TE TROUBLE
Comments
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I say if the doc offers you happy drug prescriptions, take them. You just never know and it is good to have them around for an emergency. I refill everything with a refill. I figure I will need it at some point. LOL.
Told my PS I could make some serious street money if Iwas into that....he just started laughing and told me to stay away from Craigslist.
My exchange is November 4th. I work part-time at Macy's (although I haven't since last February) and am set to return around Novmeber 15. For those of you who have had your exchange, is that a doable time frame? It is easy to extend it.
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dll66 - turned back out into the wild - you're killin' me with the comedy!
mrochon - I concur - TE put-back was about 2 weeks of fairly mild pain - just be careful of the lifting. That seemed to be painful for me, and will be harder for you since it is your dominant side. I started PT (for cording/LE on the other side, but they included both sides since I was already there!) not long after and the stretching out of the chest was really helpful in not tightening up the shoulder, and in not hunching over to "protect" that new surgery area. I really think it helped the recovery go faster. I will send wishes for good IV karma for you!
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I've got my all my scrips filled! lol
SpecialK, I'm hoping the recovery stretching-wise won't be bad. I have full range of motion back and have been so lucky I have not developed LE!
Thanks for the well wishes. I'm starting to get nervous.
Michelle
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mrochon - I would imagine you are nervous, but excited too! I am excited for you! I just got my new revised set of sleeves for my right arm LE. I have a very mild case and was fitted for bi-lat sleeves a couple of weeks ago. I had the sleeves and guantlets on for about 30 minutes after leaving the fitter and my hands were purple! So I got the new set today - not as much compression - they were much more comfortable and easier to put on as well. I hope they work since I can't get back to the gym without them. Also, can't fly to Sacramento without them either!!!
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My sleeves were wayy tight! I decided to not wear them. Eesh, I flew to Phoenix last month and didn't have a problem. Phew!
...Sacramento? Are you just saying that or are you making a trip out here?
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mrochon - I want to come before the end of the year to see my best friend. I am trying to time it to do some Christmas shopping, we have traditionally done that. She has had a beastly year (actually, I have too!) and I feel bad because I have not been able to see her due to all the BC crapola. She had a bad break-up with her boyfriend, her parents had to declare bankruptcy and she is having to help support them, and her job is in chaos. I also think she has been very worried about ME and I want her to see that I am ok. Plus, I am really tired of being in my house, so I need to come get my Cali fix! If I do come I will let you know the details because you know we have to get together!
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I would love that! Sorry to hear about your girlfriend, that's awful. I met someone on this board who lives int he area and as we got to know each other we were talking about a friend of hers. She would say stuff here and there that would sounds familiar. Well her friend is the sister of one of my daughters friends. What were the chances?! I don't know of anyone those with those issues though...would that not be a little freaky if I said..I know someone here going through that too?!
Six degrees of separation!
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I know - it would be so fun to see each other! Sacramento is a big small town, but yes, it would be weird if you said, hey wait, that sounds familiar. I had something similar happen - I was doing this workshop about inspirational speaking by cancer survivors to cancer patients and the lady running it asked me if I knew somebody she had met through Toastmasters. The person was newly retired Air Force and she thought there was an off chance that I would know them because we were Air Force too. She was asking me because the wife had just been diagnosed with DCIS - turns out I have known them for more than 20 years! It was nice because I was able to get in touch not long after her BMX and we could compare notes! Six degrees is right!
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Fluffqueen...you might want to post your question on the "Exchange City" thread. Or maybe someone else will come along who can answer your question! ;-) I'm one TE in, one out, so can't offer any insight on that one!
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Fluffqueen, that time frame should be doable. Exchange is a pretty easy recovery compared to placement of TEs.
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Ha, SpecialK! I feel a little reckless not having to check in with anyone for over a month!
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dll66 - I know, kind of like you are unsupervised! But nice at the same time, because you can actually live your life without interruption!
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I can't wait for the day I can have the exchange! Seems such a long way to go...
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Its official, november 4th is the date. He thinks the lump is scar tissue, but will double check it at surgery. That wasnt as reassuring as I was hoping, but I'll take it for now.
I told him I was worried that he would get in there and it would be red and irritated and I would come out with nothing. He said he doesn't believe that will be the case this time, but if it is and the pocket didnt look really healthy, he would not put them in.
I told him If that happened, I was picking a different kind of reconstruction and he said he agreed.
All my fingers and toes are crossed. Saying prayers to everyone's Gods! Nine days to E day!0 -
Michele - good luck with surgery Friday….I'm sure all will go well.
Fluffqueen - Best of luck for your exchange, and I will definitely say a prayer for you. Hoping there are no surprises, and that your recovery is uneventful.
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Good luck with the upcoming surgeries ladies!
Saw PS today, my offical new right TE date is Dec 1, first surgery of the day! Yippee! He wants me to stay overnight so I get IV antibiotics. Said he is still not convinced there wasn't an infection in there even though nothing ever developed.
Heis going in on the same incision line and will fill me to what my pocket will allow. I expressed concern about over-filling on the table but he said if he fills too little, I'll get the seroma fluid again.It is a delicate balance. He's very happy with how my left side looks tho! (That TE has been in there since Feb 3 and has dropped.)
