One step implant procedure with Alloderm - Anyone?
Comments
-
Thank you Okie:
I had the best New Year's Eve ever and it is going to be a freaking awesome year, bumps and all.
This will be there year I give myself a break and treat myself with all the love and acceptance I treat everyone else with. I will stop judging and beating myself up. I will stop trying to meet the expectations of others and will not strive to be perfect, only to be the perfect me, even if that is with one boobie for a while. (no I am not drunk or on pain meds, but valid questions)
We all rock, here is to us!!!!!!
0 -
wendy......you sound great....we're with you all the way.....shoshi...annL wishing you the best...keep us posted
0 -
Hello Friends,
Fortunate1, Shoshi, AnnL, I will be thinking of you and saying a prayer that everyone heals well.
Wendy, You have had such a hard road...that's all behind you now. 2010 is going to be your year!
Ally, I am OK, Upcreek, Julie, Tracy, so happy you are all doing well.
Fortunate1, Okiegal & Carole, What can I say.... thank you, for being here. I can't imagine what these past few months would have been like for me if I didn't have you to share my fears, concerns and questions with.
Cheers Everyone!
0 -
Happy New Year Ladies!
Fortunate, you are almost there! Hope everythig goes well.
Shoshi and Ann, seems you both are well-prepared. You'll feel much better after the surgery. For me, I felt relieved...and happy even in the hospital.
A big "thank you" to all the wonderful ladies here. Your kind help, support and prayers made this journey much easier. Ally, it's so nice to heal together with you. Wish everybody a healthy 2010!
My new year resolution: start taking tamoxifen.
Liz
0 -
Happy New Year: Fortunate1, Shoshi, AnnL--good luck and you will all be in my thoughts and prayers.
To all you other ladies: thanks for your support. Entering week 5 post-op and still sore but have started gentle stretching exercises which has caused some of the discomfort. I don't know how you ladies went back to work at this point. I am not there yet.
How are you doing Ally? Is the pain better?
0 -
I went back at week 2 1/2 but I am a partner in a law firm, and all I had to do was sit at my desk. I did not have to lift things and my staff constantly checked on me. They even found me a chair that supported my arms better so I could sit comfortably.
I carried my ROM exercises CD with me, and each hour a do not disturb sign went up on my door and I did my exercises.
I found sitting at home too depressing, it left me too much time to think about what I had just been through and what a bone head my SO was acting like. I really needed to get out and think about other things.
My arms got very tired driving, so I lowered my steering wheel which let me drive without having to hold my arms straight out. The seat belt was uncomfortable so I wore a jacket in the car to reduce direct contact.I also started out small, working a few hours in the middle of the day and going home as soon as I felt tired.
0 -
hello ladies....upcreek for various reasons i wanted to get back to work, once the last 2 drains were removed i felt much better, i had good range of motion and i was taking percocet every 4 hrs and muscle relaxers at night. i wouldn't recommend going back that soon.......you'll get there, and when you do go back you probably won't have as many set backs as i have had. new years eve i wore a bra for the first time, i bought the victoria secret ipex that was suggested on other sites, as the night went on i wasn't feeling very comfortable and the next day it caused pain and the pec muscle became inflammed again, i spent yesterday at home resting, did massaging and i'm feeling better today. my new yrs resolution is to take it easy, do massaging, no lifting and no bras......
0 -
Bigapple: 2 and 1/2 weeks wow, unbelievable. My ROM on the SNB side is still not great but working at it. Sorry your SO gave you grief. I don't feel I can drive just yet but hopefully soon.
Thanks Ally: I will probably go back in the next few weeks.
0 -
Hi to everyone and best wishes for 2010.
Shoshi, AnnL, Fortunate1, I am praying for you that your surgeries go well and your healing is rapid.
I guess that I'm up next. I'm scheduled for a unilateral MX of my left breast on Jan 20. The words about Xanax etc. could not have come at a better time for me. Now that the holiday frenzy is over I find that I have more time to think about my upcoming surgery. Consequently, I'm not sleeping well (bad dreams) and just general building fear. Making contingency plans "just in case something happens" is really getting me down. I don't want to kick my own behind so I think I will ask my BS for something to calm me down. The one thing that keeps me from going completely flipnoid is reading all of your posts and realizing that you all went through this and you're all okay or on your way to being okay. Thank you all for keeping me out of a Nerf room.
