TE TROUBLE
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Heyas
Had my exchange Thursday and got home last last night - the difference is huge already. The implants are so much softer, I don't have the squashing/crushing pain on my chest and I feel so much better about myself and things (ok, so the last one might be due to the drugs).
The TEs are vile things, but I think I'm going to be happy with my new squishes.
Wishing everyone here gets the same relief and comfort
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Thank you, bonseye. I've heard from a few others who have TRAM or DIEP. My doctor confirmed for me in email he is recommending DIEP, not TRAM. The surgery is longer, but he beleives easier on me and better results expected. I am going to a class next week they call Image Reborn, that goes over all the procedures and options. My husband will go with me. We then go back to the PS on 11/29 to make our decision and schedule surgery. I really think I'm going to do the DIEP. It was what I wanted in the first place. I really did not ever want TE and implants. I feel like I have wasted a year messing with TE and implants and I'm starting over. But, I have been cancer free for that year, soooooo.....
I'm not going to complain.
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jmemama, andrea623: I too have a little pea-sized thingy on my noncancer side. It feels like it may be the edge of my implant. Both my MO and PCP felt it last week and said it was nothing. I see my PS tomorrow and will ask him too. Let us know what yours say!
blondedoris: Glad you feel relief post-exchange and thanks for stopping by, always nice to hear good experiences.
Shechirple: A class on recon one year after MX sounds like perfect timing. It's so hard to make these decisions right after a cancer diagnosis. Although I know you feel you have wasted the past year b/c you have to start over, you'll be able to make a truly informed decision b/c you have experience behind you now and have had time to process. Let us know how it goes.
Haven't heard lately from some of you ladies who had so much trouble ... hello to DM13, ShaeG45, Moonflwr912, Katarina, Binc, Orange73, jill47 — how are y'all?? And Tatina123, did you have your consult with the vivacious Vinnie? What about GreenMonkey, BCavenger, 1CurleyFry, MTnester, Olgah34, how are you guys doing? Anyone else I may have missed, please let us know how you're feeling. No news is often good news on these boards, and we love to hear good news!!
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hi ladies
question about TE's - maybe im just feeling like these will never be comfortable but i feel like mine are too big for my frame. How do they decide how big a TE to give you (circumference) i feel like mine go under the arm and pretty high up my chest. My PS is one of the best so i would assume he gave me the right size but i am just trying to find a reason why these are so uncomfortable. I have an appt w him tomorrow and will be asking him to SHOW ME the different sizes
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rozem, mine were not so painful, but they were always tight, hard, and it was hard to take deep breaths. I was convinced that I would never be comfortable. Mine stayed that way until exchange. My first set of te's were under my armpits too. The second set, he changed up when I showed up in a bra that was totally padded and said I do not want to be bigger than this. The new set wasnt as wide, but close. I also had to go smaller due to thin skin from the infection.
Special K, the second time I had fat grafting, he said he had a hard time finding enough fat in my abs. I didn't need a lot though.
I have a spot also, right at the edge of the incision line on the cancer side that is a pea sized lump. I am assuming it is scar tissue, since I had a pet scan about six weeks ago that was clear. I am trying not to go running into the office but am keeping an eye on it.0 -
Hello everyone - I pop in and out here. I am back-reading now. Lots going on with everyone.
I noticed that as I approached week 7 post op - new implants with alloderm - my "dropping and fluffing" occurred. My IMF stayed put (thank dog) but implants drooped. This would be fine if I didn't start to detect that rippling across the top inner side. Especially on my left. It's not horrible but I see it. And my doctor did too when I showed her at yesterdays appointment. I also have some hallowing out on my left side.
my implants feel heavy. I feel like I'll continue to droop and that the rippling will get worse. my PS said I have "thin skin" and that my "skin stretches easily" even though I've never received radiation or been on steroids. "Thin Skin" sure does fit my personality. And I suppose this is all part of my irish heritage.
anyway... what to do about it?... I want to try and fix it before the end of the year when I will be facing insurance changes and new deductables.
