TE TROUBLE
Comments
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KJ123 - the size of TE placed would most likely have been determined by the measurements your PS took prior to surgery - TE have a height, width and volume measurement. Have you asked your PS why the choice was so wide? Here is the link moon referenced above, and whippetmom can answer questions you may have about your TE and eventual implants.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/746448?page=419#post_4303447
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So many threads here! It almost makes me feel better.
I am on infection #3 since my bilateral mastectomy/TEplacement on 12/2/14. One of the TEs has now flipped over on itself, creating a seroma, which is creating an infection. I am on Levaquin because I am allergic to vincamyacin. My PS says not to worry, he will drain a little out next week and try to roll it back under. I am concerned. I am almost done with my chemo and don't want anything to interrupt it. It's sore, uncomfortable, and twice the size of the other breast which has been just fine.
Thoughts? I am so sick of things other than chemo making me sick.
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Had what I hope to be my last fill today, unless I decide on radiation, then he wants to fill one more time...guess to get a little more in there... but again, same as last time.. arm on that side seems to be a little tighter and unable to lift as high as before and the cording that I have seems to be just a little bit worse. PS didn't think it was from the fills, but he said very well could be. Anyone every experienced similar?
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Sorry think. Can't help. Someone else should he along soon who maybe could.
Greta. I do know what you mean. I've had lots of infections and had to go with only 1 TE for a long time. but it DID work. Just not on the schedule I had hoped. Hugs.
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I was very happy to see the little mounds under my chest after the TEs were inserted. They were only filled to 150 cc but after being completely flat for two years I felt as excited as a pre-teen about to get her first training bra! There is something very psychologically different about having the mounds under your skin than wearing prothesis. Since the whole mx experience I make it a point to allow myself to fully experience any feelings of joy that come my way. So yay for little breast mounds!
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Thanks Specialk. I have sent pm to whippetsmom. I appreciate your reply to my very first post on this wonderful site.
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I was wondering if anyone ever felt horrific burning ripping pain when getting up after laying down on cancer side with the expanders . Its a crippling pain that takes me 5or so minutes to get past every time I get up . I had infections after double masectomy and tissue expanders oon right side for a month or so back this october.
sorry to get graphic feels like a bad scab being ripped off and exposed as far as the pain . Thanks
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DSW - what does your PS say? Might be a pinched nerve - where are you in the process of expansion?
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I am still getting them filled. It's driving me nuts and I regret getting them it has added nothing but agony to this entire process. I feel like I was rushed. Diagnosed then within weeks off to masectomy and expanders. So wish I would have had more time to research them and been told the truth about how much harder recovery would be. Sorry I am in the dumps between all going on. Thanks for responding.
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One more thing I am always seeing women having several surgeries for implants. Is it true? Or is that just do to complications? I am going to be having mine soon because yet again everything is a rush since my ps no longer excepts my insurance so he has 60 days left to treat me . So chemo ends march 16 th then 3 weeks after if my counts hold up.
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DSW. Most are due to infections or if the person had RADs. please remember that people who don't have issues rarely post. So you see more problems on here because it's a trouble board.
I would suggest you look into your new insurance and see if there is a P'S you can work with. Insurance changes suck! 3 weeks after chemo is quite soon. I know I wasn't ready for surgery then.
Much love.
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DSW - I had a double mastectomy with TEs and then replacement surgery with Allergen 410 anatomical implants 7 months later. I hated the TEs and they hurt all the time, but I filled slowly and waited for everything to settle as my PS required. I had no particular problems with either surgery but I did not have to have radiation in that mix. Moon is right - when things work people tend to go on their way. I'm still hanging around because I had recurrent BC, but that's a whole different issue.
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I wasn't given an option for immediate implant of T Es. It was probably easier to recover from mx without the TEs, but now I have am going through recovery all over again. So neither option is great.
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Thanks everyone for the replies . I feel like I have been in a different life since september . I should look into things more as or before I do things, guess it was just easier to go along with what they told me .
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I'm so sick of reconstruction already and it's only been a month since BMX! First my TEs came loose and went into my armpits and I had to be reopened and have them stitched into place again. Now I don't know what is going on. I have not had any fills and only had 50 cc put it at the time of my surgery. My PS gave me the good news that I have plenty of skin for my implants so I am scheduled for the exchange in 2 weeks. Now my left foob is swollen to over twice ( maybe three times) the other. It feels so tight like it's going to bust out of my skin. The right feels like a half full zip lock bag. The problem is my husband seems not to be able to tell or thinks it's no big deal, but I am not imagining this. My bra cup is even overflowing on one side and half empty on the other. I'm not sure what to do....
