TEs. A Beginner's Primer
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Second fill was Tuesday and it was worse than the first. I am soooo done. I was always small and am now bigger than before. PS says I have to have one more on right to even out from surgery fill.
I will admit that today they feel better and I am trying to stretch my arms. I hate the tight feeling though. I'm assuming that will get better when I settle from the fills?
Scottie
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I started out small chested before my mastectomy and my doc added 250cc at surgery. I go weekly . My first fill was 40cc and painful, then i backed down to doing 30cc fills, then 40cc and this last time 50cc. Im at 450cc now.
It might be in my head but it seems like the more you fill the less painful it becomes. It is always uncomfortable and tight but I wouldn't say Im in "pain".
This week I have had something new that feels like i am being poked in the upper rib. It comes and goes. 30min ago i couldn't bend down to take off my boots without pain and now it feels like its gone? Or the pain will move to about 3 inches under my armpit where you can feel that hard edge of the expander and spike me there. Almost feels bruised to the touch. Same breast both times and it comes and goes throughout the day. It lasts about 30min- a few hours.
Anyone had this?
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Erin, your surgery was about a month before mine and I'm sorry you hurt when you bend over but THRILLED, as that means hurting when bending over goes away. Whenever I bend over I feel like something is tearing.
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kn, and Erin, yes the stabbing pain will most likely go away. The TES hit a nerve when you move and let up when they settle somewhere else. More ills may also help as they would t be pressing on the same spots then. Also sometimes the Alloderm can be in the way when a TE moves. All very strange and a weird kind of normal. LOL
And e tightness will probably get worse. Stripper boobs are common. Remember that the implant will NOT project as much. That's why they overfill.
Happy New Year and much love
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I had nipple/skin sparing BMX about a year ago, and plan to have TE's placed soon for the end goal of implants. I had nice breasts before my BMX, about a 36-38C and had a good BMX done. I am in good shape and exercise every day. One of my concerns is that I feel my PS wants to place too large of TE's - PS has said 800 TE size? I have told him I don't want to have huge implants - I may even want to be a tad smaller than I was before my BMX. 800 just sounds huge, I don't see many women posting her who have that size, so this is one of my concerns. I have met with my PS a few times and he still insists I need a 800 TE. It is so hard because the implants don't correlate with bra sizes.
Also, he said I am not the same size on both sides apparently, (chest is not even on both breast sides) so he said he may do a smaller TE (and implant) size on one side and a bigger size on the other. PS also said the TE procedure would be "very painful" compared to my BMX, but my BMX was super painful and I have a high pain tolerance, so I'm very nervous about the whole TE procedure. I had drains and a lot of nerve pain after my MX. I won't have drains after my TE.
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Fitbit, go to implants 101 and read the instructions. Whippetmom is our implant guru. She can and will help you know what size you really need. My implants were filled to 850.i am a large woman and needed almost the biggest they make. Remember that the actual implant is soft on the inside and does not have a stiff back to push out the skin and muscle. It will, instead of pushing out, actually fill in the hole in your chest. Therefore you will not have that projection.also you can be wide in the ribcage and need the larger size to have the correct spacing between the breasts.
Hope that helps! Much love
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Fitbit- i had nipple sparring as well and was about the same bra size as you prior. 34-36 small C. "No sag" he said. I loves that part. Lol. Im very active to and used to do cross training or yoga 5 times a week prior to surgery. Now aim mostly on a treadmill. Im 5'2 130-135lbs, small frame. My TE's will only hold 550 and we will overfill to 600 if I want. I told him i wanted to go "bigger" than before and that was the suggestion. I feel like at 450 right now i look about how i did prior in a lightly padded underwire push up bra. Except i don't need the bra but these are TE so if i switched them now i think they would seem small to me. 800 sounds huge but you might be taller than me? Hope that helped. The pain will be worth it. Im kind of liking these stripper boobs! Lol.
Knmtwin- i looked back at my calendar and that week where you are and the following was BAD for me. My pecs were on fire and I had to come in and get looked at between appointments because the pain was really bothering me. I had to skip a fill too. It gets better i promise. Keep filling and just go slow until you feel better. I could hardly do 30cc then and now I'm excited to do another 50cc Monday. Getting close to done!!
Moonflwr- I bet you are right. Its probably the Alloderm. And Im hoping my fill Monday will shift it all around and not find a new spot to harrass me!
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Fitbit, you are in charge of your boobs not your ps. Stick to your guns about sizing, dont let him make the final decision if you are not happy with it. And not sure why he is saying the exch will be so much worse than the bmx...usually its much the other way around. Possibly get a 2d opinion?
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Hi, I had PBM on 9/15 with TE's placed that day. I've posted a few times with complaints about the TE's but do these things ever stop hurting? I stopped my fills about 5-6 weeks ago. Now I am just waiting on the exchange surgery. A couple of weeks ago, they started to ache at night. I used to be able to sleep on my back and go from side to side, (with discomfort on the sides). Now it hurts to lay on my back. It will be fine for about 10 minutes then the gnawing, aching and finally just pure old pain starts and I have to turn to my side. Then that hurts, then the other side. What is going on? I didn't have this discomfort before? When all else failed, I was able to lay on my back. I am so ready for this next surgery.
