One step implant procedure with Alloderm - Anyone?
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I bought Miralax before surgery and started taking it as soon as I returned home the next day after surgery. It prevented me from becoming constipated. Prior to surgery I also bought a couple of blouses that opened down the front and were very roomy. There's a good discussion forum about steps to take in preparation for surgery, things to buy, etc. I read it and found it very helpful. This discussion forum was also a great help and comfort. As soon as I was able to sit at my computer following my bmx and 1-step, I communicated with Meg, Okiegal and Fortunate, who helped me through my healing issues. My left incision didn't heal properly and the left nipple's recovery was iffy for a couple of weeks. At about 5 or 6 wks, I went back to surgery to have the left incision trimmed and restitched. After that recovery was swift.
I experienced discomfort, tightness, soreness but not a great deal of pain. I took darvoset the first day home and the first night, maybe the next day. After that I switched to Tylenol for Arthritis and took it every 8 hrs. I slept propped up on a wedge with pillows on top of the wedge for several weeks. My PS required that I wear a soft stretchy bra 24-7 for 6 wks.
I had only 2 drains, one on each side and did not collect a lot of drainage. Dh emptied the drains for a couple of days until I decided to become a grownup and started emptying them myself. They were removed at 9 days and I had no problem with fluid buildup. My breasts were small so there wasn't a lot of tissue to remove, but the BS told me I wasn't an easy surgery because my tissue was very dense.
My DH is retired and is a great nurse. I had the luxury of not having to worry about any household duties until I felt up to doing them. He did encourage me to resume walking for exercise as soon as I was strong enough. I forced myself to walk around the house even on the 1st day home from the hospital. I didn't drive for 2 or 3 wks because I didn't need to drive myself. Dh took me to apptments. Neighbors brought us meals for the 1st week. It was heartwarming to be on the receiving end of a lot of kindness and sympathy.
At my age (67) losing my breasts isn't that big a deal. I actually look better in my clothes now since my new breasts are fuller. The worst trauma was learning that I had breast cancer. Now I've gotten used to the idea and am very grateful that my tumor was discovered early.
Upcreek, meeting in Grand Marais on Wed. or Thurs. of next week would work for us! We'll be arriving in Two Harbors next Tues. We can PM and settle on the day, a meeting place and time. DH was immediately receptive to the idea.
Hi to everyone.
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I met with a PS this afternoon and I have to say he impressed me. Not what I expected. I walked out of his office actually feeling like everything is going to be alright...haven't felt this way in the last 3 weeks or so. I think I will go with him, but I will still meet with 2 more PS next week to confirm that he is the best for me.
He brougt up the one step reconstruction and said that he sees no reason why I couldn't have this done seeing as how I am trying to go down 2 cup sizes...he thinks there will be more than enough skin to do this. We spoke for a while and he answered most of my questions without me actually asking them. He addressed all concerns very professionaly and optimistically with the foot note of "if all goes well".
Ladies, thank you all for your words of wisdom and sharing your stories. I felt like I went in there prepared not clueless like I felt yesterday.
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Basia that's great to hear. I hope your next appointments help you make a clear decision.
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Bravo Basia! A successful PS visit. You've brought back some memories for me.... going in with my list of questions and having them all answered before I could ask. A good sign.
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Hi everyone. My advice to anyone having the one step is to research your ps and make sure you get the best. Bassa, there are lots of women around NY area on this site that can recommend a few just to make sure. They can PM you if they want.
Carole: Well, that's exciting! Thursday is looking the best for us. I do believe you are an hour behind us. I will check out the restaurants and get back to you very soon. I'll send you a pm re time and place.
We went to a pig roast last night in a backyard of friends of ours. Over 100 people and a live band. Quite the party.
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Hello Everyone, I was dealing with a family matter for the past week and only had the time to visit today. Wow! a lot has happened here in a week!
Welcome Basia, Nina and Survivormom - I think everyone just about answered your questions.
