TE TROUBLE
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Roadwarrior, you are on the surgery schedule above!
BCAvenger, refresh my meory with what happened to your IMF. Was there one and the implant broke it down? I am dealing with a similar situation with my left side (which had always been the 'good' side); after exchange, the IMF did not take and that foob is SO much lower than my problem child righty (whichhas yet to drop). I have a PT eval this afternoon so will see what they have to say. I suspect a revision on lefty is in my future but I can't even contemplate the thought just yet!
SpecialK (and GreenMonkey and anyone else who has FGing): I know I have asked before, but time has passed so I have to ask again... was/is the fat grafting really worth all the pain and healing and inconvenience? (Can you tell I really need to be talked into this one?)
PS My rash is gone... I'm using steroid cream and I switched to completely benign soap and conditioner and I see the dermo end of next week for an update on what (if anything) grew in the petri dish.
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Hi Renn - What is IMF? I haven't heard that acronym before. Left implant is great, perfect. It's dropped nicely and looks like a 'normal' boob. You know how you get that natural droop and you can cup your breast? That's what it does. The right side expander ruptured in August. I went in every few days to have my dr refill it back up. She was able to bump up the exchange for the right side. She felt the skin was stretched enough to fit the implant. The implant fit, barely. She had to due some scar revision so I had less skin to work with. I've been in for checkups and it's softening and squishy like the left. It has dropped but I don't have a droop under it. It's like if you put a pillow under your sheets and then pulled the sheets tight over your bed. There's a hump but no indentations on either side to indicate a pillow is there! That's the best way I can explain it. My dr isn't too worried. She said, she will most likely will go back in, take the implant out and cut into the pocket (I don't remember all the technical stuff but it sounded right) and put the implant back in. She said that should hopefully cause the implant to have that natural droop. It's a slightly different shape than my left too. It appears to be wider like a hamburger bun? Where as the left is nice and rounded. She measured them and they are the same size and symmetrical. I think it's the pocket that is causing that. She is also going to lipo out my left side more. When she did the right side, she sucked me out good. It's flat on that side. I can barely pinch any skin on that side. My left I can pinch about an inch. I don't carry my weight on top as much as my bottom so it's noticeable. I've lost a lot of weight since then (about 50 pounds) and have built alot of muscle, it's helped but I'm still lopsided as far as skin is concerned on my sides. She may also do lipo on my thighs and use that for fat grafting on my chest. I have indents right above my implants where my pecs are. It's concaved still some. She said she would do some contouring on my thighs if she did that. I see her next week so we will talk about that some more. It didn't sound like she was going to charge me for the extra time she would lipo for. I don't want alot done though. I originally was thinking my inner and outer thighs (saddlebags). She explained why the inner thigh would be tricky and that scares me. But if she could widdle my saddlebags down some, I would be happy with that. Again, I don't want alot done but as my old body is coming back, it just looks like the fat has melted and hanging off my sides there! And if she's taking fat for my chest, she's gonna be in there anyway, right?
Does that answer your question? I can take pictures and send them to you. I see her on the 9th so I'll know more then.
SpecialK, walking is great and if you go back on detox or modify it slightly, you'll be fine!
Michelle
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ren - I would do fat grafting again in a hot second. He lipo-ed the upper abs, lower abs, hips and lower back, then spun the fat and injected it above the implants to fill in the hollows. I have a bony chest so those divots above the implants were noticeable and I had a very distinct step-off, so both of those things were greatly improved. PS says it will take 6 months to determine what is permanent, as some of the fat re-absorbs. I had very little pain, the healing is mostly taking place under the skin - I have very little bruising remaining and it has been less than 3 weeks. The biggest pain is having to wear compression 24/7 for 8 weeks, and no working out except walking. This was a super easy surgery - the incisions look like he went straight in with a 15 blade, not even 1/4 inch and he stitched with internal dissolving stitches and then glued over the top. All incisions look great and will never show once healed.
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Ren...ditto what SpecialK said, but I didn't have any stitches except a spot where he put one in. Love it, my abs and the filling above he foob.
