TE TROUBLE
Comments
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SO glad it's not an infection!
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Has anyone woke up after sleeping funny being in pain/uncomfortable . I've had my TE's in place since the end of March, but this is the first time that I've woke up and been this uncomfortable. It almost feels like it moved a bit and it hurts more under my armpit area. I notice when I sleep on my side, that's the particular area the weight rests on. Does anyone else have trouble like this?
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I feel sore when I first wake up a lot of times. I think it depends on how long I sleep on my side. I can't sleep on my left side at all but if I sort of hug a pillow to my right side I'm pretty comfortable. I find that getting up slowly and doing some slow stretching gets things back to normal! Hope that helps!0 -
Thanks KLJ. I'm at work sitting in my chair stretching it out. I miss sleeping on my side and front!
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Frost cate I sleep on side in bed too. One of those little pillows with the beads in help out position it to take some of the pressure off. I'm usually in my recliner though because of the stairs.
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Agreed. Put a small soft pillow or even a piece of foam under the bottom TE when you sleep on your side. Also another one under your top arm so it doesn't fall forward during the night and put pressure where it shouldn't be. Finally, even though you are on your side, put a pillow behind you so you can tilt back ever to slightly. Makes a difference.
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Thanks Moonflwr912 for your advice. I kept having high fever after 3 days on antibiotics. So last Friday I had to go to emergency and was admitted to hospital. I was treated with iv antibiotics and pain medication. Fever was gone on the first day in the hospital. I had a little swollen and light redness and now they are almost gone. I don't have pain right now because I am on stronger pain medication since yesterday. My surgeon said it's an early infection but can't tell how it happened. Yesterday I noticed that my TE is slight caved in at the bottom. One of the residence said the shape of TE may change after infection and may get back to normal after more fills. I couldn't do my 2nd expansion due to the infection. It's scheduled on next Thursday. Hope I can do it by then. To be honest I am feeling a little depressed and worried now. I felt so good after surgery and recovered really well. I thought that's it and it's not that too bad, and then suddenly it happened, and I even don!t know a reason. And I don't know if it will happen again. Nothing too serious this time, but it does makes me worried a little about the process.
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Someone gave me a neck type pillow shaped kind of like a bone, it worked pretty good right after surgery and propped me in place but I've since quit using it, it's too thick. I've never heard of the bead pillow (I had to google it) never thought about foam either, thanks ladies for the suggestions.
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I use one of those microbead cylindrically shaped pillows for driving after surgery, putting it between me and the seatbelt. Never thought of using it for being able to sleep more on my side. Thanks for the tip.
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I'm sorry if this was covered, I did read many pages on this thread but not all. I had 60ccs at surgery and 60ccs at my last ( first) fill 6 days ago. I didn't have any pain to speak of afterwards. But the last 2 days has been constant pain in the sternum area, at times in the ribs and out my back. I don't have a fever or any redness so I don't think it's an inflection. The corners of the plastic part of the TES are poking out in strange places. All the pain is on the right side (the side that had the cancer). One corner of the TE is sticking out by the sternum. Sometimes it helps lessen the pain if I put my hand on my rib cage just below my breast (TE).
Do you think it's from the TE shifting positions? I'm going to see the PS tomorrow morning. And I don't know if I should get another fill to change the TE and maybe it won't be pressing on my sternum, or wait till this pain goes away. I don't think I'm over inflated with only 120ccs in me. I don't have the itching that some women describe so I don't think my skin is over stretched.
Thank you in advance!
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Klj- mine look like that too... the left side is much larger (the side that bothers me), whereas the right side is similar but not at large. I go in this Saturday for a fill and will ask about it. Edit: I just finished reading the posts further along... ironically I also have an allegery to adhesive. Explains the similarity
To the other posters commenting on being patient with fills, I will. Over the last few days since posting the TE's cleary are shifting around. Sometimes it is on the nerve, and other times it is not. My right side though dropped noticably lower then the left. Hopefully that is not any type of an issue and just another step in the process. I don't want to take time off school unless it is absolutely critical- I have 35 sick days and 10 professional days already racked up... 9 weeks of instruction out of 10 months. I can't move my left arm again tonight due to pain/swelling so I did take tomorrow off to rest it.
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Nonips& Happyteacher...getting a fill could help resolve the pain issue. It could shift the TE. I had sternum pain too, but once we started to fill, it went away. I had 300ccs at bmx, had rt replaced due to staph, then 240ccs. 1st rt fill was 120, as we were working toward evening things out. We ended up at 600ccs, left isn't really bothering me, but rt has developed a leak. We are just watching it for now, it is maintaining shape, not develop cords or scar tissue. He mentioned a fill, but doesn't really like to do that while I'm getting chemo....
Hang in there...this too shall pass!
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Thank you Lakegirl!
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Sometimes if you have alloderm that can cause pain too. I know I walked around d with my hander my foob fir a couple of weeks because if that. But a fill could help.
Zing, I am glad they finally got you on the right abx. Now just heal up!
Much love to all.
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NcNips, I had bad sternum pain/tightness after I had a 100cc fill, especially when I pushed on it. My PS said, "Well don't push on it!" 100cc was definitely too much. I waited 2 weeks then just got 50. It's all fine now.
