TE TROUBLE
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I lost my left te to infection and just finished chemo, so will be getting it replaced soon. I have just been using my MX camisol with the fluff boobies. I have one partially filled boobette on the right, so it needs help too. I didn't want to waste money on a real prosthetic knowing it would be temporary, and I really did not go out that much anyway. I didn't really miss it either. But maybe because I was stuck at home because of diarrhea. LOL much love.
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moon - your post just made me laugh - not at you - but at your sense of humor with regard to not being too concerned about the fluff boobs because of the diarrhea keeping you home. Love it. Hope things are calming down in that department - you know I sympathize.
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Specialk, no offence taken! It really IS funny when the choice is really NO choice, LOL. I mean, I am still in diapers 6 weeks PFC., and if I didn't laugh, is be a big ball of mess oh, wait, I was a big ball of mess the other day. Another washer load..... LOL. But, MO cut back on the magnesium so am hoping for better now. Still crap! Literally. LOL.
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Lauren, there are a lot of online places that sell prosthetic "foobs" if you don't have any in your area. Also, it should be covered under insurance - I got a really nice set that normally would have been about $200 each. I went for 6 months with no TE on the right side and the prosthetics were amazing. Made me feel whole again - well, almost whole.
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Thanks for today's posts ladies- they made me chuckle -especially the bit about getting a foob from a transvestite store! I never would have thought of that! Unfortunately I can't even consider wearing a foob until the grand canyon on my chest closes. The more I think about it, the more pissed I get at my PS. This packed open wound thing just made a bad situation worse for me both physically and mentally- and since no one else on this board had this, I'm guessing it wasn't really necessary. But then, I didn't go to med school, so I guess I need to trust the process, as much as it sucks! . . . When it does heal, I plan to go the fluffy fill route to even out my lopsidedness. I don't want to invest too much money in it since (I hope) it will be temporary. We'll see.
Lauren- when I had my mastectomy I ordered a camisole from a company called Softees. It came with foobs that can be adjusted by removing (or adding) some fill. I don't know if you can consider it high quality, but it might be a decent temporary solution. Better than a sock, I think ;-)0 -
Lauren, I too own a softee, I use it at night, it is looser than my amoena that I wear during the day- the amoena fluffy foobs are a bit nicer and hold their shape better, I wear the softee at night more as a "bumper" from the cats than for esthetic purposes! LOL
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Excellent suggestions, ladies...Thank you so much! Right now my right side looks like a canyon! Yikes!
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Rosetx....so sorry for more waiting! Sounds like some good advice for you here.
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Binc - Hi, I don't know if you got my PM response? I'm the one Renn referred to who did wound packing after nipple-sparing MX. Packing is used for many types of surgical wounds. I never lost my TE, but came close a few times when my PS thought my TE might be exposed. At one point they excised yet again to get fresh margins and stitched everything closed. However, the wound was too deep and when the stitches were removed it just popped back open. Packing the wound was upsetting, gross, and very surreal - but, it worked because it healed from the inside out. I hope you can trust that your PS believes this is the best way to help your particular wound to heal.
Please hang in there. I wish you all the best.
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Cindy - Thanks for the response. Sometimes I think the incisisions look better, sometimes not. I'm going to try to wait until my next appt. on Monday so that the PS can tell for sure if it's progressing as it should or not. Perhaps we'll have a better idea of what direction to go then. I'm sure you are counting the days until your exchange date. Great news!
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TinaT, thanks for giving Binc hope! I have been thinking about you Binc, and asked my PS yesterday if she ever had to do the open wound healing on a patient and she said yes but she mentioned how "unpleasant" it was for her patient.
Binc, how are you feeling today? gentle ((((((hug))))) monkey me
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Thanks TinaT and GreenMonkey! TinaT- just saw your pm response too. Thanks for taking the time to do that. The packing thing really is surreal and gross- but I do think it is closing. I had to change the packing by myself for the first time this morning - I survived and didn't even gag! I took lots of deep breaths though. I think my husband does a much better job than me. I guess healing from the inside out does make sense, but it really is a horrible process- or maybe I'm a lot more of a whimp than I thought! Anyway, thanks again for the support. I go back to my ps Thursday, so I guess then I'll l have a better idea of how well this is working.
