Topic: Upcoming Bi Mx with Immediate TE, Then Saline Fills

Adnerb, I can't really respond to your questions as I didn't have reconstruction, but be patient. Someone will come along who will be able to respond to you.   I think boards like this one have an ebb and flow; who knows why posts get noticed or don't get noticed.

Hi Brenda,

So sorry to hear of your recurrence of this damn cancer!

My bilateral mx was over two years ago and I just had TE's placed a few weeks ago, so obviously I don't know what it's like to have them done at the same time.  However, there was no preparation required for either surgery.  The one thing I did on my own was to try and eat healthy both before and after my surgeries as I believe that helps in recovery.

I'm happy to say that neither surgery was excessively painful and I did take pain pills but only for the first two days.

The TE's don't hurt at all but it is an odd feeling to have them in my chest!  I don't know how else to describe it.  I've had two fills thusfar and both went well and no pain with either!

I also had recurrences and I'm still here.  Keep the faith!

Wishing you a successful surgery and speedy recovery.  Please come back and let us know how you are.

Hugs,

Jelly

lisa-e, thanks for reminding me to be patient.  You were right about the ebb and flow.

Tammy, very interesting bit of info. about the lifting.  I just saw on the national news that lifting might be good for lymphedema as well (contrary to popular belief).

Jelly, eating right always helps, doesn't it?

You all helped me in some way.  I am grateful for that! 

Hi Brenda,

Thank you for starting this post.  I to am having TE surgery on September 9^th and was concerned about the preparation etc.,  My PS is such an informative and personable man, I brought my 2 closest friends with me for those extra ears in case I missed something.  He was patient and kind and answered all our questions.  I will be having MX on my left breast with immediate reconstruction and also a breast lift on the right side for symmetry.  I was worried about pain with the expanders as I was looking at older threads and it concerned me about the pain the women reported.  My doctor assured me that he only had one patient complain about this procedure and he ended up doing a ‘DIEP flap' surgery at her insistence.   I told him I've been going to the gym and doing a lot of upper body training, he felt that was a great idea and will help me post-op.

He had also mentioned a new product that is already FDA approved in the states but waiting for approval here in Canada.  I'm sorry I cannot remember the name but is it some type of skin tissue used along with your own skin at the time of reconstruction.  He was very excited to tell me about it and said that the benefit to using this will be the whole procedure can be done in one surgery and healing time is quite good.  I will come out completely done apparently.  I told him I will continue to pray this happens and he said he will as well. 

My PS also said I can come home the same day, here in Ontario they set up nursing services at home.  I will have drains but he said I can drain them myself if I wanted to rather than have home nursing, he described what was involved and it takes 2 minutes.  He also said I can go into the shower with the drains in; he also estimated that the healing time, drains, etc. is different for everyone but the status quo is usually around 2 - 3 weeks.  He had a step by step brochure that we all (my posy of girl friends) went through page by page.  It was so very helpful... On the day of surgery he said he will come sit with me and go over everything again just to put me at ease.

This is getting too long, sorry about that... I will be thinking of you and wish you well.

Thanks to your post I will be buying kle's suggested reading ""The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan" and agree with jelly's healthy eating remarks and I have been diligent about that to.

So thank you ladies for your tips.  Thank goodness for this site

God's Blessings, Dana

Brenda, I didn't see your post yesterday. I didn't have much problems or pain after my bilat with expander surgery in 07. I do the Hatha style yoga (restorative) that involves a lot of stretching and that may have helped with my expansion process. the yoga classes are offered through the local hospital for breast cancer patients.  My surgeon also used the product called 'AlloDerm' which is the skin tissue that they use to help create the pocket for the implant and the muscle isn't stretched as far during the inital surgery.

Athena, after my surgery when the incisions healed I started rubbing the area with cocoa butter lotion. That helped me to soften the scar tissue. Others have also mentioned using 'Bio Oil' on their scars. You might want to ask your ps about massaging with lotion or oils.

Sheila

Sorry you are going through this again. I had a BI MX  with TEs on June 2. I was given a booklet from the Amercian Cancer Society, "Exercises after Breast Surgery." I'm sure they would be good to do before surgery. I wish I  had thought about it.

After the surgery my PS told me to massage my breasts as much as I could stand it. The tissue was hard as bricks at first. About 6 weeks after surgery,things started softening up. I also did the exercises several times a day. As soon as she cleared me for swimimg, I did a lot of exercises in the pool. This really helped to loosen things up.

Some days are worse than others. They do feel like bricks in my chest with a underwire bra poking me, but that feeling comes and goes. I get relief with stretching and exercises.

Reconstrucion is scheduled for Oct. 9. I'll be glad to get rid of the TEs. I have equated them with wearing braces. They are uncomfortable for awhile, but I can put up with it for the pay off.

Good luck. Hope all goes well.

