TEs. A Beginner's Primer
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SpecialK. . .thanks for the swimsuit tip. We do have Nordstrom in the area. I will check them out when I get the chance. I really just want a stretchy tankini top with no more than removable pads. At least the J Crew tops I found have removables and they are more comfortable that way. Next year after I settle into my squishies I may want something custom.
Scottie
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wow! There is a lot of activity on this thread, may I chime in? I had BMX in October with delayed reconstruction (honestly, I think because the BS And PS couldn't coordinate their schedules) but that's another story...I just had my TEs inserted March 19. I came out of surgery with 60 ccs and had my first fill last week of 50ccs.
They are uncomfortable to say the least. I feel like I have two golf balls glued to my chest. I am back to work on Monday and don't have a clue what to wear. I loved my prosthetics but those would kill me and going commando, I look like I barely need a training bra. My chest is SO sensitive, just a tank top feels like hot pokers. I'm sure it's nerve damage all over again, right?
How careful do I need to be with these? I'm afraid to even try to sleep on my side. I've been doing some simple arms up in the air stretches, should I be more aggressive?
My next fill is Wednesday and then the following 2 Wednesdays. Is it going to get progressively more painful each time?
It's so funny how BC makes you wish time away..can't wait for surgery to get this out of me, can't wait til final pathology so I know what I'm doing, can't wait to have TEs, can'twait to NOT have TEs, can't wait for implants and can't wait to put this behind me. :-)
Thanks for listening
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hummingbird - I wear lots of tops with ruffles or patterns, and those lightweight looped scarves. I spent a lot of time during TE with one side somewhat filled and one flat, then they were different sizes until they were caught up to each other. Now I have lost an inplant on the left and have a fairly large one (at least compared to the side that has nothing, lol!) on the right so still trying to disguise things.
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Hummingbird, - scarves, loose tops, and/or shirts with pockets help!
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Thanks SpecialK and NYCgirl and holy cow, both of you have been through ALOT, it's very humbling and I admire your courage.
Loose tops it is and I just need to not care
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Hummingbird, you really do learn not to care so much. Except for special occasions! LOL then you try to find just the right top for that! LOL. See if you can find a POOFY foob that can be adjusted to whatever size you are now.one that you can add or remove cotton fluffy stuff as needed. I used the ones that came with the Amoena camisol I wore. They have a nice shape.ii Wore one fully stuffed and one with half the filling for almost 2 years. Whatever works! Hugs!
I may not be on much for a bit. I'm having cataract surgery for my right eye this time on Monday and that means close work will be out for a while. But there are a lot if ladies who will be here to help.
Much love to all.
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Moon, - may your cataract surgery go smoothly and easily! (after my Grandmother had it done, she looked at my aunt and told her how old she looked now that she could see better!
)Humming, - you, too, have been through a lot! These boards have helped me get through everything!!
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hummingbird - how careful you are just really depends on how whatever you're doing feels. Listen to your body. If it hurts back off. Mild discomfort from stretching those tight muscles is a different thing. By 3 months out, I started lifting light weights and doing planks. By 4 months out a few weeks after my last fill, I could knock out some push ups. I still kept my body weights light...and I slept on my side. Ahh...heaven! It gets better with time.
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Sunflowercat- when I engage my pecs in the gym , I can feel my muscle pulling the expander out to the side. It has moved a bit that way on my left side now. My ps said he can fix that during exchange surgery next week but I am worried that when I get back to the gym after healing from this next surgery, it may happen with my implant. Any thoughts?
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newgirls - I'm almost 2 weeks out from exchange. My TEs were in my armpits and so annoying! My PS did a considerable amount pocket work. He brought them in nearly 2cm each inwards and tightened up the sides - they are no longer in my arm pits!! (I had an almost 8cm gap in between my TEs and was barely B cup before mastecomy). I'm under strict instruction to not perform any exercise that engages the pecs for the next 7 weeks for fear they will migrate outwards. I'll be bandaged up for another 10 days and I had gauze rolls on the side of each breast to keep them from moving into the armpit area for 9 days. Time will tell how they turn out, but I'm following his instructions to the 'T'. From day one I've always told him I don't want them in my armpits and he knows I'm extremely active. When is your exchange?
