TE TROUBLE
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DM - yay!
yay for Binc and Road too!
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DM13-CONGRATULATIONS...so glad that you are recovering nicely..I wanted to let everyone know that my exchange to squishes is Wed, March 27,2013..my question is how is it determine what type of implant is put in?
Special K I know that you know the language, I have seen is posted but I believe that has been over one year ago...Help anyone.When I talk to my surgeon I want to be informed0 -
psalms - Yay! It has been a long road for you! I would recommend that you go to the "Breast Implant 101" thread and give whippetmom the info she has posted in the thread header. Tell her what TEs you have, and the stats (height, weight, ribcage, etc.) and also what you want to look like - cup size. She will advise you on possible sizes and brands - she is the implant guru! She has a vast knowledge of all things implant - I did this and her advice to me was spot on. Wish you the best!!!
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The left corner (right corner facing) of my right tissue expander has me kind of worried. It pokes out and it seems so close beneath the skin. I guess I need to read up on this so I can understand the physiology of the placement but it is so pronounced that I worry that it might compromise the integrity of the skin. The left side (cancer side) isn't a problem.
Perhaps this sharp corner will resolve itself as more saline is injected.
I had the impression the tissue expanders were behind the pectoral muscle but that surely isn't the case given the way this corner is poking out.
Has anyone else had a weird corner/edge? I'm not worried about it from an appearance standpoint because I realize they're minimally filled, aren't permanent and still don't even come close to resembling breasts.
I'm seeing the plastic surgeon next Friday so I'll definitely be asking him about it. Also, I'm thinking I'll need liposuction in what I've come to think of as the swampy areas below my underarms and extending around to the back.
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Thank You Special K I will do just what you advised.....
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LeeA - You may be surprised at how thin pectoral muscles are. I can feel the seams of my silicone implants through the pectoral muscle. I happen to have genetically thin pecs but undoubtedly your TEs are under the pec muscle. If you had skin sparing the skin itself really doesn't need to be stretched, but the pec does because this is not natural placement. You may be feeling an edge that is peeking through muscle but it is most likely just a thin area of the muscle itself.
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hi guys
why is my TE migrating under my arm? I have also developed cording under that arm - what the heck is going on ? i feel like i have 2 ropes under my pit
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psalms91: YAY! I added you to the surgery list.
LeeA: I agree with SpecialK, I too can feel the ridge of my implant edge under my thin skin. What you are experiencing (I think) is normal.
rozem: I developed cording under my arm on one side after MX and then again after all my TE troubles. Physical therapy helps. TE's often migrate to the arm pits. During exchange your PS will ensure that doesn't happen to your implants, but mention this when you see him/her so they are aware. Agin, very normal.
DM: So sorry to hear you had to have a drain, and that is pretty wild that they didn't remove all your breast tissue on the noncancer side. Geez. Aren't you glad you switched doctors? I am! Hang in there, hopefully the hernia repair pain will ease. try not to be too active, that tends to increase drain output. ;-)
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Ladies - thank you for all the advice. For now I will concentrate on chemo completion. Number 2 of 4 AC on Wednesday. Then 12 weeks of Taxol. Will check back in June. Congrats to those who are getting the exchanges.
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Hello all -
I've been paging through here trying to find some info. So many pages in this thread! I imagine all of you can answer this for me. I had a BMX, nipples not spared but apparently plenty of skin spared. These TEs have been in for about 5 weeks and only have about 220cc of fill. They have never NOT hurt. I feel like I have large hot clamps on my chest constantly. When I get fills, they feel fuller, but don't hurt more.....they just constantly hurt. I see that women have worn these things for almost a year in some cases. I'm expecting maybe a couple more months. I've been assuming all these feelings are normal, but I've started to wonder lately. When I drink cold or warm, I feel the temperature move right through my pec muscles. When I go out in the cold or see/hear something cringworthy, my pecs clamp down like massive rubber bands. I've been able to sleep on my side with a giant pillow wrapped around my breasts. I really don't want to be whiny, as I've seen some terribly painful stories in this thread. I just want to know - does all of this sound normal to everyone? Thanks for any info/advice.
