TEs. A Beginner's Primer
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All of the above is excellent advice- we are each different but the common theme here is: dont over do it! A week or 2 or 3 out from the surgery is very early. Dont do nothing because your muscles might start to atrophy and you want to work on range of motion. But dont over do it! A lot of pain is to be expected really- he cut you open and dug out your flesh! I had 100 cc in at surgery and 50 cc each fill, starting about a month out. Low and slow is the way to go. Personally I had no fill pain til the last but it moved over a nerve and took about a week to shift off again. The comment about low dose anti anxiety meds is great too- look at all you are going thru= who wouldnt need a little help with that.
the weird sensations and zings are the nerves regenerating and is normal. But definitely talk to your PS about it all, and get his/her take on how you are feeling.
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Hello ladies,
I figured I'd bring my TE's to the party!
After my BMX 3/27/15 we had 150cc's and yesterday at our first fill (just over 2 weeks post op) I opted for 30cc fill instead of my PS recommendation of 50-60cc. I had a flu like illness over the past weekend that left me exhausted and was concerned about magnifying it with fill pain. Since it was my first fill, I went conservative. I did do a Flexeril and Aleve before and again at bed. Did feel the needles go in and felt the pressure on the right side. Woke up more tight and pulling sensation than previous so imagine 50cc will be more of that times 2 going forward. Oh, and TE's looked symmetric before but now one has widened and the other popped out. Annoying!
Just wondering if anyone else experienced sunburn feeling across their new will be "breasts"? Obviously I have that feeling in my left armpit where SNB was, but the girls are ultra as well despite no redness, swelling or use of lotions or creams. Maybe just nerves repairing?
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Hello Aviva5675, doing too much is my problem. I somewhat athletic and would lift weights everyday, I need a chill pill, but I don't know if I could take another prescription. I too have burning sensation Phillyemma which is nerves. I had it when I broke my ankle and it's the same feeling. My body doesn't like the TE so it's a bit of a challenge. This whole experience is tough no matter what phase. There are so many wonderful women here who are going through what I am. If I hadn't found this site, I would be super nutzo by now.
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yes. Please remember to not overdo. It's easy to want to get back to normal but taking it easy now makes for a better exchange and faster healing.
Please remember to call your P'S office with questions if you have them because every P'S is different. Instructions, fill levels, etc. Mine would not allow showers till the drains were out. So almost 6 weeks for me. LOL. I ended up with an infection 2x. Not fun so do what you can to not let things get out of control. Some P'S will try to save an infected TE. Some will remove it asap.
The things to watch out for : redness, hot skin, black spots on incisions, fever of over 101. . If you have 2 or more CALL your P'S. If you're not sure, call.
TES are wonderful. And awful. Sometimes at the same time! They mean progress toward getting back to normal, but they are reminders of your loss. Love /hate is normal.
Weird skin and zip zaps are pretty normal. Your final shape will look very different than any stage during fills. P'S are very good at their jobs and usually do an amazing job during exchange. But even then, revisions can be done. So your job is to heal. Listen to your P'S and continue your treatment til you go back to a changed, but mostly normal, life.
Much love to all.
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I had my second fill yesterday. She tried to pit in 60 ccs but I must have been cringing so backed 10 out and I ended up with 50 on each side. I've been really tight and uncomfortable since. It's ok if I lie or sit still but otherwise, it's painful. I Had gone back to work on Monday but I've decided to stay home today. I assume this wil ease up but is there anything I can do? Ice? Heat? I could call my PS but honestly I'm afraid she'd recommend I come back in and have some taken out and I'd rather not do that. Breathing in deeply is painful. I have lots of drugs left over, flexiril, norco, 800mg ibuprofen.
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hummingbird - I found flexeril, gentle stretching and massage to be a godsend after a fill. Not sure if you can get a massage, but if you can - do it! I was able to lay down on the table with a bath towel rolled up under each arm pit and one between my TEs, but I was much farther out from BMX w/TEs surgery than you when I started my fills. You can try it sitting up in a chair too. After a few fills I discovered having the massage before the fill was even better. It just loosened everything up.
Fe- I'm a very active person too, so it killed me not going to the gym, BUT you have to keep your eye on the prize. If you want a better outcome just rest and heal. I was cleared for cardio. Yoga stretching at 8 weeks post op. Then at 3 months I was able to go back to the gym for weights, pilates, full on yoga, etc... Now I'm post exchange and just cleared for cardio (walking, running, elliptical machine - no arm movements). Engaging the pecs would push my implants back into my armpits and that is not the look I'm going for! Talk to your PS and follow his recommendations to the letter.
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hummingbirdlover- Sunflowercat is right! Massage can help tremendously!
