TE TROUBLE
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noonrider I am happy they found the problem to be scar tissue. Sorry you had to have more sx though! Heal now.
Much love
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Yay Noonrider! That was a wonderful, uplifting, positive post. Just what we need...and you too!
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Drain free, as free as the wind blows....
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YAY, Galsal! Getting rid of those drains is such a relief, isn't it?
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...as free as the grass grows...
You crack me up galsal! Congrats!
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I aim to please!!!
My family knows that for the first 24-48 hours I'm the Wicked Bitch of the South. This time, completely different and nothing like that at all. So my Sisters have determined that I've picked up a super power. Since this was the first surgery that gave breasts, breasts are my super power. Dun Dun Da...Super Foobs!!!
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Galsal, what a treasure you are!
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Galsal
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Super boobs are over rated.... LOL!
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Hi Ladies, I'm new to this group, and truly, I am tired of joining new groups. Blah... 10 months after my TE's were placed, 4 weeks prior to my exchange surgery, my right TE decided to attempt a homicide. It became infected, but the doofus in the ER told me I was extremely fatigued and sent me home. Less than 24 hours later, I was back in the ER with a 104 degree temp and my blood pressure and heart rate all over the map. Took this doctor 30 seconds to figure it out. He asked one question - where do you hurt the worse. I said my right breast. He said show me... I lifted my shirt to see a bright red breast that was on fire. He said, well I think I know what is wrong. AUGH!!! Emergency surgery to remove the TE. PS has already told me we may not be able to do another implant and my have to do a flap. And honestly, I am tired, and sick of being sick! My port is accessed so I can give myself IV antibiotics 3 times a day. I have a drain - AGAIN and I'm just done. Done with all this cancer BS. I feel like I am the worst co-worker in the world, just about the time I go back to work, psych... I'm out again. I can't do anything around the house to help my husband. I cannot exercise like I used to. And I'm tired of being told to just rest and let my body heal. My body has revolted on me... I don't know who's body this is, but mine was strong and lean and able to carry me into any trouble I wanted to start. Now I'm weak and broken and just feel ugly. I'm sorry to have a pity party for you all as an introduction, I'm just so very tired of this all. I want to punch someone or something - if I could only lift my arms... and I want to scream!!! WTH did I do to deserve all this.... WTH!!! Thank you for listening. Would love to hear some uplifting stories of those of you who have had TE get infected, get them again and eventually go on to have beautiful breast that you can actually be active and a live!!!! Thanks
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curlyq you made me cry for you. There is no worse feeling than being helpless when you were once so in control...feeling like a burden to those you once cared for...watching the body you were proud of disintegrate before your eyes and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel just to have it ripped away from you.
Now that I've acknowledged that your pitty party is warranted, I'd like to welcome you to our club. My personal TE problems came early in the process and I was lucky enough to keep them (though looking back, it might have been faster to remove them and start over lol) I do know there are a bunch of ladies here that have had TE horror stories (car accidents, infection) that led to TE removal but eventually lovely results. If they do not chime in here, spend a little time going backward through the thread. You'll see some of what the ladies have been through...
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Curlyq, cry it out sister. You've been dealt a bad hand and deserve to be depressed, mad, sad, and above all to be sick and tired of being sick and tired. Moonflowr should be along here in a few minutes. So should SpecialK. They are the QUEENS of TE problems and there are plenty of others. Moon finally, finally, FINALLY got permanent implants last December and is doing fine.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and it says:
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Galsal - congrats!! Looking forward to that myself
Curleyq 1974 - Wow! Such a rough time you have had! You have earned a giant pity party. Every setback is so discouraging.
I just had a TE replaced yesterday due to infection. Another damn drain. Not a happy camper. I was supposed to be getting my first fills today.
I had a left mastectomy in Feb., got an infection 2 weeks later - fever and misery like yours. Fortunately, my PS and I text a lot. We checked in every day and she got me in the OR that week. TE was removed and not replaced. I began Brave/AFT in April. First fat transfer in May went well. 2nd one in July failed 2 weeks later. Very discouraged. As we were gearing up for another round of that, cancer was found in the right at my 6 month followup in Sept. Oct. 1, another mastectomy with TE placement in both sides. Now this latest infection and TE replacement. So fed up. Now I have to wait more time before any left side fills. Will have a fill on the right Fri.