Basia, I'm happy to hear you had a good PS appointment! I think confidence in your surgeon is most important. I think you are well prepared. The one thing that my PS did not mention to me about the "one step" (that I found out after the fact) is that your pec muscle is cut and the alloderm is attached to the muscle to create a pocket for the implant. I believe that explains the tightness.
Being flat in the nipple area is unavoidable with the "one step". I don't know about expanders. If you have large breasts you are not a candidate for nipple sparing. My PS said that a large B is the largest size for the "one step". If your natural breasts are large there is too much skin to have nipple sparing. I wear a bra by Warner style 2003 which gives me a natural shape in clothes and is comfortable.
You can look at Vinnie Tattoos in Maryland to see his tattoos. I've been looking for a long time and I think he is one of the best. I don't know for sure if he uses tattoos inks or permanent makeup. Permanent makeup will fade and need to be touched up every few years.
After bmx I had my drains for 2 weeks. Once the drains were removed I felt sooo much better. I made a chart to record the amount of fluid coming from the drains to show my PS. My scar is 6 inches long horizontally across the nipple area of my breasts. I used mederma cream (given me by my PS) after 4-5 weeks and was told to start massaging after 6 weeks. Ask you PS about massaging...many PS have different views it. I went back to work and was driving after 4 weeks, but my range of motion was limited. I slept with 3 pillows against my headboard...it is difficult to lay back and lift yourself up. I slept in a reclined position for months. I also had a pillow under each arm. Keep thing low because reaching will be difficult in the beginning and medicine bottles are hard to open. I did not have strength in my hands for a while. Good Luck!
Lilylou, Sorry to hear what you have been through. I hope you feel better soon. Have you thought of seeing a different PS? There is no reason you should continue to be in pain. I wish you well.
Okiegal, Enjoy your vacation. I have 2 cucumbers that have a curve to them. We do have red and green hot peppers. No zucchini...the chipmunks and rabbits ate those and the other cucumbers! The other morning I was sitting on the patio and a chipmunk came running by with a cherry tomato in his mouth...we didn't plant cherry tomatoes, so I guess my neighbor isn't getting his crop either! Lol
Carole, I can't believe you're going to ELY! Go to the North American Bear Center in Ely. They have 3 rescue bears named Ted, Honey and Lucky. All the other bears are wild bears. Drive carefully because the bears are on the move and they run across the roads. There have been reports of bears being hit by cars recently...one bear was hit a couple of weeks ago. Not sure if it was one of the research bears. I am almost done with my quilt square that will be a part of the quilt that will be hung at the bear center. I will post a picture when I'm done.
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After reading about your different surgery experiences, I guess I have been extremely lucky - I had the surgery on a Friday a.m. and woke up with two drains and minimal bandages. I was on pain meds and antibiotics IV until I was discharged on Tuesday - and the drains came out before I left the hospital, which was a nice surprise. I had very little pain and just took Motrin maybe once or twice a day - I was prescribed something stronger but didn't fill it as I really would rather be a little uncomfortable than deal with the side effects of the pain meds. Constipation was a problem and it took some prunes and Miralax to get things back to normal. I am a CPA (semi-retired) and was back to work a couple of days a week within two weeks. My husband (also semi-retired) drove me though, because it was hard to turn and park, etc. with the swelling and tightness. My energy level was low and I took lots of naps and rested - to anyone who has this ahead of them, I do think that made a big difference in my recovery. The scars run horizontal across the middle of each breast and initially I had some areas that required steri-strips to hold the incisions tightly closed after the stitches came out. I was a small C before the surgery and a large C now - I used Mederma faithfully and the scars are fading nicely - the shape is quite natural though I've noticed that flat area on the top where the chest wall sort of shows now that things are softening and settling in. But all in all, they look great in clothes and bathing suits and I don't think anyone would know unless I told them. The stretching exercises seem to be helping with the tightness - if anyone has any tips they would care to share about dealing with that, I would love to hear from you. Oh, by the way, my daughter's wedding is on Friday the 20th and I'm wearing a purple strapless gown with confidence!
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It was cool and very windy here in northern MN today. My accomplishment for the day was getting the laundry done. The rv park laundry has two modern front-loader washers and two dryers. At home I iron our clothes but when we're living in the rv, I take them out of the dryer and give them a shake.