FePrincess- I am an avid trail runner and was training for an ultra trail marathon right before my diagnosis and totally understand how the down time can be frustrating! Hang in there. There will be plenty of time AFTER you heal to resume many activities but listen to your PS. You want the best outcome possible.
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Thank you! This TE journey is not an easy one
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Hummingbird, sorry you're in pain. I feel for you. Maybe a flexeril and Aleve plus a hot shower? That was what a friend recommend after she had a particular painful fill.
I did 30cc on Tuesday for my 1st since surgery and that was tight for me. I'm going to keep it around there as I'm in no rush. I trust my PS but at the end of the day I'm the one that has to carry around the discomfort.
Hang in there honey.
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Thank you everyone for your responses. I am raving to all my doctors about this site. I called my PS office yesterday. They said the T.E.'s are more painful when they're unfilled. She told me after the first till it would feel better about two weeks after surgery. I told her I was already 15 days out and I wasn't scheduled until the 28th! Now I am going in on Monday for my first fill. I am going to take a valium before I go since reading everyone else's experience. I had this idea that I would be back to running after four weeks, hahahahahah! I was so naive back then (a whole two months ago). I do long distance.
Sunflowercat, I am so grateful for your posts. I would have ruined my TE by now had I not read your "do engage pecs" post. I am moving to Switzerland in June. I was supposed to be leaving in May but this stupid cancer thing decided I was going in June. I have a clinic already chosen called BrustZentrum in Zurich. There is somewhere over the rainbow.
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So - yes, my right TE is leaking significantly. Seems it is an 'easy fix', quick surgery to remove it and put another one in. Yea, easy for them, they aren't getting cut open again... BTW - the nurse said this is the 3rd one they have had recently with the Mentors. Not sure if all or just the ones I have which are the 9100 series. Mine are 9100, 650cc, Lot 6862199, with serial number starting with the lot of 017 - for the left, whose sternum tab is no longer holding (but that was OK with the PS) and the right, leaking one is 043. Seems the expander is folding over on itself and covering the area where they are supposed to fill, therefore with every fill, they poke a hole in it.
Moonflwr912 should I switch to the TE Trouble board? I just posted there too.
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FTI
Traveling? Make sure you wear a compression sleeve even if you have no signs of lymphodema! The pressure is very different 30,000 miles up, and, especially on a long flight.
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Fe - I assume (and hope) you meant "don't" engage the pecs. Because that's what I meant. After the initial 8-12 weeks of healing you'll probably get clearance to do pec work, but it looks like you'll be having surgery then and the clock starts all over. Just give yourself time to heal. The last thing you want is to mess things up and add yet another surgery to the list! I'd ask at your appt on Monday when you can begin walking/elliptical and/or running. It'll give you something look forward to.
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Haha, yes Sundflowercat, I meant don't thanks. I have been walking 3 x times a week. The nurse said she thinks I am undertaking my pain meds...Do you like your silicone implants?
knmtwins, I am so sorry that you are having problems and yet another surgery. My heart goes out to you.
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Thanks Fe!
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Fe - so far so good. They look much better than my TEs. Probably because they're a bit lower, I have cleavage now and they're not in my armpits anymore. They're softer too. I can't wait for them to finally settle...just a few more months.
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Hummingbird,
Just checking in on you to see if you're feeling better? I hope so.
xoxo
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Awww, thanks PhillyEmma, for thinking of me!! I'm finally feeling better. That fill on Wednesday almost killed me, I swear! I had to leave early on Wednesday and take the day off work yesterday - it was difficult just to haul myself out of bed! I didn't have anyone available to give me the wonderfully suggested (thank you Sunflowercat) massage, but I did take a flexiril, and a very hot shower and by the afternoon was feeling a lot better. I'm at work today but I'm going to have a talk with PS that 50 ccs every week may be too much. I don't see the need to rush and be miserable and she has said the same thing on numerous occassions. I'm pretty sure I see stretch marks forming on my chest and that will seriously be a drag since I didn't have any before BC.
These things are HARD. I feel like if I wasn't in so much pain, I could use my chest as a battering ram!
knmtwins, sorry to hear they want to cut you open again. That just totally stinks! I don't even know kind my TEs are. I'm going to have to ask for that informational card that the PS was/is supposed to give to me.
Fe, I hope you're feeling better and more in control. Your first fill is Monday, right? I didn't have any problems with the first fill. If this gets progressively worse, I'm in trouble.
Take care everyone and have a wonderful weekend!
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hummingbird - try Palmer's Cocoa Butter for the stretching skin. I used it with two pregnancies, I am fairly petite and had decent sized babies. I have no stretch marks - used it every night for the whole nine months, and throughout expanders - I had them in for a very long time. I agree 50cc weekly is too much if it is causing you that much discomfort, I did 25cc weekly with no issues - all the way to 650cc. I never needed muscle relaxers or anything stronger than Tylenol.
