TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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moon & lekker- thanks for the responses! I think next time I will try a little less. I do have rides to my appointments but haven't been taking a Valium till a hour or so after. This week I'll take one before since I'm not driving.
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ojoyjoy, I had 300cc at surgery and only have 50cc fills every two to three weeks. I take a couple of Tylenol an hour before I go and always drive myself. I have never had any real pain, just a tight feeling for a day or so. I am at 450cc now and I will only have one more fill before exchange. I was a D cup before and want to be smaller. It will be about 4 months between my BMX and exchange.
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Hi Ladies- First post here so please let me know if Im in the correct forum. Had a BMX 7/18. 500cc Tissue expanders inserted at time of MX. Had four drains originally. Two removed 5 days after MX. Still have two in. MY question is both my breast seem so smooth hard up towards top and lumpybumpy below where nipple was. My left breast feels like theres duct tape so tight across it-with divots and more bumps then right side. extremely uncomfortable and getting more so everyday is this normal?
anyone have any insight? Could it be the drain causing this "duct" tape feeling?
Thanks in advance Ladies
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barremom, I am about 5 weeks BMX post op. It always feels like I have a very tight band around my chest. Not painful most of the time, but uncomfortable. My TE's are also very smooth on top. When I look down, they actually look good lol. My bumps and divots come and go, usually after a fill. I had 4 drains also. It feels so good when they are all finally out! Someone had mentioned gently massaging the TE's, and it has seemed to help me when they are feeling really tight. Wishing you speedy healing!
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3littlebird- my PS has me coming in every week for fills. His NP does the fills & said I could come every week or every two weeks. I woke up from my BMX with 100cc in each TE. I think I'm going to go with 50-60cc this week and see if that helps. I'm thinking I'll need to be at 450cc to get a C end result. I'm waiting to hear what Whippetmom suggest as she is the expert.....bless her! I'm trying to get all my fills done before I start back to work in September. We shall see what I can handle
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twoam- Thanks so much for the acknowledgement and advice. I was filled to 300cc at time of surgery which seems like a lot to me-so maybe thats why the extra pain as well:) I will try the massage:)
TXS!!!
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I got 100cc at surgery and fills were always 50cc. Was fine the whole time till last fill which shifted one te over a nerve. It self resovled after about a week. Low and slow is the way to go!!! It seemed that the te filled from the top down, so those just starting where they feel smooth on top and then lumpy might be because its filling at the top and not yet at the bottom of the te. Each of us is different. Maybe after a few fills there will be a difference. I never had pain, just tightness.
I have to say, Im glad ladies are coming to this forum-- I freaked the hell out of myself reading the (only available then) TE Trouble thread and was terrified going in to surgery of how painful they would be. So, glad the newbies are here!
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avia, I almost did not go with reconstruction because it freaked me out too!
barremom, your very welcome. I was filled with 300cc during surgery too. Now I am glad, as I was so drugged up, and feeling no pain. The only time I have a lot of pain now, is at night, and it is all in my back and armpits. Just cant get comfortable in any position. During the day it is just very tight (that band accross the chest). For me, walking seems to help.
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twoam, one thing that helped me with the back and armpit pain was to sleep with a small pillow under each arm. That little bit of arm elevation did wonders! I am not normally a back sleeper, so it was hard for me to find a comfortable position to sleep. When I could sleep on my side again, it was a blessed relief! I look forward to the day when these rocks come off of my chest and I can sleep on my stomach again.
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Hi Ladies, I'm glad I found this thread. Trying to gather as much info as possible, without scaring the cr*p out of myself. :-) I am meeting with my ps on Tuesday to finalize reconstruction plans and to be added to the surgery schedule. I had a dmx on 12/3. I finished rads in Feb. I have to admit, it's been pretty hard being flat this summer. Didn't bother me in the cold months since I was bundled up with jackets and scarves, no one could really tell. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting this recon started. :-)
My cancer was on the right, I know he'll be doing lat. dorsi on that side because of the radiation treatment. TE's both sides (I think). My question about the te's is, what is it like when the access the port to fill? Does it feel like accessing the chemo port? Also, this is my BIGGEST fear...the drains. How many did you have? I only had 2 when I had my dmx, but man or man, that left quite the impression, not in a good way. Hurt so bad when he removed the non cancer side drain, I thought I was going to pass out, right side is still numb, I guess from the having nodes removed, so I didn't feel that. I've asked 3 different dr.s if there is anything they can do prior to removal to lessen the pain, just Tylenol or Advil, I was really hoping for something a lot stronger. :-)
Is there anything I should ask him? Oh, one more question. How come some women have the te's in so long? I asked him how late in the summer I could start and be done by December so I wouldn't have to pay a third deductible, he said I could start in August and be done by Christmas....I'm having doubts about that, especially after reading this thread, I want to go low and slow till I reach my desired size of a d cup.
