TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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i had to get a jar opener. They're cheap but work fir jars. For meds, I find if I keep my old cap and replace the new cap, I can open meds easier. LOL
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Hi Ladies,
I am set to get my second fill on the 19th. Honestly not looking forward to it (only because of the tightness & pain). I was filled at 400 at surgery & he filled me another 100, 2 weeks ago. The expanders are Mentor 550 cc's. He said the most we will go is 600. I was a 34dd before surgery & want to be a d. I am pretty tall at 6'1. I still look pretty small from what I was. Will the implants be about the same size as the expanders when I exchange? Also I have such deep pain in the center of my chest (like sternum area) not sure if that's normal? I am not on the pain pills anymore all they did was make me groggy headed and nauseous.
. Taking Motrin or ibuprofen. Sleep is difficult, in a recliner. Sooo miss my bed. Lol. Thanks for your input.
Blessings
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Hi SA8PG! Wow, 400. I can't imagine coming out of surgery that big. I felt incredibly tight at 250. LOL Ok, that said your implants will be slightly smaller than your TE's so there is enough skin to cover them. You might try doing much smaller fills (like 50-75cc) so you're not so uncomfortable. I did small 50cc fills and don't feel them at all. I did a 100 once and was miserable for two days. I also had to have one TE removed because the skin got too thin and couldn't handle the stretching.
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SA8, holy cow that's a lot at one time. I get 40 cc's a week, I'm currently at 630cc. PS would like to put in another 100cc. Implants will likely be 650cc, but that's a long way off.
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It looks like most people are having the same or smaller implant than their TE. My PS is doing the opposite. I'm done with fills at 580cc (that's all he could squeeze in), but he wants to put a 700 or 800cc implant in.
I guess my skin sparing BMX was more of a success than he originally thought. But unless he uses more alloderm I don't know how he's going to get the muscle to participate!
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sa8pg, yes. Try for less at a time. The implants will have less projection as they do not have a hard back. The TE is meant to stretch muscle and skin. It needs to push. It lays on top of the cavity in your breast area. Your implants will fill in the cavity left by the removal of your breast tissue before they project. That's why they don't look as big as the TEs.
Horsemom, my TE was filled to about 800 and my permanent implant was 850. They fill to as much as they can with the skin they have and the decisions you made together. They sometimes change in the OR because of skin issues or other problems.
Much love to all.
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moon, how's the new grandbabydoing. New pic?
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Saw her yesterday.
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Awww Moon, how cute! I have 2 granddaughters, 7 months and just about 4 years. I help take care of them, my daughter's/son in law's work schedules are odd. So lucky and happy to be a part of their lives. congrats!
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Moon! What a little doll!!
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moon, thank you. Very cute and look at all that hair. She's about a month old now
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Oh yeah. Lots of hair. My daughter had heartburn so bad! . Not a old wife's tale either. Actual research proved it. LOL
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What a sweet picture Moonflwr!
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I had my Bilateral MX 10-24-14. didn't have to have chemo or radiation. My TE's are at 500 I think. I am ready to quit after the next fill. anybody have any ideahowbigthatwouldbe? Also still haven't trieda bath yet afraid I wontbe able tto get out ofthe tub! anyone try yet? also wondering about yoga? Now that I've had the surgery, tissueexpandersin , started on Femora I have been noticing eveerything stress me outand I just don't feel as up as I did while I was recovering. Is this normal? wondering if I should talk to someone.
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happily...build up your strength slowly. I'm able to do everything I was able to do before my mastectomy (6/2008) and lat flap with TE (6/2014). My exchange is Tuesday 1/20 and I'm on Arimidex still. Yoga or some sort of stress relief class will be good for you. It always helps to talk about what you're feeling also. Hugs to you.
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happily, if you want a bath take one. Just move slow. My knees were so bad I couldn't get down there. I used a bath chair as I was wobbly for a long time and during chemo I couldn't stand even for a short shower. I still won't take a bath cause I'm home alone a lot and even after one knee replacement I'm not that flexible.