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I feel like such a wimp. I did not have the problems you strong ladies are posting about but since I am the only one in this household that underwent bilateral mast and never noticed before how much my boobs helped me do everything in the house I am feeling undone about how the expander feels. I had surgery 3 weeks and 5 days ago. I don't even know how much fluid they put in if any! It is just so uncomfortable but no redness, leakage or swelling. I no longer feel like a football player with pads but it's still tight. There is a slight darkish area under left breast that seems to be getting better. PS wants to see me in a week to see how healing is progressing before starting to fill them up. My concern is the center area between boob mounds, feels like someone is branding me at times. Is that the expander pushing on my rib cage or something? PS has us changing dressing daily still and using xeroform with DSD. Have to wear those special bras 24/7 also. Normal?
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Binc - So glad you feel things are going better. You aren't being wimpy at all. You are being incredibly brave and doing what you have to do to get the incredible final results you want. Hugs!
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Binc - That's really encouraging! Mine took several weeks before I could see any progress at all, then it was slow and steady. After you pack it yourself a few times it should get a little easier - just say "Ew, Ew, Ew, Ew......." as you're doing it
.Surgery: NSBMX Feb 2011 for ILC and DCIS - More lobular neoplasia and multiple foci ADH in same breast found at surgery - Oncotype DX = 18 (No Chemo)
Dx 12/8/2010, ILC, <1cm, Stage Ib, Grade 1, 0/1 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-Surgery 02/16/2011 Mastectomy (Both); Lymph Node Removal: Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (Left)Hormonal Therapy 04/15/2011 ArimidexSurgery 08/14/2011 Reconstruction: Breast implants (permanent) (Both)0 -
DigitalCowgirl
Sorry for only now getting back to you. I took a bad fall with a glass in my hand and so had to do the ER thing, stitches and the whole bit. It's aways something and I am such a klutz. Anyway, I can at least type with one hand now.
The sore throat is not unusual and during BMX you mostly likely had "real" general anesthesia and were intubated to control breathing, mostly likely with a GlideScope or the like, not LMA, and it caused the irritation.
My guess is that your ENT is not going to be doing surgery, but rather an upper endoscopy which as a diagnostic procedure to see what is going on there. It will be done in an OR suite but not really surgery. Not to say you won't have surgery based on what he finds.
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zh - sounds pretty normal! I did not have a bra requirement with TEs after BMX. You should be able to determine if you had a surgical fill in your TE by obtaining a copy of the surgical report, or asking your PS at the next appt.
Mondays - stay upright girl!!! Glad you are OK!
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Hi gals,
This is really good discussion and information. I was under the impression I could do pretty much what I normally do the day after exchange. I had better plan on taking it easy for a while. Thanks!
MondaysChild, I am so sorry you fell and cut yourself. You don't need the extra stress with all you are going thru. Hope you recover quickly....it's really hard to type with one hand
Thanks also for the info on my throat. My ENT is one who does not communicate much and I feel I put him out when I ask questions. He also gets a little huffy with simple questions, but the guy is one of the best ENTs in the West, so I just put up with him. I'll find out more tomorrow morning because I insisted on a pre-op appointment since he hates to talk on the phone. I really have no idea what I'm in for.....all he said was he thinks I have a salivary gland tumor, ICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he needs to put me out for the exam.
Then tomorrow afternoon I see my BS for another fill--she just called to ask me to come in a day earlier. I am going to tell her to do a small fill because it took me 2 weeks to recover from 130 cc fill on each side. Yawzas! And of course I keep running into my side boobs and hurting myself. Now that's a real klutz!
Hope everyone is doing better and coping with their TEs and/or exchanges well.
Hugs to all.
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That does sound like an upper endoscopy for that. A little extreme to be speculating on a tumor for a cancer patient, for crying out loud. Just what you need. Anyway, I had one done once and it is an easy procedure. You will be fine and I hope it diagnoses and easy fix.
