TEs. A Beginner's Primer
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mine seem to fill at the top more too.
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Sandra, good idea, ha ha. I was thinking of just sitting on my big raft. next week at this time, i will be home recovering.
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Moon
Glad you're doing well!!!
Great news
Babs
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Congrats, Moonflwr, on your bionic knee! Wishing you a quick recovery and complete healing! xoxoxo
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moon - yay!
For those who wondered if their TE are moving - they can - some PS use TE with tabs that are stitched down so they move less. Some docs don't stitch them down, so they can rotate in the pocket a bit. On the question regarding the fill port moving, if your TE has rotated then the fill port moves with it, however it will also move to some extent as your TE is filled, even if the tabs are sewn down. Think about making an X with a marker on a balloon partially filled with water. Then think about the movement of that X if you add more water, as the balloon gets bigger the X is in a slightly different location. Same for the TE.
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Ah...brilliant explanation....I completely freaked when the port moved to the bottom of the expander after the last fill and thought I broke something....Doc also told me not to worry about it....the port is about 4 inches lower than it was before my last fill.
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hmmm that WAS a good explanation!
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Hey Zeeba.
My port has moved a bit as the expansion process has gone on.
By the way, I'm now done at 290 cc -- a full C in projection for me -- and exchange is on August 1. PS thinks high projection shaped may give me the look I want over rounds. Both will be brought in to "try on" during the exchange. Finally implant will probably be 50-75cc over my current fill level.
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vfay-
I do. The port area on my left side seems to absoutly require a bra 24/7. I would love to not wear one at night, but so far it is a no go. I have been steadily improving though, and hope one day to be able to ditch bras all together.
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Had BMX on the 18th. Initial fill at time of surgery was 300cc each side. Not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I had a lot of lose skin from a previous weight loss. In any event, there has been minimal discomfort from that aspect of the whole thing. I was a 36 D before surgery, and would like to end up a small C-ish. PS thinks this can be accomplished with about 100cc more each side (not necessarily all at the same time). My question is, with just the 300cc, I feel HUGE! and cant imagine 100cc more on each side. Do the implants themselves appear smaller? (I am going with the teardrop shape) or is some of this still swelling? I am 5'9" tall, 150 lbs. It has only been 5 days, so maybe things still need time to settle? Thanks for all, and any advice, as well as for this thread. It has been so helpful, and informative, in the decision making process.
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2am, the TES are made to protrude from your body to force the muscles and skin to enlarge. They have a hard back to push the front out. So yes they seem way bigger than they will be in an implant. When you exchange, the implant has a softer back which will sink into any cavity in your breast area and not push forward. So we lose a lot of projection as they settle in. It is one of the biggest complaints of exchange. The front part of the bra is always empty. That is why it's so important to ask questions and talk to your PS about what you expect, vs what you can get. I know I walked into doorways and my foobs hit the dang things! LOL before my exchange. Everyone is different though. If you want or info go to implant 101 and work with our resident genius, Whippetmom. She will be able to recommend the correct implant for your needs when you tell her your specific info. She's amazing!
Much love
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silly question here. my TE will be put in tomorrow. Will there be a drain like there was with the mastectomy?0 -
scary. Maybe. But probably not. It just depends. Hugs.
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Scary, I'm thinking yes. Best to be prepared. If you have drains, it will be for your own good. After surgery, the fluid has to go somewhere. Better out than staying in. I had drains for three of my four surgeries.
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Scary,
I had TEs put in at the time of the BMX, and there were 4 drains: bulky and awkward but not painful at all. My PS said I would probably not have drains for the upcoming exchange surgery (3 weeks from tomorrow!). I know he is going to do some extra work on my right side though, so if I wake up with a drain or two I won't be thrilled about it but it's OK. They don't stay in that long and, like Sandra said, they are there for a reason. It helped me knowing that last time.
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thanks ladies. i'll bring my camisole with me tomorrow. it has the pockets i will need.
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Scary, All the best to you tomorrow!
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thank you so much iwannaseeyou. i just took surgical shower number 1, lol. then the follow-up shower will be in the morning. ok, time for another silly question. i am reading stories about women being in pain from the expanders. i told the ps i want small breasts when i'm done. do they put in smaller expanders for women who want small breasts? do smaller expanders hurt less? do they really cut into bone and muscles when putting in expanders?.
p.s.: my medicaid hadn't been approved yet when i had mastectomy, so i had to delay reconstruction. they also said they couldn't remove non-cancerous breast, but will reduce it when reconstructed one is done. i sure don't want a size G-H implant, which is what my so-called "healthy" breast is. thanks alot prolactinoma (which i'm finally being treated for now, thank God).
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Scary,
They are not cutting into bone but the TEs are pressing against your ribcage. Should you walk up a flight of stairs after surgery, you'll surely feel slightly winded. After my BMX with TEs, there was muscle that was cut. It made you feel like you had dinosaur arms. It made you very aware of how you take some muscles for granted. Good luck!
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thank you for your honest answer. i have been exercising almost daily, but i do isometrics, and they have been very effective. I hope that i do not have to stop exercising for too long while i recover.
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Scary,
My PS allowed me to go back to exercising but I was not allowed to do anything that involved pectoral muscles. I started playing golf after a month and I went back to spinning and Pilates. I also did my arm stretches, that helped tremendously. And lots of walks. You will find your comfort zone.