Thanks for the info ladies, this thread has really helped a lot.
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My PS said TEs have to be in a minimum of three months but can stay in quite a bit longer if necessary due to scheduling issues. I can't help you with the drains. I had four after the BMX. Two were removed at about a week and a half, and the other two were removed at about three and a half weeks. Both times (two different doctors) were completely painless. I never would have even known they were removing the drains if they hadn't said it as they were doing it.
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Cherish – when my mom had open heart surgery, they gave her
a small pillow to clutch to her chest when she coughed. I tried the same thing
when I got home from BMX/TE placement. Somehow it sort of holds everything
together as you cough.Ojoyjoy – during the procedure to create the pockets for
TEs, the PS cut many muscles that have origination points in the back and under
the arms (pectoral, anterior serratus, etc.) As others have said, it’s not a
race, so try smaller fill amounts. The other thing that really helped me was to
take a nice hot shower and let the water run on my back muscles before bed, as
well as having DH massage my back muscles, too. For pain, I took not only
Norco, but Valium, which many of us have used as a muscle relaxer. Hope you get
past this soon!0 -
Welcome 2 bluestars! Glad you found us too. Accessing the fill port is really not too bad. Mine didn't bother me because I think I was numb there. And while some do have drains for the TE. A few dont. I think even less have them for exchange. But you are having a flap and you will have them. But if you just have the TES implant they probably won't be in long. Do you have any pain pills from your sx? Or will you get some? Then you could use one of those when you get the drain out. I had many drains and none hurt during removal so perhaps it was just one of those weird things. As to why some people have TES in longer, sometimes things don't go according to the first plan. There are "Scenic Detours" on this reconstruction journey! LOL. My right TE was in 24 months. Long story.... LOL.
But my last TE implantation went fairly well. I had sx in August and my Exchange was in December. So that is a workable timeline. Some P'S require more time between last fill and Exchange but not all. Hope that helped
Much love
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blessings- Well, that makes sense. I have been taking Tylenol and a Valium before bed at night. It's been 4 days since my fill and I'm still feeling it under my arm area mostly at night. This next fill, I'll go for 50cc instead of 75cc. I have been showering at night these days but will have my DF massage me a little after? I do some massaging under my arm in the shower and that helps a little. Thanks for your tips & encouragement!
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2bluestars, I did not need to have chemo, but I have
had five fill appointments thus far so I think I can address your question
about accessing the TE. The PS uses a small magnetic device to locate the TE access point. When my PS pokes through the skin with the needle
to insert the saline, I usually fill a little pinch on one side and nothing on
the other so I am sure it varies from person to person. I have read that
a little pinch is good because it shows that you still have feeling.As far as drains are concerned, I had two drains with my BMX
and TE placement. I did have some pain and discomfort while they were in
but did not have any pain when they were removed two weeks after surgery. I
have learned from reading on BCO that everyone has different experiences
with drains.As far as determining
how long the whole process takes, I would say it depends on many things:
how much saline your PS inserts into the TEs during surgery, how often he does
fills and how much he fills at each appointment, the fill capacity of your TEs
and whether or not your PS overfills, and how long your PS waits after the last
fill before the exchange. My PS waits a minimum of two months.If you have not yet read the information at the top
of the "Breast Implant Sizing 101" forum, which was started by
Whippetmom, you should do so. There is a
section on "Questions for Your Plastic Surgeon" that I think you would find helpful.Best of luck to you.
