Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction
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kfinnegan, no apologies necessary. I sure can't remember everyone else's procedures. I got TEs on both sides, and the lat on the left (radiated) side. I don't think they did much of a fill. Things still seem pretty flat. The lat side is definitely a bit rounder though. I've been doing a little experimenting tosee if I can feel the lat move when I move my arm. When I rotate my arm, it feels a little like something moves on the side of my rib cage below my arm pit. The feeling is like something getting stuck then popping lose. It's very slight and not painful.
We woke up to everything covered in even more ice than yesterday and no electricity. Our neighbor's oak tree had lost a limb, and it landed on the power line. Fortunately, the power company took care of it quickly. While I was huddling under the covers, one of my cats decided to leap from the cat tree to the bed. Bad move. It did not feel good. And this was after the other cat had tried to stomp all over me. "Mom's in bed! Let's play!"
As long as cats aren't tromping on me, I don't feel too bad. I've got to do something to get my bowels working. The Smooth Move tea hasn't fixed it. I thought we had Colace left from last year, but we don't so DH has gone to the store forsome. The other thing that's bothering me is TMJ. I mentioned to the anesthesiologist that I'd been having problems with it since the last time I was intubated, but it's much worse now. The surgeon said I was biting down on the tube when they were waking me up. It really hurts to open my mouth. I can barely eat. I hope it eases off soon.
Sharsalo, how are you today? And Warrior Woman, I wish I could remember the exact date of your surgery. My brain is definitely fried.
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Hi there, I have never tried this type of discussions before, and am a little clumsy trying to follow the thread.. :P but do see how wonderful it is for you all to support each other as you do, and what a great portal to help others with your own experiences! Everyone sounds very strong, with a good measure of humor too..
I Hope it is ok to jump in, but I could not find answers just surfing the web.. I have (one week ago) gone thru expander to implant exchange (had Bilateral mastectomy Dec 2012) and lat flap reconstruction on my right, radiated side. All healing seems to be going well, drains (ughh) ok, incision sites fine, but I am finding that my range of movement on that right arm is very limited and uncomfortable. Putting that right hand on my hip is a ridiculous contortion (totally looses the effect of Hrrmph! if you cannot smoothly land both hands on hips! :P) Lifting my right arm over my head is impossible. The fat pad of muscle under my armpit that appeared after the lat flap surgery, literally says "nope" and those tendons on either side of my armpit look like tight ropes. Rolling that shoulder is uncomfortable and feels odd. Is this totally normal as part of the healing, muscle adjusting, de swelling process? None of the scar sites are bothering me, not the implants, I just feel pulled in unusual directions when moving on that side! :P Any sharing of knowledge would be so appreciated.. and thank you for listening! 0 -
2Tabbies, ouchie on the kitties jumping on the bed! So 2 expanders, OK got it. my first fill was a month after surgery and I was pretty small after surgery as well.
above, welcome! don't worry about your range of motion yet. My PS didn't want me doing anything with my arm, just wanted me to keep arm bent (kind of like in a pretend sling) for about 3 weeks. Then I started walking the wall and holding it, like after mastectomy. I couldn't do a shoulder roll for a while either, now I have full range of motion (I'm 4.5 months out from lat flap).
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Thank you so much for your reply! Hope everyone is feeling ok.. including rambunctious kitties!
Yes he mentioned to try just to rotate my arm, apparently he had taken a bunch of scar tissue out during my surgery that had accumulated during radiation (bonus removal! :P) and I was starting to feel the same restriction and got a little paranoid! I wish I had some good PT options where I live but no such luck, youtube will have to do! Thank you again for the support and congrats on such a wonderful recovery! I cannot wait to windmill for no other reason then to do it! ) 0 -
patience adove!! hugs to you. My PS said no physical therapy, its too aggressive.
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Best healing wishes to sharsalo, 2Tabbies and adove! Went to my first post op visit yesterday. I was relieved of the drain on my right (lifted) side, still have 2 on LD side. Range of motion is good and doctor confirmed all was healing well. No restrictions, other than continue not to lift anything heavy and begin wearing a sports bra 24/7. The recovery has not been painful. I just have had no energy to push myself to do much. The doctor said that is normal and will resolve itself . I hope so!!!
Thinking of you all!
