TE TROUBLE
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Good news, momof3! I just have gauze taped over mine--no big protectors to try & hide.
Thanks for wishing me luck, Ren. Everything went well!
Hope you are doing okay, LeeA & Bonseye!
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I had big protectors that I wore as long as I could stand to. Mine really flattened out but that is fine too.
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Binc - they used the muscle when they replaced my TE... good luck with this and please keep up posted.
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Thanks for the responses re: reusing the muscle for TE replacement. It seems I always fall into the exception to the way things are normally done- lol!
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Drains are out--yeah! PS wants to see me one more time and then SHE is finished with me. Told me next year is a new year and to go see someone else. SHE is aware that I am thinking about NOLA and PRMA. Now, moving forward. I do not miss the TE and my hubby and daughter said my attitude was greatly improved when the TE came out. Next year will bring new adventures along with decisions. I do have 3 chemo left plus 33 rads. The rads do scare me b/c I only had 15 days in Waterloo, Ontario in 2005 and it was a breeze. But I am relieved that I can find a positive mood in all this since August 2012. I wish everyone a nice calm holiday month. Love, Kat. And I do not know what I would do w/o this board!!
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akrazykat - yay for no drains! Glad you are feeling better!
dll - glad all went OK!
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My tissue expander was removed today and then replaced. I didn't get to talk to the PS but my husband did. Beforehand, he said there was a chance he wouldn't be able to replace it today but apparently it wasn't as bad in there as he thought.
I'm finally down to one drain (a new one on the right with a larger tube) but in more pain than I anticipated.
Two syringes of dilaudid in the IV fluid post-surgery and a double dose of Norco before leaving the hospital. I've had one hydrocodone here at home and DH just picked up the Norco that the PS prescribed today.
The home nurse is here right now to administer the Vancomycin.
Congrats on no more drains, Akrazykat!
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LeeA: That is great you got to keep the TE. Get lots of rest, hope you feel better soon!
Hugs to all who are recovering from nips or tatts or TEs or implants!
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Rennasus, I plan on taking it much easier this time around. My original surgery was November 7 and perhaps I didn't throttle back as much as I should have. I'm strongly right-handed so I might have overdone it.
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I Finally have a date for TE replacement! January 9th! It will be 7 months from the last time my TE had to be removed. This will be the third time I traveled this journey. I'm looking forward to it and frightened at the same time.
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1Curlyfry - Have you had problems with one side only?
I hope the third time is the charm for you!
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Ren- wow my exchange did not go as planned. I went in on Wednesday at 0600, got into my preop room, by 0630 was in the process of getting iv and blood drawn. I showed up for my surgery but my veins did not. I got stuck 6 times before they were able to find a viable vein. Finally get into surgery all went as planned there, my PS was able to Lipo 500ccs off of each side to make my new boobs look good on my chest and sides. Thank goodness. The real fun started in the recovery room. Most recovery time is 45-60 mins mine lasted 6 hrs. My O2 sats kept dropping whenever I would fall asleep. My lowest was 87. I was finally taken back to my preop room where I would remain for the next 3 hrs. In all I spent 12.5 hrs at the hospital for my exchange surgery.
So I am 4 days postop and I feel good. Very bruised from the lipo but dont hurt a bit from the exchange at all. They definitely feel a whole lot different from the TE's. I had my DH look at one of the drains last night because it looked like it was coming out. He rubbed on the new girl and said that feels so weird. Lol I told him he was used to feeling the TE's. I sleep a lot right now, I'm sleeping anywhere from 12-15 hrs a day, I feel like a lazy bum. I know that rest is the quickest way to recover, so I plan on doing just that.
Leea- hope you are doing well with your TE replacement. Get lots of rest!0 -
My nipple protectors kept falling off. When I saw the PS, he took a round sponge makeup remover pad, cut a hole in the middle and told me to use them. Worked like a charm and only needed a little tape.
SpecialK...we have Almost the same surgery schedule early on. Between December 3, 2010 and february 28, I had two surgical biopsies, one ultrasound biopsy, an MRI, and a mastectomy, interviewed four oncologists, two breast surgeons, and one plastic surgeon (liked him so much, I stopped). Of course in the middle of all that, I was doing continual research, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and sent myself into panic disorder.
When I look back, some years are a blur, but the details of the past two years are ingrained. Probably because I had to repeat them to doctors so often.0 -
Wasn't sure where to post this, but I am going to the dr today for possible pneumonia. I currently have tissue expanders. Is it safe to get an x-ray?
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Xrays shouldn't be any problem, you can't have MRI's with tissue expanders and not all doctors know this because I saw an infectious disease doctor for cellulitis of breast with tissue expander and he wanted to send me for an MRI and seemed unaware that it couldn't be done until I told him.
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Hi ladies, I am new to this thread and I would like to share a little bit of info. To those of you having pain from TE fills, if you have access to a hot tub, Jacuzi or especially an indoor pool, PLEASE give this a try. I have a right side TE and I am at 450 cc, planning to finish up at 500 next week. I had cramping and muscle spasms and nothing really helped. My family has a membership at a wellness center with an indoor heated therapy pool, and I cannot tell you how much it helped with my pain. Once I was in the pool and weightless for about 15 min the pain went away. I was able to do stretching exercises without everything hurting, and felt so much better when I finished up about 30 min later. I did take 2 Ibuprofen about 20 min before. I think this same relief can be achieved in a hot tub (no too hot) or a Jacuzi tub with soft jetting. Just wanted to pass this along and I wish the best for all of you!
