TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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SpecialK, thank you so much. I guess I will suck it up and let the expert do his job. My BS said he is a really great PS and she refers most of her patients to him. He's very compassionate and takes his time with his patients.
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What SK said! LOL
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Thanks for all the great posts. Learning so much and mostly that all of our PSs are different in their approach. TE is really a strange feeling thing to have in your chest for sure! Has anyone had a 'whisker' or stitch pop through the incision? I have an open spot that oozes sometimes and I see a small black spot. Will ask at my next fill. i was on antibiotics for 2 weeks because of a rednesss in this same place.
I've also overdone it a few times with exercise or lifting and ended up with muscle spasms in my chest. Not fun but valium helped. don't overdo
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They are called spitting stitches and if there is black go in and get checked. Black is dead skin.they will have to clean it out. You don't want an infected tion.
Much love
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Thank you!
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I'm glad I found this topic. I've had tissue expanders for 3.5 weeks now. Not a fan. I had my first fill last week. I think he put in 60ml per side. It definitely set me back a bit in terms of muscle soreness. I was just thinking that some gentle yoga might help. I will (hopefully) get the drains removed on Thursday and then I'll check out the yoga classes at the local cancer center. I'm also dealing with hypersensitive skin, and hoping that abates soon!
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thanks so much moonflwr912. Good advice. i am getting another fill tomorrow, 50cc, and my PS recommended taking Valium in advance which did help the muscle spasms I got with the last fill.
Can't wait for this TE to be out
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Re the uncomfortable mastectomy bras, although convenient from the front closure standpoint I find them binding and uncomfortable. Several years ago I discovered sports-type bra called 'Coobie'. after surgery I just pulled it up from the bottom now i can put it over my head. I sleep in my Coobie too as it helps the TE feel a little more stable. plus it protects the incision. Another thing I like is the soft pad insert that helps give a little shape to the TE mound. They come in pretty colors with lace trim so feels much more feminine that the others. You can order them online too
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I saw my PS yesterday. I got my drain out which means fills starting next week. Because I should be starting rads in 4 weeks he's doing double fills two weeks and one regular . I didn't even ask how much because I didn't want to scare myself. I will just have to deal with it. He's going to send me to PT because my ROM is really bad. Good news is the spasms slowed down after removing the drain.
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molly, glad to hear the spasms went away. If the pain from the fills is too much, people have had relief with muscle relaxers.
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My incisions are sore. I have nipple sparing BMX with TE's. Is that normal-ish? I start my fills next Tuesday. Nervous about that since I seem to have feeling in some areas.
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Carrie37, my incisions did bother me for a long while- especially where the drains had been and underneath my breasts.
How do yours look? Do they look excessively irritated or anything? If so, it wouldn't hurt to call and check. My PS always encouraged me to send her pics of anything I was concerned about. Probably need to go delete a few pics from my iPhone, come to think of it!!
I, too, seemed to have some feeling but I never felt anything during fills, other than a sort of pulling sensation. But I made it a point NOT to look at what the nurse was doing as she filled me and she was good about distracting me with conversation. I just looked straight up at the ceiling. It really wasn't that bad and I was only a tad sore for a day or so after, and just tried to focus on the positive, which was that I was a TINY bit bigger and ever so slightly better looking than before the fill! Emphasis on "slightly"!
But, hey, I'll take it!
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Thank you, Moonflwr912
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Thanks Free123! I don't think there is any type of infection. I noticed that it is scanned over quite a bit and falling off/flaking. Maybe that is causing pain. I see my ps on Tuesday so I can ask then unless it gets worse.
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Carrie, you are still less than a month from BMx. Some pain from nerve regeneration and stretched pectoral muscles seems normal. Just go slow with fills until you see how you're tolerating them.
Scottie
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Hoping everyone is doing well.
Much love
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All good here. Hope you are well too!0 -
I'm struggling with this TE. My ROM is slowly improving but the more I use my arm the more spasms, numbness and skin sensitivity I get. Do they move sometimes? swear mine is higher than before.
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Molly- I feel mine has shifted a bit. Could be my imagination but I've been told not to worry. They are stretching the tissues and the key is how to real ones look like.
Going to see ps about the infection in my right "breast." Happened last Mon but gave it till Tues to see if it was really something. Redness, swelling and pain didn't subside so went in. Was put on amoxicillin. Tomorrow will be a week on it and looks the same except pain is much less often. Never went above 99.2. Mostly 98. something. Hence I"m thinking no fills will be happening next Mon, which is fine cuz those don't sound fun so anything that doesn't sound fun that isn't on a timeline to get done is fine by me being postponed. I have a long way to rads and actually am rather liking the size these expanders have given me, like a small C I"m guessing. Not knowing how the shape/size goes with refills not sure if I can just say this is it or just a little bigger. But first things first with this infection. sigh.
