Tramflap gone awry....

It seems my tramflap surgery of 6 yrs. ago definitely needs a bigtime repair.  In desperation on Thursday at 2 in the afternoon, DH drove me to the emergency room.  The pain was awful, awful, awful; I couldn't even stand up straight. 

Once I got settled in there before they did any tests they gave me a morphine/phenergan cocktail.  Yikes, did that have an effect.  I have vague memories of blood tests, x-rays and rolling into the CT machine, but mostly my eyes wouldn't focus and it seemed like everyone was speaking very loudly.

I was there until midnight; poor DH was there too.  When I went home they gave me a scrip for hydrocodone.  I don't know how anyone functions on that stuff.  One pill yesterday and I was unconscious for the whole day.  BUT and this is impt. it does take away the pain.  But it's not in my plans to sleep through Thanksgiving week, so I'm going to try to do this with Advil and 1/2 of a hydrocodone if the advil doesn't work.

My appt. with the plastic surgeon is moved to Dec. 2.  I guess this doesn't qualify as an emergency.  In the meantime, congratulate me, my friends.  Before we moved from NY in 2004 I actually collected from the hospitals all of the surgical/physician notes on every single surgery I've had since DX.  Yesterday in the morning BEFORE I took the hydrcodone, I got out the ones for the original tramflap and the one following it for the nipple reconstruction (that's the one where my heart damage first showed up).  I stapled the NY PS's card to the folder, so this new one will have a place to start. 

I'm a little disgusted but pretty thankful once again that there is something to be done for this new wrinkle.   Ah, BC, the gift that keeps on giving!!!

More later, Luci

Luci,

 

I'm so sorry to hear this.  It also scares me, because I'm about to go through with this same procedure.  What exactly is going on with it, do you know yet?  Did you have the mesh thing?  Hydrocodone was a life saver to me after the surgeries last year.  It doesn't put me to sleep, though.  I had to get extra strenght, too.  Good luck and keep us posted.

Luci: I am so sorry to hear that you are having problems. I hope that you aren't doing all of the cooking for Thanksgiving. Just sit back and let the rest of the family/friends do the work.

The Hydrocodone doesn't put me to sleep. I take it when the pain gets really bad. The one side effect that it has for me is it makes me hungry. You can hear my stomach start growling w/in an hr after taking it. I asked my onco about this and she started laughing. No one else that I know of has had this problem. Please be sure and eat something before you take it. Also, you can take 1/2 and then an hr later or so take the other 1/2. Maybe it won't make you so sleepy. I wonder if the meds where still in your system from the ER and the comb knocked you out.

Gentle hugs and prayers....Deb

Luci, I am so sorry to hear about your tram flap. I can totally relate. Mind deconstructed after just 3 years. First it started with like a stitch in my lower left side then it kept getting worse until I couldn't stand it anymore. So I made an appointment with my dr. and come to find out the mess that they put in after the surgery to hold everything in, broke loose from the clips and the stitches and was rolling in toward the middle. Well before they could get me in for surgery the upper right side gave way and that one put me in the hospital even sooner. I ended up having the entire mess removed, all the tissue and muscle under it had to be sewn together to hold and a whole new tummy tuck from it. Now I can no longer lift anything over 5 pounds and four months later I am still very sore, and swollen. But my tummy looks great again. After this surgury my doctor said absolutely no more surgery unless it is to save my life. This last surgery was another 10 hours and now I have heart and thyroid problems from all the surgeries and being under for long hours over the past 3 years for the BC. This last surgery put my thyroid off the charts. It is hyperactive and I am under going tests for Graves. Just another gift.
Hope you have a happy thanksgiving.
Hugs and prayers
Vickie

Wow Miss Luci.  Sorry to hear of your "new wrinkle".  As usual you seem to have everything planned out and under control.  I'd like to be half as organized as you are.  When you hold a class on that please sign me up.  Till then I'll be sending out prayers for less pain and I'll be packing my fleece for the trip on the PCE December 2.

Love and Hugs, Libby

Oh Luci, what a terrible turn of events...I am sorry you have to go through all this nonsense....Hopefully they will get you stitched up and put back together with ease and you'll be comfortable in no time flat. In the mean time, I hope you can enjoy the turkey this week...

L&H,
Lori

Hi Luci, I am so sorry about your pain and problems. Seems it is always something, doesn't it. I take hydrocodone for fibro pain and can't take at night because it keeps me awake! I certainly hope this doesn't turn into a long standing problem.

I had a coronary calcium scan, which was clean, YEAH, but scan showed patchy infiltrate in lung behind heart. Of course we panicked and thought the worst. Turns out the infiltrate is scarrring from radiation. You are so right>>>BC the gift that keeps on giving!

Take it east this weekend and let others do the work!

Hugs, Marge

Hi Luci,

I just read your post. How are you doing now? Hugs, Di

Hi Luci. I am so sorry to hear of your tram flap troubles. It pains me whenever I read of stories like these. I try to let as many women as possible know that there is a newer reconstruction available called diep. It doesn't use any of the tummy muscle, has less pain and quicker recovery. For all of you thinking about having flap surgery. Please include diep in your researches for reconstruction. It is a refined/improved version of the free tram. It is no longer necessary to have your tummy muscle removed. Best to you.