TE TROUBLE
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congrats Gal Sal! I am envious of you. I had my right te removed a week ago and had two drains. Ps took out one today, but I want this last one out too!! Had to postpone chemo for two weeks now and it's looking like no go for next week also. My ps says no chemo til the drains have been out for a few days. I am on so many antibiotics and some are crazy crazy expensive and scary. Hoping my output will slow down so I can get back on track with my treatment. So frustrating and to top it off, I noticed tonight when I ran my fingers through my hair, that a lot of my hair stayed on my fingers. Knew it was gonna happen, just wasn't ready!
Anyone have any ideas on how to slow down my output?! I am wrapped pretty snugly with ace bandages. Should I drink lots of water?? Less water?? Sleep sitting up??
Take care
~Lynn
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I know it sucks to wait, but let those babies drain. If they're not ready to come out, fluid build-up after removal is worse than anything!
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radical - slow is relative - it was the better part of a year before my first real fill, lol! You are doing great, don't worry!
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Special K,
You brightened my day! Yes....I must agree.... YOU took things slow! I have to remember what seems abnormal to me has always been trumped by someone else. It's what keeps me from felling like God is picking on me. Lol
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Hi ladies,
I had a TE placed on righty June 17th. Had A fill at surgery only. Yesterday I could not breath in or out without a lot of pain. It was a bad day and it seems like its going to be the same today. I see my ps for a fill today. Do you think this will alleviate the pain? This pain came out of nowhere.
Thank you
Michele
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Michele2013- So sorry you had pain after your fill...sometimes the pain is alleviated after a couple of fills because it gets the expander in a different location. I took an ibuprofen about an hour before each fill and did not have pain like you are describing. I would get the occasional muscle spasms. The last two fills were a bit more uncomfortable just because of the size of the expanders. I used some ice on the upper poles because that seemed to help. Try taking something before the fill (something stronger than an OTC if not driving). Tell your PS and see what he/she recommends. Good luck today!!
Ally
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Michele, make sure you tell your Password that you are having trouble breathing first. Then go with what he says. I know I hurt from the alloderm the out
Like a broken rib. It didn't hurt so much if I put a hand under my foob yo hols it up.
Lynde , how much drainage. I had my first set of drains in 5 weeks it was around 49 til it finally dropped. My last drain was over 200 for more than 3 weeks and they had to go back in to stitch up a lymph vessle. My drainage dropped to less than 30 that day. A d less than 10 in a week. So rest. The best thing you can do for too much drainage is to try and not do to much moving around. Your PS will be watching. It is better to keep them in if the output is hgh. Otherwise the removal requires needles to remove the fluid. Not fun.
Much love to all.
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Thank you Moon&Ally!
I did not get a fill today because of the draining. At 60, so he said he would see me in 2 weeks. He gave me a script for norco. I am breathing a little better now. Thinking the TE's are sneaky and very unpredictable. Well I know this though, because its not my first rodeo with these things.
Ps's plan is to have me filled by 8 months,...slow slow slow.
Michele
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Congrats, Radical2!
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Slow is better I think. I had to have fluid removed and am now having fluid added again. Now seem to be having issues again. I have open wound that is still healing. I have lost that nipple. A couple of days ago, had another feel and breast looks bruised and is really sore. (PS added 50ml). After having been numb since surgery now skin feels raw and sore. Geez, I am so tired of this. Thankful to only have "minor" issues compared to so many, but still tired of dealing with this. I want my life back!
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Renee,
It killed me to wait, but my ps would do NO fills until every tiny part of my skin was healed and healthy...now we're going really slow.
I am not a patient person, but it beats the sores, pain, and dead tissue!
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Moon thanks for the advice-I'm holding steady around 45 a day. PS will remove at 30. Hoping that happens this week!
