A sleeping top tip for anyone about to have a DIEP flap reconstruction as I am now 3.5 weeks post op. Even now, I have trouble sleeping flat, even with my knees bent - because of the tightness of the skin above my abdominal scar and across my chest where my new boob has swollen - still feels like I have a watermelon strapped on my front! A friend loaned me an orthopaedic wedge pillow she'd had for breast feeding and it was a life saver - I still needed to add a couple of normal pillows to get me in a comfortable position but I could sleep! I had read about someone who had slept in a recliner chair that she'd hired for a few weeks post op - I couldn't find anywhere locally to hire one but I happened to have a fairly cheap recliner deck chair that keeps your legs in the same position as it tips back and that has been fantastic for daytime naps indoors and out!
Pre-op my surgeon told me to just get 'firm control' pants for afterwards but then immediately post op the nurse said I needed an abdominal binder. The pants were very uncomfortable as you get bruising at the top of your legs so have been wearing normal M&S big pants and the binder (£8 from Amazon - actually a post partum one) day and night ever since. I still find the firm pants aren't giving me enough support - I am back to doing a couple of 20 min walks each day and light duties in the kitchen and feel I might not be doing so well were it not for the binder.