0 -
New Bride, I know EXACTLY what you're going through as the surgery comes nearer. One thing that helped me with my nerves was reading a post by Fortunate shortly before my surgery day. She recalled her son giving her a book to read with affirmations prior to her surgery. She suggested concentrating on positive outcomes like "The cancer will be gone from my body." I followed her suggestion and it really helped to calm me. I had a prescription for Valium but I don't remember if I took one the morning of the surgery. Chances are in your favor that everything will go well and you'll have your moments of euphoria afterward.
I, too, will be thinking of Shoshi, Ann, and Fortunate and wishing them the very best results.
My news is that I re-subscribed to WW online and the monthly charge has gone up $4 during my 4 mos. lapse. Yet there's no inflation we're told over and over! It's time for me to take charge of my diet again and shake off the 8 or 9 lbs I've gained since my bc dx. I didn't gain any weight the 1st month or so. It was after I started feeling pretty good that I pampered myself with more calories than I needed. Weight control is always more difficult for me during the winter than during the summer because "heavy" foods are appealing in the winter. I've gotten the bread maker out and have been baking my own breads, which go so well with big pots of comfort food.
It's beautiful here today, though cool. Our temperatures are not supposed to rise above 50 degrees all next week and the forecast is for freezing temps. tonight and tomorrow night. I love sleeping when it's cold at night. We turn the heat down to 55 degrees and snuggle under the covers.
Hope everyone is having a good Sunday.
0 -
I would just like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you for sharing your experiences. You really helped me to understand what to expect before and after surgery. You have also helped me to realize that I am not alone! So, a great big hug and thank you to everyone.
0 -
hi carol....it's freezing here, I've been home all weekend resting and munching alot. how is ww online. is it helpful?
0 -
Carole, we are sitting at about 18 degrees,and windy, we would be happy to lend you some of our weather if we can have some of your weather.
Wendy (on behalf of all long islanders who are trying to figure out why we have Quebec's weather)
0 -
Thank you everyone. Jan 5 for right mastectomy with immediate silicon implant. I expect two nights in hospital. I will take my netbook and check in as soon as I can. I'm sure I will be very bored. I feel very ready thanks to this forum. Taking arnica, have packed suitcase with all the recommended stuff, got two nice close-front bras, and have a pile of antiseptic wipes, cleaners, you name it. All thanks to the good advice I got here. I am ready to get the surgery over with! My main worry is my farm and my horses, but that is the same worry every time I have to leave. I have good people to take care of them. Best wishes to all!
0 -
Carole,
Wanted to write specifically to you. Have been reading this thread on the discussion board and it's like reading a good book, but my eyes are weary and I can't possibly read though it all to find out what I want to know.
Are you golfing again, yet?
I have Pleomorphic ILC, had 2 surgeries, SNB and Axillary Node Dissection. Nodes are clear but margins are not so I will need a mastectomy. Currently agonizing over decision of whether to have Bilat Mx or not and whether or not to have reconstruction. My priorities are to be cancer free, have same ROM and flexibility as before and be comfortable in my own skin (w or w/o breasts). Have an appt with PC on the 7th and follow up with breast surgeon on the 12th. I, too, am an avid golfer and am married to a golf professional. Am concerned about mobility after reconstruction.....Please tell me you are playing again!
0 -
Brrr, it's cold just about everywhere! It's supposed to be below zero on Thurs. night.
AnnL, you sound as ready as possible. Maybe you can dictate to someone to use your netbook?
In the hospital, I could raise the aforementioned ginger ale to my lips, but typing would have been pushing it! None the less, we'll all be patient and look forward to hearing from you as soon as you are comfortable. Here's hoping for smooth sailing and great results with your surgery.NewBride, the waiting can be difficult. I became a frequent prayer of "The Lord's Prayer" and Psalm 23. It helped.
Hi TNlady and to TNgolfer...eventhough I'm not Carole....I had a lot of concerns about muscle strength before and after surgery. The only information I found online was a study that suggested that there was some strength loss after implants. I'm not sure if they studied breast reconstruction only, augmentation patients or a combination. I did not have my questions fully answered before surgery and have continued to worry about this. I feel like I'm mostly back to normal, but I am continuing to have "pins and needles" sensations if I exert myself (i.e. shoveling snow off of the driveway....I will be finding a "pain management" doctor soon.) I am probably not typical, but would encourage you to question your doctors extensively about what they will do if you choose to have implants. You will want to fully understand what muscles will be cut or compromised, etc.
Carole, I am with you and the weight gain. It's time to reverse course!
Best to Fortunate1, today and thinking of Shoshi and all the rest of you! Have a good day.
0 -
Hi,
Brrr is right! It has been freezing and the wind has been making it feel much colder...single digits! I think it's warming up to 30 today.
I'm praying that fortunate1 heals well and is happy with her outcome.
