TE TROUBLE
Comments
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roadwarrior, good to hear the moving post is common. Its the unknow that is so unsettling, when you have nurses doing the fills telling you opposite info.
nesw-my te on the prior radiated breast tissue is the problem child, it is 3 times harder than the left, it is solid, hard to massage lumpy rockys, no give whatsoever. the port use to be 12oo at the top of my chest, it is now so low it is about 1 1/2 inch from nipple area. To me it looks the same, as far as the skin/muscle wrinkles, due to the large te. I had hope he was going to use alloderm, but he decided not to at the first surgery to give the nipple sparring all the blood supply. I had thought it would have pushed the wrinkles out by now. I am filled 450cc in a 700 cc implant. I am not sure my radiated muscle will make it to the 700+ mark.
olgah-I am very sorry you do not like your foobs, maybe it is too soon to be worried, time could allow for lots of good changes. I understand how we all want to love our new foobs after all we had to go through to get the dang things.
Nancy
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greencowgirl - my PS said that as the TE is filled it changes the position of the port for filling. He used a little finder gizmo to know where it was each time - said this is normal. I had skin healing issues on my non-cancer side - skin necrosis caused numerous surgeries. I did not have radiation but we handled the left side much as if it had been. I had small fills of 25ccs each and did make it to 575 on that side. I actually have a 600cc implant there and ended up a 34DD in an underwire bra, visually a full C cup.
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yesterday started leaking through incision...oh, no!
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olgah - have you contacted your doctor?
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I did, they told me to put gauze on it and keep it clean, and let them know if anything changes...I will see them on Wed. I also have chills and some rash around drains, because I am allergic to adhesives....they also tod me to milk the drains more often...this operation recovery is not easy at all...
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olgah - I am so sorry - you have had such a struggle, I wish something could be easy for you! Please keep us posted on your progress.
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Oh Olgah! I'm so sorry. Do you have swelling on the side that is leaking? Is it red? It could just be a build-up of fluid (which is what I struggled with for months). Your PS will be able to tell you if he suspects infection. Take your temperature, notice any differences, and please don't be afraid to bug your doctor. You have been through enough, I agree with SpecialK, you need a break! Sending {{{hugs}}}.
Psalms, I added you to the surgery list. Regarding your question about not feeling like your medical team is looking after you, I kinda know what you mean. I did not have chemo, "just" BMX and Tamoxifen, and I often feel like, Hey, I had cancer over here! Why aren't you as worried as I am? Maybe some other ladies will chime in here, but I know what you mean. I make lists and pepper my doctors with a litany of questions every time I see them.
It is my understanding that the tumor marker test for BC is only appropriate for advanced stage cancer b/c it gives too many false positives and false negatives to be used as a screening device for recurrence. That leaves us with checking ourselves for lumps and bumps, but beyond that, what do you guys do (or what do your doctors do?) to alleviate your recurrence concerns? Thanks for bringing up this issue, Psalms91, I suspect many ladies will relate.
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Special K - I'm going on Tuesday (4/30) to my consult at the tattoo place in Oldsmar, if you want to come? His name is John Hashey and is supposedly very well known.
It's been a while since I've been on. I seem to have some kind of compressed nerve in my shoulder/neck area. I've seen PS and Onco, and demanded PT to see if they could help. Onco also recommended massage therapy. Once I started the massages, I finally got feeling back in my index finger. It was weird, just a pins and needles zinging down my left arm into my finger. It's been 6 weeks and it's gradually getting better. The docs and PT think it stems from all of the surgeries. I don't know what I did, but it sure is frustrating!
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Re screening-my old docs did blood work every 3 months. not sure what they were looking for and they never had any red flags go up. the new guy did blood work the first time I saw him, but when I see him in a few weeks no blood work. Not sure it's because I have hit the 2 yr mark or because he doesn't believe in it.
Re fills - my port moved, and my ps too used a gizmo to find it. That didn't prevent it though from foliding over itself leading to my TE troubles.
I don't get on here much anymore either. I think about you ladies often though. I just hit the two year mark last week. Seems like eons ago. Olgah so sorry for all your troubles.
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momof3 - Not sure of my schedule next week yet - my DD is graduating from USF the afternoon of 5/3 and we are having a bunch of family and a big party, with the first arrivals on Thurs. I may be in crazy mode by Tues, lol! Do you have a specific appt. time? I also have hair/nail appts. on Tues.
chick - hey! Congrats on the two year mark! Hope you are doing well.
My onc has always done tumor markers, but that may also be because I had positive nodes. I have moved from every three month appts. to every 6 months, and it has been 2 1/2 years since diagnosis.
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Good morning! Thank God I feel better. They removed drains , left breast still bigger and red, but he thinks it is OK...He always says redness is because of radiation, but I never had one...I hope it goes away with time...I will see him in 2 months. Still not raising arms above my head. Yesterday I went to Kohls to get Sport bra( I have to wear it constantly) and did not understand how to buy bra...I got exsausted. Soft breast makes me feel weird.Everyone asks: are you happy? no
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Breast cancer divorce
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Off topic of TE trouble....my bras have not been fitting great for a few months. I got them about a month after my exchange, so almost 17 months ago. I went to Victoria secret both times. Not the best place, I know, but one of the only places available to me here in bismarck. Back them they measured me at a 34c. Today they got me at a 34DD! Anyone else have a jump in size like that as time went on?
