Nipple reconstruction
Comments
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Hello brave girls. Had my nipple done yesterday. My ps does it with a local injection but I decided to go under, I didn't think I could do it (sever needle phobia). He also took off 7 moles from all over the body including the foot. It was the easiest procedure so far in this journey. The nipples looks big to me, but I read here that they will flat out. I sure hope so. The ps warn me that the nipples will be bleeding, clots of blood, and that did. He also put plastic guards. Just wanted to share my expirience. I can't wait to take a shower. Going to see the ps, hopefully, he will give me the green light. Hope you all brave ladies have a great day.
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Well not so good .......... saw PS last Thursday. He debrided the lower areola on the right at the bottom where it had dead tissue. I have to let it heal now secondarily. He said it will take a month. I think it will take longer based on the incision the opened on the left and had to heal that way. So triple antibiotic ointment on it twice a day. He said I will see you in three weeks. Well last night I noticed at the base of the nipple on the top it looks like the skin just above it it darker than it was. I don't know why it would do that now. We did have a 9 hour drive in a u haul truck on Tuesday. WE had to go and get some furniture from a summer condo we owned and sold. So I don't know if the seatbelt did something. I either held it away from me or had a pillow trying to protect the area. But the roads were horrible and it was very bumpy. Wear ladies. I am so weary of everything having a complication and not one going right. I have had 8 surgeries now related to the failed NSM which was caused due to a hospital aquired infection. I am feeling angry right now.
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So sorry Hopeful, it's no wonder you're weary. Maybe the skin is just healing darker. I know my PS told me it would. Maybe you should call?
(hugs)
Jamie
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thanks jamie, I may call. I am just in tears all day. Angry that this keeps happening and all the money it has cost when it was the hospitals fault in the first place that it failed to the infection I got there.
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Hopeful- I can only imagine how frustrated you must be. It's just not right. Wish there was more I could say to help you feel better. Hang in there and keep us posted.
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Hopeful, I too have an area my PS is watching. It's the bottom of my right nip. It's darker purple than the rest. I see him tomorrow, hopefully for a fill. I was supposed to get a fill last Thursday but I have a blister from the steri strip tape and He didn't want to do it yet. This Friday I will be 3 weeks post op. Im so scared my one nip isn't going I stick.
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MrsCich, I too got about 6 huge worm like looking blisters under the tegaderm that he put over the foam dressings that covered the areolas and nipples. I hope your dark area is just a bruise that will resolve and not necrotic tissue like mine was. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Jamie thanks for the words of encouragement and support. I am just beside myself with this. It just doesn't seem to end EVER. Not one thing has gone as it was suppose to. I just need to be able to scream and shout but then I feel guilty because I am here and NED. But it doesn't mean that it isn't about ready to get the best of me. I have worked and worked at continually get up when knocked down with all these complications. I am just finding it really hard to get back up this time. Sorry to be a baby
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Im sorry.
My blister is more like an open wound. It's at the meeting point of my horizontal and vertical incisions (I have an upside down T incision).0 -
Did they create nipples from the skin on your breast or from a graft?
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I was a candidate for nipple sparing so I have my own.
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I am in the nipple decision stage too...and frankly thinking of just doing tatoos...anyone go that way and happy they did?? I take so long to heal that I am worried about messing up something that already looks pretty good
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I'm so sorry ladies.
Hoya ...going to new Orleans in Nov for tattooed...cant wait!0 -
Hi again, I had my nips done 2 days ago (from the skin). I saw the ps yesterday, he said its normal. The right side is still dripping, and it's black at the edge. Any of you expiriencing that? Also, they are so big, and honestly, VERY disgusting. I am starting to regret that I went that route, I should have just tattooed. Can anyone who had that done can shade some light? Please. Thanks again to everyone.
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I had my nip done (UMX) on Aug 20. The first week or so it was big. But now it's flattened out quite a pit. I can still tell it's there and that's better than nothing. But it's still not the same as the real side. I think it will be ok as long as it doesn't flatten out any more. I get the tattoo done the week after Thanksgiving. I will be happy when this is done and I can move on. I do feel better having it there.
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Hopeful - you are not being a baby. We are not meant to be dealing with all this nonsense. You vent all you want. And you can lie down for a bit. You'll get back up again. That's what we do. Be kind to yourself in the meantime.
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User my PS today and was hoping for a fill but don't think he's going to do it. He called in an antibiotic for an infection in my right nip but I think it's a little worse. When I took the gauze off it had a funky odor. 😩 I don't want him to scrape it and whatever else they do.
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Good luck clearing up your infection without too much discomfort, Mrs Cich!
I also got an antibiotic yesterday for a possible infection on incision in "good" side. I have some pain at one spot on the incision and the nipple area has remained pink and tender. Sigh. Hope the antibiotic will fix this pronto. Surgery was August 10th. Did anyone else still feel discomfort this far out?
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MrsCich so was I and that is what I had a nipple sparing but due to a hospital aquired infection on both sides I lost both of them.