This means, back in for yet another surgery. I have yet to receive my date. This time they'll take fat from me (muffin tops) and stuff it into the areas of concern and I'll get my nipples with the alloderm in them.
Do I think the fat injections will be a permanent fix???? NO
What about everyone else? What can you tell me? I'm guessing the lipo to get the fat is a painful recovery.
I'm still wearing a surgical bra 24/7. I'm feeling so.... discouraged. Now everything feels like its my fault. Me and my thin, stretchy skin. At least before I could blame DICDOC for f*cking up my reconstruction.
We also talked about, down the road, doing fat implants and not the silicone implants. I have heard about this here at breastcancer.org, but I haven't done any research on it yet.
The pain from my suturing along the IMF is much better. It took such a long time and I'm told that is because of all the suturing. PS said, my skin is so thin, that at times, I tore when she was stitching me and that "SHE DID A LOT OF SUTURING" so it was not a suprise to her that I was in pain for such an extended period of time.
It didn't stop me from going to New Orleans during Halloween week with my daughter and a friend for 7 days of incredible music. I now have a swollen knee from all the dancing and walking and it causes me to walk with a limp. One surgery at a time. I don't plan on having it looked at until the new year and the new insurance kicks in.
thanks for listening and allowing me to feel sorry for myself. (if only for a little while).
Shannon
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Bonseye, I have to ask .... who is your plastic surgeon? Excellent advice - PICK A GOOD PLASTIC SURGEON!! And make sure, if you're at a big teaching hospital like MSK, that the surgeon you pick will actually do the surgery. STAPH, SHINGLES and a BROKEN ANKLE!!! wow!!!!!!!
SpecialK, I see you're also getting fat grafting. Is this your first?
MoMo and DLL, your getting nips!!! yippy!!!!
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regarding fat grafting - my ps said something about fat from different areas reacts differently and that she recommended taking fat from my sides, or the back of my legs but not my abdomen. I haven't done any research on it so I don't know what to think. I'm told FG is temporary. It holds better if done in small doses. ????
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Hi- my incision opened up, and I am scheduled for implant removal tomorrow at 1pm. I am taking a break from all of this.
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Greenmonkey--My plastic surgeon is Dr Peter Hyans at Summit Medical Group. He is just so amazing! My friend used a different doctor and then fixed her implants 3 years later and she had wished she used my surgeon. If you go to www.summitmedicalgroup.com and under H you can look him up or under plastic surgery. He is quite an artist! After my RO at MSK saw my implant on one side and TRAM on the other she said it was the best surgery she ever saw! I am amazed myself
Feel free to send me a private message with any questions you may have.Blessings.....
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My...Reconstruction...FAILED.....I had to have emergency Surgery to remove the TE.....after it was removed I felt so much better I found a site called Breast-Free and that is how I go.....so this works for me....Liz
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Let's just say I really belong to this club. After my exchange surgery October 25 I developed a staph infection that required me to have emergency surgery last Thursday on my FBC breast. The one JP drain I still had last Thursday felt really sore. I had a fever and my breast turned red and was warm to the touch. When I saw my PS he said the expander and allograft needed to come out right away. So that is my new story. The silver lining is that I can take a shower tonight. My PS said we are going to take it real slow as to what we are doing next. Good luck to everyone else here with our fun problems.
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Jmemama and Andrea623
I had the exact same thing about one month after I began expanding. It hurt like the devil. When I went in for my appointment, the nurse and then my PS had the same immediate reaction, Oh it's just a stitch, give it time. They were 100% right. It got slightly larger, then suddenly one day it was just gone. Depending on the suture material, it can take anywhere from days to weeks to months to fully dissolve.
