Author: mydiepflapjourney

This is just a short post to show some pictures.

 

Pictures below

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I seem to get behind in writing on my blog.  With Christmas and the homemade gifts I make I think that I need a 36 hour day.

I have been looking for a good compression  item for my tummy.  I am real big in my rib cage, I mean very large shoulders and rib cage so I have trouble with hi-waisted compression garments.  Well I found the Flexees by Maidenform at Walmart and I removed the top elastic band, leaving the actual stitching at the seam so it would not run down the garment.  It works perfectly.  Perfect amount of hold and not so tight on my rib cage.  I wear a size 14 but purchased an XL due to the reviews of the item.  Bare Necessities also has this item.  It is tight but not constricting at the top.  Also stays up fine.

Wound care is still going on but the right is almost healed.  It will probably be 2 more months on the left side.  Reminds me of the children’s train “I think I can”.  Keep trudging along and it will be fine.

Pictures are below.  Have a good day.

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First to start off remembering Pearl Harbor.  Prayers that nothing like that happens here again.

Not much has changed in two days.  My wound is slowing looking better and I am still swollen in my tummy and breasts.  I know it takes 3 to 4 months for swelling to subside, but I wish it would do it earlier.  I have not been walking on the treadmill for a few days and I can tell.  I have about 5 Christmas projects to get finished in 2 weeks, so walking may have to wait until after Christmas.

Have a great evening.

Pictures below

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Well the weekend has passed and I was throughly lazy.  With that said I gained 1.5 lbs from doing nothing.  We just watched TV and talked.  My husband was gone for the week working so last week I was by myself.  It made me realize how much I have depended on my husband for the past 5 weeks.  So great to have a person that will totally take care of me.  Hard for me since I am so independent but I am learning to receive the help with grace and love.

I seem to be retaining fluid around my tummy incision, and will be asking the Dr. next week if it is a seroma.  The amount of movement my lower tummy does when pushed looks like a waterbed.  Hopefully it will take care of itself.  Seroma’s are very common when a tummy tuck type of procedure is done.  Of course I would be an example of everything that can happen, but so far everything is fixable and not much of a problem to fix.  I am now wearing a compression belt to help with the swelling.  This also just takes time to heal.  I will let you know after my visit next week.

As for my wounds they are healing.  With the bad on on my left breast you can now see a large amount of very red skin around the circular wound and along the sides of the upper wound.  This is new skin which is good.

Anyone visiting this page can leave me a message if they would like.  God bless everyone and I will write more tomorrow.

Pictures below

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In one day the new wound looks so much better.  The dead tissue is almost gone on the right.  Great news for me.   The pictures below will show the difference.  So excited to be going in the right direction.

On other news, when I took the measurements for my new bra size my actual breast measurements were 43″ which along with my 40″ band size I was a D cup.  Before surgery I was a DD cup.  Well today when I removed my bra and camisole my breasts actually jiggled.  They have been so firm and solid I quickly grabbed the tape measure and measured my breasts and they are now 42″.  They jiggled because some of the swelling has gone down.  So now I am actually a C cup.  So excited.

Nothing else to report so early in the day.  I just wanted to share some good news and the excitement I am feeling right now.

By now you know the routine.  Pictures are below.

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In one day it looks better.  Only a very small amount of dead skin and incision stayed closed.

 

Today’s post is all about my wound care.  The pictures will show what I have to do twice a day.

Each morning I remove the dressings and use warm soap and Dial Antibiotic soap to clean the wounds and then rinse them.  I pat dry and put on the Sulfadiazine Cream that the Dr ordered for me.  I then put on a non stick pad to cover them and then put on the camisole over them.  The camisole helps with the pressure on my breasts, especially the top sensitive areas that I have.  Next goes on the bra, which was rotated from the type I wore yesterday.  That helps with the pressure points on my skin.

I repeat this procedure before bed.  Getting to be a routine that I do not think much about any more.  Just part of the healing process for me.

Pictures below show the procedure.

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The tops of my breasts are so sensitive so I put on a camisole first and my bra on top of it and it seems to help.   Since I am not having much pain, the sensitivity of my breasts is OK.

I have been doing  a lot of stretching today.  My arms are tight so the stretching really helps.   I never thought I would look forward to exercising.  I can hardly wait to do some crunches, and leg lifts.  I was going to start swimming as soon as my incisions healed but with the open wounds I now have I can not get in a pool.  Sounds like I am feeling sorry for myself.  I probably am but I do not regret having this surgery, even with all of the minor complications I am having.

I was a 40 DD before I started this journey and I measured tonight and I am a 40 D.  I know that they are smaller than the evening of the 31st but with all of the swelling I am sure they will be smaller when all healed.

Enough for tonight.

Pictures below

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I was taking pictures this morning and I usually enlarge them so I can actually see my wound.  When I looked at my right breast I was able to see dead tissue.  The tell tale green color.  It is small and I hope that I caught it early enough that it will not get too bad.  I at least know how to treat it so now both breasts are in “wound care”.

Both breasts are still rather swollen but once again not as much pressure.  I have about 4 different kinds of bras to wear.  I have to change to a different type everyday or else the pressure on my skin from the bra actually starts to hurt.  So I rotate daily.  So much to remember.

I can completely reach above my head now.  No pain just tightness when my hand reaches the top of the extension.  It actually feels like the tendon pulling not the chest muscle.  I gained 5 lbs during the Holiday so I am on a diet again.  My life story.  I will post this now and add to it tonight.

The Graphic pictures are below.  

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Took picture and saw it.  There is a small wound on my right breast.

It is hard to believe that I am starting week 5.  Time does fly by fast.  I am alone all day by myself this week.  My husband has been so wonderful staying home with me, but alas his work needs his attention also.  I am able to do almost anything that does not involve lifting 10 or more lbs.

I am glad at this point that the underside of my breasts do not have any feeling.  If they did I am sure I would be in a lot of pain.  My wound looks awful, but I can see less of the dead skin and more red skin, even though it is in the huge circular wound.  It does not go deep, just a few layers.

I did some more research on breast wounds and was not able to find much under the DIEP Flap breast reconstruction sites so I tried Breast Reduction surgery, BINGO did I find a lot of information.  I choose to have my breasts reduced since they were very large and I wanted smaller ones.  15% or more women have wound healing problems with a reduction.  The underneath skin is so stretched and blood flow is not as good down there.  It all makes sense.  I was prepared for it since Dr Nabil Habash did warn me that is was a good possibility that this would happen to me.

The recovery time for wound healing on a reduction is 3 to 6 months.  It will be a long 5 more months.  At least there is no infection, just dead skin that has to slough off.  I am trying to keep a positive attitude with my left breast.  She has been through so much and I just need to baby her for awhile.

On a good note the swelling is not as bad today.  I can not tell a difference in size but the pressure is not as bad as usual.  Off to wrap more Christmas presents.

 

Pictures are below.

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