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MrsCich so was I and that is what I had a nipple sparing but due to a hospital aquired infection on both sides I lost both of them.
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My PS did tell me they may not stick, could rot, etc. I took the chance knowing that if that did happen, there were other options. I wanted as many as I could get. I also kept mine because I didn't want to wake up without any nips. It was hard enough to go into surgery at 33 years old feeling completely healthy and waking up with much, much smaller breasts (I was a 36DD and now I have 400cc each...not even a B cup). 😞
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My PS did tell me they may not stick, could rot, etc. I took the chance knowing that if that did happen, there were other options. I wanted as many as I could get. I also kept mine because I didn't want to wake up without any nips. It was hard enough to go into surgery at 33 years old feeling completely healthy and waking up with much, much smaller breasts (I was a 36DD and now I have 400cc each...not even a B cup). 😞
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MrsCich I know it is so hard isn't it. Especially at your age. I am glad you were able to keep yours. I always say I was perfectly healthy until they tried to fix me. I never felt better before it was discovered on a routine mamo. No lump or pain. No history so a total shock like it is for many.
I hope your PS will be aggressive with the antibiotics. I ended up with a PICC line and two antibiotics going basically 24/7 for 6.5 weeks. Mine started in the implant, they cultured it from the tissue expanders and it caused I believe the necrosis of the nipples because it interfered with healing. I was in the hospital for my surgery then a week later for another where I lost the nipples and they kept me for the weekend for IV antibiotics. Then they sent me home on oral antibiotics and a week later I was back in for another surgery and picc line and went home on the IV antibiotics. At first they were going to send me home on oral again even though I had a picc line and I said NO that didn't work the first time, it is worse why would it work this time!
They were finally able to clear it and I didn't lose the tissue expanders. But I had to push back and be an active partner in my care. Not always easy for people to do.
You seem unhappy with your size, is there a chance to get a bigger implant?
take gentle care
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MrsCich I know it is so hard isn't it. Especially at your age. I am glad you were able to keep yours. I always say I was perfectly healthy until they tried to fix me. I never felt better before it was discovered on a routine mamo. No lump or pain. No history so a total shock like it is for many.
I hope your PS will be aggressive with the antibiotics. I ended up with a PICC line and two antibiotics going basically 24/7 for 6.5 weeks. Mine started in the implant, they cultured it from the tissue expanders and it caused I believe the necrosis of the nipples because it interfered with healing. I was in the hospital for my surgery then a week later for another where I lost the nipples and they kept me for the weekend for IV antibiotics. Then they sent me home on oral antibiotics and a week later I was back in for another surgery and picc line and went home on the IV antibiotics. At first they were going to send me home on oral again even though I had a picc line and I said NO that didn't work the first time, it is worse why would it work this time!
They were finally able to clear it and I didn't lose the tissue expanders. But I had to push back and be an active partner in my care. Not always easy for people to do.
You seem unhappy with your size, is there a chance to get a bigger implant?
take gentle care
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I don't have implants yet. I have expanders in. The initial fill in the OR was 400cc. My implants are 800cc so I have to get my expanders to that but I can't seem to get a fill with all this other crap going on. I'm sitting in my PS office now. Waiting to be called back. Blah.
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I don't have implants yet. I have expanders in. The initial fill in the OR was 400cc. My implants are 800cc so I have to get my expanders to that but I can't seem to get a fill with all this other crap going on. I'm sitting in my PS office now. Waiting to be called back. Blah.
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PS appt went well, didn't get a fill though. I see him again Oct 1 for that. He wiped my nips and said I can shower facing front now. He say it all looks good.
As happy as I am about showering, Im also scared I will feel it. Ugh. I know I won't and I know it's psychological....blah.
Now to my first Oncology appt. scared, nervous and everything else. I will update you all later.0 -
jwill: did you have diep or implants? not sure if the nipple procedures are different. Anyway, how did you feel after the procedure, the day after, end of that week, week after, what did you feeel like, how long did it take you to feel comfortable, no bandages, wearing clothing, working going out etc etc. trying to get a feel for what I'm in for. thanks for your input.
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first thank you to everyone for your insights as I just read most posts since this forum started. Very helpful. However I have a question for those of you who are a month, two, 6 or 12 months after nipple recon. Is it really permanant headlights? Naturally, headlights weren't strong unless it was cold etc but 24/7 ugg...
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first thank you to everyone for your insights as I just read most posts since this forum started. Very helpful. However I have a question for those of you who are a month, two, 6 or 12 months after nipple recon. Is it really permanent headlights? Naturally, headlights weren't strong unless it was cold etc but 24/7 ugg...
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I had nipple sparing on non cancer side and I had nipple recon in Dec on the other, I had two tattoo's one just a touch up. I really like my nip and tat they look very nice. If flattened out quite a bit but still looks good.
I wear a genie bra that has no wires or anything, just stretchy. It has pads to hide the nipples that are "on" (my old one is on all of the time too as I had a BMX) Most of the time I wear nothing at all around the house but when I go out I wear those.
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