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duh, I re-read your post and see it's next week. Never mind! Good luck with your exchange!
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Hummingbird - regarding the pain and discomfort with each fill - I requested Flexeril - a muscle relaxant that really helped with the discomfort following my fills. Good luck!
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Hi, I had a BMX 3 days ago with TE. He put a little in at surgery, but not sure how much. My question is, how does this work? I know there is a spot he finds to inject the saline, but is it with a needle? Does it hurt? How often
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There is a spot that can take a needle without rupturing the TE, so they have a magnet which finds that, and they mark the spots with a sharpy. Then the PS's nurse pricks me in those spots to see if I feel anything. Then she injects a local anesthetic, pricks to see if you feel anything and then when numb, puts the saline in. Everyone is different as to when they can start and how much they can get. I get 60 cc's every 2 weeks.
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Hi mysunshine48. The fills didn't hurt but chest felt tight for a few days afterward. I saved a few Ativan from my post op for the night of my fill. Slept great. Have some Tylenol on hand for that day and maybe the next. But I went to work. Just tight. I couldn't feel the needle from the fill which was good. I had maybe 200 cc after surgery then 60 ccs a month later. then 120 ccs three weeks after that which I tolerated well, then three weeks later, a final fill of 60 cc. Now, a month later, getting my exchange surgery next week. I am able to do pretty much everything except open tight windows in my office! I am at about 400 cc and getting about 500 cc round implants.
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FYI...not all use local anesthetic with fills. I never had any local and was never offered any. The fills really aren't that bad. It wasn't really until later that day or the following that the muscles spasms, if I had them, would kick in. I found getting a massage the day before or after helped tons to prevent muscle spasms and tightness in my back/chest.
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i never was offered local for fills, but it didn't hurt during the fill. Except one time hen he hit a blood vessel. LOL. He said "That's going leave a bruise" and it surely did. I as glad he told e though or i would Ave called him in a panic when practically half of y on was purple. LOL
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Hi ladies. After your exchange did they send you hone in a surgical bra? I had a few Amoena bras when I was discharged after my bmx and they were so uncomfortable! The band was too close to my foobs under neath. What were your instructions for compression or not after exchange?
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All PS go about it differently, so just follow the instructions they give you. If you are really uncomfortable, let your PS know.
I was just wrapped up. He gave me an option of wrap or no wrap. At 9 days post op he unwrapped me and said no bras. Two days later I went back in becuase they felt so heavy and I had a little pain under the left one (I could feel the weight of the implant pulling on the stitches). He wrapped me up again, stuck a gauze roll under that breast and I will stay that way for two weeks. Then I am to keep them unwrapped and just wear camis. I was given permission to wear sports bras at the gym, but he wanted the bras to pull them together and not push them outward. I had extensive pocket work done to get them out of my arm pits and create cleavage. I do not want to mess that up!
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Hello, I am two weeks post op. I have TE on left breast. I have my first fill on April 28th. I had a reduction so I only have 200 on my right and only need the fill on the left breast where I had my single mastectomy. I only have to fill 200 on my left. PS said he would add 50 over more to left (can't remember why). I find the TE to be quite painful. I overdid it a couple of days ago and paid with a night of horrible uncomfortableness. How much is too much fill? I am moving to Switzerland on June 24th to get married. I was supposed to go on May 29th but then this cancer thing decided to change those plans...
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knmtwins Hello! I so enjoy your posts. How long between your last fill and replacement? Also, my TE breast hurts all the time. Maybe I am just rushing the recovery time (two weeks out). Did or do others have difficulty with their TE's?
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Fe - Thank you. SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Two weeks out, I was still in bed on Flexeril and Percocet. Mind you I had both done... but still... your body heals when you sleep and rest, you had MAJOR surgery, one mastectomy and a reduction on the other... Normal reductions are MAJOR surgery, you had that and a mastectomy and TEs. REST, drink lots of water, eat, rest, etc. etc. On the December surgery board one of the ladies kept posting (and I think she may be here too) just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should. REST.
As to amount of time, my surgery was December 2nd, I could have had my exchange in May, but due to insurance wanting the hospital and it being 'booked' it will be July 2nd, but I'm much bigger than you, so needed more time for all the fills. So far I've had 500+cc's put in and had a bunch when I started, I think in the 200 - 300 range. Enjoy your move date, I'll be 50 that day.
