Immediate Breast Reconstruction with DIEP Flap | PRMA Plastic Surgery
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 05. 2013
- PRMA patient Stanlie Murray walks us through her breast cancer diagnosis and experience with double mastectomies and immediate breast reconstruction with DIEP flaps.
Learn more about DIEP flap breast reconstruction at prma-enhance.com/breast-recon...
Follow us:
/ prmaplasticsurgery
/ diepflapbreast
Contact us:
PRMA | Center for Advanced Breast Reconstruction
San Antonio, Texas
PRMA-enhance.com
(800) 692-5565
patientadvocate@prmaplasticsurgery.com
I am glad to see you healty and strong. Diagnosed Jan. 2012 (39 yrs.) with breast cancer, under gone chemo and radiation, I am about to do reconstruction. The hardest part of this was not seeing women of my color and age. It made me feel like I was by myself. I encourage you to speak out more and continue in your healing. T TJ
I totally have the same cancer. at times I was so lost. it's nice to know i wasn't alone. God bless you
Thank you, so very much, for taking the time to make this video for those of us who are scared to death. You are my angel! 😇
Excellent video! Thank you for your story!!
Stanlie, you are incredible! I may be going down this road in the future, and you have encouraged me to really consider this approach when before watching your video, I was thinking it would be too hard for me. I realize this video is 7 years old, but I hope and pray you’re still doing well.
Thank you for taking the time to share your story. You have no idea how you've helped me. God bless you!❤
Thank you for sharing.
thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much! You have helped me more than you realize!
Thank you for Sharing.
Thanks for sharing. Good information for women facing this diagnosis.
Thank you. I have the same diagnosis and appreciate the information you shared. God bless you on your continued journey.
I love this!!!! You are amazing. You explained perfectly how I feel going through this! Love you
Hi Michelle, we are so thrilled to hear this video helped encourage you! If you ever have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at 210-692-1101 or you can visit our website here: prma-enhance.com/!
thank you!
I just watched the video. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! I was just diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in my right breast this past Friday, Jan. 8, 2016. It's at stage 3a and about 5cm. I had 2 benign tumors removed in 1983 when I was 17, so of course I thought this new lump I discovered was the same thing. I have numerous cysts in the left now too. Your testimonial has convinced me to explore DIEP flap surgery in my area and double mastectomy. I just learned about it Sunday doing research as you did after the shock of the diagnosis. The internet is a blessing. Plus, I would love to trim this stomach:) and have smaller breast. Thank you again for sharing your experience and successful results. This was much needed encouragement for this misfortune. I have NEVER posted anything before. I was totally compelled!!
+Cynthia Coleman I am so happy to hear this video helped encourage you! If you ever have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact our patient liaison Courtney at patientadvocate@prmaplasticsurgery.com
Thank you. So far your story is EXACTLY the same. I am flying out of state it find surgeon for DIEP
Thanks Doll Face!
This surgery actually takes 10-12 weeks to recover. if the surgeon instructs you to walk in a bent-over position for 3 weeks AND to elevate legs, the process is a long hard road.
I had to RE-learn to walk upright. Re-learn to sit up straight. RE-learn to drive sitting with a pillow. They don't tell you that they cut thru a rib for this surgery! I have chest pain during a mammogram for the other side of the breast. If I pick up something heavy there is a type of Charlie horse that forms in the process. I have to stop to re-try or not do it at all!!
I was NOT told pre-op that I would need to walk in a bent-over position so I was shocked!
I was told at the 3-week appointment, "you can be upright now."
Sure HOW!!! She casually instructed me like I had been bent over for 3 days, no, it was 3 weeks. The body got STUCK in this position for THREE weeks! I was still unable to drive to this appointment and needed someone to drive me.
I was also told to still keep my legs elevated with pillows. I needed to start finding a way to move AND to be IN NORMAL BODY POSITIONS so I removed the pillows to begin the process!
This level of pain turns you into a toddler, unable to do a lot. I stayed dressed for 3 weeks in the same outfit because of the level of pain. I could not take a shower either. I bought simple foods to put in the oven or microwave but UNABLE to bend nor reach to make a meal. I could only make a sandwich on my own for the 3 weeks. I ate on a plastic plate for 3 weeks.
At 3 weeks my other drain was removed so I took a shower for that; I had accidentally moved wrong then felt a great amount of pain. Afterwards, I had to sit for a whole hour because I was so worn out. I could not do anything afterwards!
The surgeon informed me healing is 8 weeks but I needed another note for work for another week. She said it actually takes 7 weeks. I was NOT walking upright so I don't know what world she was in!! I needed to return to work. I worked hard at trying to be somewhat upright so I could look normal! It hurt to try to walk upright to look normal. This process is really a 10-week healing process NOT 7! They obviously have not been thru this type of surgery themselves!!
