TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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thanks so much. i will be gentle. follow-up is this thurs.
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It'll be so nice to get those darn drains out!
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If you still have drains they really don't want you doing too much. You are still healing on the inside. Please go slow on exercising. Ask your PS how much is ok.
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Hopefully remaining drain will come out Thursday. I will be gentle until then, and after too.
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Talk to me about soreness. I'm almost 5 weeks out, one week drain free and still can't fathom putting on a sports bra or reguar bra and even the shelf bras in tank tops are uncomfortable. Will that go away soon? I'm running out of clothing options!
Also, do these things ever get comfortable? My kids are out of school at the end of September and I'd love to do a Disney trip with them to avoid the crowds -- but can I ride rides? Now bumps in the car don't feel so good so I can't imagine going on a roller coaster or having one of those harnesses come down on the TE's. Do they settle down and get more comfortable? One of mine is way too far to the right and hits under my arm - I'm hoping when I start fills in a few weeks that shifts. It's really annoying.
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srdc your mastectomy was only 5 weeks ago? Or was it just a TE placement? If MX, then you are still healing from a major surgery! 5 weeks is a short time to heal. The TEs are meant to move skin and muscle so are very tough. But if you are still recovering they feel even more in the way. Are you having chemo or Rads too? Can you fill in the profile for us? Thanks.
Much love
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Sorry! I had double mastectomy with tissue expanders placed 5 weeks ago. Haven't had first fill yet. He wants to wait until end of July. I had chemo first and docs aren't recommending radiation. I think I am just anxious to get this all behind me and keep getting reminders every day of the things I can't do yet. Run, play sports with my kids, reach the top shelf, wear a bathing suit- heck even get dressed in some of my clothes. I know I shouldn't complain. I had a terrific result from the chemo but just ready to be done!!
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srdc, try camisoles. I used Soma, a little pricey but they have just enough tension to hold things and feels comfortable. No bras!
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srdc2013- Waiting...we seem to have to do a lot of it and it is more difficult than most people realize. That is what is great about this Board. We get it. On the positive side, you will be starting your fills soon and each one of those is a definite milestone towards the endline. The "fill mantra" is "low and slow." Hard to do when you want to be done but you need to do what is most comfortable for you. Not that the TEs are ever very comfortable. Haha!! Take care and let us know how the fills go. I started with 150cc at surgery and then got weekly fills of 60cc until I reached 450cc. Others went every two weeks and some took even longer time between fills. As for amount, the ladies varied between 125cc to 25cc. The point is to do what is best for you!! Good luck!!
Ally
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SRDC I am just over a month out and I just traveled to see my daughter (emergency) yesterday. Flew for four hours then an extremely bouncy 3.5 hour car ride to her home. I was in agony. Please take it easy on yourself. We only have this time to heal.0 -
i finally had remaining drain pulled thurs. i got op. report, and it says i had 50 cc. put in during TE surgery. then i had 50 cc. put in on thurs. it didn't hurt at all. they're going to space them out 2 weeks apart. i can exercise, just no bouncing, chest exercises or arms above head.
i can't swim above my waist for now, but i can deal with that.
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Scary, Congratulations on getting the drains pulled and your first fill! My PS also did 50cc every other week. At first I thought it was too slow but then thankful for that pace. As we've all heard, this is not a race. Your the driver and go at your comfortable pace. :-)
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totally agree. slow is much better.
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I has 100cc every 2 weeks and I did great. Exchange is this Thursday.
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Lori, how exciting about your upcoming exchange surgery! All the best to you!
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Scary, I wonder why we get such differing advice on activity. My surgeon told me to start "walking the wall" as soon as I got home (walking fingers up wall as high as possible)...and I still don't have full range of motion. Interesting.
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Beth, Scary, one thing we know us that every P'S has their own opinion! Ask anyone here and you rarely get the same answer twice. Except for a few things they agree on like call them if you have redness or run a fever pretty much everything is up for grabs. My P'S said no showers til drains s are out. So i had my first post BMX shower 5 weeks later! LOL.
Lori, so happy you had no issues with your fills. I had 100 cc fills with no problem til my last two. Then I hurt! LOL. After that he did only 50. LOL. Good luck on Thursday. Also perhaps you would like to join the ladies on Exchange City board.
Much love.
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I had my first fill on Friday and was in a lot of pain that night and the next day but much better today. 100cc in right and 60cc in left because there's still some swelling in the left. Sometimes the TE will shift and push on my ribs and it hurts to breath. I wouldn't say it's unbearable, but just very uncomfortable.