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Fe Princess, I'm a month out from TE placement and although I'm starting to feel a bit better, or im just getting used to them or something, I was miserable the first two weeks. I had delayed reconstruction and I woke up after BMX surgery in little to no pain and expected the same from TE surgery and was dead wrong. I woke up in SO much pain! PS says port on right side was probably pressing on a nerve and it would change with fills and it did ease up some after first fill. I go in for second fill tomorrow and am hoping for best and taking flexiril before I go in. I hope you feel better soon. They are definitely uncomfortable! Hang in there.0
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Hi knmtiwns thank you for the SLOW DOWN suggestions and hummingbird thanks for your responses. Did your skin discolor on the TE breast(s)? Mine is yellow and the skin looks like goose flesh on the arm side of my breast. I do feel as if I have burning sensation on my skin too. Are these all normal? Should I call my PS's nurse? I am so overwhelmed these last couple of days...Waaaaahhhh!
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I'm about to make my 2 year anniversary since reconstruction was completed. It took a little while to get used to my new breasts, but amazingly everything is settling in and I hardly think about it anymore. I do recall being somewhat sore for a few weeks after reconstruction was completed, but now there is no pain and no cancer. Sharing this so you know there is light at the end of the tunnel!
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Fe - when in doubt call the PS. Mine gives you her cell so you can text or call 24/7. I don't look at my TEs much, aliens as a friend calls them, but I do remember that chicken flesh look, but not a color change, but I was still well doped up at 2 weeks out. Also, if you aren't well doped up, and if you don't have any addiction issues, you might want to ask for some anti anxiety pills. I had 20 of the lowest dose of xanex, prescribed last June, but I would take one at night sometimes when I felt I just needed a break. I would get a good night's sleep, without my mind racing. In the morning I'd be 'refreshed' and able to handle the cancer and day to day better for a while. I think a lot for me was my mind racing with all the what if's and questions I should ask
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Fe Princess- It never hurts to call your PS regarding your questions or concerns. You just had your surgery 15 days ago and still need time to heal. Remember to take it easy and gets lots of sleep. Eat healthy and drink lots of water to help your body adjust/heal. My TE's were placed immediately after my BMX on January 20, 2015. They have a mind of their own! As of right now I have no pain from them just discomfort in my upper back and shoulder region since they are heavy. The burning sensation is most probably nerve related.I felt the burning, stabbing and tingling/tickle sensations which sometimes led me to cry! I do believe redirecting your thoughts to something positive can help. The pain was most noticeable after my saline fills and now that I'm done with them I feel better! No more nerve pain! I apply lotion along the outer edges of the TE's because my skin felt like you described goose flesh and was very dry. I would take ibuprofen along with a muscle relaxer before and after my fills to help alleviate pain. (don't take ibuprofen without your doctor's consent) This all takes time and a crap load of patience.
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Get permision before you put lotion on them. At 2 weeks out, they will probably say yes... but... btw, do you still have drains?
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Greetings,
I had a bilateral mastectomy on March 10th. I have since had two fills. My right side is expanding laterally while my left side is expanding forward. For my second fill they just expanded the right by 50ccs and the left by 100ccs so I do not look lopsided. Is it "normal" for expanders to look so very non symmetrical? Thank you for your advice!
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FePrincess- Yes, listen to knmtwins ask your doctor about things before you do them! We all have different instructions given to us by our individual doctors. For example my PS didn't clear me for driving until 2 months after surgery because I drive a stick shift, no above the waist showers for 7 weeks (I know yucky but wash clothes were my friend), my steri strips were in place for 9 weeks until he removed them (he told me not to remove them on my own), arms down by my side for 1 month (aka t-rex arms), after 1 month I could lift my arms but no elbows above my shoulders, no arm exercises for 1 month (and I had sentinel nodes removed from both sides), then at my last fill in March I was cleared to lift my arms above my shoulders,drive and normal showers, and the end result is that my TE's look amazing! It took a lot of patience!!!!
Treehgr- My TE's looked lopsided in the beginning. One was more rounded looking and the other looked more oblong! They now look symmetrical but remember your PS is just looking to stretch the skin.
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