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Brownlee, our surgery dates are 2 days apart. I'm experiencing the same tightness and pain. I'm pretty tough when it comes to pain as well, but this is a constant too tight corset feeling. My first fill isn't til the 15th. Not sure if it will help or get worse. I'd like to not be on pain meds forever either. Good luck to you. I understand!
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Needs some quick advice...Slept on a heating pad for my back, apparently I rolled over on it in my sleep and now have a a second degree burn on the right expander side,however I did not know I was burned until I felt pain at the top of the breast near the port...The area is healing okay...I am still experiencing pain at the top of the breast and when I feel it it has a round mass feeling that I am not sure was there before,but it feels like the port and the extension of the port..mind you the area that I am speaking of never became red and wasn't the object of being burned.The outer tip of the breast received the burn.I was wondering has anyone had anything similar happen and IWasThinking Is This Referred Pain,due to the fact that I cannot feel the burn at the site.I was put on antibiotic for 7days BTW this happen Xmas morning.....FYI do not fall asleep on a heating pad...EVER
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psalms - oh no! So sorry this happened! Have you seen a doc?
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Yes, I went one day after the occurrence and was put on antibiotics for 7 days, although no infection was present.
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Hello! They did rescheduled a surgery due to my viral infection...It will be January 22, somebody had a cancellation... I hope, everything will be OK now...Keep my fingers crossed. Stay home on a sick leave.
Special K, nice to hear from you! Thank you, everyone, for the advice!
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olgah - glad you got a new date and it is not too far away, but far enough that you will be well!
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Went in for pre-admission stuff yesterday and got put through the ringer - EKG, blood panels, echocardiogram, and so on. Stopping my Tamoxifen today - next Friday, surgery day, cannot come soon enough!
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FAT GRAFTING - I had mine done on 12/13 and I have to say I had A LOT of discomfort. I was miserable for about 12 days. Not in pain if I didn't move but getting in and out of bed, or out of a chair or the car was pure hell. I had fat taken from my waist and thighs. I forgot to ask how much she took out. My PS said next time she'd take it from my thighs only - less pain because it doesn't involve the muscle.
I took arnica pre and after surgery. I bruised a lot but it went away quickly. But I am still tender.
My PS wasn't strict about the compression garment - said it wouldn't effect the overall outcome. They are all so different. Said it would take 3 months to know if it sticks. My PS also doesn't like to use the fat from the stomach (???). I love her so I listen.
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roadwarrior, BEST OF LUCK to you on the 11th!
as for the veins, they have to use my foot and I always insist that the anesthesiologist does it. Also, the more hydrated the better so I suck up the coconut water - a lot of it - and it helps. The sooner you start it the better. I typically start a week before. I also have a picture on my phone where they have the best success with finding a vein and I show that too them
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olgah, soooo glad you got a new date!
what a relief! now you can rest up and feel 100%0 -
Renn, your rash is gone. THAT is GRRRREAT! what a relief. I'm so happy for you. What soap did you switch to?
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GM: I'm using Aveeno bar soap. And some odd hair conditioner with a 5.5 ph that contains no soap or anything harsh. It doesn't do much for my hair tho... will be searching for a different product.
I spoke a little too soon on the rash being gone... I didn't use the steroid cream today and a new spot popped up tonight. I see Dermo on Wednesday.
Psalms, so sorry about the burn! Keep an eye on it, I know you will! Let us know if anything changes.
Olgah, I pushed back your surgery on the list to the 22nd. Fingers crossed you are in the clear by then!
We have 3 TE's being put in this week: Binc, 1CurleyFry and RoadWarrior. Go Girls!
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Renn, I missed the post on your rash. Where was it? I had one after my expanders were re placed. It was a really bad one. I had to see a couple different docs. Finally saw my skin cancer demo specialist as I don't have a dermatologist. I begged him to check it out. My PS was worried I was rejecting the new implants. He thought it was contact related, put me on a strong steroid ointment for one week. Said not to use it after that as it can thin the skin. It cured the rash, but I did have to touch up periodically until implants went in. No idea to this day what caused it.