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Welcome, adove. It is certainly fine for you to just jump in. I'm surprised that I'm not having range of motion issues since it's common. But I didn't have any after my mastectomy either. I just feel like I have an anaconda squeezing my rib cage. I hope some of that is the elastic binder (like a tube top with velcro down the front. I itch so bad under the darn thing too. My temperature has decided to go up a little. Nothing worrisome only 99.6. Just enough to make me feel kind of crappy. Maybe it's a relapse of whatever I'd caught before the surgery.
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2Tabbies, hopefully the slight fever is just from your body trying to heal. I seem to always get one after having surgery.
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Kfinnigan, thanks for the tip on the PT! And yes I need to try not to get ahead of my healing! I guess it is expected to have less range of movement a week out of surgery.. :P wow long time for drains jlow51! I hope to get both of mine out this Wens which would be two weeks exactly. Glad your recovery is going without pain, and hope you get your zing back soon! I assume I will have to wear sports bra too, that'll be a first! hugs to you all and thank you again!
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So here I am, 3 days from surgery. The first night at home one of the drains opened during the night and leaked all over the bed -- ugh. I am still really sore and sometimes it even hurts to breathe in. I switched to Tylenol from the pain meds though, since they were making me feel really awful and I still haven't had a bowel movement. I'm sore from being in bed and it's hard to sleep at night because I want to lie on the side of my surgery site. Otherwise, things look good. My PS filled the expander about one-third of the way, and when we've reached the level we like, it will only be 8 weeks of waiting before it's switched out for the implant. I do feel weak in my arm, but I'm obviously trying not to overdo things too. The PS thinks I may get to have one drain out early, which would be wonderful, but the other seems to be a gusher. I get to take a shower today, so yay! 2Tabbies, I can guess how it is with the kitties, my pugs want to cuddle and I can't let them. They are giving me reproachful looks! Each day things get better, but it's really hard not to be able to do things on my own. And the tape from my dressing is itchy and irritating my skin. I haven't moved my arm around too much since my PS didn't want me to lift it above my shoulder. And I wore my arm sleeve for a little while and the lymphedema subsided (although I did accidentally punch myself in my new breast while trying to get it on, which I wouldn't recommend, haha).
I hope your fever has subsided, 2Tabbies, and that you're feeling good. Sounds like a successful first post-op visit, jlow51 -- mine is on Tuesday and I hope it goes as well as yours.
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Sharsalo, have you tried Miralax? It really helped me get things going. I'm sorry about the drain opening. That must have been awful to deal with!
For those of you who had radiation before your surgery, did the surgery help relieve any tightness or pain issues? My rads side feels tighter and more irritated or painful as the weeks go by. I'd hate to think I'd have the surgery only to find out nothing's changed.
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Wow, so much activity on this thread over the past couple days it's hard to keep up. I was so busy at work last week I didn't have much opportunity to check in. However, was extremely tired (and sore) last night after a full week of work in the office (and only 5 weeks out from surgery).
2Tabbies - Sounds like you are doing great, other than the slight temp. I suspect the cold you had going into your surgery never quite went away and you are still fighting something. Just drink lots of water and REST!
adove - Welcome. So happy you found us and already feel a sense of community. This can be a bit of a rough surgery to recover from and it's so helpful to be able to share our experiences with one another and find support. Crossing my fingers you get your drains out soon. They are a pain in more ways than one.
Andrea - Prior to my surgery my rads side was pretty tight and "maxed out" in expansion. As you'll recall, I attempted an experimental approach by doing 2 sessions of fat grafting last year to help repair some of the damage from radiation, then had tissue expanders put in last March. I reached an "expansion wall" on my rads side in August, which is when my PS and I decided I needed to move forward with a lat flap. After the surgery, the difference was immediately noticeable. No more tightness, very soft skin, I can move and jiggle the tissue expander (before it was very firm and stationary). I think you'll find the lat flap results in significant improvement om the way you feel.
Sharsalo - Great to hear you are home. Sorry about the drain. That would not be something anyone would want to wake up to. You had T.E.'s placed at the time of your surgery, right? If so, that would account for the heaviness you are feeling in your chest. When I had my T.E.'s placed last March, it felt like I had an elephant on my chest for the first 3-4 days. Very uncomfortable. But, eventually, the pec muscle relaxed which release some of the pressure and the T.E.s were no longer pushing down on my rib cage. And yes, I hear you about the tape. I still have a spot on my back where my drain hole was where the skin is red and irritated from the tape (that was there for 4 weeks). I just keep reminding myself it's all short-term and will eventually heal and go away.
jlow51 - Yay on the removal of the one drain. Just make sure to listen to your doctor's orders and take it easy. Sounds like all is going well for you at this stage in the process.
kfinnigan - Thanks for continuing to provide us with insights on what to expect several months out from this surgery. It gives us all hope.