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Well, Hummingbird, happy to hear you are feeling better. I would definitely recommend talking to your PS about the quantity of fills. As I said, at the end of the day, you have to carry those suckers around, no one else. Lol
Special K, my PS recommended the Palmers Cocoa Butter for my boobs and scars. I started using it this week. It has helped a bit with the sunburned feeling I was having across them already. Or maybe it is just the massage that did that. Who knows.
As for my own fills going forward, think I'm going to stick with the 30cc's and not attempt the 50cc's. Now, I could be crying wolf here. Maybe I would never experience discomfort with 50cc's. BUT, if the 30cc's caused discomfort this past week (just 24 hours of tightness and annoyance with 2 flexeril and 2 Aleve's) why chance it? Why be uncomfortable when there's no rush? This process has enough discomforts so why add to them...
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I really hope this gets better with the first fill on Monday. I woke up on my back with a sharp pain in sternum in the middle of the night last night. All day it's felt like someone hit me with a sledge hammer there. This pain is killing me literally & emotionally. Just needed to say that. I am impatient this I know. Can I just say that cancer sucks! I know the day awaits me to sleep on my side pain free in my future.
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Fe Princess
With regard to sleeping and pain, I still can't sleep on either side and I'm 3.5 months post BMx. However, I have a total body pillow which literally wraps around and supports my legs, arms neck and back to some degree. I can sleep somewhat sideways with this. I got this about three or four weeks post BMX and I love it. I'm still hoping that side sleeping will return after exchange. I think it's the expanders pushing on the nerves. I look forward to hearing about your exchange and others since mine is not until July.
Scottie
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Hello Scottiemom11, thank you for the suggestion. I will get a pillow this weekend. What other pillows do you use? I will for sure let you know after my fill on Monday. I was feeling better after the first week and 1/2 then BOOM! Around the 14th it started getting worse and isn't much better now.
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Hey knmtwins, how are you holding up? Thinking about you.
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Hello. I am so glad to have found this site.
I was recently dx with BC, had b/l mastectomy with immediate TEs in place. I currently have 160 ML fill and feels very tight on my chest. My question is, does anybody had any type of ripping sensations after a fill? My PS said I have very thin skin and my expander on the left side (cancer side) is more promenant than the other d/t it.
Thank you
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Hi Mared,
I'm currently at 160 too. I haven't noticed any rippling yet but my PS told me I might see some and not to worry about it right now. My chest feels very tight but because you had BMX and TEs at the same time you will be tight and sore for a while. Lots of it is nerve damage. I had BMX first and felt like a had a tight band around my chest for a long time. It's not quite as tight now with TEs, but I'd lost all of that banded feeling and now it's back.
Take care
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Fe - doing OK, wondering if the left is losing some also. I see the PS tomorrow, don't know when surgery will be to replace the bad expander because my insurance only covers the hospital, not his surgical center, so scheduling is more difficult, seems the hospital doesn't have free OR time. Cheese on Toast, I don't want a face lift, this is cancer crap in my mind.
Mared, yes I had 'ripping' sensation when I would bend down, if I didn't hold my left breast, my nurse said it was scar tissue or something, but not to worry about it... who knows if that was the right answer or not. Everyone seems to have different 'rules', so this is just confusing to me.
Side sleeping - someone recommended on the couch where you can be 1/2 on your side but your back is supported by the back of the couch and once you figure out that sensation, then prop pillows in your bed to do the same thing. You ladies only a few weeks from surgery, you might be in too much 'normal' post surgical pain for all this positioning.
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Thank you hummingbirdlover. I just hope my skin can take the fills. I am going slowly 50-60 ml each wk.
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Newest update, since I'm ready for my exchange, but it isn't till July due to insurance only using the hospital and this being 'elective', my PS had decided NOPE not waiting that long. He wants to put an implant in on the left and try to on the right, but if the muscle won't allow it, then he will put a new TE in on that side. Waiting to see what day they can get me in, either the 30th or the 7th. Rumor is, the most painful part of the swap out is the lipo for fat grafting. Too bad I spent all my money on cancer, if I'm going to have that pain, it might have been nice to have it 'really' done.
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I got my first fill today. I took 80ml's. I have a 275 ml expander and had 100 filled at time of MX so I only have 95+ which is only two more fills. I had a reduction and am pleased a punch about it. The port was right under my nipple so the doc gave me a local as I tend to cry through most of my appointments. I didn't feel anything but I am now four hours after and starting to fill some substantial pain. I am so grateful to be so close to the end. My heart goes out to all of you having hard times, infections or financial strains.
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