Like many others, just when you think a light is appearing at the end of the tunnel, it gets blown out again and the tunnel gets longer. As we all know too well, BC is quite the marathon. Not sure where the end is, though. We each have different finish lines. Ready to think about something other than BC and reconstruction.
This forum and these threads are so helpful to me. Thank you all for sharing and supporting.
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curly - I am so sorry. Your experience is disheartening and frustrating, and I truly understand. I don't have personal experience with infection (my issues have all been skin healing) but there are a number of ladies on this thread who have been successful with recon after an infection. I am curious if your WBC had been monitored after chemo to indicate the potential for an opportunistic infection. Is there any thought that this is rads connected - how was your skin doing - did you have any skin breaks? How are you doing now? I am also a bit concerned with the speed of your recon - to go from Dx to exchange with chemo and rads in less than a year is pretty fast - I know we want to get through it with as little life interruption as possible, but it doesn't always work out that way. I know how hard it is to feel less than whole - I have lost both an expander for seven months after BMX, and an implant two years after exchange after a repair surgery earlier this year. I have been flat on the left since May with a 650 implant on the right - and will be in the process of recon (fat graft, then expander, then implant) for at least the next 6-9 months - a minimum of three more surgeries, possibly more depending on how the far grafting goes. This is something to ask your PS about - fat graft for radiated skin prior to recon. It apparently can help with skin health and vascularity prior to stretching it for recon.
In - what a crazy ride for you! Your situation is exactly why I elected a BMX - my 2cm palpable mass was not seen by mammo so I had no faith going forward that I could be diagnosed in a timely fashion if I developed a cancer in the other breast. I had undiagnosed ADH/ALH in that breast on post-op pathology so it was a ticking time bomb. I imagine it is tough that you have recon issues mixed with bi-lat cancer - the feeling that you are waiting for yet another show to drop must be hard. Keep your chin up - the marathon analogy is apt.
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curlyq. HUGS!!!!!!!
D*MN!!! That sucks. I was one that lost a TE 2x. I was flat on left for 2 years. Had 2 different TES in for a total of only 8 weeks on the left side, and a half filled TE on my right for over 2 years. Did the abx 2x, once through a PICC line, once through my port. Each time was over 3 weeks IV then 3 weeks oral. So i know bit of what you are going through.
One of the reasons I think I lost the find TE to infection was I think I rushed it. I had sx 3 months after chemo. It was too soon. I was o worn out. What as I thinking. I waited a full year before my 3rd and final try.
I needed to hold an implant to prove to my ortho the I could Ave knee sx. And I had my knee sx this June and it went very well.
In, I'm sorry you had to go through it too. Drains SUCK! (Pun intended! ) LOL
Much love.
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I just started a new thread called What's the matter with me? I don't want to read!. I used to think I was the only one who couldn't seem to focus enough to read more than a Facebook post for weeks after surgery. Now that I know I'm not alone, I'm fascinated to read more stories from everyone else and hear your theories. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topic/826105?page=1#idx_2 Please share YOUR observations.
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Out of curiousity, is any one able to translate this to English? Copied from Surgical Report for the procedure to replace TE damaged from a vehicle accident.
'The old expander was identified, it was found to be contracted medially with the pocket trunk and a lot of red hperemic tissue is noted circumferentially a very thickened capsule with some discoloration of the capsule in a maroon purple type fashion. So, with that in mind, the trauma to the tissue is identified as being discolored from the chronicity of when the trauma occurred and the expander, although intact definitively has a leak present on gross exam. So, with that accomplished, the expander is taken out removed, also the sutures had been totally ripped free from the chest wall that had anchored in three positions. "
Thanks.
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Yeah....it translates to:
The area around the expander is being squashed and irritated by scar tissue and it has even ripped itself off the chest wall plus it's leaking therefore insurance will pay for it.
At least that's what I got out of it. Lol
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Thanks. I was wondering about the Hyperemic and purple maroon stuff. Yes, my auto insurance paid for this. Sadly, I'm the one that caused the accident. Shame on me.