AnnL, Wishing you well and look forward to hearing from you.
Liz, Good to hear that you are healing well!
Welcome TNLady and TNGolfer, Great to hear that we have been able to help you. I wish you the best. Feel free to ask us any questions.
Okiegal, I have mentioned before that my left breast has been bothering me. I feel a poking and when I bend over or reach...I feel tight across the top of my breast. I'm fearing CC. I have begun massaging, which is something I just didn't have much time to do before. Now that I am not working...I have been walking 2-3 miles every day and lifting 5lb weights. I have noticed pins and needles! I once saw a video of a woman using an exercise ball to massage her breasts. I never sleep on my stomach, but yesterday I laid flat on my stomach...breasts squished into the mattress and felt a pop in my left breast! I'm hoping this was a good thing! Maybe the breaking of scar tissue? I still feel tightness when I bend over, but not as strong. I'm feeling the pins and needles right now! I'm thinking this is something some of us feel...maybe because we are more sensitive...which I know I definitely am. I'm hoping I will just get used to these sensations as part of the "new normal." Last night when I went to bed, I told my DH that I'm sorry I had reconstruction...life would be simpler....this morning I said if I didn't I would miss them.
Thinking of everyone else and hope you have a good day!
0 -
Meg9, I have also regretted reconstruction because of the ongoing issues of pain. I've begun to wonder if mine is the result of capsular contracture...I've wondered about a lot of things! However, like you, I'm happy to have breasts and I'm happy with the cosmetic outcome (except for the uneven nipples.
.... Ah, the back and forth of it all....I never used to think about my "boobs" this much.As I understand it, the first treatment for CC is massage and various medications. I think manipulation (where the scar tissue is broken up manually) is not as popular now, but it sounds like that's what your popping sound could have been. It's all so mysterious! I also think that keeping the upper pectoral/shoulder area well stretched out would be helpful. Maybe it's time for us to buy exercise balls?
0 -
hello ladies....liz...you sound like you're doing well. AnnL and shoshi....wishing you the best...welcome new golfer......fortunate1....we're all thinking if you... wendy i hope you are feeling well. meg/okiegal....it's amazing that none of our doctors really explained or even knows the recovery process. meg...are you feeling better now, or do you still have those symptoms...okiegal...how is cc diagnosed? do they do an xray or something, or is it just based on symptoms? did your ps refer you to pain management? i rested all weekend and felt better today, but here's a weird one for you, my right pec muscle is twitching. i think i might take the soma 3xdaily as directed, maybe that will relax the muscle.....only problem is it relaxes the rest of me too......i definetely think the massaging is very helpful...i do it every morning in the shower...i find it's easier, less painful with the water running on it, i masage first with soap and water, then with lotion......take care everyone.......
0 -
Hi Ladies,
Yes it's cold everywhere! This is the 4th day we are in 15F, with wind! I don't like the cold at all.
Ally, good to know you feel better. I feel almost "normal" again except of the tightness and occasional cramps - they are getting better too.
Okiegal, hope your pain will go away soon.
Meg, it's good to have some time for yourself, isn't it?
Welcome, TNLady and TNGolfer! I'm a tennis player so I worry about my muscle too. Let's see when I"ll be able to pick up my racket again.
Fortunate, hope everything went well with you. Shoshi and Ann, I pray your surgeries be successful.
Liz
0 -
hi liz....did u start tamoxifen yet....your path report was negative and you are taking it for ER+, is this to prevent ca in your other breast. i know you're a med chemist and have your concerns about taking it. what are the pros and the cons......are there any statistics out there?
0 -
Good morning everyone, I'm back and feeling pretty darn good.... considering. Yesterday was a looong day, up at 4:30. All my fears were shoved aside by the get ready routine. The PS marked me up, and he and my DH agreed that the nipple placement was good. Men. I could see that it wasn't dead-center-fake, but it all was all done so very quickly, no mirror. Here's to abiding hope. I am still the fortunate one, not very much pain, wrapped up in compression bandages. I can see only one thing, a convex curve at the top of my breast where there used to be a concave hollow. It's covered with rubbery tape. Should you ever wonder, I now know that liposuction hurts, that's really the only place I feel any pain. But I am hoping that the fat will like it's new home and that the hollow won't return. Wendy, Carole and Tracy, you will be glad to know that I was put on antibiotics. No infections please.