Not to get off on another tangent, my BS doesn't do her reconstruction surgery at the hospital where I need to go. If I have to go out of network, I'm out $5600. Does anyone know if another surgeon would complete the work that another started? Just another little thing to worry about.
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The first 5 weeks with my TEs were so incredibly painful. I couldn't stand it, and had lost a lot of my range of motion. I ended up with one ruptured. When my PS went in to replace that TE she found my chest was completely encapsulated with scar tissues. She ended up replacing both TEs and cleaning up all the scar tissue. The very next day I had nearly full range of motion and ZERO pain!! Before that surgery I was conscious of the TEs during every waking moment and felt claustrophobic. After that surgery only very rarely do I feel them, usually first thing in the morning when I'm a bit stiff. But they don't hurt. I could live with them like this.
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Noonrider, I have been reading about your issues after the surgery. I'm so sorry you had such problems, mine seem so trivial. I read how you felt much better after the last surgery and wondered if something was wrong with mine. But I don't think I have an infection. It's just not natural to have small hard plastic milk jugs sewed into my chest. I will wait it out. Hopefully I won't have a surgeon issue and will be able to get the exchange next month.
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My biggest problem (other than this stupid infection) was scar tissue. Thats what was causing all my pain and discomfort (that overly tight feeling) When my TE's were first places.
The infection I had actually hurt very little because I have no sensation anymore.
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www2b, have you spoken with your PS about the additional cost of $5,600? Maybe they could cut you a break or do it at the hospital. I'd also ask him/her if he recomends another PS who would do it at the hospital. Call your BS and ask them too. Also, have you called your insurance company and asked them? Do you have a navegator with them? I have a personal navigator with CIGNA to help me with EOBs and getting procedures approved. She is different from the nurse I could use.
noon - glad things are better. I'm worried about scar tissue as I hurt more when I bend down under my left breast than under my right and my left feels odder in the back too. I have to hold my 'boob' to my chest to put dishes in the bottom rack of the dishwasher.
Erin - hoping you are correct and this is just a 'bad' week in the recovery.
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thank you for all the helpful info on this thread. I have had my expanders in since my BMX on 10/15/14. They are 450 cc expanders and are already filled to 430. My PS is planning to overfill them to somewhere in the 650 range. Does this seem safe? I am thinking that a 535 cc ultra High profile implant will put me at about a D cup. I am 5'2 and 120 but was a 34 DD prior to surgery. I have a continual level of discomfort with the TE's and can't wait to get them out. I have found physical therapy very helpful. I am also an avid yoga lover and can't wait to get back into practice. I can do some things but can't really stay in down dog and can't do plank yet. It is reassuring to know I can get it back. My PS overfills the expanders bigger than the implant she uses and says I need to wait 3-4 weeks after last fill for exchange. That can't come quick enough. :-)
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gator, go to Whippetmom ' s implants 101. She will help you know the right size. I have permanent implants that are overfilled. They are mentor saline 750 filled to 850 at my exchange. So don't worry about filling. My P'S told me I was getting 900. But they were too wide for rib cage so he had to go down til he found what fit. During the TE phase, I literally bumped into door frames with the Stripper boobs.... LOL these are no where near that. You will go down after all the swelling es away. 6 months will be the time to decide if revisions are needed. And BTW, they're called squishies for a reason! LOL
Much love
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noonrider, did they say if your scar tissue would reoccur? That is a scary thought. It is definitely an over-tight feeling, same as you.
knmtwins, I work at an HCA facility and if I have the surgery at HCA, my hospital cost is only $200. If I go Non-HCA I will have to pay 75% unless insurance will authorize it, then I would pay 25%. But even at 25%, that would reach my out of pocket maximum of $5600. Not something I want to do. so my PS is trying to get things in order so I can have it done at the correct hospital. Hope she is able to.
Gatorgrl- I have to wait 3 months after my last fill before she will give me my permanent ones. Lucky for you!
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wwwb2 My PS said the scar tissue should not recur, but I still have to do lots of massaging to keep things loose. Also, because of the way I scar, she does not want to leave my good TE just sitting waiting for the other side. I'll continue having small fills on that side with exchange sometime around the end of March, or about the time I'm ready to get a TE placed back in the other side.
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Back on again... Had my last fill yesterday because I am going to start radiation in about 2 weeks. My ps wanted me to try and get as many fills in that I could because he is afraid I won't be able to get any more after radiation. If my skin does alright, than he said we could trymore after I am done with radiation. With all the stupid pain I am having from these te, I don't know that I want any more! I am not quite to the size I was before my surgery..And right now don't care... These te still are killing me.... After about the4 th day after, I start getting some relief... But still very sore???? Cannot wait to get them out of me!!! I was telling my sister the other day that I would rather do 6 more rounds of chemo than to go thru these te.... I have asked my ps if it is normal to still be in this much pain and his response was since I am smaller, it is normal?????? He won't even give me pain meds anymore either cause there are to many people who get addicted to them.... I hate taking pills but these,I want... Usually pain don'tbother me and I dream with it... But I can't even lay in my bed yet because it hurts to bad to try to get up!!!!! Still not thinking this is normal!!!!!!
