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TE TROUBLE

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Comments

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited June 2016

    fubc - you might inquire about a seroma on the side that is swollen and larger since your drains were pulled after a week. This might account for some of your discomfort. Sometimes fills can help push that fluid out and expedite its reabsorption, but sometimes it needs to be aspirated. You should see a general improvement at about the 5-6 week point post-op - prior to that things are pretty uncomfortable, and that is pretty standard. That is one of the reasons I advocate not starting fills right away, and when you do go "low and slow" to minimize discomfort.

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited June 2016

    Thanks again SpecialK. Your responses do help a lot. I probably have a seroma. I googled the definition and my left top side of my right TE fits the description. I am hoping my PS will be proactive and remove it tomorrow if in fact it is seroma, I will be upset if he'll just send me home and tell me not to worry.

    I do think I removed my right drains a bit to early. Though they were collecting less than 30 ml for a few days, the discharge on the right side was still reddish, unlike the left that was yellowish and very little was coming out.

    Thanks again for your help. This board has been a blessing for me during this ordeal.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited June 2016

    fubc - you are welcome! Even if drains are below 30ml, the usual cutoff for removal, when they are pulled the fluid doesn't stop and can collect, and sometimes can result in a seroma. As individuals our bodies vary in their ability to absorb that excess fluid. One reason to push for aspiration is that it helps relieve pain but also can decrease the possibility of infection. Wishing you the best!

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited June 2016

    Thank you again SpecialK. I wont let my PS leave the exam room tomorrow until he figures whats wrong with me. My PS seemed to have hard time sitting with me for more than 2 minutes. On my follow up, he walked in and out ( 2 minutes) and let his nurse give me the first fill. Tomorrow my appointment was with his nurse. I called today and changed it so I can meet with him.

    I cant afford to get an infection right now. I need to start working asap, can't have more delays.

  • moonflwr912
    moonflwr912 Member Posts: 5,938
    edited July 2016

    FUBC, how did things go?

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    Moonflwr, thanks for asking. I didn't do a fill that day and the pain continued for almost another week. It cooled down last Wednesday and yesterday I had another small fill. So far I have tightness, probably this is normal pain. I am crossing my fingers that it doesn't get as bad as the fill.

  • Ladeedoc
    Ladeedoc Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2016

    Hi, after dealing with multiple biopsies,lumpectomies for 14 years ( thankfully "just" Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia X 2 S/P Tamoxifen treatment) I chose to undergo bilateral mastectomies 3 weeks ago. I have TE. My PS is excellent but "blunt" . I have had " tissue necrosis" bilaterally since my 1st post-op visit . My Rt side is much better, but my Lt side still has a "silver dollar" size of "necrosis". I do not smoke, I am a normal healthy weight, no diabetes,medications, I have tried getting 100mg of protein in my diet daily, yet I still feel like I did something wrong. This has me very depressed which is not helping. His "plan" right now is to "watch it", had my 1st expansion this week ( since the intraoperative one). If it does not heal, He will continue to expand, then "deflate" me, excise the deade tissue, let it heal, then start re-expanding. Anyone else with this history?? Anyone else heal without surgery??? Help

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    I think it's unlikely a silver dollar sized area will heal without excision. My personal experience is that is better to excise prior to expansion. The problem with expanding while you have necrosis is that you are stretching the skin while it is trying to heal - I wouldn't do it, and my PS did not

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    Good morning everyone,

    This morning I noticed some yellowish spot on the pad of the right side. That's the same side I have had problems with and this morning I woke up with very strong pains again, same as the ones I had after my first refill. The yellowish spot corresponds with the end of the incision. Is this normal? I checked to see if something is leaking from there but I don't see anything. This is also the side that is swollen or at least bigger than the left. Any ideas? Can this be a sign of infection?

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    fubc - it could be a sign of infection, or it may be some serous leakage from the incision. Can you look at your incision with a magnifying mirror to see whether or not all of the edges are intact? The body will produce fluid in response to injury (surgery) so sometimes that is all it is, but you should notify your doc if it continues or you have any pain or redness.

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    SpecialK, I was hoping you'll respond to my concerns. I know you have enough experience, thank you !!!

    Most of the scabs is falling off. The end of the incision still has the scab on and the scab looks brownish with some yellow in it. I don't know if there is fluid underneath the scab. The part of the incision where the scab did fall off, well half of it seems fine, the rest is red (the redness is literally in the line of the incision) but the surrounding area seem fine. My left side seems very healthy compare to the right. I don't see any read on the left.

    This is the 2nd time I noticed yellowish in the pad. The first time was 2-3 days ago and was less than what I saw this morning.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    fubc - you're welcome! How large is the yellowish spot you noticed? If less than dime sized I wouldn't be too worried - it is a bit like when you scrape your knee and the scab is a little sticky, or like a healing mosquito bite. Any larger than that and it might be indicative of the scab getting ready to come off, or a small leak behind the scab.

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    SpecialK, it is smaller than the size of a dime. I do think it will come off any day now but I can't see if there is leakage underneath it. I also don't want to remove the scab just in case it's not time yet to come out.

    I know there is something wrong with my right side. I hope and pray there is nothing major that will require a surgery.

    I also have antibiotics at home, I wonder if I should start taking them.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    Definitely let the scab come off in its own time and as long as the yellowish spot is not increasing in size you are probably ok, but it can't hurt to phone your PS and ask if they feel you should be seen. Not sure if taking the antibiotics is the right approach, if there is infection it needs an antibiotic it will respond to - often the broad spectrum ones given post-surgically are not specific enough.