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Artista - I am sorry to hear you are still battling an infection. I wish I had words of wisdom for you. Maybe eat more protein? That's what my docs always tell me after surgery. I guess it helps with healing. I used to work in Fremont ;-).
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Artista. . Sorry about the infection. Hope it resolves quickly.
Molly my TEs shifted a little. Usually onto the nerves. I could press on them and get them to shift back. I also still have some numbness. I think that's normal, even after EX.
Scottie
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TES do move. They fix it later.
Arista I hope that infection heals quickly. It's is good to be overfilled before RADs because rads tighten the skin.
Now for a bit of basic info you may know. It might be helpful to some.
TES have a hard back. It lays over any cavity you may have in your chest and muscle. So ALL of the TE is pressed to the outside. This is uncomfortable sometimes. It also makes you look massive. I, personally, walked into doorways. When I was fully expanded! LOL kinda funny.
However, the exchange to Squishies mean that the implant is much less stiff. It sinks into every cavity it can find. Second thing a squishy doesn't have is projection. Our implants are the only tissue in our breasts. It's not like augmentation where the implant sits on tissue and is supported by all that interconnected breast tissue. Ours re held up by u r chest muscle and sometimes A transplanted matrix, such as alloderm. I have 850 in mine and am a small C. But of course everyone is different. The newest an atomical implants try to remedy that but are not perfect.
Now if you all knew that, sorry I wasted your time. If that's news to use, feel free to ask questions.
Much love.
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Talk with your PS about yours desires for the end result. My PS told me from the beginning that she could only guarantee sisters not twins.
Mine are fairly well matched though. Everyone is different. I have 300 cc HP and they are in small pockets under very tight pecks so I got the projection I hoped for. I'm actually a bit bigger than before BMx. I still have another month or so of drop and fluff to go.
Scottie
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I was clear with my PS that I did not like the lack of projection from the side (the "hamburger bun" effect), and that I was hoping to be a bit bigger than my pre-surgery size. He typically uses Allergan 20s but used Allergan 45s for me (which was also one of the recommendations Whippetmom gave for me on the breast implant sizing thread). I'm very happy with the results! I haven't bought any "real" bras yet but I tried on a few of my daughter's (she has a larger chest) and her full C/small D cup bras fit perfectly. For comparison, my TEs were Allergan 133FX-12-Ts filled to 375 ccs on the left and 340 on the right. At that fill amount I was almost exactly my pre-surgery size (medium B cup). My implants are 500 ccs. I'm 5'6" and ~138 lbs.
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Everything is status quo here. My 600's are overfilled to 700. I'm hoping to be a c cup when all is said and done. Scheduled exchange for December 15th and I can't wait.
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I had a triple fill this morning, 180 cc. So far just minor discomfort.
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Thanks Moonflower and all-
Well I went to surg's office and like I thought, not looking better than when he saw me last Fri so port sx off for tomorrow. Have a fu to see him next Fri to see if all clear before I reschedule. I see Kilaru ps tomorrow about getting stronger abx. I"m thinking since I called him after he saw me and he was with another pt, he just said ok without really remembering me. So glad I did go get a final check otherwise I would be tying up people for nothing, as well as myself.
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Artista sorry you are still dealing with an infection. I hope the next abx works.
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I have a unique situation and wondering if any of the Ladies here can give me some perspective.
I was a D cup when DX with stage 1 BC. Due to family history, etc., I opted for a DM and a delayed reconstruction 3-4 mos later. When the time came, we did a direct implant since I was going down to a B cup and I had enough room for the implant. Now 2 1/2 years later I am not happy with the look of the implants for a few reasons: I have had weight gain from Tamox and total hysterectomy, they are not round and full on top as I had hoped and I have extra tissue on the side of my breast that bulges.
I consulted with my PS again and he suggested exchanging the implants with a little larger one. Since my skin is tight now he suggests TE's and he would fill me up to a B cup and then we'd add some each week or two. Once I got to the size I liked, we would do the exchange.
Since I had direct implants, though quick, it was very painful and I couldn't move my arms for 1-2 days and was on pain meds for a week since the implants were placed under the muscle. Probably 2 weeks until I could return to work.
My PS told me this should be much easier since I am already expanded to a B and there is a pocket with no stretching the chest muscle. I would like to believe him but I am also worried, surgery is surgery and all I can compare it to was my previous experience. Does a 2-3 rest period after TE's being put in sound reasonable? I know we are all different and have different pain levels but just trying to figure out how much time approx I will have to be off for this and if it will be less painful as the direct implant/stretch?
A little nervous to be going through TE's since I avoided them the first time but I do want be happy with my implants and hopefully living with them until old age. Anything you can contribute would be much appreciated!!
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You're sweet Molly, thank you! Getting tired of it. Up and down warm but no fever.
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