for me was the DIEP flap, at the time of surgery.
Now I may be looking at the bi-lat mastectomy and recovery time before I move forward just so I don't have to be in LA for what I was told was several weeks.
My head aches from trying to sort this all out, I came away with information but please understand that if it’s wrong, or bad information, it’s because I may not have a good grasp of it yet and it is me, and not Dr Tsao that’s a bit off. I’m having a hard time remembering, and I’m getting things crossed up in my mind, it’s all so overwhelming.
Ok so here's where I'm stuck today.
1) If I want reconstruction done at the time of the mastectomy I would need to go to someplace big like UCLA or San Francisco because it’s like having 4 major surgeries at the same time, and I would be in surgery quite a long time. I would need to be in LA (or SF) for many weeks of recovery.
2) The breast implants are less painful and take much less recovery time than the DEIP flap, but can be started at the time of surgery. Implants are the quickest way to get my life (and my breasts) back.
3) With implants, long term I could have issues and require replacement. Implants have a low rate of failure, deflation and encapsulation but there is some chance of that. You can never know how someone’s body will react to them so encapsulation does happen, just not often. (I asked the dr about a local woman having 3 deflate, and he kind of blamed it on sloppy workmanship by the dr. I believe there was probably more to it.)
5) The DEIP flap surgery is more prone to complications up front, but long term has fewer problems and using one’s own tissue is a good thing.
How am I ever to decide? How does anyone? Dr. Tsao said that when I’ve reached a decision I will be happy and content with it. Well, I’m waiting.
May 21, 2009 - 2:23pmI know, I know...pushy pushy pushy.
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