TE TROUBLE
Comments
-
Hi Everyone! I Just Got Home From The Hospital Yesterday. I Ended Up Needing Surgery To Clean Me Out And Replace Tissue Expanders. I Had So Much Fluid Around The Tissue Expanders And Throughout My Chest, My Skin Stretched Out. So, My PS Had To Fill Me To 500 In Left And 600 In Right..And Starting Over With 2 New Drains. I Am Sure Those Of You Who Have Had Big Fills Can Imagine My Pain. Percocet And Flexaril Around The Clock. They Found Some Pockets Of Infection Left Tissue Expanders, But Cultures Did Not Grow Because I Have Been On Antibiotics For So Long. I Had APicc Line Inserted, So That I Can Continue IV Antibiotics At Home For A Couple Of Weeks. It Was Scary To See The Infection Move To My Right Breast Despite Being On Such A Strong Iv Antibiotic In Hospital. Again, I Am Thankful For The Ladies Who Alarmed Me On This Site... Can't Imagine How Much More Sick I Would Have Been If I Waited One More Day. My Thoughts And Prayers Are With All Of You, And I Am Grateful To Have These Boards Where I Can Connect With People Who Truly Understand The Physical And Emotional Toll This Takes On Us. xoxo
0 -
Thanks Ren! I really feel like everything is OK, but I'd rather have the test done on my uterus than not. Just to see if the Tamox is doing any harm down there. If so, I'd really like them to take the darn thing out lol. I'll keep you posted.
0 -
Lesley I am so sorry that you are having this trouble. I hope they have fixed the problem and that you can begin to heal again..
Good luck momof3infla. Praying for good results for you.
Healing hugs
0 -
Lesley, I'm so glad you went to the hospital when you did, instead of waiting. I'd been wondering how you were doing. I hope you recover quickly!
Melmcbee, how is your radiated side doing? Mine is so much stiffer and tighter feeling than my other side. PS wants me to do displacement exercises, and while the left side moved easily, the radiated side does not, and is still painful. It has me concerned.0 -
Hi Andrea. my radiated side is harder. I have swelling in my armpit and Im not sure if its the implant that I feel in my armpit or a lymphnode? I had a dissection so there shouldnt be any lymph nodes right? lol. Its not painful though. Just feels tight. However this was my first week back to work and it kicked my butt lol. I still feel flat and have the hamburger bun look still. Im extremely happy to Not have those te's anymore. Healing hugs
0 -
Melanie, I'm off work till August 21. Can't say I'm complaining about it! I'm 2 weeks out from exchange, but can't really tell if I have any swelling or not. I guess that means I don't? I wish my radiated side looked more like the left side. The radiated one is smaller, even though the PS said he inserted a larger implant in it. It isn't as full to the side or upper pole as lefty. I hope it "fluffs", cause I feel lopsided. My PS didn't do any fat grafting, and I wish he had. I guess I just need to be patient and see how things look in a few months. Guess I should just be happy those awful TEs are gone!
Don't overexert yourself at work, and take a nap when you get home! Hugs to you too.
0 -
I over did it this week. Moving my bro in law stuff from Houston to Denver. He passed away in March a week after my bmx. We couldnt go to TX for the funneral, DH disabled very upset but went thru the house and had some great memories we could talk about. Emotional and physically draining, cant wait to get home tomorrow and rest, sleep in my own bed. My arms, back and foobs ache and burn. Shouldnt have lifted that last box
TEs are really tight need my muscle relaxers tonight. Hope others are having fun vacations!
PS thanks Rennasus for adding me to the surgery list. So ready to get these TEs out!0 -
Hi, I usually just read posts, and always wish everybody the best through the TE experience. But, I do have a question. Does anybody exercise with their expanders in? I know you can walk, ride a bike, etc. but does anybody do light weight exercises for their arms and back? I also so stretches and yoga. I am finding as the expanders get fuller the less I am able to do, or feel like doing.
0 -
Goldie-I did start physical therapy which is helping some. I think you can do exercise with TEs. If you work up to it gradually and dont over do it.
0 -
Thanks Mamasix, my ROM is almost completely back, but I am just watching all the hard work I did over the years to keep my arms, etc looking good going to waste. I did a few light weight biceps curls, etc and it didn't feel to bad. I know I should try not to engage pecs too much.
How do you like you Lat Flap surgery so far? Do you like the look of it? Do you notice much weakness in back, or arms from loss of lat muscle?
0 -
Leslie--Glad to see you post. I'ver been hoping for a good result for you and glad you got medical attention. Just get well and on to the next step.
0 -
Hi everyone,
I'm new to this forum and I have a question for all you lovely ladies out there:
I had bi-lateral mastectomy on June 4th and expanders were put in. The cancer was on the left and 16 lymphnodes were removed. This is the side I'm having trouble with. It feels like the expander is rolling over my ribs and it hurts. Sometimes it's a sharp pain that makes me catch my breath, at other times it's a gradual, increasing pain. I've felt it since the beginning but it got quite a bit worse with my latest (third) fill. I'm taking muscle relaxers again, but has anyone else had this problem and does it continue to get worse with more expansion?
Thank you for your input.
0 -
Vilia..I kind of have same problem. My TE is so tight after my last fill and it has been exposed to RADS...I am ok during the day but at night cannot get comfortable on my side and always wake up periodically in pain....anyone else?? I know non radiated side softened up a lil and is not quite as bothersome.
0 -
Goldie, I exercised through the whole shabang, as long as I had the OK from my doc. I probably did more than I was allowed, but I did everything from walking, jogging, step class, weight training, spin/cycle classes when able. I can't stand sitting still! I have surgery #7 (hopefully last one) coming up on 8/14, and as soon as I am able will be back out walking, walking, walking, as I'm training for the Komen 3 Day walk here in the Tampa area in October:)
0 -
Vilia, have you found a muscle relaxer that doesn't cause nausea? I'm in tremendous pain after my 4th fill and cannot take vicodin or percocet. I can barely lift a plate. I'm going to try 30 CCs at my next fill since all I can handle is Advil/Motrin for the pain.
