TE TROUBLE
Comments
-
Flint, I am still sleeping on the wedge, and my mastectomy was September 1, exchange surgery due to leaking- Feb9...
0 -
Tatina, I am a little nervous, but I am OK. I am so fed up with all that, I just want to move on . I still have to do Herceptin , and remove the port, it is why I don't want to do anything till next January.
I keep thinking: how this great PS with 30 years of experience could not see , that , may be it was an infection? Why did he put another TE immideately? Is he , actually, smart? sorry. Blood tests did not show infection, but afterevery cycle of antibioticsit did get better..and then red again...
sometimes I am thinking, all of us here are half- doctors, studying all that and giving doctors ideas...
0 -
Thanks, Rennasus - and whoever else has ideas!
When I used the ointment/Silvadene, it always had goopy yellow-greenish stuff on the gauze pad. It would be dry if I didn't use anything. This morning when I took the dressing off it was liquid, sort of yellow, but had no smell. I think the Promogran must be doing something new to it. It seemed smaller, too, but that may be wishful thinking. LOL. Taking photos is a good suggestion. I'll start doing that.0 -
Tree: omg... So sorry to hear all the other things you have to deal with! I have one issue with healing on my left side but it is minor so far.
Mrochon: hopefully things will start looking up for you! I think I read one of your posts about working out? Normally I work out ( cardio and weight lifting 1.5. -2 hours a day but obviously I have had to scale back. I am doing cardio, lower body but not much upper body yet. I think part of my problem is that my pec muscles were so defined and tight from working out that is has been a contributing factor to the level of pain I have experienced and still experience. I am just really ready to get the tee's out, implants in and working out like I used to. I am used to muscle soreness but my years of working out but this is nothing like that !!
Eve berry: wherendo they inject Botox and does it help?? I'm intrigued!
Rennasus: u fortunately, my ps is pretty non chalant about things and I have had so many questions and issues Ithis is one of those smaller issues thatni haven't asked him about.
Ginger48: I agree itvis not a good position, for sure! Since I didn't use the stomach ot the lat muscle the abdomen swelling probably isn't a big issue but I will be asking my ps about it. I know I need to stretch out my pecs by laying flat it is just that everything is so painful and even sleeping in the recliner, every morning I wake up it is a struggle ( and painful) just to get moving initially. Laying flat for 30 - 60 minutes on the floor is bad enough, I can't imagine 7 hours of it!!0 -
Just spent time catching up, again... I see we have some new gals too, so sorry you have joined our group.
Got my TE replacement date... April 17th, so nervous to go through this again! I so hope it all takes this time.
Also, was tired of hair armpit on the AND side.... decided to do something stupid and used Nair... don't think that was very bright! Have been so sore every since, and I swear I think I am swollen! To add insult to injury - still have some hair in pit!!!
0 -
DM - I have that hair in pit thing going on, too. Bought an electric razor and it's not working well in those pit spots. No more Nair for you......And yeah on your replacement date.
Ren - I actually feel more comfy propped up (2 to 3 pillows). Have slept flat sometimes and noticed more pressure on my ribs.
Olgah - I think we could all write a book about what we've been through.....0 -
Ladies what do your doc's tell you about why you can't lay flat? Why do you feel pressure on your ribs when you lay flat?I'm just curious why that would be. (I know, like i don't have enough to think about!)
Olgah, I bet you cannot wait to get that TE outta there!
Tatina yes we could all write a chapter in a book! Enjoy the rain! The sun keeps coming out and then the wind picks up and the rain pours down sideways. Can't decide if we should stay home or go out!
Re: the armpit hair growing back when you can't feel the skin in order to shave it... I use my big stand-alone magnifying mirror, put lotion on, and shave very gently up close in the mirror. Electric razor is best, but I use a straight razor now.
0 -
I have pit hair in my node pit that I can't seem to get to shave.
Sorry to see new ladies joing the group. Happy to see some of us moving on to squishies.