If you think you want to talk to someone, Do it. This stuff is not easy to get through and we all needed some sort of help. If the discussion boards aren't enough then definitely get help. Our journeys are all a bit different even if we are going in the same basic direction. Some of us, myself included, have what I call "Scenic Detours" on that journey! LOL
As for yoga. Go slow. Don't push but start. You'll feel better to start! I do an arthritis swim class. It helps me.
And, thanks everyone! I think she is sweet! LOL.
Much love to all.
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I have to laugh... Still at 5 weeks out I am still having issues openng a "child-proof" bottle... I take it to my husband and him being the smart-azz that he is, he will smile and do it with one hand.... It's a joke between the two of us... But is it ever so frustrating!!!!! I am on week two with no "fill" and I am finally starting to feel some relief...if that's what you want to call it... I can at least bend over now without it killing me! Still sore... Still can't lift my arms much passed shoulder level, but trying my best to do exercises so my shoulders don't freeze up. Never thought these te's would be so painful!!!!!
start radiation Monday... 6 weeks of it... Then a waiting game for my skin to heal to get these aliens out of me!
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For those having trouble opening child proof caps, I would suggest putting your meds in a pill dispenser for several days at a time. We have 5 kids, three with several meds each, and I have them all dispensed for a month at a time. They are kept in a lock-box in a kitchen cabinet. We normally keep it up high, but when I could reach over my head we kept it down lower. Its a key lock so I know my kids aren't going to get into it.
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another ? For you all.... These "alien" te's.... Do you get used to them after a while our will they always hurt and be uncomfortable???? Seeing how they will be a part of me for a while... Just curious..... And If your answers are yeah, they will get better... How long does it take for them to get better????
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It seems you notice them at first a lot. Then if they were hitting a nerve sometimes a fill helped. Then as they got bigger they get in your way. I walked into doorways with mine. That's why getting your squishies is great.
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feeling overwhelmed
10 weeks was a turning point for me. I could sleep comfortably, do everything I could before without pain and tightness . I still wake up every morning and am surprised at the hardness. That won't go away until the exchange.
Even though 10 was the turning point, I was able to do most everything by 6 weeks, I would just be tight after.
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I've had mine since 9/18/14 still have another 6-7 months before I can exchange. They're pretty much hard and uncomfortable 24/7 for me. I still can't sleep comfortably. Friends are startled when they hug me. I'm at 630ccs and they look ridiculous.
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Mine bothered me A LOT at 5 weeks. Sometimes to the point of feeling claustrophobic. Then I ended up with a ruptured TE that needed to be replaced. My PS cleaned up a lot of scar tissue on both sides when she replaced it, as I was completely encapsulated. I have hardly felt them since then.
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I'm 6.5 weeks post and now feeling intermittent pain around the TEs. Very frustrating. Is this the nerves surrounding the TEs?
Also I tried to do some very light loose weights at the gym yesterday (just 5 lbs) and could not lift either arm even half way up. Going to try 2.5 lbs next time but its sooo frustrating not being able to lift anything or to not be able to get one arm over my head yet. Trying to avoid physical therapy but???
Scottie
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I am at 13.5 weeks post op and filled to 500. Prior to surgery I was a regular yoga practitioner. It was amazing to not be able to lift my arms overhead or lay on the floor and put them overhead. I have been doing PT and it has been tremendously helpful in regaining range of motion and strength. I have had a lot of pain with my TE's , especially on my left side which is funny as it was done prophalacticaly and did not have nodes removed. I was really bad after my last fill and my pS thinks I may be getting some encapsulation. I am going to have some massage from one of the practitioners at my cancer center tomorrow. I can't wait to get these TE out but my doctor is hoping to get me about 650 as she overfills. At 500 they seem enormous and get in the way of everything. I am taking comfort in the fact these are temporary. Hang in there
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I had PT after chemo. It helped tremendously. My P'S wanted all exercise to stop til at least 6 weeks. I could reach but not far. Could lift light things but not heavy. So what ever you do start small. Maybe even NO weights until you are more comfortable.
