Meagan

I had a tough day when my bandages came off from my bilat mast. I thought I wouldn't care but I really hit rock bottom and finally realized what had happened to me. But after a week I was able to see it, wash, move, and now 2 months post-op I could care less. I have tissue expanders that are filling every week or so, so it looks like I have breasts again. The scars don't even bother me.

I have 4 treatments of AC. One down so far, it was brutal the first week but then i felt good so I will work during the rest. How long are you taking off? All my MD's told me 6 to 8 weeks for recovery. I will have the exchange surgery down the line which is just 2 weeks.

Hello, Anyone else have this problem and does it even matter: my right tissue expander is higher on my chest and closer to my armpit than my left one, and each time I get a fill the right side is much more painful and never looks as big as the left. I know it is a work-in-progress but has anyone had weird looking expanders but then good results after the exchange? I am nervous they were placed wrong. Thanks!
Meagan

That is awful! I am sure it will all work out and heal okay but mis-communication is the worst. I decided on bilateral mastectomy and 2 days before my surgery it was still booked as a unilateral. They said the same thing to me that the OR wasn't booked for enough time for two, but they were able to get more time. If I had came in the day of and it was wrong I don't know what I would do. It just goes to show how on top of things the patient has to be. I thought when I got cancer that there would be health professionals taking care of me as a whole but you learn that each doc only cares about their part, the onc, the ps, the breast surgeon. There isn't one health manager that will oversee everything. You have to be that manager, but what new cancer patient has the time or the clear head to do all that!! I am a nurse and am learning how incredibly flawed the health care system is. If you aren't your own advocate then there is no one. Sorry to rant, but somedays I feel like I have a full-time job just calling doctors offices trying to keep my records, my appointments, my healing all staright!
Good luck!
Meagan

I am 32 years old and my husband and I are starting IVF berie I start chemo in 2 weeks. I, too, am supposed to do Tamoxifen for 5 years. I feel I won't be able to wait, but I am going to try my best to wait the full 5 so I can have a better chance of being around when I do finally have children. I have heard that women go off after 2 years as well...... Just take one year (or day) at a time!!

Has anyone used creams to help minimize scars and if so when did you start applying them post-op? Thanks!

I am 2 weeks post-op bilateral mastectomy with expanders and the sleeping part is the worst. I am a stomach sleeper so this is torture. I sleep with many pillows propped up all around me, and there is barely room for my husband so we went out yesterday and bought a king-size bed. The first week I made sure I took a perc before bed so I could sleep through the night, but now I wake up and am tortured by the decision on whether to get up to use the bathroom or save the effort and suffer! This is torture!!

I am 32 yo and now 2 1/2 weeks post-op from bilateral mastectomy and tissue expanders. What a rollercoaster I have been through! The pain wasn't bad just the charly horse feeling around my chest and the aching muscles and the sleeping on my back! But, ROM exercises have helped. I was out to the movies after a week and a half. I had a tough time the day after my bandages were removed. I finally had to be face-to-face with what was happening to me and I just collapsed. But now I can look at my chest and not even care. I was a B cup and now look like a teenage boy but it's not so bad. I am expanding every week now, which is uncomfortable but not awful. Good luck with your surgery and just know everyone is different so take care of yourself and take your time healing.