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SpecialK and Rennasus -
Thanks for your input on this. I did some google image searching and found this drawing just now.
http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/clinical_procedures/1271089-1273132-1851090-1879510tn.jpg
The PS had trouble with the Alloderm on my right side so perhaps he went without Alloderm when he went back in to remove the tissue expander. He did say that my right side had not meshed together correctly with the sterile Alloderm (a new product).
This pointy spot is near the inframmamary fold. It looks like they use Alloderm as a means of propping up the tissue expander from below.
Also, from this site, I can see what you mean about the pectoral muscle not being very thick, SpecialK:
http://www.breastcancer.org/illustrations/i0035
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Rozem, re: migrating tissue expanders - I have to dredge this up from the memory bank from several weeks ago but I recall my PS mentioning drifting expanders. He indicated that he didn't think it would be a problem with the Sientras (which is what I have). I must have had an oh no look on my face because he said that even when it does happen there's no danger involved with it. Again, I'm trying to remember exactly what he said but fuzzy minds and all that...
You've had such an ordeal with your expanders.
Have you checked out the implant sizing thread? There are so many great posts there and a frequent discussion seems to come up about the width of the actual implant.
I think the tissue expander on my right side feels wider than the one on my left side but that's the one they had to go in and replace and the surgery was scheduled last minute. I have no idea if hospitals have all these different tissue expanders in stock or not. My guess is - they don't. I envision them coming from a central warehouse on an as-needed basis.
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LeeA~As my fills went on, I noticed some weird things going on too, they never really bothered me (until today when I tripped going UP the stairs)...when I look down, I can see the seem, rippling in the cleavage, and on the left, it has migrated to under my armpit, but nothing really poking out any place. Alien life forms!! lol!! It is what it is! If it does'nt hurt, I just leave it be. Going in for exchange on Wed the 6th! Can't wait!
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Renn- you're right- that's exactly where my pain is. I had to look up what IMF stands for (probably should have known that by now! ) but it makes sense. Thanks for educating me!
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nesc...if I am out in the cold and start to shiver (a rare thing given my hot flashes), my pecs tighten up too and it feels weird. The right one is the worst.
I can't help you with the TE pain, as I didn't ahve too much. A little tightness and minor pain on fill day sometimes, but I just took one muscle relaxer and by the time it wore off, everything was fine.
I am pretty small, although you wouldn't know it by the bra size I wear now. I was large before and didn't want to be that big again.
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nesw...I had my TE placed on November 26...it has hurt every day since then and is worse after fills. I have bad muscle spasms and pain that goes to my shoulder blade. I only have one fill left and my exchange is booked for April so Im just trying to deal with it til then. I read all these posts on this thread and am thankful the only problem I have is pain.
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nesw - I think the absence of breast tissue around the pec muscle makes it seem more sensitive to hot or cold things. Some of us had our TEs for a long time - I definitely didn't have them the longest, but mine were in (or at least one of them, lol!) 16 months - hang in there!
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annemarieh - what's cleavage?
On a more serious note, when you had about 200cc did everything still look dented and misshapen? My fills have been very slow coming due to an infection.
The infection is why I've gotten a bit nervous about this protrusion. I know it's the tissue filter because I can take my fingers and feel the outline - I just didn't expect it to protrude to the point that it makes the skin a bit lighter.
I'm seeing the PS Friday and am scheduled for a fill. I'm hoping the additional fluid will make its way down to this corner.
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LeeA~I actually started noticing it more as the fills went on. My left side is still dented, banged up, dips and valleys. The pocket is way up high...I HATE IT. I actually asked him, PS, if he was going to make it LOOK like a boob. Don't think he liked that. It actually looked worse when I had about only 200 in. I also had necrotic tissue on that side, as to where I needed surg revision to close it. Weird things happen with these TEs!! See what your PS says.
