One step implant procedure with Alloderm - Anyone?
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good to hear that the surgery went well - you're on the home stretch! Take care, Jocelyne
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So glad the surgery went well!
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Glad all went ok. Be well.
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Lmimp64, how are you doing? Did you get the implant(s) out?
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Not yet. Can't do anything until a few weeks after chemo ends. That's knocked me back a bit. Going for one more opinion about what to do next week. Going to Johns Hopkins. Seen four docs here and all have different recommendations. Will see. I have noticed that if I "lift" the implants a tiny amount, the pinching underwire feeling goes away. No idea what that means.
Hope you are well. When is your revision surgery?0 -
In late May. I go in for measurements on the 6th. My scar has been bothering me lately and I worry about cutting into it a 3rd time, kinda scary. It sounds like you're not sure yet what route you're going to take? What about flaps? But maybe they could just reposition the implants and create a better pocket for more support? Did you say you had CC? I'm so sorry. Do any of the options appeal to you?
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Not sure yet. All drs have different ideas. Argh. Hoping JH will agree with one of them. Will see.
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Hi. My doctor's office called. My results from tissues removed were fine. Happy about that. I finally got a shower. I feel better after that.
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That's great.
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Hi, my foobs are feeling better. The oophoectomy has my right side aching. I use a warm compress on it. The incision hurts and the internal area does too.i will see my doctor tomorrow. I have been sitting and sleeping in my recliner. I tested my sofa while David was here. So tonight I may graduate to sleeping on the sofa.
Today is the five year anniversary of my husband's passing. I still miss him. He had lung cancer. Anyway...have a good day.0 -
I had my mast with one step reconstruction on April 2. I've just realized that most of my continuous pain I near where the drains were placed. The tops if my breasts fel numb and okay.
If .you have had this problem could you tell me when that part is over? Did the pain ( not uncompforftable but in pain) subside after the drains were reviewed?
Thanks, Peggy0 -
Peggy...I had my bilateral mastectomcy one step implant procedure with alloderm on March 4th so I am about one month ahead of you - almost 5 weeks since surgery. The burning pain in the drain area did not go away for me when they pulled the drains (even though it did "feel" alot better when those drains were out!) and it was the worst part of the recovery for me...but...it has finally almost completely subsided in the last week. It felt like a "hot poker" running into my side and arm pit where the drains ran. I kept taking Tylenol and used mild moist heat to calm the area, also a support sports bra seemed to help keep the tissueand muscles from being pulled when I moved and that seemed to help. PS said it was the nerves that were disturbed by the surgery and it would "probably" go away in a 4 - 6 weeks - seems he was right because it is going/almost gone this week. Good luck...hope your drains are out soon...(((Healing Hugs))) Maureen
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Maureen
Thanks for the time it took to write and for giving me what to expect. I thought that when the drains were removed I would be out of pain in those areas. Now I know better...thank you!
Peggy0 -
Peggy,
I had pain in drain area for a bit as well as internal bra area. My ps said it will be that way until my body grows into the dermal matrix. I am 2 months out since Tuesday and feel better. I found that it gets a bit better weekly. It just takes time.0 -
Yes, I agree with everyone else. Those pesky drain holes take a while to settle down. Mine are still tender if I message the scars, but it does get better and better over time.
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I always tell people......the third week after surgery was a turning point, as was the sixth week as far as relief of pain. My main complaint was the burning in my chest. Yes, it was painful, but I felt like a sat my breasts on a hot barbeque for the first month! The only thing that brought me relief was putting gushy ice packs on my breasts. My PS told me NOT to do that, but I just couldn't sleep at night unless I had a cold/cool compress on my chest!
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Wild,
Sometimes we have to do whatever it takes to get through the night. I have a hot pack on my right lower abdominal incision. It kinda calms it down. I just got out of the shower. I see my gynecologist later.0 -
PeggySull
hi, I had 4 drains from bilateral ms and I found that where the drains were removed drove me crazy for months. It just simply hurt where they were. Over time the pain subsided and now I am pain free in that area. I also had alot of numbness as well and some of that subsided also and some has remained. I hope that helps. At 3 weeks I told my surgeon I could go back to work and he said take one more week and then I did go back to work. Hind side- I wish I would of taken more time off just to get my life back together but oh well.
Good luck and hang in there.
CR
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Hi Ladies,
How are you all doing? I hope all is well. I am doing better. I am still recovering from all the surgery. I had a good weekend. Just taking one Dilaudid at night. ANd I use napraxen or tylonol during the day. I am almost 11 weeks out from the BMX and one step and 12 days out from the Oooph. And my breasts don't bother me much, It's hard finding comfy bras. I am Finding Bali has the best ones for me. I like the wirefree stretchy bras. THe microfiber ones I got today are great -no seams. It pulls on and has soft lace on the bottom.
