TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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katcar. . .I hope you're getting some relief on the meds now that you're home. I have some bruising now so was told no any thing this week by PS at check yesterday. Very frustrating.
I sympathetize with having to sleep up right. I have the total body pillow which wraps a round me and I prop up with two other pillows under head and shoulders. I have been finally sleeping better though. Still wish/hope that some day I can side sleep again.
Lee sending hugs. . .maybe get another opine before you decide.
Scottie
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Scottie - Sorry you didn't get the answer you wanted. I can empathize with your frustration. Also, I hope you can side sleep soon. Now I am going to whine.. I wanna total body pillow! I am so envious. Things I miss about the U.S.--being able to buy just about any object or food item you want (okay, if you can afford it), wah. I have never seen those things here. Maybe I will ask my friend if I can borrow her recliner for a few weeks. Or maybe someone can bring me down a total body pillow if they are coming over the border. Thanks for the tip... going to put out some feelers...
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Scottie and kartcar, I'm a side sleeper. I did buy a reclining love seat for after my BMX with expander placement. I slept in it for 3 weeks with lots of pillows. Week 4 I was able to manage getting into my big bed (high for me to get into). I slept on my back for about 10 days. One night. I just gave it a shot and turned onto my left side and it didn't feel bad. It was about two weeks before I could sleep on my right side. It does get better.
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katcar. . .can you purchase from Amazon and get it shipped. They sell them. Mine came from Sam's Club one of our membership discount stores here.
AudreyB, I am hoping that in a few weeks, I can go back to side sleeping. The edges of the TEs would not allow it. One problem though is that my arm goes numb on either side if I try to sleep that way and I only had the nodes taken on the right. I had an Iv from an MRI infiltrate on the left during diagnosis period and that has caused some residue numbness. No matter how we cut it, cancer sux.
Scottie
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ok, I'll chime in.....I wanna side sleep(whines)!! I'm 5 weeks post op and have been able to sleep on my back until this week. Now I just lay there and stare at the ceiling. Then I try to side sleep....I wake up every 10 mins with pain. Eyes on the prize, mommy wants her new rack for Christmas!!
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Side sleeping... on another topic someone mentioned side sleeping on the couch so the back of the couch holds you up, not as much pressure on your side. Once you can figure that out and tollerate it, put a firm pillow on your bed in the same location as the back of the couch and try that. Maybe a good idea before any surgery, so you can get the hang of it, when you aren't in pain.
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Scottie - Thanks for telling me about Sam's--we have one about 45 mins. away. That might be the quickest route. I hope that your arm numbness resolves soon. So your IV went through the other side and into your flesh?! Ouch!
Maxdog - You cracked me up. I keep telling myself--no pain, no gain. I hope you can side sleep comfortably soon too.
knmtwins - I'll try out your couch suggestion, thank you. I think my bed is too soft. I feel like a bug on my back when trying to get out of it.
audreyb - Just caught your note about the love seat recliner. Wish I had one!
I did manage to eek in a couple of hours of sleep after struggling to get comfortable for hours. I am praying it's mostly the drain digging into me causing all the pain. It is coming out tomorrow or Fri so I'll know soon. Keeping fingers crossed!
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KatCar - tape the tube to the drain onto your ribs/stomach so it doesn't pull. Leave a little slack between the drain and the hole. If you have to sleep on your back sitting up, lots of firm pillows to support you at that angle, a big firm pillow under your knees, but really as close to your bottom as you can get it. Then something under each arm to hold them up. This is such a short period of time, in the grand scheme of our lives, but SO long when living through it. Hang in there everyone, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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KatCar. . .when you go to Sam's look at their mattresses. Do they allow you to put stuff on 6 or 12 months no interest (we do it all the time). We got a great new very firm mattress 1.5 years ago because of my back. Absolutely love it and half the cost of other stores around here. Good luck.
Knmtwins. . .you're idea about the couch is a good one. We have a firm futon couch (one that turns into double bed when needed) in our TV room. That would work great except for one problem right now. I have a portable A/C in our bedroom and can't sleep without it this summer. I may try the futon when the weather cools off and see if I can sleep on it. I used it a few times for my back before we got the new mattress.