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Feelingover- I'm sorry you are having so much pain. I'm small too and had the tightness/pain and sometimes the pain would travel to my back for 3 - 4 days after a fill. It was very hard to get comfortable. The thing that helped me more than a pain pill was Valium. My PS gave me a prescription of 5mg immediately after BMX and was told to take it then and when I started fills. It relaxes your pec muscles because they get mad at the expansion and start to spasm. I would take one before I left the office after a fill (I always had a driver) and I took them before bed at night or if I needed it during the day. The great thing about them before bed is it helps you sleep at night. My PS said if I was really sore at night I could take two. I would call your PS's office and ask for a prescription. It will bring you some relief and help with getting a better night sleep. I stopped taking pain pills and went to Tylenol 12 days post BMX because of the nausea I was having and the lovely constipation issues. My TE's were painful at first but it did get to a doable level (no pain just uncomfortable) about 3 weeks after my last fill. Hang in there!!
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I'm going for my first fill today and I'm both excited and nervous! I had bmx Dec 10 and on the smaller side too, 5'1 and about 135. I had and still have pain and am still taking Valium and pain meds. The ps didn't give me an initial fill at surgery because he told me my chest was way too tight.
I feel like I'm the only person who still has to take pain meds but maybe it's worse because I also have fibromyalgia. I'm gonna definitely take a Vicodin and Valium before I go today. I'm worried about the fill hurting. My te's hurt a lot and my sternum always hurts and my armpitsso I guess it just these te's stretching everything out. If I had known it was gonna hurt and limit me so much, I might've stayed flat and used foodies!
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Pink, you are not the only one on pain pills at 4 weeks out. I still was on them. 3 weeks was my turning point though. I could use less of them. Everyone is different. "Low and slow is the way to go." That's one of our mantras here, smaller fills seem o work best for most people. Especially those who are tight with just the surgery fills. So remember that you are the one in charge and if it hurts get less the next time. I did 100 cc fills, and it didnt hurt till I was almost done. But i am a large woman and my removed boobs weighed almost 700 grams each so I had a lot of skin too.
Another mantra is "Just because you can , DOESN'T mean you should"!!!!! You might be feeling ok but don't overdo! It can set you way back.
Much love to all.
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Well my first fill was better than I thought it was going to be. Since I've had a lot of pain and my chest is tight, the ps decided to do only half a fill, 30 cc's. I didn't even feel the needle go in so that was awesome. I'm actually stopping the Valium because I had another muscle relaxer for an old injury and he said it would fine to take and also there are no side effects like the drowsiness. It hurts a lot now so I took my meds and hopefully tomorrow will be better
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Feeling Over - I had pain meds and muscle relaxers. Robaxin, but they were too big, so they changed it to Flexeril. I stopped narcotics around Christmas (not because I felt better but because it constipated me) so I then took Aleve with the Flexeril. It wasn't perfect, but neither was the vicoden or percocet, whatever I was on. I'm now on just the flexeril, but I shoveled and broke up ice today, so I'm thinking I might need something to get to sleep... Also, will your RO write you a script so you aren't uncomfortable during treatments? I wonder if your PS, expects that. I also wonder how much they are 'watched' for what they write, so they push it off onto others.
Pink - hoping the new drug works better. Your fill was today, so dose up tonight. You should feel tight and stretched. I say I feel like I'm wearing a bandeau bikini top when I'm sitting still.
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It was starting to hurt pretty bad so I'm very medicated right now!
Knm, I cannot believe you shoveled snow, are you crazy?? Don't be surprised if you wake up in pain tonight or have a lot tomorrow. I actually vacuumed and mopped my first floor yesterday and I was surprised it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would. The ps told me today that I could start doing normal things like vacuum but no weightlifting and I'm pretty sure he would've said no snow shoveling
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Pink and Knm, kudos to you for snow shoveling / vacuuming. My arm muscles are still so week I'm frustrated doing much of anything. I so want to start some light exercises at the gym but not there yet. Hoping now that I stopped the fills that things will improve. I mostly just ache now rather than pain. Slow is good. Three weeks of consecutive 60 cc did me in. Should have done 30 at a time.
Scottie
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Ladies who have been here a while - so when can you open a child proof bottle? When can you pull the seatbelt without saying, wow, I feel that.
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I still have issues with child proof caps. That type of movement makes my expanders bump and it's not a good feeling.
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I have to leverage the bottle - brace the hand holding it- and even then I still have trouble with the tight bottle caps after 5 weeks. My arm muscles just don't want to work mm yet.
Scottie
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About a week after surgery I could open child-proof caps.
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noonrider a week - WOW, Ilovecoasters 3 months later... yikes. Thank goodness my almost 11 year old can do almost all of them.
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