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dsanford thanks for the tip...I will try that. Anything to help with these things...they are awful
i posted a new thread but no responses
so I will try here. Anyone have back issues (lower back pain) with reconstruction (TE's) I find when i walk around a bit more than usual I have such bad lower back pain. I am assuming this is because my posture in off and i am probably rolling my shoulders in response to the heaviness/tightness of these TE'sanyone feel the same???? what did you do about it???? i have a physio appt next week which i hope will address these issues
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Hi rozem, I'm sorry you're having back problems. I have been having some upper back/shoulder pain, I think from tension from the TEs. I have been going to restorative yoga and it has been a great help. It's very different from regular yoga, and is designed for people with injuries, so it's very gentle. If it's offered in your area I highly recommend it. Hope you're feeling better soon!
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dsanford - Sorry to jump in here, but I just wanted to add a little caution here. Anyone considering a hot tub, pool, or even the tub at home - be sure you have the OK from your plastic surgeon first. If you are in the earlier stages of TE fills and still have healing incisions from surgery then bathtubs, pools, and hot tubs are usually a great big no-no. There's a possiblity of developing an infection along the surgical incisions.
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Hot tubs are also a risk for the develoment of lymphedema. For those with back and shoulder/shoulder blade pain, this is pretty common during TEs and expansion. You are displacing the pectoral muscle and all those muscles feel that pull because the TE are so hard. I had a lot of neck and shoulder pain that dissipated with exchange.
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Should have been more clear, sorry. Didn't mean with fresh incisions etc. By all means consult your physician first. Just saying it was helpful for me.
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Hi to all! I am bad remembering names, sorry. I had my fourth chemo today and two to go!! I have been in contact with New Orleans and San Antonio. I really would like to find a center closer to home that have great-caring surgeons with the numbers! So for now, I am concentrating on getting through chemo and radiation. I dread the 33 days of radiation then chemo. I only did half the amount in Canada in 2005 and really don't understand the 33 days. I need claification before mid-February. Any ideas out there? I have spoken to my MO about how uncomfortable I am with the the RO and he is going to see if I can get another consult but mentioned that there was only three on staff. My INR is being stubborn this time to get to the level it needs. I am in good spirits though and have found a therapist!! I dread the begining of the insurance year. Sorry about the rambling. Kat
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akrazykat - I am betting it is 25 (5 weeks at 5 days a week) and 8 boosts - that would equal 33. Yay on the chemo progress, at least you are o the downhill part - #5 was tough for me but we had a family wedding 2 days after the chemo, #6 was a piece of cake, the SEs from all the other tx never happened.
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Lifechanging...I had an MRI with my expanders in. I asked the question then and while I can't remember exactly what they said, it wasnt a problem. Maybe the metal part was small enough that it didn't make a difference?
Not sure, but I had one.0 -
Well never mind life, I think it might have been after my implants were in and right before fat grafting when I felt another lump.
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Fluffqueen - funny that MRIs are OK but I beeped going through the metal detector in the airport - even with just one expander!
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Hello everyone. I am not having trouble with TE just have a question. I had surgery Dec 3 bmx and TE put in both sides. The side that had the cancer looks way different then the non cancer side. Under my arm is swollen and there is a gap between the arm and where the breast was looks like a valley. I saw PS yesterday and she said it will look different because I had the lumpectomy scar there but I had not seen it facing front until the night time when I showered. Drains were removed yesterday I was thankful for that.
I am curious is this normal to look so different between the 2 sides and once the filling beings will it put something there where that gap is. I almost passed out when I saw this and did not want my husband to see it - he said it was okay but I would not let him look.
Michelle
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maa - TEs look weird at first, that is pretty normal. I can't address the lumpectomy issue because I went straight to BMX but I did have a bunch of skin excisions and had the TE removed, it was out for a while, then replaced. The TE did not look like each other nor were they in the same position on my chest. I was amazed at how much symmetry was achieved at exchange. Ask your PS about what to expect as you go throughthe fill process, and then also how your lumpectomy area will look at exchange. I am sure your doc has had a number of ladies who have had lumpectomy first, then proceeded on to MX/BMX, so he or she should be able to answer that question. Best of luck to you!
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Has anyone had their skin reject the dissolvable stitches? I am 8 weeks out from TE installment and still can't get a fill. 2 weeks in a row I went in to get a fill and doc had to work on removing stitches. If we had waited she said it would take months for them to fully reject., but now that skin has been broken, infection is the concern. Let me know if anyone has had this. Thanks!
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Exchange to squishies is now complete! Had to stay overnight due to anesthesia complications, but came home this morning. The pain is not nearly as significant as I thought it would be (maybe because I'm "just tough", as my PS told me several months ago). Can't wait to take the bandages off Friday night or Saturday morning to see how the foobs look.
Blessings and prayers to all of you.
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