Diep Flap Breast Reonstruction and My New Amazing Belly Boob! - Vancouver, WA

I'm only 11 out from the surgery, but things are already stated to heal nicely. I can't wait to see how my breast will look after the tatooing in three or four months, and how much flatter and curvy my stomach is!

Sorry I did not get any pictures posted before my 7/18 surgery. It went just fine, and I just had my post-op with Dr. Champaneria. I will be able to have the areola tattooed in 3 months, and then I can close this chapter of my life. This surgery I got a nipple for the right belly-boob, and he did a bit more liposuction and filling in the right breast. We talked about reopening the incision line below my belly button - the spot that kept getting rubbed by clothing and would not heal. He said he could reopen it and close it again to try to get a thinner scar, but I was worried it would just be rubbed raw again, so opted to leave it as is. I hope that with time and lots of BioOil, it will lighten up. The right side of my stomach is sore (he did the most lipo on that side) and swollen, but that is really the worst of it. I am wearing my stomach binder, which really helps, and just started doing massage on the belly. In a couple of weeks, I plan on switching to a real corset to further train my new waistline. Used it a bit after the first lipo surgery, but now will really put it to good use. It is also great for making sure you don't overeat - there's no room for that! I've posted some pics, so you can see what Dr. Champaneria did in this last surgery.

On May 4, I had surgery to refine the left belly boob. The procedure just took a couple of hours, and after a little recovery time, I was able to go home to my own bed. Before the surgery, Dr. Champaneria and his assistant, Grace, came in to explain what would happen. They were going to liposuction my belly fat, and use some of it to refine the left belly boob. They would also lift the right breast so that it was up where the new breast was and use a little fat to fill it in some. Then Dr. Champaneria drew on me where he wanted to lipo, cut, lift, etc; this gave him a roadmap for the surgery and also ensured that everything would be centered on my body.

The recovery was not bad at all, but I did have bruising and soreness and took it easy for a good week. The compression wrap was my best friend, it helps to hold in the tender belly, so you don't feel the tenderness as much. I still wear it most days - especially towards the evening.

I also have had 5 massages on the areas that received liposuction or fat grafting and that has really helped the healing. The massuse explained that those areas tend to get bands of hard tissue, and the massages help to break that up and keep it soft. He said it is best to start the massages 7-10 days after the surgery - I was right at 10 days for my first one. Dr, Champaneria recommended the massuse and treatment, and it was very much worth the cost. I also have tried to do my own massages at home as much as possible.

I'll be goiing back in on July 18 for my left nipple construction and the Doctor will do some more lipo and fat-grafting just to refine everything a bit more. I love that Dr. Chapaneria strives for perfection, and I love that he has given me this great new body! I have never had much of a waist, so this new figure is just amazing. He said he was going to give me an hour-glass figure and he did. I love this wonderful, brilliant, Doctor!

I have lost almost 20 pounds since the breast cancer, and inches off of my waist - most all of it due to this last surgery. I am in a smaller size pant, which is amazing. Some of the pictures I am uploading are from a couple of weeks ago, and I will take more and upload them right before the July 18 surgery.

I am so thrilled that I have me back almost to what I was before the breast cancer - and in many ways, even better. I am so thankful to Dr. Champaneria and his wonderful staff for the new bnody and life they have given me!