0 -
Jnprsn, my plastic surgeon prescribed Methocarbamol, substitute for Robaxin. She says not to drive while taking it, but it's never given me problems with anything from fatigue to nausea when I've used it alone, and I do get sick on percocet; lortab not so much, especially if I take anti-nausea with it. This weekend, with all the other stuff I've been taking along with the Robaxin, I've noticed more fatigue and dizziness, but not sure which drugs that's coming from. Hope you can find something to give you relief!
0 -
Clyday, My PS had given me 5 100CCs (100 CCs at two week intervals) and each time I have had issues. First the TE is expanding in my upper chest and under my arm. i will see him again on the 29th and I think he will do another 100CCs. Now getting back to the side effects, the shoulder and neck on that side hurts so much, my thumb hurts where it is sectioned to my hand and all I can take is tylenol, too. I cannot take blood thinners or any NSAIDS So I went to my family practicioner and she is trying this medicine Gabapentin to see if it helps the pain. I had plan on putting off my Perm implant to Christmas holiday. I hope I can make it that long. Hope you find something that will help you with the discomfort and pain.
0 -
Lesley, keep a close eye on things. I am a little surprised that they put new expanders in if there was existing infection. That was the reason mine came out. I went in either to have the implants put in or the expanders removed. I had been on antibiotics forever also.
He said there was mild infection, but didnt want to risk taking a chance it would spread, so mine were removed and then I had another two weeks of iv antibiotics to get rid of everything.0 -
Goldie-I have done ok with the lat flap. I do like the way it looks so far and I do think it adds support to the 800cc expanders he added, which was the reason he did the lat flap to begin with. He did not think my skin and pec muscle was enough to support the implants. I have all ROM in my arms and no loss of strength in my arms or back. Having lifted and packed boxes this week, I do ache but have done everything as before bmx. I probably shouldn't have done what I did, some boxes were too heavy and caused more pain/burning in the foobs, not my back. I do have an underarm boob on each side but the left is larger and gets swollen when I do too much. Then it pulls on my back incisions and is annoying, not so painful. PS says it is just "part of me" but the muscle will atrophy and make it smaller. I have noticed all that on the right but not on the left. I think it may be fluid small lymphedema since I had the nodes removed from that side. Working with PT to see if it will improve over time. I have much more pain from the TEs than from the lat flap.
My drug of choice is Robaxin for muscle relaxer, but only take it at night to sleep. Advil, Aleve, Tylenol help during the day. Sleep is always interupted and wake up with the pain from the TEs in my side or underarm. Back gets tired too so change position from right side to back. Left side too painful to try. Wish I was on a rotisserie, it would just slowly turn me to another position letting me sleep through it all! LOL
0 -
Mama,
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything to me. Lat Flap was the first surgery offered to me, then diep, now back to not sure, but I have expanders in, and they are not fun. I know what you mean about the sleeping. I end up in the recliner a lot of nights. That goodness for that thing. Are you done expanding? 800cc is a lot. I read somewhere that they don't put the implant under the pec muscle for a Lat Flap. Is that true?
Momof3, I am going to keep going then, and do what I want unless it hurts. Can I ask? Why so many surgeries? I hope this is your last one.
0 -
Villa, did you get alloderm with the TEs? My pain was from that. Felt like a broken rib for about two weeks. Just a possibility to consider.
0 -
Goldie-my expanders are against the chest wall under the pecs. The lat supports the pecs protecting the skin and adds some volume too. 800Ccs is the max, i finished fills mid June, just in the waiting game for the skin, and muscles to stretch. (Ouch!)
0 -
Hi Moonflwr912. Yes, I have the alloderm with the TE's and maybe it's that. It's not getting any better even though the ps keeps telling me it will.
0 -
So, my ps office called today and said I probably shouldn't do anymore fills until I'm halfway through chemo, so as not to add to my discomfort. I think that's a good idea and was thinking about suggesting it to them myself. I now have enough shape to look okay in my clothes; anymore would just be more under my chin and armpits, anyway and I couldn't stand the idea of going another four months with these rocks bothering me more each week.
0 -
Villa, that sounds like a great idea. And I found any shape is better than none. LOL and the alloderm could have been a problem for a couple if weeks, I know I said two weeks, but it was 20 months ago, and I'd have to go back to 12 - 2011 to check! LOL. And it probably was much longer, as I was on pain pills for the BMX for two weeks, so I didn't feel just the rib pain till I didn't take the hydricodone! LOL so give it a bit, all I remember is it feeling like a broken rib.
0 -
Thanks Moonflwr912, I'll just keep going back to the muscle relaxers if I keep having a problem. They don't seem to make me sleepy or dizzy at all, unlike pain meds.
0 -
After being in severe pain since my last fill on Friday (getting up from my recliner is agony), I can honestly say I have never been in this much pain. I've been researching other muscle relaxants. Has anyone tried Metaxalone?
0 -
After being in severe pain since my last fill on Friday (getting up from my recliner is agony), I can honestly say I have never been in this much pain. I've been researching other muscle relaxants. Has anyone tried Metaxalone?
0 -
After being in severe pain since my last fill on Friday (getting up from my recliner is agony), I can honestly say I have never been in this much pain. I've been researching other muscle relaxants. Has anyone tried Metaxalone?
0 -
jn - the other name for metaxalone is Skelaxin, commonly prescribed as a muscle relaxant, and used by many after fills. Others have taken Soma, Flexiril and Valium.
0