Maxdog. . .lol. . .I will hopefully get to show off my "new rack" over labor day weekend. We're going back to our favorite amusement park which include a great water park where we rent a cabana and play all day. I discovered this summer that my scars don't show in my bikini tops and my new girls are even bigger so let them stare. I don't care if everyone thinks "Wow, those must be fake." I'm going to smile right back at all of the stares.
Scottie
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Hi Ladies...here's my recommendation for sleeping after surgery, I used this on the couch for a week or so before moving to it my bed. It's portable, and zips apart allowing more flexibility. The bottom part can fold down so your feet are elevated, which was good for my swollen ankles after surgery too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CA5AG2?psc=1&...
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I love it Scottie! Great attitude. You certainly earned them, so show off that rack! You must be really looking forward to your trip. I have a tankini that hides all the after-effects of cancer and has a little pocket for a stuffy that I got at Ross. It has held me through this summer. It will be interesting to see what looks good on me next year. I will definitely look at the mattresses when I go to Sam's. I am mad at myself for not doing the research in advance. Feeling in too much pain to go shopping right now. Maybe the BF can get the body pillow, though.
Knmtwins - Thank you for the detailed picture on how to prop myself up. I am doing it right now. I am hoping I'll get some back relief with the pillow under my knees. The BF got the wrong tape, so will try taping the drain when I get something stronger. I comfort myself that many of you have been through this and are on the other side now.
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KatCar - I would tape with close to the 'hole' then bring around to my front and tape again there. I made myself pouch camis, so my drains stayed in them. For both the Bmx and the first exchange I had one drain that kept producing for the full 21 days that my PS allows them to stay in. Hummm..... maybe I was doing too much???? I need to remember, "just because you can,doesn't mean you should"...
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Wow, loriekg--that thing is so cool. Thanks for passing that on. I may get one in time for the next surgery. It would be at least 3 weeks before I could get it shipped down to Mexico--everything has to go through customs. And also for a package that big the cost would be almost as much for the shipping as the item itself. An alternative is that I might be able to go to an upholsterer here and have one made. Thanks ladies, for passing on so many good ideas.
knmtwins--I like the idea of a cami with a pocket. Very smart idea. Yes, over-doing it is not a good idea, although I don't see how I could at this point. Even squishing my drain down hurts. I did not have nearly this much discomfort after my UMX. In fact, I drove from the hospital 2 hours home the next day.
No way I could have done that this time around. How are things settling these days? Are you going to need much revision?0 -
Yep, will be revision on left and first implant on right (not sure if you knew, but my right expander sprung a leak and it took the hospital 3 weeks to get me an OR.... needless to say, the muscle clamped back to the chest wall, so I'm doing another expander). Now this sounds like a lot, but I think I will benefit from it. That surgery in May, brought me to my out of pocket max, of $5,000, so the rest is free. The PS has been able to see how my body handles the implants. I was HUGE before, and very wide, so I think the silicone round I have is a 750cc. It has slipped to the side bunches. He will now add some extra allowderm on the side and is thinking of going with anatomicals. I'm only filled to 650 on the right and I'm happy with them. Then there will also be more fat grafting, as he only could graft on the top of the right due to the expander. He will take that fat from my love handles. He will also make nipples from the extra skin. Fingers are crossed this is all I need, but if not, I have the OR schedlued for December 3rd, just in case they move around. I'm BROKE, so no more after 2015. We are having trouble figuring out where the money for last year and this year's medical expenses is coming from, we cannot afford anything else next year. I do not know how people do this, in the last 2 years we have spent out of pocket over $20,000, and we have the best and most expensive insurance option my husbands (top 10 in employee size) company offers.
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knmtwins - I did not realize your expander had sprung a leak! How does that happen? Yikes. And the muscle grew back on during that time... arh, I'd be so frustrated in your shoes. But it's good that you maxed out your out-of-pocket expenses. That is quite a bit of revision you are doing, so I hope that it all goes smoothly so you can put this behind you. I do think it's a lot for our pec muscles and skin to hold up a heavy implant after most of the meat was taken out. The alloderm should help, and that's what I am planning as well. Yes, cancer is expensive. I try not to worry about it but just focus on today. I don't know how people do it either. My friend has had to pay for her mastectomy, chemo and rads out of pocket with no insurance, and she does not have the money to yet to pay for recon :-(.