I always find it fascinating how fixated I have gotten with my breasts and every little change.0 -
Question: I am having a pain on my left breast (cancer side), it feels like it is bruised but don't see any visible bruising and it feels like maybe its starting to swell. The bra I'm wearing for now the cup just feels very tight around it. It sometimes feels like maybe I pulled a muscle, but I don't think I did. Could this possibly be a seroma?
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Chrisrenee7: Lymphodema springs to mind. If you feel this way tomorrow and you look swollen, put in a call to your PS and see if he thinks a referral to a lymph specialist is in order, if only for a baseline. Many other ladies here have gone through this, SpecialK being one of them, I'm sure she will chime in. Good luck.
LynMichel, I am so sorry to hear this! You are not alone. many other ladies here have also had infections and had to have their TEs (and sometimes their implants) removed and replaced. Hang in there. Feel free to rant all you want. What you are going through sucks big time.
Fluffqueen: Today I saw my PS and asked HIM to feel the pea-sized lumps (I now have two of them). This is doc #3 to feel them. All of them said scar tissue. I didn't push for further testing b/c I think they're right. But I am keeping an eye (or a finger, as it were) on them and will demand testing if they get bigger.
Redinrah: Oh no! Did the incision open up enough to expose the implant? How long ago did you have your exchange? I'll add you to the list above.
Sandcastle... I hear you. I've dealt with so much recon crap that I swear, anything else goes wrong and I think I'd be right there with you. Thanks for sharing.
Bonseye: Sounds like you got lucky with your PS! It's so important to choose the right person, but so impossible to know in the throws of BC if you're making the right choice.
Rosem: What you are experiencing is very normal. Let us know what your PS says to hopefully help ease your mind.
Greenmonkey: My PS wants to do FGing on me too. Have to say, having the alloderm placed on righty at the time of exchange means I do not have ANY rippling. Of course, righty has yet to drop. Lefty did not have alloderm, and dropped immediately, and I too have that hollowness in the upper pole. A push-up bra will fix that, I'm sure, that is if I ever get these new foobs into one. With the healing and now with the ringworm, I still have been unable to get fitted so have been going commando. PS You rock for going to NOLA to party! Can't keep a good monkey down!!
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Green monkey - Today is my 1 year post exchange anniversary. Wow can't believe it has been a year. With my initial exchange I had rippling in about a month. It was on the inside, cleavage, area. My PS said an easy fix with fat grafting. He required we wait 3 months for fg to see if anything else changed. By February one had dropped lower then the other. So when we did the fat grafting at the end of February he revised the one that had dropped lower, adding more alloderm. He only took fat from my belly. He only recommended taking fat from my belly. Said the exact opposite of your PS. Still boggles my mind how they are so different. My fg recovery was the most painful of all my surgeries (BMX, TE replacement, implant, FG/implant revision). I was in significant pain for about 3 days and moderate pain for a week. I was back to substitute teaching preschoolers in about 3 weeks but if one of them bumped me wrong it hurt.
Anyways....1 year out from exchange and 9 months from fg I still feel like they look good enough. No rippling yet.
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Hi- I'm at hospital now having my implant removed, originally it was put in jan and it was replaced in may due to incision not healing and same thing is happening now. I'm taking it off an not considering recon for sometime now, if ever. I may just want to have the other one removed too. And just be happy this way.
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redninrah fellow cdn here...i hear you loud and clear, there is only so much we are willing to endure for boobs. I am wanting these TE's out myself.
thanks for the suggestions ladies. The PS wants me to do some physio to help loosen things up...he really wants me to try this before i throw in the towel. My options are pretty limited if these TE's dont work out. Not a candidate for diep plus im not cuttingup any more body parts for boobs - i already did the lat flap and thats more than enough.
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red, so sorry to hear of your continued healing issues.
rozem, call me crazy if you want, but I personally would never have given up on reconstruction. I totally get it when people say "enough is enough", but I was never willing to quit & neither was my PS (thank goodness).
Chrisrenee, let us know how you are doing & if you figure out what is going on.