As for me, I'm still experiencing some soreness, etc, but it all hinges on my level of activty. I haven't gone back to the gym yet. Will probably wait one more week before I start back into any type of exercise routine, then I'll take it really slow. Still learning about my limitations at this stage of the game. My T.E. on the lat side seems to be rubbing against an area that I suspect was full of scar tissue that was removed, so it's going to be awhile before the tenderness goes away. And of course, it's right where the bra band hits, so it's been hard to wear even the lightest of bras (i.e. genie or jockey stretch). So, no tight t-shirts for me unless I have a big ole baggy sweater over the top of it.
For those of you just out of surgery and on pain meds, try Colace for to get your system moving. Worked pretty well for me.
Thinking happy thoughts for all of you on this sunny Saturday morning here in Washington.
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Hi everyone...
Adove welcome...you sound like a whole heap of fun :-), im loving hanging out with all you USA girls, even if our hours don't match up.Loads going on with everyone, whether recovery from recent surgery or a few weeks down the line, plus the experienced crew on hand to advise everyone...wish there was this much support on the UK site. (there is on the chemo threads but not on the surgery threads...)
Ok, so im on my phone & cant scroll back and forth, so apologies for not name checking everyone, I will endeavour to post properly tomorrow.
2Tabbies, hope you get something to move you a bit...over hear we have lactulose, senna tablwets or movicol..all are gentle and effective. No matter how many prunes I ate or upped my fibre, I definitely have to help nature along if im taking pain killers as they "bung me up". Sorry if TMI. Hope the fever drops, maybe its the residue from your cold/flu earlier??. Love that you have proper winter weather, tho not good about the power... still very wet and windy here.
jlow51, woohoo on one drain removal, enjoy the sports bra, wish they'd make pretty ones instead of just functional..ive been wearing one 24/7 since surgery. Mind you, not sure I can wear under-wired ones yet....
Sharsalo, ouch on the drains and mess, hope things settle down and its not restricting you too much.
Raelan wow youre doing fab, ive not done a full week at work yet, upping it to 3 days next week, as much as admin isn't physically demanding, I do find I need to move evry 30 mins or so otherwise I start to stiffen up...
Im almost back to full ROM, although I cant bend sideways very well. Although my scars are numb, I keep getting a real itch on my back but scratching it doesn't seem to help as I cant feel it...weird!! The flap is softening well although is shrinking quite a bit too. At least I know it can be fat filled to match the other one. Oh and my uplifted "good" side has finally become "real" in that theres no pain, the scars are flat and my nipple has normal sensation. Just wish my shoulder didn't feel "stuck", even after a nice hot bath it feels as if someone has grabbed me and wont let go. Im hoping that will resolve itself soon. My side (where muscle fed through) is still tender and a bit puffy, not sure how long that takes to go down...anyone have any thoughts on that?
Ok, well ladies, im off to watch the football then Xfactor..I know how to rock the party ;-).
Care and healing thoughts
x
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Andrea, I had very bad radiation damage which is why they did this surgery on me. I had the divet that was just STUCK there and hard and fat grafting didn't work. My PS said he's seen worse, but agreed I got sizzled pretty good there. Looking back I wish I would have skipped the rads. 2 years later I have one fabulous recon on one side and the other side is totally frankenstein. He really detached all that tissue and patched it up and all sorts of crazy sewing went on. I'm now just waiting for the muscle to atrophy on that side and in February I go back for the next consult. They told me they would do as much as I wanted to get a good result. It's still hard but nowhere near cemented down like it was before this surgery.
I did not have any TEs- all my boobs are my own parts and tissue. I feel like a Rubik's Cube!!!
My surgery was October 3rd and I'm STILL feeling serious stuff. The pain of bending over, reaching and the spot where that drain was for about a month is still kinda sore. It is much more intense than the DIEP.... or maybe I just forgot. Serious stuff. I'm still needing rest. It really taxes you! I don't know how some people do this on BOTH sides too~you guys rock!
The spot where the muscle used to be jiggles too which is really freaky. It feels like a flat balloon. ewwwwwwwwewewewewe.