Adnerb,

I had a bilateral mx with expanders on May 22nd. No real complaints except for the drains and not having full function of my upper body. It did feel better each day. My PS had inserted a pain pump at the time of surgery that was in for five days. I think that helped with my recovery. I didn't need to take as many pain killers. I only took them when I wanted to sleep! I really didn't do any preparation before the surgery and it all went well. With the expanders it does feel like you have an iron bra on. You get used to it. I was able to be filled pretty much at the time of surgery and was told I would need 1-2 more fills, I have had my first fill and it wasn't bad. I did feel sore the next morning when trying to get out bed but after that I was OK. I have my 2nd fill next week and hope it goes as well.

Good luck to you. You've come to the right place for information. These ladies have been a godsend for me. I don't post that much but do read a lot.

don23:  A pain pump, what a great idea..  I learn something new all the time!  One of my friends said her PS injected Botox into her chest muscles before surgery.  She thinks this may have helped her have an easier recovery from expander surgery.

 Sheila:  I am happy to hear that you are doing so well after your AlloDerm implant.

I just learned from my medical oncologist that I need chemo again, for sure.  Right now my cancer is Stage 2.  It could change if they find lymph node involvement during/after the surgery.  He also told me that I have a local recurrence, not a new primary, even if path report shows a very slightly different hormone status. I'm just blabbering, please excuse me.  This is hard.

I had my double mastectomy in Feb, and just had my implants put in 6 weeks ago.  The whole experience is difficult, I had quite a bit of pain.  I was back to work after the mastectomy on post op day 19. The  tissue expander fills were rough, I found that getting into a bathtub right after the fills helped me quite a bit.  I do not think there are pre mastectomy exercise that help.  I read other womens' stories, and do not know some folks have so little pain.  I did not take narcotics after the first 10 days post mastectomy.  I think you are better to expect it to be significant pain, then if it isn't fthat bad for you, you are pleasently surprised.  You are doing the right thing, you have to save your life.  This whole cancer deal just stinks.  Best wishes and take it easy on yourself.

Should you experience pain from fills and you work  try to schedule your fills for a Friday so you can take it easy over the weekend.  I learned that the hard way!

 Regarding scars:

My plastic surgeon also recommended 'Mederma' and I was very pleased with the results.  It is a bit pricey but worth every penny.

'PreferOn'  is also good, especially for older scars.  Remember it takes quite a while for scars to heal but these products do a lot to help them heal aesthetically and well.  Use them faithfully & as directed.

Adnerb, I am also sending you a pm

Hi everyone!  I had my bilateral mx with te placement on june 30.  I fell asleep with breasts and woke up with breasts (or at least the start of breasts) which was great mentally.  I stayed in the hospital for two nights and never took all of the morphine and valium that they offered for the pain and muscle spasms but I also did not hesitate to tell them when I needed it, and believe me you will know when you need it! One nurse gave me great advice after I turned it down a few times and said do not wait until you need the meds because the pain can get intense and it takes a while to get it under control so head it off.  I was up and about the next week and by three weeks out I was driving again.  The drains are a complete pain and it gets so much better when they are removed.  I had two taken out the week after and then the other two the week after that.  I had terrible pain after my first expansion because I let the PS put too much saline in and have learned that slow and steady wins the expansion race.  Some women on here have posted that they slept in a recliner chair for a few weeks after the surgery because you definitely can not sleep flat but I got a dorm pillow (I think they are called) from Target and that allowed me to sleep in my own bed with my husband but still elevate my top half. I am sorry that you are going through this again but if it is any consolation I was shocked at how easy it was to get through the surgery and recovery.  They really have it down to a science.  My PS used alloderm but not so that the reconstruction could be completed in one day so that may be a different type but my insurance company did not have an issue with him using it.  I did chemo first so I was not going through recon during chemo and that may have been why I did better.   I know that recon when you feel yucky from chemo is hard and many women have posted on here about that.  It  is not a surgery that we would ever have chosen without BC but it life saving and all in all was not that bad.  Stay strong and be gentle with your body as it recovers.  My PS did not have me do any exercises before or after surgery but wanted me to shower and walk the hospital halls the next day.  A month later  he cleared me to do physical activity without restriction so unless you feel really great after give it time before you do anything other than gentle stretching and don't beat yourself up if even that seems hard at first.  Good luck and I know you will do great. 

Brenda, I used plenty of pillows in the bed to prop me up after my surgery. I think I used 2 or 3 under my head/back area and one under each arm. My hubby refered to it as the 'ill or dying queen' sleeping position (old movies with the ill queen/king propped up in bed while others ministered to them). I didn't have room for a recliner at my house. During the day, I slept in a chair in my living room that is oversized with pillows placed around me and the ottoman to prop my feet up. I would watch DVD's and find myself sleeping through most of them. Upon waking up I would use the scene feature and find what I last remembered watching and start from there. I think it took me 2 days to watch Chronicles of Narnia. My ps also used the slow and steady time frame for my fills, one time he put in 100cc, he was going on vacation the next week, and I was still feeling the effects (sore muscle) from it for 10 days.
Sheila

Sheila and Halls:  I have a list and I am adding your suggestions.  Thank you, ladies!