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Scarey, I am 7 days out from having had BMX w/TE's. As you are, I am also aiming for smaller breasts. Immediately after sx, I was in pain, but nothing like I had imagined. Lots of pressure. Now, the pain/discomfort, is mostly under my arms, where sometimes it feels like the TE's are poking me. I was so happy to be able to use the rest room right after surgery, but shocked, that I could not press down to flush the tiolet, or even turn the door knob! Every single day it improves though, and the exercises they gave me to do, help very much. Prior to my sx, I focused on core exercises, and am so glad I did, as having a strong core has helped me to be able to get in/out of bed, chairs, vehicles ect...without using my arms. Olaf, I always tell my husband that I feel like Barney lol. Every single day gets better though. Walking helps so much. The very best advice given to me was, let your body rest, and keep up on the meds. Thoughts and prayers are with you today.
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yeah because they cut the pec muscles to insert them your upper body and arm abilities are severely lessened. I also couldnt do any exercises using upper body for a number of weeks...but dont do nothing-- ask about wall walking with your fingers and other things, to keep you moving at least a little...you wont be able to do even small things (ok, I wasnt), like holding a heavy cup, pulling open fridge, opening med bottles etc, for maybe up to a week ? So prepare stuff, and have help.
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I wasn't able to open child-proof pill bottles. Thank goodness there was someone to help me. I should never have gotten them though -- no children here.
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and this i s why we have these wonderful boards! I would not have thought about the childproof bottles! The thing I remember that shocked me the most was bending over to pick something off the floor! Aaaahhhhrrggghhh! Pain dizzyness, etc! I just didn't expect it. I tell people to try getting out of a chair with their arms crossed in front of their chest. If they have no problem they won't after sx. If however, they can't get out of the chair, they will need help or possibly not use that chair for a while. It's amazing how hard it is to get off a comfy chair without using your arms to push or pull. Everyone should try this experiment with every chair they spend time in before sx.
Much love.
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Exactly! The inability to turn the door knob to the bathroom shocked me. If I try to do more then I can, the dizziness and pain. I knew about the pill bottles, but thought, surly not! Nope, cant open a single one even 7 days later! I can now lift a coffee cup, and open the refrigerator door...sort of. Baby steps. I do the arms crossed over my chest to get in and out of chairs, bed, truck, because If I dont, I automatically find myself trying to use my arms. Its a good ab workout!
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If you have a helper , have them put their arm or hand on your back and push you forward/up to help get up, especially from bed- you dont realize how much chest/arms you use for that.
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My biggest challenge was tamping down the coffee for my espresso each morning. My husband made me an adapter so that I could use a lemon squeezer with two hands to tamp it. Who would think that putting 15 pounds of pressure on some ground coffee would be so difficult? And no one wanted to see me without my espresso! Not a pleasant thought.
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thanks for all the thoughts ladies. i am now home and in pain. nurse said no exercising, no driving, and no swmming. My follow-up is in ten days, and then they will discuss what I can do, depending on how far along in healing I am. I ended up getting two drains, and the blood is dark red right now. If I don't see it getting a lighter color in the next few days, I will see the dr. earlier. The dr. prescribed pain killers plus antibiotics. I also learned something very important that I did not learn at my original surgery. Practice slow deep belly breathing, something i do now as part of my exercise routine anyway. It helps to speed healing, and it also helps prevent pneumonia.
p.s. yes, using the right arm (the side of the expanders) is very difficult. However, I am glad I had been doing core-strenghening exercises for the past few months, as it makes it easier to get up without the aid of my arms. It's just so hard to find a position comfortable enough to sleep in. even though I experimented with pillows, etc.. so i guess i will have to sleep sitting up for the time being.
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When I had my BMX and recon in December 2011, I knew I'd never make it in our bed... it's a Tempurpedic, and while it's very comfy to sleep in, trying to turn over or get out of it is like swimming in jello.
Since we didn't have a recliner that was comfortable enough to sleep in, DH rented a fully electric, adjustable hospital bed for me for a month. Fortunately, our master bedroom had a separate sitting area where the bed fit perfectly under the windows.
We put a small bookcase next to it with a lamp, and DH rigged up a remote control that turned my lamp on and off.
That was SO cool... the hospital bed raised and lowered, so I could sit on it and raise myself up, and I could raise and lower the back to just the right angle. Being able to raise the mattress under the knees made it comfortable to sleep on my back without causing pain. I also had a Tempurpedic twin sized mattress topper, which made it as comfy as my own bed.
We pinned the controls to my sheets, and it was easy enough to lower the bed fully, raise the back up to a 90 degree angle, and get out of bed to use the restroom. We also rented one of those over-the-bed hospital tables, and on it were the toddler sippy cups I used to keep hydrated, and the crackers I ate when DH brought me my 4 am pain meds.
One huge benefit of doing it this way was hearing DH tell me how independent I was so soon. He'd expected me to be helpless for way longer.
By the time I had my Exchange 9 months later, I'd bought a really comfortable recliner. The only bad part was the lever on the side that I didn't have the strength to pull to lay back. So I ordered one of those large lever extenders for elderly folks from the Walter Drake catalog. Worked like a charm.
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