It's mentally a lot as well.. I just want to put this crap behind me and I'm constantly reminded of it. Honestly I hate looking in the mirror - I know it's still under construction, but it's just ugly and like I said Frankenstein. I miss problem free boobs. I really do.
Someone asked about the lymphedema too- I had slight lymphedema before and it's actually amped it up a bit.... But I'm still fresh out of surgery- I wear a sleeve when it starts to get bad and it seems to keep it at bay pretty well.Still not able to wear a bra at all- I'm doing really good with clothes that hide the lumps and bumps at least. Everyone stares at your chest when they know what you've gone through. lol.
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Thank you Raelan and Mandala for your replies. My new PS was going to do fat grafting last September, but once he got in there, discovered my skin was too thin to accept the fat graphing. I was very disappointed as I've heard it's supposed to help radiated skin. The lat flap is my last hope for a successful reconstruction
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Hello, everyone. Time for my daily check-in. It's good to read about everyone's progress. I'm wondering where Ronna is though. Ronna, if you're reading, let us know how you're doing.
Sharsalo, my surgery buddy! Ugh on the drain opening up! I'm not very squeamish, but some of the stuff that comes out of those drains is definitely gross. Plus, who wants to wake up in a wet spot. I can't sleep on the lat flap side either. Luckily, I usually sleep on the other side, and that's working. I'm also comfortable on my back. Until I start coughing, that is. I still have spasms of coughing from that stupid cold I caught a week ago. They are virtually uncontrollable, cause my incisions to hurt like hell, and don't even help the irritation in my throat go away. The other thing that's bothersome is waking up in the middle of the night after the pain meds have worn off and needing to reposition myself. It's not as excruciating as after the mastectomy, but it's pretty painful. I think I'm going to try to sleep propped up on pillows tonight. Maybe I'll cough less and be able to reposition more easily. I also have the itchiness from tape or incisions or something. It was driving me nuts, but has calmed down a bit today. The other thing that's uncomfortable if feeling like I have an anaconda wrapped around my rib cage. I really hope this is the binder and not muscles squeezing me. They gave me a lot of muscle relaxants in the hospital, but didn't send me home with any. Ouch on punching yourself in your new boob! I've accidentally punched myself in the various places while trying to put on the compression sock I have for my lymphedemic leg. Your poor doggies. My kitties are definitely confused, but ok with it as long as they still get fed. One still tries to walk no me in bed when she thinks it's feeding time. She got shut in the kitchen last night.
On a positive note, my temperature is normal. The fever was probably just a blip from the cold or maybe the trauma of the surgery. Andrea, you're spot on with that. A little rise in temp is common after surgery, or so they told us in nursing school. On another positive note, I am no longer constipated. I dug out the instructions from last year when I had chemo. The oncologist gave me detailed instructions for different levels of constipation. I'd been drinking a senna tea called Smooth Move which hadn't been enough. I took a senna tablet and Colace which was the recommendation for level 1 of my oncologist's instructions. Not only did it work, it overshot the mark, if you get my drift. So I'm not taking anything more until things slow down a bit. Then I may resume the Colace if I'm still taking the narcotic pain meds. I don't really need those during the day, but if I don't take them at night, it feels like the incisions are tearing when I try to move.
Sharsalo, I'm jealous of you on several fronts.
- You've already had a significant fill, and it sounds like your exchange will be before mine. I'm only slightly round. I have about 4 months of fills (and that's even though I don't want to be big) then a 2 month wait before my exchange. What cup size are you aiming for? I'll be a B at most. I was an A or A+, and don't really want to be bigger, but my PS says he thinks a solid B would be good on my frame.
- You may get a drain out early! Oh, how I'd love to get even 1 drain out. They haven't slowed down at all yet, but I'm not surprised since it's only been a few days. The one from the back has the most drainage, and I guess that's common.
- You get to take a shower??!!! Not fair! I'm really jealous of this. I can't take a shower until all the drains are out. Sponge baths, just don't cut it. I feel gross. Nice warm water running over me would be so soothing. Sigh!
Raelan, I can imagine how exhausting it must have been to work full time this week. I hope you're doing as little as possible this weekend. I feel more tired this time than I did after any of my previous surgeries. I think it's a matter of everything from the last year and a half piling up on me. That's why I'm not going to rush going back to work any more than I have to. Did that last year, and I want to be fully recovered this time. Besides, I sure can't go back to work until my brain is clear. I was trying to crochet a simple project yesterday, and had to rip everything out because I'd made so many mistakes.