Nina, I was interested to glean from your post that you stayed in the hospital several days, from Fri. to Tues. I had my surgery one morning and was discharged the following day about noon. Many women have their mx surgery as outpatients. I was glad to stay overnight in the hospital but was also glad to go home the next day and get some rest. I had a morphine pump in the hospital.
We have a tee time at a nearby golf course for tomorrow afternoon. Hope the wind dies down before then.
Hope everyone had a good Sunday.
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Nina, I still experience tightness on my left side. I find stretching helps, but chest exercises make it worst. I also see a chiropractor who uses a Non Force Technique - Applied Kinesiology. She helped a lot. I used to have a tremble down my left arm and weakness in my left hand. All have improved after I started to see her. Congratulation on your daughter's wedding! How exciting!
Carole, I heard the weather was like fall in Ely, MN. It got cooler here in NY also. We finally got rain yesterday. DH and I were eating in a restaurant and people were looking out the window looking like they never saw rain! Lol It just started pouring rain now!
I met two people this week. One had bmx with expanders. The other is having bmx with expanders next month. She will have her bmx at the same hospital I did, but fortunately she has a different PS. I am surprised many are not choosing to have the "one step" or nipple sparing. She said her PS said there is a better outcome with expanders. I wonder how long the "one step" has been around? Are we pioneers!? I know my PS had said that it was too soon for studies on the "one step." Is there more money with expanders- more visits for fills and a second surgery?
I hope everyone is doing well. DH just came in with Chinese food and he is drenched from the rain.
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Hi, all. The last two mornings here in northern MN we've gotten up and turned on the heat in the rv! Yesterday was a beautiful day except for the windy conditions. Neither DH nor I like to play golf in the wind, so we cancelled our tee time and drove to the nearby town of Walker to browse in the shops. We found the perfect gift for my sister Michelle who is picking up our mail at the post office once a month.
Last night we had dinner at the "supper club" next door to the rv park. A supper club is a restaurant that's open for dinner. They seem to be common here in MN. We don't have them in LA. This one was a disappointment. We ordered the prime rib special and it was maybe the worst prime rib we've had at a restaurant.
We're moving today, going farther east to Two Harbors, MN, about 4 miles north of Diluth. On Thurs. evening we're meeting Upcreek and her DH for dinner in Grand Marais, and I'm really looking foward to that. Wish more of you could come.
Our next rv park doesn't have wireless internet so it won't be so easy to check in. We'll have to go to a coffee shop or a public library. I can hear DH outside making preparations for leaving, so I'd better pack up my laptop.
Happy Tuesday.
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Meg9 There is a study......My BS and PS were part of a small, short study on the one-step at Mayo. I think what your dr means is that we don't have long term outcome information (like 10 years). Here is a link:
http://www.breastsurgeons.org/upload/ASBS_Official_Proceedings_2010.pdf
NOTE: you will find the abstract from their study on PAGE 45 of the PDF document. Dr. Pockaj is my BS and Dr. Bash my PS. I was able to view the poster session they had on display at Mayo back in March or April this year. I did not realize at the time I would end up with MX, but I was so glad to read the results on the poster and see the photos that were part of the display.
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Hi Speech, That is exactly what my PS meant. She mentioned it would take aleast 10 years to be called a study.
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I guess we are the brave ones then, right?
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Hi Everyone
I had a skin sparing MX with Alloderm implant 11 days ago. Having read through some of these posts I got the impression it would be swollen after surgery but this would reduce a bit and soften. My question is what is the timeframe for this? Mine is still the same hard misshapen bulging ball of a thing - no change in 11 days. Should I have seen some change by now - or do I need to be a lot more patient?!
Thanks
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My advice would be to take one day at a time - your body has been through alot and has to heal from within - I was very swollen and hard for quite a few weeks and didn't see much of a difference in the shape or size in the first couple of months. But remember, everybody's experience is unique. Be good to yourself, don't do too much, and get lots of rest - !