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Hi DSW,
I think it depends on what your expectations are as to how many surgeries you can expect. I had just the exchange. But my expectations were to look good with clothes on. Also, I did not have a fun time during the expansion process. I have some lyphedema and my arm swelled and ached everytime and that wasn't not even the worse part. The worse part was that after every fill I felt like a knife was inserted in my back between my shoulder blades for about a week. I woke up from my exchange pain free and in relief so that probably played a part in not doing any more reconstruction too. But I have friends that have had 6 or more surgeries and they look fabulous naked. Usually the first surgery is the exchange, then they let that drop and settle for about 6 weeks. Then they go in and do any kind of revision if they are not evenly sitting and can do some fat grafting if their is rippling. Some PSs will also do aerolas and nipples then, some wait another surgery since they want to center those perfectly. That is at least what my PS told me and what my friends had done. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!
Anna
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Justamy, I am having quite a tough time with TE'so also, and my PS fills 100 cc at a time. That said, I only got 2 fills..1st 1 not bad but 2nd (& last) iso really bad. I'm pretty lopsided right now, but he assures me he will fix it all. I do believe he will do good for me, so I am taking ibuprofen 800 ms & muscle relaxers. You are not alone, keep hope alive. They can do so much more for us than in previous times/years. Keep the faith.
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kj123 - tell your PS to slow down on the fills. I refused to have more than 25 cc every other week after serious pain with 50ccs. It's your body & your right to slow it down so the journey will be easier.
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Just amy, DO YOU HAVE A FEVER???? If you do go to the ER if it's over 101. It could be an infection. Also skin is not usually the reason for the TES but the muscle is. You need to speak with your P'S and ask him if your chest muscle is as expanded s your skin.
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hi all, I'm joining as I think I might have a problem. My TEs which I've had for six weeks now, have always been really hard. I just noticed a spot, in the cleavage and slight bottom where it's not tight anymore but a little puffy. Is this thing leaking? Why else would it be soft suddenly?
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I saw my PS this morning. I've had few fills so far and now it looks that my TE is sitting too high up and it doesn't look like it will drop. I will need a revision surgery and PS would like to do it asap, but I am undergoing chemo now; I have 8 more weeks. I'll ask my oncologist, but I doubt he'd want me to undergo surgery while on chemo. Any thoughts, experiences?
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BB - I don't think your MO will allow a surgery while on chemo - the threat of infection is too dangerous and this is not an emergency. Is there concern that your TE is not expanding correctly? What is the revision for specifically?
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As far as I understood, the TE is expanding upward and I think the pocket needs to be enlarged, so the TE drops maybe? I know my husband understands what needs to be done. I blame my chemo brain and element of surprise on the fact that I didn't quite catch it. All I focused on, was that I need another surgery.
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TE don't actually drop, and the addition of fills is what expands the pectoral muscle outward to create the pocket. This is a different process from the drop you may have heard about that happens after exchange, when the implant relaxes into the created pocket. Sounds like possibly the expansion is not pushing the muscle out, but the TE up - hard to say. If I were in your position I would cease fills, and would just wait until after you are done with chemo to address this.
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SpecialK, makes sense. Thank you for explaining. I wonder why this is happening then, with my muscle.
I will have to ask my husband too what was said. He's a surgeon too (completely different body part though), so I'm sure he understood what's going on.
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my right TE is leaking significantly. Seems it is an 'easy fix', quick surgery to remove it and put another one in. Yea, easy for them, they aren't getting cut open again... BTW - the nurse said this is the 3rd one they have had recently with the Mentors. Not sure if all or just the ones I have which are the 9100 series. Mine are 9100, 650cc, Lot 6862199, with serial number starting with the lot of 017 - for the left, whose sternum tab is no longer holding (but that was OK with the PS) and the right, leaking one is 043. Seems the expander is folding over on itself and covering the area where they are supposed to fill, therefore with every fill, they poke a hole in it.
I think I'm now, stick a fork in me done... I know, this is very minor, but I've been so positive through this whole journey, and now I'm bumbed!
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knm - sorry to hear this - it is remarkably common though. Surgery is never minimal, so I don't envy you there, but the bright spot to hold onto is that you should be able to keep your expanded volume, so you shouldn't lose ground. How close were you to being done with fills? If you were at the end I would be wondering why your expander had enough room to fold over on itself, if not - this is just bad luck as long as they were marking the fill port correctly.
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Special - I was at the end of my fills. Saw the PS last week and he wanted 1 more, then found out they can't get me into the hospital for my exchange till July 2nd, so I called and asked if I could wait on that 'extra' one. They said, sure... guess when my appointment was for them to see the deflated expander... yep... the one I cancelled earlier. My nurse says they have seen this a few times recently and that she expects multiple needle sticks in it where it would have been folded over. It just hurts now... I think it must be on a nerve or something. Whine Whine Whine... So many others have had so much worse... but... whine.
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So, as one TE is leaking, I will need quick surgery to replace it, but I'm now on tamoxifen. I see you have to go off it for surgeries... is that only long ones or all?
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knm - the reason is the clot risk, so if it were me, I would go off of it for all surgeries. What does your PS say?
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