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it's been awhile since I've been on here too... MoMo, I think we had our surgeries around the same time (or one of them) I am also having problem with nerve or frozen shoulder something weird on my left side - limited movement, pain and numbness in my fingers (but the numbness comes and goes). Need to have that looked at.
Olga, oh no! damn.... but so glad you are feeling better. It's such a frustrating process no matter which way we go. It's like a dance sometimes, one step forward, two steps back...
I had another surgery on Tuesday 4/23. I was very, VERY unhappy with my fat grafting - my thighs looked deformed (you could see the cannula path and then I had a missing hole of fat) so... my PS took more fat out to try and even it out. This time I will do as Special K did and wear the compression garment for 6 to 8 weeks. I also had 5 areas of skin cancer removed - 2 of them are melanoma's and one is troublesome (on my collar bone).
overall.... I'm miserable.
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GREENMONKEY: Melanoma? OMG girl you need to catch a break. Seriously sending you HUGS!! Also sorry to hear you had to go back in for FG surgery! What is the followup on the melanoma like? Did they get clear margins? OY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CHICKADEE: Hey girl! I have yet to have a bra fitting, need to put that on my to-do list. So I have no insight for you other than to say hello! MOMOF3 and SPECIALK: Hello to you guys too!
OLGAH: Glad the drain is out. Keep eating 100 g's of protein a day and drinking your water and taking your walks! I sound like a mother hen.
1CURLYFRY: Your exchange is coming up this week! How are you feeling?
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GM - glad you are going to wear the compression - I saw your post on another thread re: fatgrafting and I thought about nagging you, so I am glad you decided to do it on your own. lol! I have had a significant number of skin cancers also - three just before I started chemo, and two more sine, and I had probably 15 before I was dx'ed with BC. All of mine have been basal cell carcinomas - melanoma is serious business, but there is also a potential link between it and BC. So, now I will nag you about sunscreen....
ren - I am in the mother hen club now too!
chick - I measured a 34DD from the start, but don't look it. I did the fitting at Nordstrom - they were very thorough. Do you think you are smaller, or maybe the bras didn't hold up to laundering and you were not accurately measured? I sometimes wonder if the salespeople at VS are qualified. I did go in there but it was sort of haphazard - try this one and if it fits good!
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Olgah, so sorry about your problems. Regarding the look of the girls, that can change over the next three months a fair amount. I had to wear the surgical bra for a long time and then move over to the sports bra. Seems like I wore some kid of thing 24/7 for three or four months.
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chick.. count me in as a DD, also. I waited for four months before going for a fitting at Nordstroms. 34-36 DD. Couldn't believe it. Went to Barbra's bra store...same story. I think it is because of the width. some styles don't work as well as I don't have excessive upper pole, so I have to keep checking different styles.
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Thanks guys. I believe we are all about the same size implant. I know Fluff and I are. She actually got me at a 34D but didn't like the way it looked so put me in DD. This lady knew what she was doing it seemed. She only works the fitting room, not the floor. I was much more comfortable walking around in the DD yesterday then the C. I guess in the end that is all that mattered, the size just seemed so big! Escepiallt going from an A pre BC!
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chick - glad you got a good fitter at VS, all the ones at my local store look like they are in high school! I found the DD size shocking, but I think it is so the wire goes all the way around the implant and doesn't sit on top of it in any way.
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I was a little unnerved when the Nordstrom lady waltzed into the fitting room with me and helped me put them on an adjust. It was a little too up close and personal for me, lol. But she did a good job.
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SpecialK, I have not been in the sun since my early 30's. As a teen I used to put iodine in baby oil and bake in it. I also used to use suntanning beds - commercial and also at the dermatologist office only there it was UVA rays only to treat alopecia. My first melanoma was in 2000. since then, I've had 12 basal cells removed. Now, I'm all about big floppy hats, sunblock and parasols. Still waiting for my biopsy results hoping for clean margins!
As for the bra fitting advice, that makes sense SpecialK, about the correct positioning of the wire.
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GM - same for me - the first basal cell for me was when I was 35, and I am 56 now - between 35 and about 40 I didn't have any more and did not go out in the sun, between 40 and 45 I had a couple but in the last 10 years I have had at least one a year, sometimes two or three, and I am so careful about the sun my Vitamin D level was in the dumper! I definitely remember the iodine and baby oil thing - I grew up in California where the sun shines all year - now I live in Florida, lots of sun I can't go out in!
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Tomorrow is my big day, getting new squishy foobs! So excited, but so scared at the same time. Funny how the emotions work. Lost my breast in November 2011. Time seemed to crawl, but at the same time it feels like just yesterday.
I'm thankful to all you ladies who keep our spirits up and remind us that we are not alone in this situation. I'm so glad I found you all!
I'll let you know how things go!0 -
Good luck curly fry!!!
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Good luck Curly! Check in when you can!!
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curly - best wishes for the exchange, hope it all goes smoothly and that it is a piece of cake!
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Good luck curly! I went over to the squishy side yesterday and it is a wonderful place to be!
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unow - yay!
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Good luck Curly! I am having ones already for 10 days. everything is fine,but left arm...I cannot raise it, hurts, I cannot put it in a sleave , especially hurts while I lay down and it touches my shoulder. What is it? Is it Latissimus? I keep doing exersises but it does not help. Foobs look good in sport brathough...
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