As to typing with one hand, now I know what the pervs have to go though. Bwahahaha.
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MondaysChild - Ooooooh nooooooo!!!!! I hate it when that happens....hope you heal quickly!!!!
As to typing with one hand, now I know what the pervs have to go though. Bwahahaha.
OMG - I just got it!!!!!!
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okay i have a new question. i went to the ps today and got my second fill. im now at 540cc. hes trying to take me to 800. since my surgery ive had this terrible sharp pain on the right side. that was the side of the cancer, and the snb. at first i thought the pain was the drains. then i thought it was the incision hole of the drains healing up. i asked the doc and he said it was probably scar tissue and to massage it. so tonight when i was getting ready for bed i did, with my arm up on the wall massage where i feel the pain to be and it was GROSS. i can feel two chords in me! they're like tendons or stitches of some kind or something...WHAT IS THIS??
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LOL @ Mondayschild , comment, NOT the stiches, hope those heal quick. ! Digital, hope your endoscope goes well. Ch, please wait til.you feel like you ate ready for a fill, remember you control that! Binc, congrats on handling your packing of your wound by yourself, amazing the things we learn to do with BC! Much love to all.
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NanG, it could be cording. Gentle massage and gentle stretching, with emphasis on gentle, will eventually lessen that symptom. My cording occurred from my elbow into my hand, but my physical therapist felt cording in my upper arm. I have seen pictures of cording in the upper arm and armpit area. You can google cording and find some pictures of it. The cords are supposedly lymphatic vessels that are doing something funky as a result of surgeons messing about with the nodes.
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i saw another post about mondors chords. the pics online look exactly like what im feeling.
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Hi everyone,
Finally, I start PT on Thursday. My range of motion is awful, I have muscle pain in my arms, and my strength is pretty pathetic. But the implants look great!
Lauren - so sorry you lost your TE. My PS wanted me to wear a soft foam prosthetic when I lost my right TE. Found mine at the American Cancer Society website - it had removable filling so I could adjust the size to balance it out with my other side.
Binc - where do I start? I hope things are getting a little better every day with your recovery. Are you getting any help with your wound care?
Moon - what are fluffy foobs? By the way, you make me laugh.
GM - hooray on the squishes - no way on the scratched cornea!
MT - hope that red spot is gone!
DM - happy to hear Kaiser is great!
Curly - my one year for my dx is next month....
Renn - how are you doing?
Tina - I've heard some women take muscle relaxers before the fill and that night. Have you asked you PS about that?
Nan G and Dune - this is the first time I heard of chording.
Special K, Fluff, DLL, Chick, Mom of 3, BCAvenger- Hope all is well on your end.
Okay, I've taken up enough space!
Good night!
T
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NanG: I developed cording after my BMX b/c I didn't use my right arm for so long while I was trying to heal. After my TE was taken out, I started PT twice a week and went for 3 months. No more cording! Ask your doctor about sending you for physical therapy!
TinaT: Thanks for the reply to poor Binc! Nothing like another sistah who has been down the same road to help make matters better!
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Tatina, fluffy foobs are the light weight fluff filled fake boobs in my MX camisol, they are adjustable by removing the fluffy fill to the amount you want.
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I found the fluffy foob to be very adaptable too - it was lightweight and didn't pull down the one side of a bra when I only had the right TE like the heavy prosthetic did. I could add or subtract the fluffy part - kind of like lamb's wool - to augment the newly replaced TE until both sides were equal.
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NanG - I had some minor cording under my left armpit (my SNB side) right after my BMX. I also had a small seroma in that area. I told my PS, and he wasn't too concerned.
When I was being evaluated for LE, the PT felt around and said yes, it was minor cording, but it would probably go away on its own. She gave me some "stroking" kind of exercises to do, but honestly, I didn't do them because there was no pain...just like a taught rope underneath the skin.
Both the cording and the seroma went away on their own.
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Moon-so I was wearing a fluffly foob and I never knew what it was called. I learned another BC recon word. Thanks!
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