Artemis, I love our proper winter weather too. I lived in Florida and Arizona, and much prefer a climate with 4 seasons. It's chilly today but sunny. Speaking of numbness, I have way more numbness on my non-lat flap side than I expected. I also have pain that feels like an incision on the shoulder blade on that side. What's up with that? They shouldn't have done anything with that side of my back. Very weird.
Mandala, I know what you mean about a Frankenstein boob. I don't even have all the issues from radiation that you have, but I still feel that way about the one with the flap. When I was in the hospital, I told the PS I was dying to take a look. He stretched the binder out a little and pointed out the flap. He was so cute. He seemed so proud of his work. I didn't tell him that I hate the look of the flap. It's like a small shark took a bite out of me. Just so bizarre looking. Sigh. I know I just have to get over it, but it ain't easy. Somehow that oval scar bothers me way more than the straight horizontal scar on the other side. I guess because it really does look like a patch. As you said, all of this is quite difficult mentally. Getting a reminder every time you look in the mirror doesn't help. I had to chuckle at what you said about keeping people guessing when they stare at your chest. Right on! I'm really glad I should have my exchange before summer though. At least I should be able to hide any oddness in my shape with bulky winter clothing.
Well, I've been my usual verbose self! I'm surprised any of you manage to read all the way through my posts. Time to go relax. I'm getting a bit tired. My apologies if I missed replying to someone. Oh, one more thing. Anybody got any suggestions that will help TMJ? My jaw is really sore. I guess putting in/removing the tube for the anesthesia really tweaked my jaw. It's hard to open my mouth enough to even eat.
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Yes, Raelan, I did get a TE and it does feel very weighty on my chest.
2Tabbies, don't be too jealous – I'm worried that we are moving too fast. I'm worried that my skin is tearing at the incision site. (And I'm not sure how much redness around the incision site is normal.) It has been radiated, and the PS took more skin from my back since the skin at my breast site wasn't flexible enough. I'm a B cup on my left side, and we are trying to match that. My shower was more of a sponge bath really – it's too difficult to properly wash and to move around. I can't stand for too long without getting really tired. I saw the scar on my back today for the first time and it's hideously long and angled downward.
My sister just ran out for some Miralax, Andrea623 -- thanks!
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Sharsalo, I hope all is well. Some redness is normal. I think the incision on my back is going to be pretty long and ugly too, but at least I won't have to see it every time I look in the mirror. I'm glad my surgeon used the angled incision rather than the horizontal one because there's a chance I can hide it under a one piece bathing suit. The other PS I consulted said that there's less stress on the angled one. I hear you on not going too fast. As impatient as I can be, I'm glad my PS seems to take his time.
A piece of gauze fell out of my binder. I threw it away since I had no idea where it went. Then when I was attending to my drains, the binder slipped down a bit, and I noticed there's nothing covering the top part of the back incision except the binder. I'm assuming this is ok. If he'd really wanted it to stay covered with gauze, I assume he'd have taped the gauze down.
I hope the Miralax does the job without overdoing it!
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Hi all,
Whew thought I lost the page, luckily my computer is smarter than I am and it was somehow saved!
Artemis thank you for the welcome, you sound like a hoot too! Though I am a Bahama Mama, come up to FLA for all my treatments and will say that despite everything, I have tried to make a vacation out of all my visits in the last two years!
(Though my desire to eat in every good ethnic restaurant in town whilst I am here, with goo balls attached, was NOT well received by all of my fellow diners! Oops! :P) Glad to hear that your ROM is almost completely back so soon after surgery, I am so hoping this works for me to.. one side of my hair is nicely brushed, the other looks like a bird nest.. oh the memory of lifting my arm comfortably. Hehe I don't think there is such a thing as TMI here, 'bunged up' very civil term btw.. Raelan thank you also for the welcome it so helps to read these posts, see time lines and well, just to know one is not alone during this roller coaster ride of recovery! :P
2Tabbies, I hear you on the anaconda! And glad your temp has evened out.. and that (after a wee overshoot)
you are back to your regular scheduled program for movements.. :P such a down fall of the pain meds! My drains have also barely slowed down! I swear if I have to take them back to the Bahamas I am going to paint them to look like Christmas decorations. I got enough straight out stares when I was bald (we live near a VERY small town in the middle of nowhere! I guess goo balls and balds are quite the anomaly..) I so hear Mandela about reminder looking in the mirror... :P I so feel deformed too.. would also love to put all behind me, tough too I have identical twin and so very much a reminder of what I used to look like.. oh well, like my hubby says, the alternative so much worse.. hugs to you for all you had to endure during radiation..