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Linda, yes, be patient. It will change. It takes at least two - four months to settle and soften. You will be fine soon! Good luck!
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Hi all, I'm back from my little vacation to New Mexico. It was really great to see some different scenery and enjoy cooler and dryer weather! Meg9, I took a hike and thought of you....they have warnings about what to do if you encounter a bear...we didn't!
Hi, LindaNZ, do you still have drains? I kept one of mine for 11 or 13 days, I think. It takes a while for your body to stop "oozing" after surgery and then re-absorb all of the fluid. It's a process and definately requires patience! I stayed swollen for a while, but was on vacation going for a slow hike at altitude at about 11 weeks post op.You are definately in the acute healing phase, be sure to take it easy. You'll look and feel much better before you know it!
Speech, I read your doctor's article and was suprised when I read the description of the procedure. It described the placement of the implant as "superficial" or on top of the pectoralis muscle and it sounds like it incorporates a steel cage! This iwasn't the surgery I had, was this what you received? Like Meg9 described on an earlier post, my PS released a small portion of the pectoral muscle at the sternum and separated it from the chest wall, then lifted it up and inserted an implant underneath. He finished by stitching the alloderm under the protruding bottom of the implant to create a sling to keep it in place. This new technique that you linked to is exciting. I wonder what they look like? I know that with cosmetic implants they will insert them under and also over the pectoral muscle. It sounds like plastic surgeons are trying to give reconstruction patients the same options. I would guess there is less pain and physical rehab with this procedure. Very interesting.
Carole and Upcreek, have you all gotten together yet? How fun. Can't wait to hear the details. Hope everyone is good!
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Hello Everyone,
LindaNZ, Welcome to our group. It took a few months before my breasts soften. Mine breasts have also dropped and changed shape. Now they even giggle! After six weeks my PS said to start massaging. I think massaging helped to soften them. I was a little apprehensive to massage and did not as often as instructed. I have not massaged at all in the past few months. Actually, I have started wearing leisure bra around the house because I think they are beginning to droop too much! PS's have a different opinion about massaging. Some do not agree with it, so check with your PS. He or she will also instruct you. It has been only two weeks...give yourself time to heal and rest. Feel free to ask us any questions. My DH has a sister who lives NZ.
I hope everyone is feeling well and has a good Monday! We got 6" of rain yesterday and I have a couple of puddles in my basement. Ugh! Off to vac!
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Hi Okiegal,
Just saw your post when mine went up. Happy to hear you had a good vacation. To bad you didn't see any bears! LOL
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Okiegal: Yes, Carole and I and our husbands got together for dinner. It was a wonderful evening. It was so nice to talk to her face to face. We hope to see them this weekend in Canada. Lovely couple!
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Hi everyone and welcome LindaNZ,
Linda, give it some time. You have had a big surgery and it will take a while for the whole area to calm down and for your muscle to relax into its new position. I remember bemoaning the hard odd shape and the sore muscle. My PS said that yes the pec muscle is screaming right now, but it will get better.
I spoke with my PS and a tattoo artist last week and managed to get some of our questions in. About the tattoo. She said that tattoos in any color but black and some dark blue green tones will fade no matter if it is done by a permanent cosmetic artist or a regular tattoo parlor. The usual nipple colors are going to fade. Darn.
Also asked a bit about our Alloderm surgery. My PS said it is being done more often, but still is just a small percentage. He said that Alloderm is getting more difficult to supply due to demand, and that some doctors are using other products, usually derived from pigs, I think its called strattice, and I think it has been around longer than Alloderm - not sure. He likes the Alloderm reconstruction because it is so much easier on the patient and has much fewer complications.
Welcome home OKiegal. I love Santa Fe - beautiful country. I also read the articleby Speech's PS about the steel cage and assumed that it was a way of pre-shaping the alloderm. It's all so fascinating. And mysterious. I think I understand and then start wondering again.
Upcreek and Carole, you're so lucky to meet in person. Anyone coming my way, please visit.
Good day to all of you BC pals!