GM, sorry to hear that you are having thin-skin issues. I am about 4 months away from some fat-grafting as well.
My PS' office called this am with an opening to move up my nips procedure to tomorrow, but I already have an appt w/my MO. Nice of them to offer, though!
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Thanks Ren and DLL, I called my PS yesterday and they said if it still feels the way it did yesterday, they want me to call on Thursday for an appointment. So I will probably be calling tomorrow because today it hurts like hell. I have been on Levaquin and Bactrim for a month now, I was on it the first time because I had a red boob from hell. It was hot, bright red and tender to the touch. The second time was a week later because it wasn't getting better. PS determined it was just the way my skin was going to react to the stretching as TE's were being stretched. I got off the last dose on Tuesday, woke up on Wednesday with a sinus infection went to PS and he put me on Levaquin and Diflucan for a week. So you would think that any infection I have/had would not survive right??? I will be calling him tomorrow to get in. I'm miserable.
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Chrisrenee77 - I was also on Bactrim and another antibiotic for over a month, and when they removed my TE, the infection was still there. Sometimes antibiotics are ineffective in getting rid of the bacteria because TE is a foreign body - my PS told me that from the get go.
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roadwarrior- I know that infection can still exist but you would think that after longterm antibiotics it wouldn't be there. I've thought what if it's MRSA? Would that mean that I could lose the TE and have to start over again? Just a pity party for myself, I haven't had one in a while.
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I'm sorry Chrisrenee - hope everything works out for you! Is this your first TE or a redo?
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roadwarrior- this is my first and hopefully the ONLY one. I will be fine, like I said just feeling sorry for myself today. You know it's hard to focus at work when there is crap going on.
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im home!!! TE out, and i actually feel so much better already.
I am seriously considering a masecotmy in the other boob and ending all of this once and for all, who needs recon!!!
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Hi all, can anyone give me an idea of how long an incision takes to heal once the implant is out? It's been a yr since I've had one on in and due to incisions opening up, I'm hoping I don't have the same trouble with the implant out?? Can anyone give me some feedback who has been in this boat.
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My incision healed quickly once the implant was out. My PS excised some of the skin that would not heal on my rads side, but I have lat flaps for better circulation.
Hope you heal quickly, red!
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Red I'm so sorry. Keep your head up. Your body needs to heal for a while.
DLL - you wouldn't happen to have UHC insurance, would you? It's a very scary thing going on in the Tampa bay area between BayCare, Mease, Morton Plant and United HC. They have come to a stalemate on contract negotiations, and I have been notified that UHC may not cover my BS Dr. Blumencranz, my general practioner (regular doc), and the hospital where all of my reconstruction surgeries are done. I certainly hope that these people come to a resolution, because it's not fair to so many people. Nov. 26th is the deadline, and my nipple surgery is supposed to be on Dec. 6th. Scary.
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momof3, I am so sorry to hear that! I buy my own insurance through BCBS of FL, but I appreciate the thought. Hope things work out for you with UHC.
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Chrisrenee7: A friend of mine developed Staph/MRSA after she had her implant surgery. She was 6 weeks out when she developed hot red spot on her one foob. Her PS took her into surgery immediately, removed the implant, flushed everything with antibiotic fluid, and put the implant back in. She has been on antibiotics for at least 6 weeks post-surgery. Roadwarrior is right, taking antibiotics does not always kill all the infection. Let us know what your PS says. You may need to get a 2nd opinion here. These infections are nothing to mess with. {{{hugs}}}
Redninrah: Glad you are home and feeling better already. I too had incision healing issues, and when I had my TE taken out, I healed up for the first time without incident. I can't recall how long exactly, but it wasn't a long time. I hear you on being over the whole recon thing. I would say heal up from this surgery and see how you feel in a few months. Once you get your body back to being healed and you are feeling stronger, you may feel differently.
Chickadee: Is your tummy flatter from the FGing? Or do you not notice a difference from where it was taken?
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