I have had a rough week emotionally. My grandpa's memorial service will not be until April, which would be fine if it wasnot the week of my daughter's first communion. I have to travel 500 miles for the service and I just don't feel like I could physically do it. After talking to my grandma and my mom yesterday I made the decision not to go and instead to visit my grandma at a later date when I can bring the kids and travel at a more relaxed pace. I have asked if it couldn't be moved back one week and got a lashing of nasty emails from a cousin. Anyway thanks for letting me vent to someone not so emotionally attached to the situation. My sister, God love her, wants to beat the crap out of my cousin
0 -
chick - I love your sister.
0 -
Staying dry Tatina? Another round came through it's coming down!
Chick - I want to beat the crap out of your cousin! Sorry you've had to deal with that. Deaths in families can bring the worst out in relatives, especially when a patrioch in the family. Hang tough.
Eve - I'm definitely going to ask about Botox at my second opinion consult. I need to start making my list of questions.
The purse party was fun. Caught up with some friends I haven't seen in awhile. I went with a girlfriend and went back to her place to veg on her couch and got her caught up on Mad Men. She got a new couch. She didn't have room for this chair that I love. It's an old chair 60s, it's wide, seats low with an ottoman. Very Mad Men. Well it's mine now! Sitting in it as I type thus! :-)
Michelle0 -
Staying dry Tatina? Another round came through it's coming down!
Chick - I want to beat the crap out of your cousin! Sorry you've had to deal with that. Deaths in families can bring the worst out in relatives, especially when a patrioch in the family. Hang tough.
Eve - I'm definitely going to ask about Botox at my second opinion consult. I need to start making my list of questions.
The purse party was fun. Caught up with some friends I haven't seen in awhile. I went with a girlfriend and went back to her place to veg on her couch and got her caught up on Mad Men. She got a new couch. She didn't have room for this chair that I love. It's an old chair 60s, it's wide, seats low with an ottoman. Very Mad Men. Well it's mine now! Sitting in it as I type thus! :-)
Michelle0 -
Ladies -
I had my BMX with TEs on 12/5/11. When I got home I cried every single day because I thought the TEs were trying to kill me. I wept and sobbed and told DH he had to take me back to the hospital RIGHTNOW to have them removed.
Fortunately, I listened to some very wise women on this forum, and decided to take my prescribed pain meds. Duh. In about 3 weeks, that horrible, burning, stabbing, on-fire pain subsided and I was able to start my fills.
Being large and out of shape was a huge bonus to me. I had lots of excess skin, and extremely pliable pecs. I had good healing, and after only 5 sessions of fills, am up to 620ccs in the TEs. I am postponing exchange until August or September because I am starting an Optifast program that will last four months. I want to make sure I give my PS the best body I can for him to give me the best outcome he can. I also need to rid myself of this excess body fat that is producing estrogen.
Oh - after my BMX, I'd rented a hospital bed and slept in it for two months. It was great to be able to not only be propped up, but have my knees supported as well. But I've been back in my regular bed since Feb 5th, and can easily sleep on my back or on my sides, even with the rock-hard TEs.
My point in posting this is that I am so grateful to all of you who have posted. I am so sorry for all the complications you have had, and this has made me much more aware of what to look for in my healing process. It has also helped greatly in my communication with my PS as to how best to heal. I know it's mostly nothing I can control, and sometimes $#*t just happens.
There is some concern over having excess skin that has stretched out that will have to be removed, but he thinks it will be o.k. The TEs will have been in for 9 months by the time I have them exchanged.
You are all in my prayers: those of you who are just now discovering issues, and those of you who are finally at your new exchange dates.
Praying for good healing for all of you!
0 -
Michelle-Oh an the patrirach he was! I did get a some what apologetic email this morning where she explained that she was very upset by his death and that she didn't mean to be so nasty....however there were a few jabs in there about how I should make this a higher priority. She lives within a 10 mile radius of both her family and her husbands. She has no clue how hard it is to be away from family, especially when something like this happens. Anyhoo, I need to let it drop, stress is not good!
blessings-thanks for the very nice message. These ladies are great aren't they!!