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oh my dear 2bluestars, I'm so glad you join this thread, from what you have described, the concerns, and even the anxious for the placement are just what I want to ask and to talk about it. We have very similar situation but I don't have to do the radiation. I had 3 drains after TE placement but I was told it shall be two. My PS put the "On-Q" devise for helping to ease the pain. This thing is wonderful and I really don't know how I can survived without it. It release the numb medicines 4 ml/ hr. My DH just show me the card which with my TE info. My is allergen 400 on both sizes. I am 5'4". 160lbs(I gain more 10 lbs after taking tamoxifen)
I was in b/c cups ,34 ribcage but I'm looking for D cup since I have been suffered so much . I also got the advice from whippetmom for somewhere between 14.0 cm and 15.0 cm. she envision that I would end up with an implant with a volume around 650 ccs (minimally) or 700cc.I'm kind of feel odd, which is my ps never told me that which model she is going to put it in n how's fill process. so I don't know is there been filled or not. I'm going to see her on 7/30, what questions I shall ask?
I have very hard time to wake in the morning cuz the shoulders n the back are very stiff n sore....
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i got 100 cc. today and i hardly felt it, i guess because i'm overweight. they also drained some fluid out of my extra boob under the arm, and it was such a relief! i will go for my next fill in two weeks.
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Hi all. I had BMX with TEs and spent 3 nights in the hospital, lots of pain, was on an initial morphine drip for 24 hours and then switched to norco, Valium, tramadol which take the edge off a bit. Most of my pain is in the sternum area, do any of you know if there are stitches there? My back aches because I hunch forward, but I'm afraid to stand straight up and stretch it hurts so bad. I sleep propped with pillows everywhere, and repurchased a leachco pregnancy pillow to attempt side sleeping, but the sternum pain is making this impossible. Is that sensation something that fades after a few more weeks? I know I'm only 2.5 weeks out, and it's looking like I'll be cut off from the pain meds but I'm hoping they'll let me continue at least until week 5 or 6! Also super irritating, are the fatty flaps of bunched up skin under my armpits. Has anyone had luck with a decent fitting bra that protects it from rubbing on my arms? I hate waking up in the am and can't wait to go to bed at night. So uncomfortable and painful. Just hoping the TEs become more tolerable since it's looking like chemo and rads will be happening. I have an excellent PS in Chicago and he's instructed me to not move for at least 2 weeks. Do nothing were my orders. I have to wear a compression bra but it rubs against all of the super sensitive gross flaps under my arms. When I take it off it's almost more painful inside my chest, there is no relief! I was told I could wear genie bras. The lace trim on them makes my skin feel like it's on fire my nerves are so sensitive. Anyone have luck with anything more comfortable? Is my sternum smashed feeling normal? Ugh. Thanks for listening.
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HollyD...yes, the sternum pain is normal. You didn't mention if you had alloderm or not...that can make a difference too. I know for me, when I finally got a fill..it actually helped that pain. I was able to manage the pain with Valium and 600mg Motrin., switched it off as you would Tylenol and Motrin for a fever. I can't take narcotics, so this seemed to work the best flip or me.
I, too am very sensitive, I had hives in the midst of all this from Hibiclens. There are some Genie type bras made by Hanes with no lace. I also like those sport type with the extra padding in the cup. I'm a little lopsided and my rt TE is leaking. It helps even everything out, a little, while insanity for exchange this fall.
Hang in there, it will get better. Also, the side sleeping prob won't happen for a while. If you haven't already, try pillow under each arm. If you can, try a recliner with the pillows, it all kind of keeps you snug so you don't move.
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Blessings20, thanks so much for the tips!
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Cherish and ojoyjoy – you are very welcome!
Darn, 2bluestars – I was just like Janett – I was talking so
much when the PS pulled my drains out, I didn’t even notice until I saw him put
them on the tray next to me. I felt absolutely nothing. Sorry you had such a
rough time of it.Vfay – I never knew if I’d feel the “fill” needle or not…
since the TE moves under the skin, that little studfinder thingy always located
the port in a different position!Scary – so glad you got some relief! I never felt my fills, either…
I was quite overweight at the time, and had very lax skin and muscles.HollyD – Oh yeah, the sternum pain… yep! Normal! I swore
that someone actually BROKE my xiphoid process – that little bit of bone that
sticks down from the breastbone, that they always warn you about in CPR lessons.