Andrea, went thru radiation before surgery, and though that side is still somewhat tight for sure I feel more of the pressure where the two drains enter, not so much chest area. Definate difference then having those concrete pads of expanders. I anointed my chest with organic coconut oil daily after my radiation and before surgery, so the PS was very happy with the shape of my skin. I am not doing this now, afraid to soak my incision sites etc but once I am healed there, will start with Coco oil again.. hm maybe oral though.. didn't think of that..
Sharsalo, large drain also a gusher..
time is ticking till my removal deadline on Wensday.. hope all slows down with yours soon! If I missed anyone, sorry, getting dizzy scrolling up, my best wishes for all of you! And thank you again for the welcoming support!
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Hello Everyone!
I had my LD uni surgery back in Oct 2011, but I sometimes find my way back to this thread to see how others are doing. So many of you having surgeries at the same time! I know when I had mine this website was the best at making me feel like all the emotions and symptoms I had were normal.
I had many of the same experiences as you all right after surgery. The drains were the worst part! I had one that stayed for weeks longer than expected and managed to clog...twice. But it was pure freedom to get the last one out.
Three years later I have no problem with range of motion or pain. Sure that side feels different when I do certain things but I can do what I did before with no problems. I wish the same for all of you.
Be sure to take time to let your bodies heal. Rest up and enjoy the time off work and relax!
Happy Healing!
jen
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Evening all,jwilco, great to hear from someone a long way down the line...although 3 years seems an age to me now, i know how quick times goes and look forward to getting to the end of the journey.
Its strange being so numb, i had got used to it on my upper arm and armpit from last yeasr masectomy, but i dont like how my back feels (or doesnt...). I guess it will fel like my back in time.
Oh 2Tabbies, the anaconda for you, a iron corset for me.. ;-). It will all be worth it to be able to wear a vstrappy top next summer and not have to finish it off with a jaunty, subtley placed scarf to cover up the lack of cleavage. Heres hoping i get the fat grafting done before the 2 day British Summer haha....glad to hear things moved finally, bet youre feeling a lot lighter..!
You all seem to have your drains in for quite a while, i wonder if some of the differences between you girls post op and mine is because we dont pay (directly) for our treatment so they don't like to prolong anything more than necessary???. Or maybe the surgery is such that the drains dont drain as much?. Very few women (UK) i've met on this roller coaster have had drains for more than 2 weeks tops. Anyway, i hope the drain situations keep heading in the right direction for you all.
adove, love the idea of festive drains, maybe tie some bells on them too ;-). Ive worked at my ROM, although i still have to move my whole body to stretch out or up as from my waist to shoulder the skins very tight at the side.
My back scar is quite neat, about 8 inches long, and wasnt taped after the 3rd day post op. I massage it several times a day so hopefully it will fade to a fine line. I dont mind that scar, or the one under my uplifted boob & my flap has a neat circle with a horizontal line either side that will in time be part of the nipple reconstruction. The worst bit when i look in the mirror is the puffy tunnelled muscle/skin under the armpit which looks like a roll of dough, and the dips and hollows at the top of the flap.
I dont expect to look like i did pre BC, but i hope one day to be able to look at my reflection anad see something im proud of.
Anyway, back to the office tomorrow, not a full day but still have to iron something, its been nice living in sweats and shirts but time for smart wear now.
Catch you all later.
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Hi, all. I hope you've had a relaxing Sunday. Artemis, it's nearly Monday morning for you. Good luck on your first day back at work. Ironing! Ugh! I love living in sweats and loose shirts.
Adove, you crack me up with the festive "goo balls." I think that's an excellent idea! Maybe I'll decorate mine to look like turkeys since our Thanksgiving holiday is coming up. Where are you going in Florida for your treatments? Miami? I used to live in south Florida. I'd be eating at all the ethnic restaurants if I was there too. I used organic coconut oil on my chest skin to keep it soft also and plan to do that again once I'm healed up enough. I love the smell of that stuff!