Our goal was to get to exchange without failure and we made it.0 -
Thank you! I have a question. Does anybody know how to watch a movie Living PROOF ( it is LMN, and I don't have many TV channels, just Internet) free? It is about Herceptin research with Renee Zelweger.
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Road-congrats, and good luck with the TE, and getting an IV! Before you go in, ask for a few blankets that they keep in the warmer, they help out wonderfully! Good luck!!
Annemarie
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olgah - Renee Zellweger isn't in the movie - she produced it. The movie chronicles the making of the drug, and Dr. Slamon's struggles to bring it to the market. You can stream it on Netflix on your computer, or maybe on Hulu.
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Thank you! I thought, may be for us it could be free on some breast cancer site...They could do it for us, why not? Or LMN could put it free together with free murders movies...I am just thinking...
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olgah - it looks like hulu has a one week free trial
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Checked Netflix - they only have Living Proof on DVD, not streaming
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Rennasus I thought I should be on an antiobiotic too. I have a moderate staph infection. My PS had an Infectious Disease doctor at their hospital look at me and they both decided no antiobiotics. I see my PS on January 18th.
I am feeling good. I have no fever. I am still a little bit tender in the area. But I think some of that is that I have no TE or anything there to support my skin.
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Road, thank you, I don't know if I like to buy DVD...I don't even know if I will like the movie, I hope it is not cheesy...I just want to watch it, I don't know why, weird...Did anybody see it?
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olgah - I have seen the movie - I rented it from Netflix (by DVD in the mail) and my DH watched it with me. It is a good depiction of how dedicated Dr. Slamon is and how much he believed in the benefits of Herceptin, and also how hard he had to fight to get the drug approved. Not an Academy Award winner, but I felt that as a Her2+ woman, I wanted to know this story. The commitment of the women in the trials and the benefit Herceptin provided me (hopefully!) is one of the reasons I participated in the Her2+ vaccine trial myself.
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wait a minute...special K...wasn't vaccine trial , like 10 years ago?
Your DX, 2010, right? So Herceptin I was getting now is different, then vaccine for trial for HER2? I thought movie was about HERCEPTIN...Is is vaccine there? I am confused
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olgah - yes for Herceptin the trials were a long time ago - you are getting the same drug I did. I just did a new vaccine trial that helps prevent recurrence for Her2+ - the vaccine in the trial would be given after patients are done with Herceptin.
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tHANK YOU! I want the vaccine too.How to do it?.Unfortunally, NETFLIX is gone, all we have is Blockbuster...
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Well, after reading so many of the posts here, I was still optimistic that I was going to be one of the successful posters here. And if implants didn't work out, I always had other options. Right?
After having a lumpectomy and rads five years ago on right breast, I was diagnosed with BC again in left breast - ILC. I opted for DMX and TE's, thinking that I would be one of the lucky ones despite having had rad before. Afterall, it had been 5 years and I "looked good" and my skin had taken radiation especially well. Two doctors thought I would be a good candidate to try.
Surgery and TE's put in Dec 3. Pain and drugged, but went home Dec 5 quite hopeful. Back in hospital Dec 7 with high fever, severe pain in chest. Treated with IV antibiotics. Back to surgery to check things out. Removed TE's. Raging fevers and severe pain. One of my physicians talking about moving me to ICU. Blood transfusions. Back to surgery two more times. After that, procedures in my hospital room. YUCK. Finally, home Dec 24.
It's now January 7 and I am still at home on a wound vac and still taking antibiotics.I know I am a candidate for other types of reconstruction down the road, but stick a fork in me, I am done.
I salute and admire all of you who persevere, and I know I could always change my mind, but at this point, it is what it is, and I am who I am. ME. I accept myself and like myself boobs or no boobs. I might not like the look of my chest, but I will still like myself and enjoy the life I am living. Besides, my husband freaks out at the thought of more surgery and will continue to love me sans boobs or foobs.
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