Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sunday, November 29, 2009

I had two doctor appts last week to see if I could find out why my lower abdomen looks like I'm 3 months pregnant. From what I can tell, it's probably due to my last Lupron shot on November 10. Within 4-5 days, my lower abdomen was noticeably distended. Before that, my stomach was flat as a board. I saw my PS last week to see if it could be the result of my surgery. He says no. My abdominal muscles are very strong and he does not believe this new symptom has anything to do with the DIEP. Wearing my abdominal binder doesn't seem to help at all.

Had a consult with a gyn to discuss ovary removal. She did an exam plus ultrasound but everything is normal and she didn't see any reason for the abdominal swelling. She will coordinate with Dr. S so she can do ovary removal during my Stage 2 revision surgery. I'm shooting for a late January surgery date.

I found several references to abdominal swelling as a side effect of Lupron. I'll check with my oncologist this week to see if she has experience with this side effect. It was a 3-month shot, so this swelling may last that long. It's not painful, just very annoying and tight feeling. I hope to gt some answers this week.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Had a 6 month checkup with breast surgeon. This was the first time she had seen me post-DIEP. She thought everything looked very good. She wants to see me every 6 months until I reach the 2 year point, then once a year after that until I reach 5 years.

Dr. S says I can start weaning myself from the abdominal support over the next 2 weeks. He also promises that the abdominal tightness will relax as I become more active. When I think back to how it felt right after surgery when it seemed hard to take a deep breath, I realize that it has already loosened up quite abit. It's strange, but some days it's quite uncomfortable and tight, then other days it feels alot looser. I can't seem to find any reason for it. It doesn't seem to be related to how much I move around each day. I can definitely say that I'm looking forward to the day when it's not even noticeable. It makes me feel kind of claustrophobic at times.