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    Thanks SK

    I saw my MO yesterday and she said there is some leakage. She sent an email to my PS and chances are I will go back tomorrow to see my PS. I had a blood test yesterday and my white blood cell and red blood cells were high, Both were normal before surgery.

    I hope the white cell are not high due to an infection of the TE.


  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    fubc - keep us posted and I am hopeful that this can be handled easily. Hang in there!

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    I will. Thank you SK

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    Hi SK,

    My PS sent me for a sonogram today. The radiologist didn't see any seroma. There was no edema of the tissue either so they can't figure it out why it's hurting so much. The only thing they could think of is if its an early stage infection. But then again, my strong pains started around june 24th, i was fine for the past week (by fine I mean pain somewhat bearable) and yesterday it got bad again. I was menstruating on june 24th and I am PMSing now. I wonder if it can be hormonal...

    Not sure what to do...

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    That is a conundrum!

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    SK, thank you for taking time and responding every time I have a question :-)

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited July 2016

    fubc - you're welcome - wish I could fix things for you!

  • BethL
    BethL Member Posts: 74
    edited July 2016

    Suz- I'm so sorry you're dealing with all this with drains. I agree, you shouldn't travel but can your employer keep you local? I work in a hospital and drains don't keep anyone from working....if they have to work. It's times like this when I realize how fortunate I am to work for such a great organization. Maybe you could work part time until drains come out? Are you receiving any type of short term disability?

    Cancer sucks...beyond what it does to your body.

    Fubc- I didn't get my first fill until 4 weeks after surgery. I did 100 each month and did pretty well until the last one which put me over the edge. It's been about 6 weeks and it's still horrible. My exchange is in 13 days, I'm so worried the pain won't be gone afterwards. Ugh. I feel your pain. I imagine this is what one of those coconut bras feel like....only shoved under our tight chest skin.

    Again...cancer sucks. Don't know what I would do if I couldn't come here and whine. No one else understands.

  • FUBC
    FUBC Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2016

    Oh Beth, lots of luck with the exchange. I read in this board that the exchange surgery is a big relief for many and the implants are way softer than the medieval bra we have on now.

  • raven4mi
    raven4mi Member Posts: 215
    edited August 2016

    Question for those of you who had TEs removed and had to wait to try again.......beside the fact that my right side looks horrendous (I tell people it looks like it's been put in a vacuum storage bag; guh!) it's also really hard. There's an especially large-ish area at the bottom above and along the ridge of the scar area. Is that normal? It's quite painful if I lay on my side for any length of time, plus it seems to be getting harder. I used to be able to sense some slight movement when I massaged it but now it's really diminishing.

    Any thoughts? I don't go back to see the PS until 9/8 but I'm worried the area is starting to atrophy or something. Do you think I should call my PS?

  • Misty1
    Misty1 Member Posts: 6
    edited August 2016

    Raven, I sent you a private message. I feel like we are in the same boat!!hope to hear from you.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited August 2016

    raven - what you are feeling that seems to be a ridge may be your allograft. The purpose of allograft is to support the expander/implant but the way this happens is that scar tissue forms around it after it has been in place for a period of time. If the feel seems to be changing for you it may be that additional scar tissue is continuing to form around it. My original expander was out for 7 months, then replaced with no problem, and then later upon the loss of the same side implant, out for 18 months. The pectoral and skin will form around the expander again, but ask your PS if the allograft material was left in and if that is what you are feeling.

  • raven4mi
    raven4mi Member Posts: 215
    edited August 2016

    Ah, thank you, SpecialK! I suspect you're right about that. Never thought of the alloderm. That makes perfect sense considering where it is, at the bottom of the area right above the scar. Thanks for responding!

  • Wildtulip
    Wildtulip Member Posts: 470
    edited August 2016

    Hi ladies,

    I don't know if this is trouble, per say, and many of you have much worse issues, but it's bothersome to me. One of my TE's has turned so it sits the long way on my chest and relatively close to my collarbone. I'm likely to get only 1-2 more fills, but will not have exchange surgery till Dec. :( My PS said to gauge the size I want by looking at the good side. I'm just curious to know if anyone else has had this happen? I hate the way I look! I like my PS and I'm confident he will fix my look, but is this going to cause complications for the exchange surgery?

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,261
    edited August 2016

    wildtulip - not sure if this will cause you any complication other than limiting the size that the shifted expander can be filled to, and a weird aesthetic in the meantime. Ultimately it will limit the size of implant that can fit under the pectoral (bi-laterally) since they need to be approximately the same size to match. What you may end up with is more discomfort at exchange if your PS is trying to put a larger implant into that less expanded pocket - this is what ladies that do direct to implant recon experience also - but there are limitations, based on pocket size, as to how large an implant can be put there. Also, keep in mind that reaching the desired size in the expander will usually translate to a smaller look with the same size (volume) of implant due to the loss of the hard back of the TE which is providing some percentage of projection. FYI - I am always wary of PS that say we will fill until you reach the size you like for that reason.

  • Wildtulip
    Wildtulip Member Posts: 470
    edited August 2016

    SpecialK, Thank you for the input! After being flat for a year I'm really not thrilled with my lopsided look. This road is SO long! I'm almost to my intended size, so hopefully this all will not impact my implant size or the surgery. I understand what you are saying about the implants looking smaller than the expanders, but I'm confused what you are saying about PS and filling to size. Are you saying it would be better to pick a volume amount and fill to that point, rather than using the visual of filling to what appears to look to be the appropriate size? I had brought in a prosthesis to PS at one point and said that I liked the size, so we have had a general cc range from the get go. Thank you for your time!

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