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Okiegal Yes, that abstract was confusing to me at first. I had to read it a couple of times and then I asked her detailed questions about my surgery. There is no steel cage in me! Yikes!....she used a steel cage in the OR to shape the alloderm before sewing it on the muscle. My implants are submuscular and the alloderm is on top of the muscle and below the skin.
I want to thank all you ladies for your encouragement when I was in the first month after surgery. All your answers and encouragement were right on!
LindaNZ It is so difficult in the beginning--you want everything to be right or different. But you have to be patient. I was very hard, high and swollen too in the first two weeks after surgery. Once I had the tube removed, things got better. I would swell when I was hot or when I did too much. If I rested, swelling went down. I am two months post-op now and my breast is looking so much better. I had a right MX and left augmentation. My right breast is finally looking more like the left breast. I won't ever have the same projection, but it looks great and is beginning to settle down more to where it should be. The left breast is a bit softer, but not by much. I hear that it may take up to 6 months to see the final effects. Take good care of yourself, and try to be patient. This is a huge change and a big surgery.
I went to a Holy Yoga retreat this weekend and it was wonderful--it is true yoga but with a Christian focus. I highly recommend yoga to anyone recovering from MX when your dr okays you to resume normal activity. I was able to really stretch for the first time--I could not believe how tight my chest and shoulders were. I participated in at least two yoga classes each day and even went on a 2 hour hike! We swam and ate the most wonderful food! There are Holy Yoga classes close to my house and I was able to go to one tonight--wonderful! The classes are free, also. Holy Yoga was started in 2005 in Phoenix and has spread to most states and some parts of Canada. It was very encouraging to me to be able to do this. I was feeling so down about not getting back into shape fast enough and I was worried aboutmy strength. This proved to me that I am STRONG and ABLE. I am so very encouraged!
One of the classes I took at the retreat was on the psoas muscle that is in the thoracic and pelvic region. It holds alot of stress, especially when a person has been through a trauma. The instructor was taking us through a release exercise which was very relaxing. Then she told us that when a person has been through a trauma of some kind, they may experience whole body trembling that seems out of their control. This was surprising to hear because three days after my mx, I had a breakdown and I cried very hard for a while. I started trembling--my whole body--and I could not stop. I was so perplexed by the trembling. My husband and daughter were there and they held my hands. After about 5 minutes, the trembling stopped. Has this happened to anyone after their surgery? I have not had any crying or trembling since then. I believe it was some sort of release I experienced from the trauma of this whole event.
Hope you all are well....
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Fortunate1, My nephew is a tattoo artist. He attended the University School of Art in Philly, PA. and is very talented. He told me that tattoos fade when exposed to the sun...otherwise they last years. My PS told me that tattoos done with permanent make-up would need to be touched up every couple of years.
Speech, I wish I could go to a yoga retreat. Sounds like fun, except I would probably hurt myself. My gf has talked me into going with her a few times and I usually end up at my chiropractor! You must be in good shape!
I think your crying could have been a release of all the tension that built up in you since your dx. My sister has been going through a really tough time the past few months. She has been surprisingly strong under the circumstances. This past Sunday she had a breakdown of sorts...crying, trembling... and was taken to the hospital. Her blood pressure was 165/ 140 and they kept her overnight. She said she just couldn't hold strong anymore. This was her way of releasing the stress. She never acted this way before. I think it is perfectly normal for some to cry it out. I'm glad you had your family there for you and I hope you felt better afterward. I think I was in a state of shock. I never cried. I felt like I was on the outside looking in. Like it wasn't happening to me. My BS and PS were concerned and said it will get real pretty soon. Everyone was waiting for the breakdown, but it never happened. I think finding this site...Fortunate1, Okiegal and then Carole helped me tremendously. I will never forget them.
It is cold and cloudy in NY. Brrrr I hope everyone is well!
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Hi, all. Today we arrived in Grand Marais, MN. Our rv park is on Lake Superior. We can't see the lake from our site, but it's a short walk to the shore. This afternoon the waves were crashing on the rocks, creating a wonderful sound.