Artemis, won't it be nice not to have to hide under scarves, etc.? I'll be so happy to not have to think about breast cancer when I get dressed. I wonder if the timing of drain removal isn't just a difference in protocol between our countries. It seems like you can either leave them in longer, or pull them then have to drain any seromas that occur. I'm not sure either way is faster in the long run. I don't know. I do know that things can vary by country. Over here, it's pretty standard to get tattoos to mark the field for radiation therapy, but that doesn't seem to be the case everywhere else. A woman on another forum I frequent is somewhere in Europe, Germany, I think, and she says they just use marking pens and remark as needed. My RO freaked when I suggested that. I wish my flap was a neat circle that would be hidden by the nipple reconstruction. You're lucky. Mine is a big oval. There isn't going to be any hiding that. It reminds me of the mouth on a sock monkey.
jwilco, thanks for stopping by! It's good to hear you feel good 3 years out.
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jwilco so good to hear you doing well and this is so far behind you! And that you are just as limber as before all of the surgeries.. that is so comforting to think that might be in my future too!
Artemis, Good question on the drains! Just need to get a Canadian lass on this thread and see how all the systems differ! My doc told me when I can pour out under 30ccs in a couple of 24hr periods then I am good to go. Unfortunately I have not had under 60cc's yet.. ughh! I wish someone could just squeeze me like a tube of toothpaste and get it all out one time, but apparently that is not how it works.. Did you do the same exercises that are recommended for cording? I am so the same as you with my movement, feels like they zipped me up in skin two sizes too small on that side. And I have that piece of dough too! My PS said it is does not go down he can go in there and snip some of the muscle off, if I have to get another drain I think I will just live with it! When I lift that arm the tendons (?) under my arm cord so tight that my armpit there becomes a cavern.. anyone experience that? They don't have razors that can navigate a cavern btw, not pretty.. Sorry that might have tipped the TMI scale..
2Tabbies I near spit my coffee across the room! Goo balls painted like Thanksgiving turkeys!
) maybe a little basting brush as an accessory! Hee! I went to ORL, the center used to be MD Anderson, now Orlando Regional or something like that. Flew here every two weeks for chemo.. phew.. But they were excellent all the way around, from my Onc to the first surgeon to my PS. Even the guys that park the cars are always smiling, loved it there. I have so not made up my mind on the nipple reconstruction. I wonder if I can ever get used to the "bare" look? I am able to wear sheer white tees with no bra for the first time ever! I didn't get the skin flap. I guess I am small enough he didn't need the extra skin?Lovely talking to you gals,
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ooh adove, i envy the no bra and t-shirt option, im wearing "granny bras", like ssports bras but do up the front. Because im a Uni recon, even with an uplift on my good boob, theres still a couple of cup sizes difference at the moment, although all being well after some lipo filling etc i will have a matching pair. Dont think ill ever be able to go bra-less, especially with1 nipple, its bound to get cold at some point..!!
Cant believe how quickly the times goes, 6 weeks ago i was just getting out of the op room, drains, catheter, binding, stitches, glue and bruising like you wouldnt believe, especially on my back. 2Tabbies, my back on non-surgery side was pretty sore after my op, i was told it was from being moved/rolled about as a dead weight as well as laying on that side during surgery for several hours. I suppose we never really know what happens once we're out for the count, and while i'm not large, i'm tall and muscular so i don't envy the theatre staff getting me moved about.
Now, im about 80% of my normal self, apparently the tightness will go eventually but takes longer than everything else as its partly because the remaining muscle that WASN'T used in the flap has to be stitched to the fat/skin to keep it in place too so can't move freely.
Being back in the office was ok although ive been working from home for a week, it was a lot harder having to put on the "gam" and work to a schedule rather than at home i have been sopping to stretch etc when i wanted to. I guess it all takes time and im not that patient...plus unless someone has been through it or had close family go through it, its hard to explain the whole post op legacy to colleagues. Yes its good to be free of cancer, but it doesnt mean im not still fighting my way back to how i used to be....
Oh yes, they give you permanent radiation tattoos here too, so i have 4 lovely blue dots that look like blackheads...nice!!
Right guys, hope its been a good Monday for you all.
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Adove, I have that cavernous arm pit on my lat flap side and the tendon that looks like a chicken to me in the front. I hate it! lol It wasn't like that with my mastectomy. With each fill it more and more prominent, my skin is so thin and this TE is over-expanded. My bra won't lay flat due to the shelf the TE has created. I asked my PS about it because I don't like it, he said I had an aggressive mastectomy and that radiation left my skin so thin...