But no, it was all part of the post-surgical pain.AT 2.5 weeks out, I would imagine you ARE in pain! I know I
got frustrated when I’d read about women who had a BMX, came home, took a
Tylenol, then ran a marathon the next day. (Or so it seemed to me.) I took
longer, and my PS was VERY generous with the Norco and the Valium.As for the Genie bras, I’ve never seen one with lace, at
least not the ones you buy in Walmart or Walgreens or Target. At first, I wore
a clean nylon camisole under either my Genie bra or my JCPenney sports bra.
That way the bras didn’t rub on sensitive tissue, and there was a barrier
between the two fabrics. But I never wore a camisole or a bra twice in a row. Into the
wash they went, along with my gowns and pj tops.And like Lakegirl said, the side sleeping will have to wait
for a while. I was lucky enough to have a fully electric hospital bed after
BMX, but slept in a recliner after Exchange. Once the pain started to subside
after BMX and fills, I did get the illusion of side sleeping by wedging a
pillow behind my back so I could sort of halfway roll over. At that point I’d
wrap my arms around another big pillow to keep them from squeezing my chest.
Worked pretty well.Sending out big gentle hugs and lots of encouragement to the
newbies!!!!xoxoxo
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Side sleeping, ,,ahh how I remember it well. Truth is I am on the verge or a bed sore on my tail from laying on my back. My surgery was June 5 and I JUST two days ago attempted to lay half on my side but because I couldn't reach any pillows to keep me there I couldn't fall asleep. Then this morning around six thirty, I tried again....and actually got a pillow behind my back, was drifting to sleep and the damn phone rang. The PS all tell you "Sure you can lay on your side", but I think they mean physically it is possible...but in reality it is not for a while!
The recliner was my best friend for weeks.
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sleeping on the side was very painful until the extra fluid was drained out. another piece of good news is that the PS said i can go in the pool now, but i have to wait 24 hours after each fill. and i am in charge of maintaining the pool chemicals, so i will make sure they're balanced before i go in. i am also allowed to lift my arms above my head now, but without weights, which is fine since i don't use weights anyway.
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It took a good few weeks to even start to go gently to the side to try side sleeping. Pillows are your major friend. I found that putting a small one between the te when I went to the side helped the 'top' one from moving down onto the 'bottom' one (when youre on your side) ,a nd that helped alot. Finally after awhile side sleeping was no problem. I still use pillows a year later tho! Under my arms. Never really stomach slept with the te, but now after exchange I can and have no issues at all.
2-3 weeks after a bmx is quite early. All the pains and things are pretty normal. I am lucky my ps said he didnt care if I used a bra or not, so I havent at all since my bmx.
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bethq, I got a chuckle out of your comments regarding bed sores from sleeping on your back. I actually thought the same thing this week as I was trying to reposition my self in bed so that I could feel like I was sleeping on my side. My surgery was in April, and I am still in the TE stage. I still either prop myself up in bed with lots of pillows or sleep in my recliner. If I try sleeping on my side, I always end up back on my back. It just does not feel comfortable.
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When I first started to sleep on my side after surgeries, wedging a pillow behind my back really helped for some reason. It worked if I was just leaning to the side, and it also worked when I was able to truly turn onto my side.
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Tomorrow will be five weeks post op and no side sleeping yet for me either. I was giving the okay a few weeks ago but I cannot get comfortable even with all my pillows. I guess I haven't found the right combo yet
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I had my BMX 3/10 and I still have to sleep on my back. I put 4 pillows in a rectangle on my bed. One is under my head, one under my knees to save my back, and one under each arm.
I can sort of sleep on my side if I'm on my sofa and slightly tilting my back towards the back of the sofa so I'm not directly on my side.
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I could sleep on my right side at about 4 weeks post BMX and my left side at about 6 weeks.I am usually a stomach sleeper, so it was heaven for me to at least be able to move off of my back sometimes. ROM came back faster on my right side also.
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went to post-op today n very lucky to removed all 3 drains!! My PS was very good n gentle while removing but I cried so bad because of the fear. I was told to have compress bra on all the time for 3 weeks. I'm going back to see her next week n possible for my first fill.
I was sleep on the recliner since I came home after surgery and was told no flat sleep need to keep at least 45 degree angle. Since my drain has removed, I'm wondering if I can lay to sleep or still have to keep the 45 degree on the back?... Any advise will be greatly appreciated !
😍😍😍 air hugs to all!!!
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