TEs. A Beginner's Primer
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Well I've been her over 2 years snd no one else put it on here! LOL : )
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I guess I'm brave :-)
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just waiting for my flashlight to arrive from Amazon!
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My hubby said to tell juliecc THANK YOU for the very cool experiment! Bizarre for sure but super cool!
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Now where did we put that big flashlight?...
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now I am a little bit disappointed that I have already had my exchange. Rats!
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previvor, I'm going to try it on the implants. I'll let you know! LOL
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I bought my bofriend one of these little flashlights, too, so I got to try both out last night. Those are scar strips. It's weird how the ports seem to be in different places. I bet this would work well with implants, too, since we don't have breast tissue left ant it's would still be hollow in there. I boobs loog ginormous but they ae only 450cc
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What I don't like about my bilateral MX surgery is that my scars are really low. I had low droopy nipples so I think that is why. If I got 3D tattoos, they would probably be placed above the incisions. A big dent on the inner part of one will have to be filled in with fat grafting according to my PS. It's been there for awhile and I had hoped my fills would fix it. I asked her to do that during my exchange. My scars have hyperpigmented areas :-(
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I'll remove the above picture by tomorrow so it doesn't live on this site! One day I'll post them on the picture forum.
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Here's a general question about TEs that I keep forgetting to ask my PS. I bet someone here can answer it. Why do some of us need TEs, then implants, but some people skip the TEs and go straight to implants? From what I see on these boards it doesn't seem to have to do with cancer stage or breast size.
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About the flashlight- No, but now I am totally going to do this tonight!
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Janet- I think it has to do with the size of the implant you need and if the PS surgeon thinks that your muscle needs to be stretched. I am shooting for a full C or smallish D when I am done, consequently I had to go the TE route. I think I remember him saying if I had gone for a smaller cup size I could have just been done. Honestly, my TE's have shifted again on the left side and hurt again... I am completely regretting them at the moment. Work has been rough, I am sore, and I am tired of them. Hopefully once work finishes in 2 weeks it will not bother me as much.
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Dang Julie- I have about 350 cc's at the moment, and it barely is a bump on the chest. I am tall though (6'2'') and maybe you are tiny height wise. I have been feeling like I am going to need a whhooooooole lot of CCs to get me up to a C cup
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Happyteacher, I'm a little shy of 5'4" and weigh about 140. I weighed 133 when diagnosed in February. Too much comfort eating
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Happyteacher, sorry your TEs are hurting you. Each week my TEs feel better for me. I hope they readjust. I do notice if I pick up heavy things, they will tighten for a few minutes. It's a weird sensation that reminded me of when I was in labor 20 years ago and and my abdomen would tighten.
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Julie, you are too funny! Thanks for the pic, my flashlight wasn't strong enough.
Janet, I was expecting to get implant at the time of bmx but woke up to TE's. I was going from DDD ( squished into a DD minimizer bra) to a lg C or small D. I was only tod by my PS that hr didn't think that I would like how it looked. He vBulletin said that 1400cc's were removed bilaterally. I think that means from EACH. My TE's are 610cc right now and he thinks we will stop at 700 next week. So I'm thinking that in my case it had to do with size.
Happyteacher, mine hurt too. They hurt most the day after a fill. My right one is so high that the PS called it a chin rest. The muscle hurts and there seems to be some major nerve thing going on. It hurts when I am getting a fill too!
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Stfne, I had about 1300 to 1400 removed bilaterally. It was over 650 from each for a total of about 1400 grams. For my permanent implants I am at 800 each in 700 mentors.
I am a plus size lady but I was a bit less than a C cup. Now I fill out a C cup. My P'S had told me that I would not be happy with an immediate implant so I went the TE route. A very detoured route! But I got there! Much love to all.
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Whether or not you can get immediate implants can depend on what the PS has to work with when he sees what the breast surgeon left after the first 1/2 of the surgery. If the flap is too thin or there is not enough of it, stretching it over an implant could compromise the blood flow to the already traumatized tissue. You have to have adequate blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue. If not, tissue death (necrosis) sets in and you can lose some or all of it. (!!) Putting in a TE is better in that case. I suppose it also depends on the skill of the plastic surgeon. Apparently direct to implants is more difficult to do, but I don't know why. All I know is that the breast surgeon said with my huge FFF's, I would be a good candidate for immediate implants and sent me to the PS, who agreed. I was warned that I could wake up with TE's instead if the flaps were too thin or not enough was left to cover the 800 cc Style 20 rounds.