0 -
Chick - very good to let go and drop the stress. You are doing the right by your "self and family" and I hope you feel strong in that.
So all you shaving pit - did you all have AND? I thought you you could not use a razor if you did? Pit is still sore from Nair and it has been a couple days now
Michelle - congrats on new comfy chair, glad to see your re doing well.
Ren - my PS told me you get better air flow when sleeping propped up. 3 months after BMX and I can finally sleep flat, but still feels better if I can get through a night propped up and on my back.
0 -
DM-I am fine with my decision I just wish others could be as well. Bust we are all entitled to feel what we feel.
Re AND-I only had 4 nodes taken in a separate incision under the arm pit on the cancer side. I had 2 nodes on the non cancer side taken through the BMX incision. Where I had the SNB I have a pit (in my pit). I was never told I could no longer shave my pits.
0 -
I like to live on the edge and I do shave under both arms - I had bi-lat SNB, and then 5 weeks later an AND for the surprise positve nodes. I have almost all feeling back in the AND side after 16 months. I found the electric shaver too unwieldy under my arm, and it didn't shave off the hair! I am exceedingly careful but I do shave.
0 -
Special K - good to see you today
can't wait for feeling and a shave then!0 -
SpecialK - I also had ALND. My original surgery was on Nov 28th and I still have so much pain in my arm on that side, also still vey numb. How can it be numb, painful and itchy all at the same time?! Just wondering if you experienced a lot of pain and how long it lasted. By the end of the day I can hardly move my arm and still taking Percocet at bedtime
0 -
Hello to all the ladies who ave recently joined the group. I leave fora long weekend and totally lose touch! Hugs and prayers for healing for you.
I met a dear friend Saturday for brunch, followed by Bra shopping and a show and tell scar baring session. I find I have little modesty anymore... My friends opinion is I need to go bigger. Hubby says call the ps and schedule it now. Oy. Saw the gyn-onc Friday for a follow up, still healing from the hysterectomy.
The biggest news is I got a tattoo! the artist was amazing and drew up a design based on our conversation. My youngest son and his girlfriend went with. Took an hour for the actual tattoo part., it's on my back and I love it! It hurt like mad...but, like labor, once he was done it was fine. I will work on changing my profile pic to a pic of the tattoo.
I hope you all have a great week.0 -
Ps, I live on the edge and shave my pits, the nair burns my skin but doesn't remove the hair.
0 -
Hello Ladies,
I don't post often. I'm a bit shy about this situation. I do read the posts and always feel better that I'm not the only one dealing with crazy situation. I was reading about the shaving and I just laughed out loud. I can't feel anything in my arm pit. I feel like I'm shaving someone else. It is so freaky!
I go to the PS in the morning to discuss when we can try to put the TE back in. I'm just scared at this point. I want to start over, but I'm afraid of failure.0 -
curlyfry - I know, every one of us that lost a TE has lived with that fear. I felt like this, if I had issues again I would take it as a sign that I shouldn't continue, but I had to give it a second try. I went low and slow and it did take a while before I could exchange, but I was in no rush.
MT - yay on the tatoo!
DM - Hi! One day you too will shave!
beebop - I had a more difficult recovery from the AND than from the BMX. My AND was 5 weeks later. It was 6-8 months before that stinging, prickly and numb feeling subsided. Unfortunately, I did get LE in that arm and it appeared during chemo, when I had a great deal of swelling all over. Once that whole situation was done the arm did get better. I think some of the itchy may be nerve regeneration so that is good - I know it is hard to be patient!
Hope everyone has a good week!
0 -
Well, what a great exercise this AM. I am so sorry to hear these stories - like cancer isn't bad enough we have to deal with these issues! I must admit though that reading some of these posts made me laugh so hard I decided I finally had to post something on this website! (Sorry - I've just been a reader for the last 7 months.)