Meg, I can understand, work can take you out of the boob concerns. I am so sorry that didn't work out, it sounded good for you. As for the CC fears, personally, I think the massage does good. I got what I thought was inconsistent advice on it at first, but now my PS is very clear. At my last appointment he massaged quite forcefully, squeezing hard and moving the implant around. It was so forceful that I actually felt something, a surprise to me. I have always worked on range of motion, and it worked for me. Now I'll have to do it again.
TNgolfer, another non golfer here, but I'm sure Carole will come by. I have complete mobility, don't think I've lost any strength. My only problems have been a tired muscle when I work it a lot and a creepy strong flexing of the new breast when I use my pec.
AnnL and Shoshi, I'll be thinking of you today.
Okiegal, has your garden survived the freeze? Ally, Liz, Meg, Wendy, I will not make you cry by telling you the temperature here. Very warm hugs to all.
0 -
Fortunate1, Great to hear you from you! I hope you are happy with the outcome. How long before the bandages come off? I think it's great that you have come this far! Tattoo next? I too have that concave hollow at the top of my implants. Is this what some call the ledge or shelf? I'm happy for you!
Ally, I do not have pain...it is more like a poking feeling or sometimes...tightness like I might be getting a cramp. When I'm busy I don't notice it as much. When I'm sleeping or exerting myself I am more aware of it. I was not prescribed muscle relaxers and I did not have twitching early on, but a few weeks ago the pectoral muscles started popping when I lifted heavier things. Fortunate1 called it dancing!
I think CC is diagnosis by symptoms. The implant is inside a capsule. A build up of scar tissue squeezes the implant causing pain and the implant to get firm. The implant can also get distorted in shape or pushed up in a high position. I don't know if there is a test you can take. I read that massaging can help. I have a friend that has CC for a couple of years now. She will need surgery to correct it, but she's not bothered by it enough to have surgery at this point.
Liz, the tightness and pain will go away. We all heal at a different rate, but it will get better.
Ann & Shoshi, Thinking of you!
Still freezing here! I just finished walking 2 miles on my tread machine and did my weight workout. It great to have time for me again!
Hope everyone else is doing well!
0 -
fortunate1...glad that went very well for you.....it sounds like it happened so fast, hope you are happy with the results. meg...i think i have the "dancing" too...mostly in the right, because that is the side that i am constantly using. meg did that popping thing from yesterday help you feel better today. i can't remember the last time i was on my stomach.....it probably won't be for a long time. It's freezing here, and that doesn't help with all of this. but no pain meds necessary today, not that it feels great, but it's not terrible......hope everyone is well and stays warm.
0 -
Fortunate 1
So glad to hear from you and to hear that you are doing well.
Rest up.
Wendy
0 -
WOW! I am so lucky. Surgery this morning and recovery went better than my wildest dreams. They were able to do the immediate implant with Alloderm, so no more surgeries. Left side was just a bit of cosmetic surgery for symmetry, and I did not even need a drain on that side. Two drains in right (mastectomy) side. No nausea, no pain -- on demand pain pump is doing its job perfectly. I only have to stay one night, and will be released tomorrow. I am so relieved, and happy that it was all so easy. This netbook is slow and difficult to type a lot on, so I will report more later. Just want to give all the kind people here an update. The nurse said I might feel a little less comfortable tomorrow, but so far, this is going great, knock on wood.
0 -
WOW AnnL.....you're amazing......did you type that from the recovery room.......i'm so happy it's over for you and you are doing so well. you'll be back to the horses in no time. thanks so much for letting us know....we've been thinking about you....take it easy and keep up the good work....ally
0 -
Fortunate1: Glad to hear all went well. What type of anesthetic did you have?
AnnL: I second ally's WOW. That is amazing and you sound coherent!
0 -
Yes, I feel better than beyond my wildest dreams. It was a unilateral, with just a little bit of symmetry work on the left side. My left arm feels perfectly fine. They unhooked me from everything, and I am on Vicoden, just to stay ahead of any pain. I can't say I have been in any pain so far. Just some general sorenees. Nurses say I will be discharged today. I am waiting for doctor to come and confirm that.
I am sure that all the good preparation and readiness (leading to lack of stress) thanks to this forum had a lot to do with me feeling so good.
I will keep reporting, but this netbook is not easy to type on,.
AnnL
0 -
I wish I was like u Ann..I have been in agony & can do very little w/out help. The pain pump & on Q pump is attached, but if this is what's its like when they r in use, I'd hate 2 c what the pain would b like w/out it. My left side is not 2 bad but my right has been unbearble. Thank goodness 444 dope 2 make me sleep. I know many of u took soma..is there a miLligram 2 that. I am gonna ask him 4 it. Well its hard 2 type on my bb phone screen......say a Prayer plez!!!!!!!
0