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hyperemic simply means bloody. So there was blood on the implant when they looked. And the implant was in one piece not broken into pieces but it was leaking. Again upon just looking. That's the gross exam. And medial means towards the middle or center so it was warped towards the center of your body. As opposed to the outside by your arms.and that the trauma they saw was created during the accident.
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Thanks, Moonflwr! I appreciate the feedback. The date of the accident I'd seen PS and he was major concerned that I'd get badly bruised or pooled blood, which would have needed surgery right away. Most thankful that didn't happen, considering the extent of the damage observed once seeing things inside.
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Galsal That is a wicked medical report. Such a scary accident. I hope you are ok otherwise. How long do you have to wait to take care of the damage? Keep us posted.
After having a TE replaced 10 days ago, I had a 60 fill on the right last Fri. and another 110 today. Feeling tight, but not bad. Still have the left drain, but she added 30 on that side to see if we could slow down drainage. Been about 35 each day for the last 2. Will remove it when it is under 30. Trying not to let that left side continue in its troublemaking ways! Next 2 fills are scheduled for the 19th and 25th. Hoping to get the permanent implants before Dec. 31 and the new deductible and out-of-pocket kicks in Jan. 1.
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IntheATL...thanks! The accident was in April and the replacement in June. Late October the exchange to implants was done. I'm fine now. It was fortunate the airbags did not deploy as they should have done.Yeah, we each have a "bad" side. Mine just so happened to already be the one even before the damage from the accident.
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Curly, I too lost my TE, but I lost my three weeks after BMX . Im 41 and very active . I will try again in January and for now Im a one boob weirdo.I just pray that my PS can do without using my back muscles to keep the new TE in place. I am so grateful that I dont need chemo or radiation. I am going to see my oncologist tomorrow . I wish u best luck .
Have question for the other ladies how many cc where you ladies before switching to implants?
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gosia,
Everyone is different with the cc' s. I did my swap at 350cc for each.
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thank you Radical. My PS ask me yesterday how big I want my breasts to be ,that freaked me out ,bc I just want them to be right .Im at 500 cc in my left breast ( no right for now due to an infection) and It is so hard to say if that is the right size bc my TE is almost under my arm with a huge gap between my breasts in the middle. Ps said he will move it more toward the middle and I'm sure it would give me a better idea when I have both TE . All is so bizarre.
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ok....All of you with TE trouble will understand this one! Ever feel like you are all scarred up and your plastic surgeon just doesn't seem compassionate about how your breasts are beginning to look?
A lady on a sister discussion board said, "Reconstructed breasts deserve the same attention and devotion a augmented ones"
If you think she's right, now you can show it off via tee-shirt to your plastic surgeon!
Http://teespring.com/reconstruction
You do need to buy the shirt, but when I made it, I just kept lowering the price until it showed I would make no profit. This way, we can get them much cheaper...It wasn't my statement, so I really couldn't make money off of it anyway.
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I had another fill today. So far, so good. Been doing them every 6-7 days since the first week of Nov. without any problems, for which I have been very thankful. I am excited because we have scheduled the exchange for Dec. 29. PS says all looks good for then - 2-3 fills to go. I have plenty of skin and she said there is plenty of space to place the implants. Not looking forward to drains again, though. PS also plans to do some FG on the right to smoothe things out. Left side had FG left over from previous Brava/AFT attempt and looks and feels more natural than right (the more recent mx). Praying for both sides to behave post-exchange, esp. that left side with all its misbehaving history this year.
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ATL, I hope both your side's cooperate too!
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Hello ladies it's been awhile since my last post. I hope your reconstruction has been coming along better then mine. I had surgery on Oct 17 to have an internal bra construction done with cadaver parts. When I woke from surgery it felt so good. High and tight. But two weeks later I was rushed into emergency surgery to have everything I have done removed. I lost internal bra and implants putting me back to nothing. I will be having surgery again tomorrow because my incisions opened on both sides and infection has set in. On top of all this, my job terminated my employment saying I used up all my FMLA. So I lost my income and my insurance. I'm at my wits end, I didn't ask for this craziness. My body is a mess, I'm always in pain, I'm Financially ruined and maybe homeless soon.
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