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On my site with the red spot from pseudomonas, my replacement one was always a weird shape. Mine weren't uneven that I noticed, but the right one wasnt breast shaped at all. It was much wider too.
There was one area that I could feel the expander edge easily. I could feel really cold drinks also. I always wondered if it had something to do with lymph node and surgery stuff. Never thought about it being implant related.0 -
My doctor asked me to come in on Friday, as he said I was having too much drainage in drain...
He said that when he was inserting the drain, he accidentally opened a vein... he said he tried his best to cauterize it... says I will have to keep drain in longer than planned.
I am now worried about when he removes drain... I hope the vein doesn't open up again...
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DM - Sorry to hear that! At least he let you know what was going on!
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Hello everyone, I can also feel the ridges in fact I can feel the whole outline of the TE. I have had my second last fill at 600 cc and another to go next week, probably 50 cc. The skin feels really tight now. I have not experienced any pain but my skin is thin especially at the incision so I hope it holds and does not open.
My righty was reduced and lifted at Mx but it is still bigger than the TE. Just hope that at exchange it all evens out. I know my PS is planning liposuction and fat injections as I can see a huge divot.
Has anyone used bio oil for the incision scar? I have been waiting for the incision to heal completely and feel that now may be the time to try something to help with the scar line. My scar is very long and even though I had skin sparing it does not look pretty in fact it is quite scary to look at.
I checked the picture forum and some of the implant reconstructions looked really great so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will all come together eventually.
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Lola....it will all come together. The outer area that he had to reopen a few times for removal, replace and finally implants has a way to go, but it is much more recent. The inside incision looks really good.
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Lola- my PS told me that Bio Oil is great!
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Thank you DM13, I purchased some bio oil today, at this stage I am willing to try anything to improve my Frankenscar!
Will let you know how I go! Thanks again.
Best Lola.
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DM13, I can't believe PS opened a vein by mistake ... but I gotta give him props for telling you that. They are usually not so honest! Is there blood in your drains? Are you in pain from him taking out the remaining breast tissue?
Tomorrow I see my PS about this rash (after seeing dermo last week about it). It goes away for several days or even a week, then comes back. Will post more after I speak with him. (Understatement!) I had my BMX two years ago yesterday, and there hasn't been a day in those 2 years when I wasn't dealing with TEs or some complication or inbetween stage. This is getting old. Old, I tell you, OLD!!!
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ooh Renn I feel for you - 2 years and still ongoing. Heck I did not realize that the implant process is so involved and really so complex. I just wonder sometimes if I had been better going with the tram or diep. Only went with TE as I had UMX and the tissue for tram can only be used once.
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Ren - the blood in drain has gotten dark and thick, I have to strip the line several times a day. I am thinking he will remove it tomorrow when I go in for my post op. I emailed him re: worries of vein reopening, and he doesn't seem to think it will be a problem... Says if it does, he can repair it on the spot with very little issue.
I do have some pain from the drain and loss of tissue. Nothing like the original BMX which I think was made worse by the TEs. Overall I am feeling great. Should be cleared to drive tomorrow!
I've heard so many of the gals from this thread say that with the exchange came instant relief... It's true! Even with loss of tissue, and tons of pocket work on my bad side... I feel relief, I almost feel like there will be a day when I can be myself again and do the things I used to do! Ren- I wish you were feeling that too! I'm so sorry for your continued nightmare!!! Lets do coffee soon
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YA WHOO!!! They are coming out tomorrow!!!!
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Is it normal for the TE's to fill and expand at different rates? My non-cancer side is much fuller and rounder than the other. I'm curious when they will start to become more symmetrical? I'm at about 280cc.
Nesw, the tight, squeezing pain is constant for me too. I also have the shooting pain from my neck to my shoulder blade too. My only reprieve is a hot bath. I feel you, hang it there!
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