And I wasn't kidding about walking into doorways with my TES - total Stripper boobs. LOL. Loved finally getting my squishies! LOL
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I have a question about pain from my TE radiating into my back... My PMX was 11/20/14. I was filled to 300cc at surgery. Got fills of 100cc each time. NO PROBLEMS UNTIL AFTER LAST FILL...
A few days ago,after my last fill to 800cc (yes 800 it's not a typo) my IMF and underarm hurt like heck! Not uncommon for such a big fill, that's the size of my expander. If we were really going for it, we would do one more to 900 but I'm at my limit. Anyway, the pain has stopped around the Breast but has moved into my back. It's my right Breast, so now my back, between my right shoulder blade and my spine, feels like it has a huge knot in it. Sometimes if I move wrong it seizes up and the pain literally knocks me on my butt. Sometimes it feels like someone is hitting me in the back with a hammer. Sometimes it stops hurting altogether but the pain always comes back. I have tried muscle relaxers, Aleve, even dilauded one day, as well as Lyrica for the nerve pain... Minimal relief...
At first I thought it was muscular pain but now I'm thinking maybe a combo of muscular pain and nerve pain. My drain under my arm caused a similar pain now that I think about it...
I'm going to call the dr but wondering if anyone else has had this? I'm going to cross post this question too. Sheesh. Only 5 or so more weeks until exchange... I wonder if I can get him to move it up
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SA8PG - dag, that is A LOT!!! I was huge before, 38 Gish, with pendulous breasts, but only getting 60cc, a time, but I guess, more of this is based upon how 'loose' your pec muscles are, since it is going under them. Yes, have that pain in the sternum, hate it. Right now it is more on the right side of the center. I took a flexeril at noon, will post back in an hour to say if that helps. I try to take 1 -2 (they are every 8 hours) a day, and I think that helps. I've been off the vicoden/percocet since Christmas, as I was having 'regularity' issues. I still am... I'm starting to wonder if the Herceptin is part of the issue, who knows.
OK - 4 hours later, Flexeril didn't help and it continued to hurt more, so I took two Aleve, better, but I'm now going to lie down, as I don't want to take a pain pill.
Feeling - are you doing the walk the wall exercises? If not, start, you need range of motion on those shoulders. Maybe call the PS or BS and ask for some PT.
Bath - I put a plush towel on the side of the tub and kinda push on it to get in and out, but it might be a good idea to have someone in the house when you do it the first time. Or at least have a phone next to you and the front door unlocked. 911 gets many phone calls for 'I can't get up', they will come and get you out of the tub. Oh, and that towel on the side of the tub, you can cover yourself with it.
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alexa, yes pain in your back is pretty normal. I my fills were 200 at a crack til my last 2. Those two hurt everywherr. The last fill was only 50. And still hurt. But certainly call your PS! They need to gear. Remember the TES can also be deflated if needed so if it doesn't let up consider that. My pain lasted for over 5 days before letting up.
Knm, ouch. Take a pill if you need too. You can always take senna cot if needed. I had bowel trouble during tx but mine went the other way. Neither is fun.
Taking a bath. If you are not steady on your feet don't try without help. Take in even a folding chair. But a bath chair is better. Consider putting in a temporary hand rail. I have one that attaches to the tub by 2 screws. It is very sturdy. It has a stepped handle so one is taller for when you stand. The other is shorter for you to grab while sitting. I am a large woman and to get up i need something that won't move. This works. It was about 35$ .
Hope that helps. Much love
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I was nowhere that big but got pain after my 2d to last fill. Was sitting on a nerve. Took about 10 days to resolve itself, but sure was painful.
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