TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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You and me both tomorrow, noonrider. I am also dreading it as the one I had last week was rougher than I expected. And my TE isn't even under my pec, so not sure what's up with that. Seems it can go either way with most people having zero problems, so fingers are crossed everything goes smoothly for both of us tomorrow. I am definitely pre-treating with Aleve and will be prepared with the bigger guns in case they are needed!
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Hi Girls...Well I did say I would let you share in my journey good or bad ...if you read my earlier posts you will know I came into this with my glass half full...
Long story short infection set in on bad boob...PS wanted to go back in and replace TE and start over. I was in pain beyond pain...I decided for me that this was the end ! my history of going under the knife well just did not to take one more day of my life on this.
I waited 2 years after double mx to even consider recon. I was in full survivor mode. Finally after 5 years I found my PS he suggested TE 2 others had said no way. I was not for looking for someone to give me implants I just wanted my breasts back.
However I am at peace with my decision . I have been flat for 5 years so that is what I will be.
Thanks for listening and just remember this is my journey . I wish all who are going through this surgery quick healing !
Love n Light
Cheryl
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noonrider, just had my first fill Monday and it went great. Just a little sternal pain the next day. Hope yours goes as well as mine did.
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Hi all - just wondering if anyone on this thread has been through the exchange surgery yet? My fills are at 550cc and my exchange surgery is Nov. 13. I thought I read somewhere that the exchange surgery involves DRAINS again! Is this true? And how did the surgery go - painful or fairly do-able? Thanks for any advice! And if I missed the exchange surgery thread, just let me know...
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Katiegrey, I just had my exchange on Friday. I did not have drains, though I know some people do. I took painkillers the first few days but haven't needed them since. Much easier than the BMX. There is a thread called Exchange City where you will probably find a lot of info. Good luck!
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I did it! I did my first fill and I didn't even die! Oh, I had myself so worked up over what turned out to be a non event!!!!! I'm still in pain from my BMX 4 weeks ago I just couldn't contemplate the thought of more pain. Not only did I not feel a thing, but with muscle relaxers tonight I'm not any more uncomfortable than I was before the fill.
My PS was only able to do one side. The left side, where the drain site has been really bothering me, is still draining a tiny bit and not yet closed so no fill on that side today. It looks healthy, just slow to close. Hopefully by next week we can do a fill on that side too. I hope its as effortless as my good side is. I asked about the huge side-boobs I have and she said much of it will pull forward as I gain projection from the TE's, but when I have exchange surgery what is left will be lipo-ed off and contoured to match the rest of my body. YAY! I've had lipo before so I'm ready for that. I am NOT ready to have drains again. Praying that doesn't happen for me. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks for all your support!
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Congratulations noonrider - so nice to see how happy you are! OMG I am so scared of these drains. I have not had the surgery yet - probably in January but are they that bad? Thanks, VeraAnn
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noonrider:
So glad this procedure went easily and painlessly for you! You needed and deserved to have something go better than expected. :-)
I got only 40cc today and feel like I'm dying - worse pain than MX post-op, and just generally more unpleasant because it generates really weird alien creeping sensations all across my chest, inside my ribs and outside. With luck this will not continue for 4 days like last time...
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ITA, congrats on no rads or chemo!
Noon, hope your fill goes smoothly.
Www, hope your trip goes well. Just remember to get up and move as much as possible.
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oops, hit submit too fast.
Wanted to say
Much love to all.
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Funclassygal: I had two drains and only one was a problem. I have had drains before for my tummy tuck and had NO issues with at all. But this ONE drain was an issue. I think its the placement. It was right in the crease under my beast. The other side was about an inch below the crease. I wish I knew how they decide where to place the drains. Anyway, because it was in the crease it was constantly getting irritated. Its slow to close because its moist there. I am keeping a dry bandage on it to 1) protect it from clothes rubbing on it because its hyper sensitive and 2) wick the moisture away so it can dry out. Hopefully other than being annoying, your drains will not be a problem.
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drains are a necessary evil. Be glad the docs can do that. I will request drains with the next surgery if my ps doesn't do them for exchange. I had to go in once a week for a month after BMX because of fluid built up and have it removed with needle aspiration. They came out too soon and no one told me to take it easy. So I will request drains, as much as I hate them!
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If as none is having real trouble, please check in with the TE Trouble board. There is a lot of help on many issues. Just FYI.
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hi Ladies - need advice - for the swap surgery to get TE out and implant in - has anyone had a drain placed to help keep fluid out? I was ok with my drain after Mastectomy (Right side) - had in for 11 days,,, helped me heal, PS said no drain needed for SWAP but should I ask if would be helpful???? if would reduce risk of any infections with implant, i could tolerate it - but if most women do the exchange surgery without a drain - i will follow that path,,,
just curious - any suggestions??? thanks very much
hope all the surgery sisters are healing well
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katiegrey - here ya go: Exchange City.....
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/728266?page=1
You may want to skip to the last page... I think there's more than a thousand pages on that thread. It's been there a while, but contains all things Exchange-related.
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Noonrider - I'm so glad your fill went well. I really got myself worked up about my first fill and I found I felt better a few days after, because it helped move my TEs into a better position or something. Also, like you, I'm muscular and had really strong pecs which I was told would make recovery a little rougher. I turned a huge corner between week 4-5 as far as the pain and ROM. I hope the same happens for you and you begin to feel better soon. I started working out again and have had some "annoying" pains and muscle soreness as a result, but nothing terrible.