Baby steps...
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Very exciting for you ladies who are having put-backs and exchanges! Glad everyone is making progress of some kind! I am still in fill mode - went yesterday and discussed end result. PS still thinks I need a "few" more fills but we did discuss what I am looking for as a final look. I am at 325 on the left and 400 on the right. The right is only slightly bigger at the moment even though there is a 75cc difference I have scar tissue in the left side. He said he wants a month after the last fill but thinks I may be able to exchange before the end of the year. Not sure about the timing - might be better since DH has extra time off at Christmas. Last year four days before Christmas I was having emergency surgery because the TE was coming through the ruptured skin! Wow, what the last year has brought, right?
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SpecialK: You can say that again! What a year it has been for all of us! I'm sorry you are going through your 2nd Christmas season with TEs. Maybe you will get those implants in time for Santa! ;-) Keep us posted.
I went through last Xmas having just been diagnosed, but I didn't want to ruin everyone's holiday since I couldn't see the surgeon until early January, so I didn't see the point in being consumed with cancer talk by telling my friends and family. So DH and I kept it to ourselves. And I told two close friends. But that's all. I had an awkward, sometimes blissful, sometimes scared-out-of-my-mind Christmas. And I am majorly bummed that this Christmas I will STILL be dealing with this $#@% and not even close to being done with recon. But it is what it is. I tell myself am the turtle. (Slow and steady wins the race.)
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ren - slow and steady does win this particular race! I have no doubt that eventually we will all be done with this recon challenge, and all of this hassle will be a memory. I was diagnosed last year three days before pinktober - it was a real problem for me - I am much more chill this time around! The one thing this diagnosis does is to refine how we see things - you mentioned the "sometimes blissful" part of last Christmas - that you could have those moments while newly diagnosed is testimony to your resiliance and strength.
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I hear ya ladies. This will be my 3rd Christmas since this all started….1st mx surgery after diagnosis was 2 weeks before Christmas (didn't make for a very festive occasion), and 2nd mx with reconstruction was 1 month before Christmas. Exchange date is in Jan so this Christmas will be so much easier.
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I just had my right implant removed on Sunday and my breast looks exactly like Just_V describes. It is really hard for me to look at it actually. Even after my BMX I had TEs with 200cc so I wasn't completely flat, but what I'm dealing with now is concave!
Special K - If you don't mind me asking . . . Did you have rads? I see that you are sticking with the implants for reconstruction and I'm just feeling nervous about going down that road again. However, a flap surgery terrifies me!0 -
Welcome (not) sundermom to our club. I am originally from OH.
Good luck everyone this week with scheduled surgeries. I leave tomorrow morning for Jamaica. So excited. I might or might not have internet access. If I do I am sure I will be checking in to see how the surgeries go.
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sundermom - welcome, sorry you are here. I did not require rads. My problems resulted from necrosis on the left side. I had a skin-sparing/nipple sparing BMX and about 20% experience necrosis due to poor blood supply to the skin. I had my TE removed after 3 attempts to excise the weak skin because I needed to move on to chemo. I had the TE replaced in July and so far, so good. Does your PS feel that you are having this issue because of rads? I know this early part is hard, and not knowing what the next steps are makes it more difficult. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it will get easier with time. We all know exactly how you are feeling right now, so don't feel like the lone ranger!
chick - I am officially jealous - but have a fantastic time!
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Hello SpecialK,
Your last entry really caught my attention. With my BMX, my left side was nipple sparing, as well. And it really struggled with blood supply. And that's the side that eventually got the infection and the TE was removed, necrotic skin excised, including the nipple. I knew there were risks, but didn't realize it jumped 20% with nipple sparing.....am I getting that right? Or have I misread it because I just woke up here on the west coast?!?
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tatina - 20% chance of necrosis was what I was quoted when I was briefed about skin sparing/nipple sparing. My surgical oncologist (breast only) had a powerpoint presentation with all the statistical information for the several hundred of these he has performed. I would also assume if it was just skin sparing the percentage of necrosis would be very similar, so I don't think it is the nipple sparing aspect that is causing the problems. I think the majority of that necrosis resolves without the problems we all have had - I had necrosis on the other side (cancer side) also and it took a while but did resolve with Silvadene and time. It is because you are asking all that skin to adhere to the muscle underneath, and sometimes work around alloderm, and form the new blood supply, it is just a risk.
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SpecialK- I'd take you all in my suitcase if I could. We all deserve something like this!
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Very interesting study ladies...
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Well, ladies - i am under two weeks until my UMX (for the remaining breast) and DIEP surgery... little nervous but ready to have it over and done... heard the first four or five days suck but then it gets better quickly (let's hope!)... I will be in the hospital for 3-4 nights (first night or two in ICU to monitor the microsurgery where the PS will connect the artery from the tummy to an artery in the chest). Hope the drugs are good (no morphine for me this time- makes me nauseated).... 13 days left....
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Sending good thoughts your way, Just V!
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just_v - I am excited and nervous for you - I so hope this works out for you! Will you be close to home?
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