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Hello - I had my first fill about 2 weeks ago - 75 CC. Now I have a scab where radiation was. I have been keeping it moist. A little scared. The first time a scab caused an infection but at that time I was in chemo and whites were down. Ended up in hospital for a week. Anyone have scabbing without being in chemo or active radiation while filling???
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Well ladies, I went "hunting" for a forum about complications. I had BMX about 6 weeks ago and last week developed an infection. BS also removed 50 ml from expander. Six days later, I am greatly improving.
I have had problems since the beginning with healing on my right breast incision. Still not out of the woods and could lose my nipple, at this point, I say good riddance! I just want to be well. My cancerous area was above and slightly to the left of the nipple and both of my surgeons have indicated my issues are due to blood supply. More tissue had to be removed in that area and lead to more superficial tissue being removed to obtain clear margins. I am also using bacitracin ointment 4 times a day on the incision. I am itching terribly now. I wonder if this is from all the edema (swelling) that is going down now that infection is better or is this "another complication?" Any one else had this issue? Fortunately, I see plastic surgeon again tomorrow and will get "expert advice." However, I am curious if anyone wants to share a similar issue.
Rennasus, thank you soooo much for starting this forum. I truly appreciate you and for everyone sharing their stories. Praying for all of us to heal faster!
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sorry. I wish I could help but I never had the itching. My P'S never tried to save the TE. Hugs. Troubles happen but we get through it. Much love.
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renee - I am allergic to topical antibiotics, and I will itch with either Bacitracin or Neosporin. That might be a possibility. You might ask your PS about that and try taking a Benadryl to see if that makes a difference.
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Hi all I just found this group. And thank you. I have had me TE since March 19th and as of today there is 480cc of saline. The fillings have been put on hold due to starting chemo May 30th. The TE bothers me all the time aches, feels super hard, and last night I did have the itching. I am so uncomfortable with it. I don't want to take it out or any saline because I want to be done with this hopefully by the end of the year. How do you cope with the tightness?
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laurais - have you tried a muscle relaxer? Skelaxin, Soma, Flexiril or Valium may relieve the feeling of tightness.
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Thank you everyone for your kind words and support. I am excited beyond words at expanding. I got a second injection last Weds so now I'm at 340cc in both TE's.
I have a question for those who have moved to implants.... are the implants as hard as the tissue expanders? I find it really weird feeling how hard these TE are now that they are expanding. Just a little worried that implants will feel the same.
Prayers and hugs for everyone. Keep the Faith
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Implants are not as hard as TEs.
Did you ever get a chance to hold a TE and an implant in your doctor's office? Next time ask if you can.
TEs are designed to stretch skin and in this case muscle as well. This means they need to be strong enough to resist the pressure of tight skin and muscles. They do not conform to your chest wall, instead they are flat against it so they can push the tissues out to stretch. As they are filled, the fill conforms to shape of TE. They have hard ports. They resist gravity.
Implants are much more malleable. One common complaint (or sometimes welcomed result) after exchange is loss of projection and/or size compared to TEs. This is because the implant is soft and will conform to chest wall, be squeezed by chest muscle (at least until it relaxes) and succumb to gravity and drop and fluff (with cohesive silicones at least, this effect is less so in gummies). The implants may still feel firm initially when new and as your pec squeezes them again, but they soften.
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Hi ladies,
Do you take any pain killer or muscle relaxer before expansion?
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Dont take anything with aspirin or ibuprofen as it can cause bleeding. I did not require anything for pain as my fills were only 25cc weekly, never needed anything. You may find more tightness than pain and may benefit from a muscle relaxed more than pain meds. Soma, Skelaxin, Flexiril, or Valium.
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I took Valium before fills and it helped a lot, especially initially. But as time wore on fills became less painful (for the most part) and I didn't need it much towards the end. It still felt tight but I didn't have the pain and muscle discomfort as I did the first several fills. Then again everyone is different and I'm sure there are those who didn't need it at all...
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Thanks SpecialK and Techlady for your suggestion. I only had one fill so far and I felt ok. But the infection really makes me nervous about getting the second fill now.
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purple87 - I find the implants much better than the TEs and pretty much felt their "softness" right away, although my muscles were sore at first from the surgery. I'm now 4 weeks out and they don't feel quite natural or completely comfortable yet but I think it's definitely getting there. I'm sure it depends on who you are, your muscles, types of implants, etc., but those TEs were darn uncomfortable and my "squishies" feel so much better!
Xinghong - I don't blame you. Infection would make me nervous too. I've been lucky not to have gone down that road but I know there are many here who have and are very wise in such matters!
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I never had any sensation during fills. Never felt the needle, didn't feel the saline. It was only hours later in the evening when I would feel a tight. Tylenol and sleep and it was gone.
Implants are not as soft as natural breasts, but not hard like TE's. Mine are similar to a young women..firm but not hard at all.
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My last 2 fills were the worst but my exchange went so well.and Squishies lived up to their nsme. But of course I have Saline rounds. They are very squishy. LOL
Much love.
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