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This is for anyone on this thread: I was wondering how long before your external incision stitches were removed? He did not use Vicryl because I am allergic to it. My doc is going out of town next week so I am a bit concerned about how long they should be left in.
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they dissolve?
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I am pretty sure I do not have the dissolvables, since I reacted to them last time. Any one else have the removable kind?
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I have had a lot of non-dissolvable sutures because of healing issues and they are usually removed at about the two week mark. This may be because of my surgical history, but I think a week would be too soon, longer than two weeks and you can have skin grow over the stitches.
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Thanks, SpecialK. I'll make other arrangements if the doc is not back in time. I had some skin grow over stitches before--not fun.
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Katcar, my PS said 2 weeks. I just had my left incision re-done because it didn't heal right and after 2 rounds of antibiotics it didn't get any better. Once she got in and clipped off the yucky part, she popped a bubble of fluid and boy does that side feel better now. I was in so much pain from it. But she used normal stitches and told me that they would be out in 2 weeks.
Just want to say hi to everyone. I have been reading more than posting. Been doing exercises for my right arm (had ALND) and I am really feeling the cement blocks today. But a GINORMOUS thank you for starting this thread. The other one was making my anxiety overwhelming. Been sleeping in a recliner since the surgery. I have slept in my bed a total of 2.5 times including last night and I am a side sleeper too and it is killing me. I feel like I am more on my side in the recliner than in bed, but I am gong to keep trying because I am getting tired of the recliner.
Okay, better go, my 8 yo and tween are too quiet, better see what they are up too.
Take care and have a good weekend.
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sorry I was absent for awhile. I'm glad to see Special k and A viva and everyone who answered questions while I was not on the net.
I'll read and catch up soon.
Much love
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Tasbear - It sounds like you had a seroma? I wondered how those could be drained without risking puncturing the TE, but in your case the wound was open. I hope you can sleep on your side in the bed soon. I am doing it now, but do have pain that wakes me every few hours. It's either that or no sleep, so I am dealing with the pain with a mild analgesic/muscle relaxer combo.
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Kat, saw PS yesterday and I had a bit and f fluid again, so I am wearing a bra and putting in the poly fil inserts from my post surgery Cami to give it some compression. I started when I got home yesterday and have noticed a difference, so I am doing it again today. The front of the pecs are sore from the compression, but I am still taking pain meds, so that is helping. I wish the doctor's would explain more on these things or if they did I missed it. So hopefully not sure nly will I get stitches out, I am hoping to finally get a fill.
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My BMX with immediate TE placement is scheduled for August 28th. I've been reading this forum for a while but now that I have it scheduled, I have to say I'm starting to get nervous. Thanks to all of you for posting your experiences. It is extremely helpful.
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sknitter-you will do great! Just try to take everything in stride and rest!
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thanks maxdog. Any suggestions on what type of clothes I should plan to be wearing after my box and TE placement? I originally thought I was going to have DIEP so I was preparing for that situation. Now I need to shift gears. Thanks for any suggestions.
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There is a link at the top of the surgery forum that covers everything you could possibly need post surgery. My PS let me know I would need a tub of Aquaphor to rub on incisions and gauze pads to dress. Definitely invest in button front jammies and tank tops with built in shelf bra that you can pull up over your hips. My recliner and neck pillow were invaluable. I was very lucky and had close to full range of motion from day one post op.
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Sknitter, anything button down or zippered. Sports bras with front closure. If you get any to wear while with drains in place, buy them a couple of sizes bigger in the band to accommodate the tubing. Your insurance might pay for a post op Cami, which if like mine it's one you either pull over your head or step into. If you can spend the little extra and get the zippered one. Either the sports bra or Cami will work. Don't need both as I found out the hard way.
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Sknitter, everyone has a different experience. I slept in my surgical bra until drains were out. Had a backup one for washing times. Button front tops or tanks if you can find them or very loose tanks that you can pull up. I used my original surgical bra for sleeping/wearing for at least first week after EX. It was more comfy than bra they sent me home in which I had to wear for first 2 days.
If you have no recliner, consider investing in whole body pillow. I got it two weeks after BMx, it replaced the 6 pillows I had in bed and I still sleep with it. Relaxing in bed with mine while typing on my tablet. Supports shoulders and elbows in addition to back,neck and legs. Best wishes.
Scottie
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