Funclassygal - the drains themselves aren't that bad, I just found them to be annoying. I only had mine in for 4 days though, so I didn't have to deal with them as long as many of the women here did. Most women don't have any problems with their drain incisions healing up. I can relate to what Noonrider is experiencing though. I had a drain that came out of my node incision and that thing took 3 weeks to close up. (The other drain on non node side was fine) It just happened to be in a place that every top I wore would rub against it and irritate it. My BS thought the incision was fine, no infection...just irritated. I would clean it, cover it with gauze and use medical tape. I'd have to change it a few times a day since nothing would stick to my sweaty pits for long (sorry tmi!). It drove me nuts though, so the PS opened it a bit to release a stitch and it healed up after that. (Stitches don't always dissolve for me). Now that it's healed, I just need to focus on massaging it to break up the scar tissue because it can be seen in anything sleeveless and I wear a lot of tank tops.
Www2b - good luck on your road trip. I saw that and cringed. Hope you gets lots of pit stops to stretch your legs.
So I mentioned above that dissolving stitches and I don't always work out. Today I discovered a stitch is sticking straight out of the middle of my purse string closure. When I saw it I thought it was a hair, so grabbed my tweezers, gave it a few tugs and was surprised when it wouldn't come out. Then I touched it and realized what it was. I have no idea how the PS will deal with it. I do not want him to mess with my closure since that side is all nice and healed now. Anyone have stitches that didn't dissolve after 2 months?
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Friends,
Does anyone know how long expanders can stay in? My PS I saying that he may need to remove them due to the surprise of me needing chemo. He is saying if I will also need radiation, reconstruction will stop. I think it would be cruel to remove them so I am seeking info on why.
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sunflower, I had stitches that would not dissolve on my port. These 3 little stitches popped up and stayed for months. My nurse at chemo infusion would scrub hard on them to get them to break off and I sort of wiggled the stitches back and forth until they came off. Call your doctor to see what you can safely do, you don't want to cause infection. My nurse was worried about infection.
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I had my right TE for 17 months, through chemo, but I did not need rads. I had my left removed prior to chemo because I was not healing so the right went with just the surgical fil for 10 months. After chemo the left one was put back in, I had fills and exchanged 7 months later. Everyone I know who had BMX/TE surgery had theirs in during chemo, and some for rads - but fully expanded. Some PS will overfill the rads side to allow for shrinkage and tightening, and some PS will overfill, then deflate for rads, then fill again. Did you ask the PS why they would need to come out?
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thanks willowreed for the info. I have purse string closures and they took the full 6 weeks to close up (righty still has a big scab, so still not fully healed in my book). I see him next week and we will talk about the stitch, but I'm
hesitantscared to forcibly remove them.0 -
2 exchanges so far and no drains. I had 2 a bmx. Some ps use them some dont. I was glad not to have them.
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Sunflowercat: When I had my tummy tuck I had a couple sutures that poked through MONTHS later. My surgeon had me pull them as far as I could with a tweezers then cut off right at the skin. Then the end disappeared under the skin and never bothered me again.
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sunflowercat, those are called "spitting stitches". They are ones that didn't dissolve and popped up. The P'S will pull them out to keep them from infection.
Drain holes that drain after the drain is removed can be helped with sanitary napkins to soak up the drainage way better than gauze! Ask me how I know... LOL. I also had one drain in for 5 weeks. Another for 4. I was always surprised when he pulled them earlier! LOL mostly my drains had about 40 to 50 ccs of fluid daily until the 3rd week. Then they dropped fast. Except for the 5 weeker and the 120 ccs one. (Long stories) LOL
I had my right TE in for 24 months. P'S said that was unusually long but not a record. He had one patient keep it for 3 years because she couldn't face surgery again. I did complete chemo while I had one in and one out. I too am interested in why your PS would remove it. If you are having rads, they usually over fill it for that.
Much love to all.
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Noon and Moon - hearing such different experiences I'm interested to see what action my PS will take. The thought of pulling them makes my stomach turn. Eeek!
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Hi All,
I went to PS today, who said no more fills because the side that had radiation years ago can not stretch any more. He will use implants that are slightly larger than the TEs are now. I am hoping for a B cup (he said maybe a small
, otherwise I will feel this journey was not worth the discomfort and expense. 
) They sent me home with lots to read about various implant types. I love my PS, and he is #1 around here, so I will trust his judgement. He figures November for the switch as long as my other drs say ok.
Trying to not be nervous, but not looking forward to more surgery!
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Thank you noonrider - I sure hope so as well!
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Thank you noonrider - I sure hope so as well!
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Thank you Sunflowercat - not looking forward to this at all!
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Some good news finally. I will be able to continue with my TE. I was filled another 60 cc's yesterday, so I am now at 310. My PS said I will likely need 600-700 and he will overfill my left side if I need radiation. I get that news next Wednesday. Yesterday also included chemo class. I am terrified. Eight weeks of AC followed by 12 Taxol.
Question, how long did you keep a sports bra on 24/7?
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I am so fed up with sleeping on my back! Is anyone able to sleep on their side? Is it bad or dangerous to do so? I've tried but it's so uncomfortable and I feel like I could be damaging something inside or the TEs themselves.
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