I needed a pillow in the car seat to drive to work because I could NOT sit upright for another 5 weeks!! They kept mentioning walking in the house. Walking did NOT add to any part of the healing process. I walk all the time and still have stiff, hard, and numb abdomen at 35 weeks!
3 weeks=They tried to setup physical therapy but kept giving me a location that is 30 miles one way. I kept telling her I will NOT drive 30 miles, give me to the location that is closer to me. I learned this should have been set up 2 weeks ago instead of at 3 weeks. The idiots knew I NEEDED PT but didn't set it up 2 weeks ago!! It was too much going back & forth with phone calls and emails so I did it on my own. It been 35 weeks and still working to get rid of the stiff, numb, hard feeling. The stomach area feels like someone inserted a cutting board in the abdomen area.
They are ALWAYS in a rush to put us thru the next phase. I had just finished radiation so the surgeon was eager AND RUSHED to refer me to the surgeon that could do this type of surgery. I was filled with a great amount of lethargy and low stamina to go to all of the appointments as they wore me out. There is lotsa imaging that is blood work, x-ray, and other appointments needed! All of the pre-op tests were done but NO surgery appointment. She had been booked for weeks and weeks in advance!
Thank you...yes it is amazing!
Although your experience with breast cancer was 8 yrs ago I wanted to let you know that 8 yrs later you and your story are still a blessing. I was 29 when I was diagnosed earlier this year and found it challenging at times to cope with my new reality. There are not many young women let alone women of color that share their stories. So thank you. I hope that I can be a beacon of light to another young woman as you have been to me.
@@candaced1285 I am glad I helped you and when you are ready you will be.
@@candaced1285 I am the Executive Director of a FB group for your BC survivors called My Breast Friends Forever Young Survivors. We have a FB page, instagram so look up Stanlie LM on FB and send me request and msg. I can have you join the group.
Thank u for the honesty and words
My surgery is in September
And my psychology is just all messes up
I cry I barely laugh anymore
Left breast was removed in september 2018
And i had Chemotherapie and radiation
Melanie Gutierrez , I am 10 weeks post mastectomy/DIEP flap reconstruction. I was blessed with great surgeons and am doing well, back to normal activities. A little tight in the tummy muscles, but discomfort is manageable. I’m 64, elected the mastectomy over lumpectomy to avoid radiation and be able to have reconstruction immediately.
@@Cynthia2v That's okay it will get better. This is your journey and only you dictate how to go through it. Eight years cancer free and I still struggle, I still worry, I still deal with body image issues , and I still go on...you will too!
I have met women that went with the first option and two years later they are dealing with cancer in the same or other breast. Radiation did not seem as effective to me and I wanted my reonstruction to be immediate to minimize my emotional trauma. I would have had to wait for a while after the lumpectomy to have the reconstruction. I hope this helps.
Do you know best surgeons either in Houston or New Orleans?
thank you for sharing , i am currently 1 week out from my DIEP flap and having all kinds of being unsure am i making the right choice, what made you or others make this choice vs implants after a double masectomy ?
It didn't make sense to me bcuz, removing only the tumor and some tissue around it just seemed to leave to much of a risk of reoccurence. So, I did not want to worry about the Cancer coming back in the same breast, different breast or both. My fist doctor told me that it would not matter statistically either way, but the numbers didn't make sense. I wanted a way to regain some peace of mind and I knew I would worry everyday that the cancer was going to return.
Thanks for sharing. Is it true that both your breasts are now feeling no sensation after reconstruction? Thanks.
This is a wonderful question. During a mastectomy, nerves providing feeling to the breast are severed causing loss of sensation and numbness to the breast area. Patients undergoing mastectomy must understand they may lose all feeling to the area, regardless of whether they choose to have breast reconstruction or not. Over time, some sensation may return but unfortunately for many patients it is minimal, if any.
Mastectomy patients choosing to have breast reconstruction using their own tissue may be candidates for an additional procedure called a "microneurorrhaphy", performed at the same time as their flap breast reconstruction. This repairs the nerves cut by the mastectomy and significantly improves return of feeling to the reconstructed breast. Microneurorrhaphy is performed by joining two nerves using microsurgery and therefore requires specialized training. prma-enhance.com/breast-reconstruction/restore-feeling-after-mastectomy/
I'm in another state. Is it possible to come to you to have this done?
Yes it is! Reach out to us at prma-enhance.com our dedicated patient liaison will connect with you and go over details!