The dinner with Upcreek and her dh was very enjoyable. DH and I were walking to the restaurant when I divulged that I didn't have a picture of Upcreek in my mind because her picture on bc.org is very small. As we approached the restaurant, we saw a pretty blond woman and a man standing outside. When she spoke my name inquiringly, it dawned on me that this young woman was Upcreek! We hugged and began getting acquainted immediately. DH took a couple of pictures. As soon as I master Picata, I'll post one.
Meg, I thought of you when DH and I drove to Ely on Sunday and visited the Bear Center. We saw the three bear residents and learned a lot of information about bears. Ely is quite an attractive little town. We had a delicious lunch at the Chocolate Moose. DH and I would like to return to Ely some future summer and do some canoeing in the Boundary Waters.
It's good to be back in communication with my 1-step friends.
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Meg I started taking Yoga at the Y and the teacher did not really teach the poses and breathing properly. I used to wake up in pain, too...stopped going. This retreat was taught by women who are fully trained "yogis". I learned so much about proper form and breathing and how to actually do yoga. I think it depends on who teaches you.
carole That sounds like a wonderful meeting you had!
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Hi everyone,
Speech, thanks for clearing that up...I'm relieved to hear that you don't have "steel cage foobs"! I suppose it helps to have the right medical credentials when reading some of those abstracts? Your yoga retreat sounds very nice. I saw a yoga position in the paper the other day, it was "plank". I had tried it before and wondered if all of my exercising in the past year would allow me to do it. I passed! I could hold "plank" for 3 breaths and that was after doing my sit up routine. Don't know if I was breathing correctly though. I would like to learn some more yoga poses and maybe create a little home routine.
I don't remember having a "breakdown" per se. I was very joyful after surgery. In my mind, I had come through the worst and was very grateful for everyones efforts, even the cleaning people who make the hospital run! I did, however, have my moments in the weeks and months to follow. Some of it was due to the pain medications and stinging and itching that I experienced and the general mental and emotional adjustments that are inevitable. I guess my emotions dribbled out, bit by bit. I didn't find this thread until after my third week post op. I have had such comfort from all of you. You are all unexpected and delightful friends. I'm grateful still!
Carole and UpCreek, I'm jealous!
What fun. Thanks for connecting for the rest of us!I'm going with my sister in law to pick up a bed frame from my nephew this morning. We are planning to have lunch together. My nephew is a budding gourmet, I'm sure he will have a good suggestion for where to eat. He is the newlywed whose wedding I attended in May. So sweet, what an exciting time of life for them both.
The weather has cooled down to the mid 80's, it is heavenly compared to the 105-ish temperatures of late. Hope eveyone has a good day!
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okiegal 80's! that sounds absolutely chilling! We are at 103 right now and that's cooler than expected. I am dreaming of the days when it's in the 70-80 range. If you do try yoga make sure you go to a class where they are teaching yoga properly. This weekend I learned that yoga is all in the breathing--that was a new teaching to me even though I went to yoga classes at the Y. The breathing part makes a huge difference.
Plank is hard--so good for you!
Have a good week everyone!
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Our high today in Grand Marais was 64 degrees! It was very breezy so we postponed bike riding until tomorrow and drove up the Gunflint Trail highway, about 40 miles to the end. We passed some ideal Moose country but, alas, did not sight a moose. We stopped at several trailheads and took some hikes to overlooks with beautiful views of lakes.
Tonight after dinner we walked to the Lake Superior shoreline and watched a huge moon rise up over the harbor. Grand Marais is definitely on the list of our favorite places.
I attended a yoga class years ago when I was younger and more supple. The class was in an old building that had once been a church so the location added to the enjoyment. I remember lovely light shining through the windows. The floor was hard wood but we used mats.
Wishing everyone a great day tomorrow.
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Thanks to all of you for your comments re how long it takes. Am feeling a lot better about this weird addition to my body and am more able to give it a chance to "settle down" a bit! Sounds like a couple of months is the norm. So I just don't look at it now!
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I have a question for you all....have you guys experience more sweating than normal where the alloderm was placed???? OMG after I run it is unbelievable how much chest sweat I have and it smells strange too!!!! Just wondering if it was just me?
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