I hear you all that it is so hard to be patient! I was just saying to my husband today that cancer is a lot of waiting. Waiting for biopsy results, waiting for lumpectomy results, waiting for my BMX, waiting for chemo to start, now waiting for my drain to come out from my te removal so we can restart chemo! I have a lot to be grateful for but it is hard to remember that sometimes.
Michelle, Atavan helped me with the pain in my chest more than any pain relievers they prescribed me.
Radical, my hair started falling out, so I shaved it off and look like you now
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Lynn,
Welcome to the club! Lol
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Thank you Lynn,
I have Ativan and will give it a try.
July 3rd I was draining 60 and today 30. I see my ps on the 17th, do you think it would be ok if my drain stays in for 2 weeks and only producing 30?
Thank you ladies,
Michele
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Michele,
My drains were in for a week and never produced more than 15. All was fine. If you're worried, just call. Maybe they'll schedule you earlier?
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Michelle I would call. Maybe you can go in early and get those pesky things out!!! My PS told me (the first time) it was fine if the drains were low, when I had the same concern about two of my four, they just scheduled me to come in the next week.
Enjoy your Sunday ladies!
Lynn
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If you have unproductive drains it is a good idea to call your PS and try to get them out. Drains are an avenue for infection so if they are serving no purpose it is better to have them removed if they are not needed.
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Thank you Ladies, I will my ps's office tomorrow.
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My drains were lower than that for weeks withou issue...
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WoooHooo...first fill was yesterday. Left now has about 300 and Right about 100.
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Yay Galsal,
Those fills do make you feel like you're making progress! I get my fills the morning of chemo. Mixed emotions...I'm excited to get a fill, but dreading the chemo! Lol
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Hello all,
Saw PS today. Righty doing remarkably well.
Lefty report. I don't have enough skin to support any type of implant. The skin is very thin and the fear is of a tear if we attempt to stretch with a TE. I have a history of multiple infections and wound openings from prior surgeries. It will not be a one surgery fix. Recommendation is the lat flap to create a sling and support and to hold or create the shape. I apparently don't have as much fat in my back as I thought. During this surgery a small TE will be placed to hold the shape of breast. If I come down in size, breast envelope can be filled with fat grafting instead of implant. That would mean a reduction of DIEP righty.
Processing info.
Take care all
Vivian
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Vivian- That is alot to process. Maybe someone else here has had something similar and can give you some information that will be helpful. All I can say is know we are here for you and best of luck working through this. Hugs!
Ally
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viv, Hugs. That is a lot to process. Makes you want to slap to next Friday the next person who says "Well at least you get perky new boobs out of this" . Just Hugs.
Much love
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I think I was more excited to get the last drain out than I was when I got the "all clear" on the cancer front! I hated those things.
Galsal- other than the drain incision areas - the most pain for me is around the armpit and outer breast area too I am still swollen there even after 5 weeks and they only took the one sentinel node.
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Vivian,
That lefty report is a lot to swallow. I've know magic can happen, but it's not the answer you were looking for from your ps. I'm sorry you need to go through this.
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Thanks for the good thoughts. Naiviv, that's got to be quite a shock for you. Srdc, sorry to hear that. I can't recall that my SNB side was this way from the BMX. Oh well. So long as this all works, I'll live.
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naiviv, I had a skin failure with a TE on my prophy side and ended up with a second lat flap. I had previously had a lat flap on my rads side. Just wanted to chime in as someone that has had one for a similar reason. Best of luck to you.
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I am typing on a tiny phone screen please pardon any errors. I searched for this topic but can't find an answer so just hope someone can enlighten me. For the past few days the top of my left TE almost feels loose. If I take a deep breath at times I feel a click or pop. The right seems very stable and not moveable but the left is difficult to even feel the top and seems moveable. I know they can move but can they come unattached? If so does this involve another surgery? Should I call my PS? I had Pt last week and they did a lot of moving of the skin on my chest to loosen it so maybe this is the problem.
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Beth just let your PS know at your next fill. They can move a bit but usually not much. I don't think it's much of a problem. Much love
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