I'm happy to read that most of you aren't experiencing pain. I had pain for a good month after my lat flap. It felt like my nipple (or where one would have been) was being squeezed by a vice and the pain that the TE caused to my rib at the bottom of it.
Happy healing and a big hello to everyone! love reading your accomplishments/stories!
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adove, don't you think the turkey goo balls would be cute? I could put little turkey heads, wings and feet on them! Glad I could provide a laugh. I think my doc's protocol is the drains stay in until they're producing less than 30 cc's in 24 hours also. That's what my breast surgeon did after the mastectomy. I had a bit of that cavernous armpit and tight tendons on one side after my mastectomy. It would improve if I worked on stretching that arm up with some yoga. If I neglected it, it would tighten back up. I'm not sure about it now since I'm not really supposed to stretch my arm overhead like that. I've slowly raised it up, and it doesn't seem too bad which is a bit surprising. I feel like my skin is too small also. It's worst on the lat side but really goes all the way around my rib cage. It's been really bad today. I can feel the lat just pulling from my back around to my chest. My lower back also aches. I was not going to do nipple reconstruction because I never intend to wear a bra again. However, my PS said that the mounds won't seem like real breasts without nipples. He says he can make them flat enough that I won't need a bra. If I end up looking like I have permanently erect nipples, I'm going to park myself in his office until he fixes it. The one plus out of all of this suffering is not ever having to wear a bra. Think of the money I'll save! Bras cost way too much, and some of them are torture devices.
Artemis, maybe you could put a round band aid (plaster?) over your one nipple to flatten it out a bit if you want to go braless. I'm sure the tightness goes away eventually, but it takes a while. I still had a little tightness left from my mastectomy, and that was in August 2013. Most of it was gone though, and I didn't really notice what was left. I definitely think yoga helps. I know what you mean about trying to explain to other people what it's like to go through this post-cancer period. Your active treatments are done. You're cancer free at least as far as anyone knows. So why aren't you completely back to normal? If it were only that easy. Even without several reconstruction procedures, I don't know about you, but I still didn't feel like myself. Maybe never will. I'm not one of those people who says the cancer was a journey, and they learned a lot from it, and it changed them, etc. etc. But it has certainly been a big event in my life, and one that will always be there in the background.
kfinnigan, I hope when you get your permanent implant everything will lay the way it's supposed to and look good. I've seen photos of a lot of women with TE's that really did not look right especially once they were fully expanded. The implants have to look better. I've had some intermittent stabbing and burning pain and something along my ribs which might be what you mentioned was the TE pushing against your rib. The only time it's been bad is when I wake up at night and try to reposition myself in bed. The pain meds have worn off by then, and it can be bad. Still not as excruciating as after my mastectomy though. Trying to move in bed then made my chest feel like someone had poured acid on it.
Good evening, everyone.
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2tabbies- my PS said he didn't understand women like me who didn't want nipples. He said "...but don't do it for me." (Lol. Don't worry,..I won't ) My reasons are the same as yours and I will go with 3D tattoos.
I have a minor bit of cording in my left armpit which causes the tightening. YouTube 'cording' interesting videos and therapy techniques. Funny to see it's usually found in thin women. I am not thin!
I went out shopping for a recliner to sleep in after surgery. Good lord they are big;It's like putting a Volkswagen in your living room! I ended up with a new couch that has 3 built-in recliners.
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Just wanted to share that I've had a little bit of a set back over the last few days. About two weeks following exchange, suddenly developed swelling, hardening & discomfort with the left breast. Saw my PS immediately, & she thought either seroma or hematoma, & sent me to a radiologist interventionalist to drain. She wasn't going to try in the office w/out a guided ultrasound or CT scan in fear of puncturing the implant. 500+cc's were aspirated using a CT scan, radiologist not able to get it all, & it was evident that I developed a hematoma. My PS does not want to sit & wait to see if my body absorbs the rest since this could potentially lead to capsular contracture. So, I'm going back into surgery tomorrow for her to clean out & insert another implant. Not major, about an hour procedure, but was feeling really good, & now feel like I have to set the clock back 3 weeks & start all over on the left side. It could be worse, but I'm a little bummed.
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DPiggy, how scary! I am bummed for you. Best wishes for a wonderful outcome and pray this does the trick! Do you have to start over with your recovery time? Keep us posted!! sending hugs and positive vibes your way. You're my hero!
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Oh DPiggy, I'm sorry! I know it's disappointing to have a set back, but if it prevents further problems down the road, it's for the best. Hugs!
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