If a TE is required, some doctors (like mine) put in an empty TE and wait until the drains are out and there is no sign of infection, impaired healing, or necrosis. About three weeks after the mastectomy, he begins fills. Other doctors put 50 or 100 cc's in to begin with. I've heard of a few women who got 300 cc and one 500 cc's in the OR. (Ouch !!!) Don't know why those women didn't get just get permanent implants from the beginning.
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I desperately wanted direct-to-implant recon! I was 5'5, over 200 pounds, and wore a size 40DDD bra with my drooping-to-my-waist Original Girls crammed into the cups.
I had so much skin, and such lax muscles, I thought I'd be a perfect candidate, but like Sandra said, there is a huge issue with compromising the integrity of the remaining breast tissue.
My PS just flat out doesn't do that surgery. So I got TEs. What's really funny is that now I can wear some of the same bras I used to with the Original Girls, but with the New Girls, I just look PERKY!!!! (Also, after losing weight, I can wear a 34DDD, a 36DD, or a 38D, depending on the brand and style.) With the slow stretching of the pectoral muscles, and the very good blood supply to the breast skin, I now have a lot of sensation in my new breasts.
OH - about the flashlight trick? DH and I can both swear to the fact that it works on permanent saline implants.
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LOL, Blessings! 
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I got 100cc during the surgery. Then 50cc a fill after that, til we were done. I would try to strongly express your wish before surgery to start out small, and not have 350 or some huge amount during surgery. It seems that many who have trouble with te start out huge from the surgery. Or have 100 cc or more during a fill.
I had lx with reduction initially, so there wasnt enough skin/room left to do direct to implant during bmx.
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I started with 300 in at BMX. At each new TE he started with that. I had a lot of room. On my last TE, I never felt the fill pain til my last 2 fills. Otherwise nothing at all. And my P'S went 100 each time. The last one though was 50. And hurt like the dickens. LOL
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Am 3 days out from BMX with the TEs. Very sore & at times it's tough to breath. Feel like bride of Frankenstein. I have the axillapillas and pain meds but still tough to get comfortable. Also, have taken 3 stool softness and eaten prunes 3 times in 3 days....still waiting for that train. WTH? Any advise besides patience & prayer?
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Jill, I took stool softeners, magnesium, and ate prunes. I think I finally was able to go on day 4. So magnesium might be worth a try. I think that's what makes Milk of Magnesium work.
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Janet,
I had direct-to-implant. I was a good candidate as my nipple-sparing MX left large & healthy enough tissue flaps to work with. They had good blood flow right after the MX portion. Alloderm was also used to form the pocket along the bottom which creates more space, it also protects & supports the implant like an internal bra.
I was a 32DD before surgery, and wanted to be a bit smaller (which was another reason I could go straight to implant, I did not want to be bigger & preferred to be smaller). I should end up as a 32D or thereabouts from what I can tell so far, though firmer & perkier than I was before. My PS brought in different size implants based on my pre-op measurements and desired goal, and ended up putting in 435cc high profile Allergan's after trying sizers in the OR and getting nurse input.
The first PS I saw wanted to do TEs....because that is what he was experienced with and therefore felt more confident with, not because I was not a good candidate. So oftentimes that is a factor as well.
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I was very small breasted, had 100 cc removed from each breast. My PS said he preferred using TEs for symmetry as I had NSBMX. I was filled 280 on one side and 300 on the other during surgery. I am done with my fills(4 weeks ago). I play golf, spin and Pilates. I see my PS in 2 weeks to pick out my pair and schedule a surgery date.
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Jil, as soon as you get off of narcotics, your constipation will most likely go away. They are the common cause.
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Jill hugs. You are just in the worst phase right after sx. It will get better. Try some tea. Warm drinks help. Smooth move tea sometimes helps too. Did you get home yet? Sometimes that helps. Is there any movement at all? ( TMI but are you farting yet?) Even I, who definitely go the other way most often, had a bit of trouble. Much love
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Miralax and prunes...just be patient. The sooner you get off the hard drugs the sooner itll finally happen. But dont be a martyr and not help your pain, especially in the beginning.
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