I thought everything was going great after surgery (BMX 10/11) - TE's weren't fun but doable then I realized my left side was getting smaller went to PS - we did a fill to monitor and sure enough there was a LEAK... a LEAK really?? SInce I was into chemo I had to wait for replacement procedure (and was also left with the lopsidedness - thank god for padding). Replacement was 2/8/12 - had several fills and all is good now. I was just frutstrated with the "hold pattern" mostly as I wanted my fills done by the time chemo was over...best laid plans! PS said there was a hole in TE - that he created - apparently somehow there was some overlap and he nicked when doing a fill....Hopefully no repeats of this..my left TE is a bit more uncomfortable now and I use meds to help so I can sleep! Looking forward to fills being done and getting on to squishies....so tired of these rocks on my chest! I want to sleep on my stomach...
Curly - you really made me laugh (mainly at my own memories)..My first traumatic experience after surgery was when I went to shave..it was then that I realized I had no feeling...how do you shave when you can't feel..total meltdown - I adjusted after a while and currently it is a non issue as I am still waiting for hair to grow...hopefully it won't be hard to adjust when I have to start shaving again..No one ever said anything to me about not shaving either????
Thanks soo much ladies - praying that all goes well for each of you! We have to keep going on and smiling...even though it isn't always easy!
Michelle
0 -
BeeBop - The pain in my arm from the AND has gotten better, but the numbness has not. There are times when I move my arm a certain way and feel like the shoulder has popped out of joint, or like a severe Charlie Horse has been administered... but at least I can finally stretch my arm out straight.
As for all the pit activity... I was told not to shave on the AND side because if you were to nick yourself, it could cause LE... I have no idea if that is true or not! I am still so sore from Nair. Once I have my TE replaced, going to try shaving very carefully!
0 -
Waiting for Wednesday operation and scared...does not look good..PS closed leakage with glue, said if it will open-then will be really bad... what does it mean? then... what? redness does not go anywhere.Do they operate while red and hot and leakage?
0 -
olgah - your doc may just want to get the TE out and will give you IV antibiotics if necessary. I am so sorry you are having this trouble, wish I could help you somehow.
hale - the no shaving warning is given more frequently for ladies who have had an axillary node dissection. I would be surprised if many BS gave it for those who only had SNB.
0 -
@Beebop: I had AND Nov 21, 2011 ( with lumpectomy , but then followed up with double MX) and had 18 lymph nodes removed...still numb and various levels of pain as well. Of course that along with the pain I experience with the TE's and it all begins to boil down to just pain! I am hoping I don't get Lymphadema and I am looking forward to the end of April when I think I will have my exchange surgery. Hope your pain begins to calm down soon!
And interesting reading on the shaving... Neither rmy BS nor my PS said anything about avoiding shaving. I did have my underarms lasered several years ago though so for the most part, I have very little hair anymore; especially on my left side which was radiated in 2007 with my first round of cancer. However, what little hair I do have I shave. With the TE's growing up into my underarms though I have some weird contours under there!0 -
HOPE EVERYONE IS DOING GREAT AFTER THE WEEKEND.
Just a small note. Saw my PS today. Definitely the TE has to come out. It has made the hole bigger and the skin is getting thin. So his exact words. It is a simple procedure, we will do it in my office and we will try again in a few months. I pray its simple. Compared to some of you guys it seems simple, I pray anyway.
Wish me luck.
Good luck to this week's surgery gals. You are all in my prayers.
0 -
Alilou...praying for you!!
0 -
Alilou - you will be fine. Once you get that infected TE out you will feel better.
Olgah - I was a mess with my infection. Hospitalized, infection oozing, skin dying and I did just fine. In fact, I wouldn't shut up after surgery....all I did was talk and talk, I felt so good.
Hugs to you both,
T0
