grafiti4u

SOLD!  I am getting some Bio-Oil tomorrow.  I never heard of it before - thanks so much!!!

 Kristi

Hi Ladies,

I have had this wound vac on since last Friday (6 days now).  Every day it was draining consistently.  Yesterday I got my dressing changed for the second time.  Then last night, I noticed it wasn't draining like it was.  There was fluid in the tube, but it wasn't moving.  i called the wound vac people and they said that was normal, as the fluid has decreased considerably.  So I guess that is normal and a good thing.

Then 3 times in the middle of the night, I woke up with the worse pain coming from the boob that was attached to the vac.  It was like a super intensly sharp pain that was strong enough to make me  yell, Ow, Ow, Ow, and and as soon as I said my last 'Ow', it subsided and was gone. What the hell was that?  Could it have been a muscle spasm?  I know they are putting the sponge behind the muscle in order to keep the pocket space maintained. I am also drinking throughout the day, but I slowed down yesterday and didn't drink as much water as usual.  Could my vac be sucking me dry causing the pain? 

This will be over in a few days, just want to be sure I am doing things right so I don't have to repeat this process.  Thanks for any insight!

Kristi

Hi ladies,

This past Friday I went in to have an expander taken out since it was developing an infection that medication wouldn't cure.  Primarily the reason was because I kept filling up with fluid, 80cc's a day and she had to keep removing it.  After the 4th day she decided I should do the wound vac to pump out the fluid while the antibiotics work.  This has to be the weirdest thing ever!  I read previous posts that a number of you have had this done.  My PS said she will replace my expander in 10 days, and tomorrow I go in for the first dressing change (have to do it every 2-3 days).

Is this dressing change terribly painful?  From what I understand there is a large sponge in my open chest wound and the sponge has to be pulled out and replaced with a new one.  I am freaked out by this - I would be interested to hear your experiences - especially those that had positive experiences with the wound vac. 

Thanks!

Kristi

You guys are all so wonderful!  Like Kathy_K said, 'it's fun to think about different tattoos!'  And like I told Hanaki, it's keeping my mind off of the uncomfortableness of these damn expanders!  I have a few months to think about what i want tattooed - so I am so glad i posted this question! I have to tell my friend about getting nipple rings tattooed on - maybe she can add those to her tattooed nipples!!  Too funny!

(it's good to laugh through all this - thanks for that!)

Kristi

Gracejon, that is funny about the lungs!  My friend who has healthy boobs, (but they are sagging 'c's with the nipples pointing south) said she thought it would be fun to have new nipples tattooed on in the position where her nipples used to be! She's a bit goofey.

I don't have any interests that i could use . . . but I you got me thinking!

Thanks so much for your comments! 

To follow up, I went in to see the PS yesterday and she said it looked like a hemotoma and took out 80 cc's of fluid.  Felt much better but she put me on a second antibotic and wanted to see me today.  Today I again went in, and again she removed another 80cc's of fluid!  She wants to see me tomorrow, and told me there is a possiblity of having to remove the expander - I think she will make that call tomorrow.  She mentioned something about a 'sponge' they put in there that keeps the space maintained that has been created so far.  She said I would come in to the 'wound care' place every 2 days to get a dressing drained/changed.  She felt I would only have to do this for a week and then she could put in the new expander.  Has anyone ever had this 'sponge' thing to clear up an infection? 

I hate the idea of doing all this, but it definatly sounds like I am not alone! It also sounds like it won't set me back a terribly long time, just a few weeks. 

You guys are great!
Kristi 

You ladies are awesome!!  It helps so much to have someone to relate too during this.  Last night I started running a fever of 100 to 102 thought maybe it was the flu.  This morning I see my right breast, the one that was always more uncomfortable, was blotchy pink.  GREAT!!  I called my PS and she put me on an antibiotic immediately and I am going in to see her tomorrow.  She told me if it doesn't clear up, they maybe have to start over, meaning she will take out the expander to clear up the infection.

Do any of you ladies have experience with this?  I am wondering how soon I would have to get it removed, if something goes in there in its place to keep the skin expanded, how long I have to wait to have an new expander put back in . . . I suppose I am jumping the gun, but my breast is redder tonight than it was this morning.  I was really hoping to hang in there to get this part over with, so I dread the thought of having it prolonged now. 

And I have to agree with you all about the cold and hot compresses, if anything, I will use a warm or cold washcloth, but not ice or heat.   Thanks for all the responses, I really appreciate it. 

Kristi

Hi ladies!

I had my first mastectomy in February 08 (I am 50 years old).  Went through chemo until June 08 before looking into reconstruction.  When i did, I decided to have the other breast removed on my own, then have both breasts reconstructed.  I had my second mastectomy and the expanders placed in both breasts during the same surgery, on September 8th (3 weeks ago tomorrow). 

My left breast, the one I had the mastectomy done on back in February is feeling pretty good, not many complaints.  But my right breast is causing me discomfort.  I have sternum pain on that side and when I bend over or get up from bed or a chair, I can feel it slosh around or sort of move or adjust.  Not sure exactly how to describe it.  And I get sharp pain along the incisions occasionally.  That side always feels bruised.  I also see that side has more swelling under the arm, but my PS said it was fine.  Because of the uncomfortableness, i haven't slept a full night since my expander surgery and my most comfortable position is very propped up.  I can't lay flat or on my sides.  I get up every few hours trying to get comfortable, sometimes staying up for hours before I can get back to sleep.  My PS perscribed Ambien for me and i take Vicoden for the pain but I have yet to have a full night of sleep without interuption. Is it normal to still be taking all this medicine after 3 weeks?   I am getting so tired of being uncomfortable!  Chemo was a breeze compared to this!  

At surgery, she didn't put any fluid in the expanders since she said I didn't have that much skin to work with.  One week later I got 60 cc's on each side, last week I again got 60 cc's on each side.  I go in tomorrow for my 3rd fill.  I will only be going for a nice B cup, but I am not sure how many total CC's that would be.

I guess I would be fine knowing this is normal - I am not a complainer and I will accept it as long as i know its normal.  But occasionally I hear some women talking about having problems and having to go back in for more surgery to correct things.  What exactly are things to look for, that would point at a serious problem going on?  Being that I have never had a foreign object implanted in my body, I worry that maybe my body doesn't like the cadaver tissue my PS put in there to build a 'shelf' . . .  Or i worry the bag ruptured, or that is moving into the wrong position . . . or that I have an infection . . . no wonder I can't sleep!  

Also . . . is it OK to apply ice packs or heat to the breasts with these expanders in?  

Thanks for any insight to ease my mind!  It's comforting to know i am not alone!!

Kristi