Like everyone, just ready for it to be over.
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thanks iwanttosee. I'm ready to get them out. So uncomfortable these last couple of weeks.
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Hi. Thanks for all the stories. I have been trying to make up my mind whether to just go flat or have a reconstruction. A reconstruction sounds like a lot more 'work' (all those appointments) and pain. I'm a single mum, with 8 and 10 yr old girls and I work.
I have been diagnosed with advanced, high grade DCIS(approx 3.5cm). I was told on 24 June and am now doing a lot of waiting. Having MRI in 2 days then seeing BS 28 July. BS has told me a mastectomy is realistic, I would like a double mastectomy as I would be happier that way. I've been trying to make up my mind if I could be happy flat or if I should go ahead with the reconstruction. My BS says he can put implants in at the time of the mastectomy, so I'm guessing that would be a TE.
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Ali some people can go to direct implants at the time of surgery and skip the whole TE phase. It depends on the surgeon, and your body/breast size. You may want to search on here for "direct to implant".
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Had I known what this involved I probably would have just stayed my size and done the "direct" route!
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If I could have, I would have.
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ali. Check out the direct to implant. If you are small enough that might be good. If you aren't sure, you can always do reconstruction later. Especially if you don't have rads. Rads will complicate things. But if you don't need them then you can do recon whenever. It is however mice to wake up from sx with at least bumps! Do some research while you are waiting for tests. Also meet with a P'S and ask what they can do for you. Much love
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Hi again ladies -- Ali111, I'm sorry you had to join this club - IMO, it's certainly worth weighing whether to do reconstruction or not -- plastic surgeons say they can get better results from reconstruction at the time of mastectomy but I've seen some pretty darn good results from reconstruction later and given the extra appointments and pain/discomfort - I've certainly had second thoughts as to whether it is worth it.
I'm now almost six weeks out from my bilateral and almost 2 weeks drain free. The TE on the right side is doing great - I'm still sore where she went after the lymph node but I went to a Pink Ribbon Pilates class and learned some great exercises to help get my full range of motion back. On the left side - where the drain was in so long - it's still really sore. The incision is healed and my scars look amazing for just six weeks out but I'm having a weird pain on that side. It's not really sore to touch (although I still can't stand any kind of bra) but it's painful around the drain site if I try to stretch or sometimes even just take a deep breath. It's hard to explain the pain but it sort of feels like it is stuck and I am pulling tissue apart if I lift my arm up or straight out. I wish I could explain it better - my husband just looked at me with a big question mark on his face. My surgeon has a wonderful PA, I thought I might call her this week if I can figure out how to explain it. Does this make sense to anyone? She had trouble getting that last drain out - said perhaps some scar tissue had formed around the drain b/c it was there so long. Could it be the scar tissue?
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srdc. Of course it could be scar tissue. But check with the P'S anyway. If it's scar tissue you will have to massage it gently every day til it loosens ip. Ask your PS or his PA or NO for help in how to do thst. Sometimes a PT who specializes in rehab is great too. Much love
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Ladies,
I am uncertain as to how to post a question, so I will just try this and see what happens. I am wondering if anyone who reads these discussion boards has, or knows of anyone who has, 'popped' stitches that held their ADM in place. If so, how were you (or they) able to determine that this had happened? What were the repercussions? How would one go about repairing any damage? I am three weeks post-op. I started with air in my TEs. My TEs are only behind my skin - not behind any muscle tissue. A week ago the air was replaced with saline. Yesterday, I instinctively tried to stop a mirror from falling off the wall. I had to hyper-extend my arm over my head and use my muscles to catch it. Since then, I have a pinching pain both behind the expander as well as above it. The TE also seems to move more freely when I move my arm, inhale or sneeze. Any insight or instruction would be gratefully received. Thank you.
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I have full range of motion. I think that the PS is worried my TE might move or something? not sure. I may ask for 75 cc. at next visit.
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BrighterDays, Welcome to the BCO community. You have joined a very supportive and knowledgable group who have many experiences that they can share. It seems as if your question is in the right forum and topic. Most will suggest that with any new symptom or change it is best to contact your physician but we are sure that you will hear from others. If you do have any questions about how to post, etc. feel free to send us a private message so we can be of help. The Mods
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Thank you for your kind welcome. After internally debating all night, I did contact my PS's nurses. They told me that I indeed could have popped them and that they would see me if my pain became intense. Other than that, my next appointment is this coming Monday. I was only hoping for some insight about what to expect. I'm a nervous Nellie by nature!
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