I finally am starting to feel more like myself. I feel like I can breathe now. I am ready to celebrate that chemo and major surgeries are done. I really dreaded them and chemo. I am blessed not to need radiation too. Have a good night.
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Mareluna - glad you are through the worst. I feel much better too. Been walking a lot. I like the soft stretchy bras, but they're hard to find. I'll check out the Bali.
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Hi,
I started back to work Thursday. I am subbing at the day care I used to work at. I am subbing until they get a spot. I just happened to call on Monday to say hi and keep me in mind. Wed. they called me. Felt good to go back, like I never left. I left last May to do all my treatments. I feel like I am closer to my normal self and getting my life back.
I am doing well. Just hard to get used to my bocce balls moving around. LOL I hate the way that feels. I guess I will get used to it? LOL
Have a great Sunday.
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Hi, I had my direct to implant surgery immediately after double mastectomy on April 2 and my PS is very pleased with the results . She tells me that it will be three months from surgery date that we will really see the final outcome. This is good because at this point they look really wired to me.
For anyone planning to have reconstruction, my advice is to grill both your BS and MO about any remote possibility that you may need radiation after surgery. I went by the BS's statement at my first post biopsy visit who ruled out radiation in my treatment and the MO who next never mentioned the word "radiation" from the first appointment through the four months of pre adjuvant chemo. Now at this late date with the implants healing nicely myBS wants me to have a radiation consult because I was not NED on post surgery path report, although all my tumors shrunk quite a bit and the 4 sentinel lymph notes were NED.
I meet with my MO in about 10 days and am going to get 3 rad consults before I make any decisions despite the aggressive nature of triple negative BC. I need time to recoup physically (mostly from the chemo) and emotionally. I had severe SEs during chemo and I'm amazed that at 61 I've bounced back pretty quickly from the surgery. I'm pretty angry (to put it mildly) that these two "top oncologists" in my geographic area never consulted with one another (as far as I can now tell) and never mentioned the possibility of rads.
BTW, on a more positive note, because I wanted to be quite a bit smaller after reconstruction my BS was able to do the direct to implant very easily. I've already embarked on an exercise program, adding cardio (and later weights) to my yoga routine. Oh, one other thing, I've done the most gentle yoga DVD for years and I was amazed at how easy getting back my range of motion in my arms was. I wish I had done more squats between chemo and surgery because it's taken much longer to get out of any seat without using my arms but I'm able to do that now.
Thanks for listening,
Peggy0 -
Peggy,
I am glad your surgery went well. I am sorry pathology was not all clear. I am triple negative too. Lucky mine turned out ok. I will be thinking of you and praying.
Rose
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Thanks, Rose, for hearing men out and praying. I'm constantly amazed at the amount of support people on these forums give one another, even in the midst of their own BC troubles, other issues, and what I call the laundry of life for women.
Peggy0 -
Peggy,
Honestly I had some weird mammogram two years ago that showed something. The hospital sent me a letter that it was normal. And the next year I had something abnormal which was cancer. I only found out because I picked up a cd of my mammos to take somewhere to have a breast mri. And the hospital accidently put other peoples on mine too. Thus they contacted me and sent me a new cd and reports. Or I would have never been the wiser. They got the original cd back from the place I went to.
I was lucky that I had a great surgeon who got clear margins during lumpectomy. I was told by oncologists i needed to do chemo, radiation, and BMX, and salipingo oophendectomy. But when I opted to do BMX I did not need rads as my pathology came back clear. PS will not do direct to implant on radiated breasts usually. I was not going to do bmx at first but I ended up being BRCA1.
Life is crazy indeed. I wish you well.
Rose
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Rose, life is indeed crazy! A month out of DD chemo, surg, and recon, I feel liKe I have, at times, returned to planet earth having been abducted by BC. I do get abducted frequently still, but I re-enter earth more quickly.
Peggy0 -
I went to PS yesterday and she said I had "delayed healing" in one of my breasts. She stitched an area up to "speed healing." This was done in her office (One of the good things about loss of sensation was that I didn't feel the local anesthetic or the stitching.)
Has anyone ales had this experience? If so, what happened afterN.
Peggy0 -
Peggy,
How are you doing now? I hope better. I will see PS on Thursday morning. I have been fighting a nasty bug. I am on Z pac, steroid nasal spray and codeine cough syrup. I missed yesterday and today at work. I feel bad about it but I was a mess.
Rose
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Mareluna,
That breast (slow healing) is doing better but some problem now with other breast (a little seeping mustard color). I see PS on Thurs.
Right now I'm still waiting to hear if I need rads, which recently was brought up to me by my BS after not a word about it from any dc. Kinda late for him to bring it up.
Sorry about your bug. Hope you feel better soon.
Peggy0 -
Peggy,
I hope it's nothing serious. I hope you won't need radiation. I will be praying for you. I am feeling better just a little intoxicated from the cough medicine. Headed to bed now. Take care, please update us.
Rose
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