TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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So glad to hear you're home, StaceySue! I've been thinking of you!
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StsceySue - I'm so glad to hear that you are home and on the mend!
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Staceysue, glad you are home. I won't lie, there's always the chance you could lose the TE. But a lot of women have success with the protocol you had. So keep your fingers crossed. I'm assuming the infection was a fairly simple one since they put you on orals. So that's really good. Did you have to talk to the infectious disease Doctor? If not your PS or BS probably did. Hugs. Now take it easy.
You ugh also want to checkout the Trouble board, link above, if you haven't already.
Much love to all.
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StaceySue, praying for you to keep the TE.
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I had not noticed any s/s of infection except the night before I went to the hospital I felt like I might have been having some chills. I really wasn't sure if it was chills or maybe it was just a little cold. I was having trouble with my left incision. The skin was separating from the scabs and the skin underneath the scabs didn't look like it was healing together so I called my PS to have a look at it. The PS told me he wanted me to go in the next day to have it revised and washed out and that they were going to wash out the right breast, as well, since I was having problems with a seroma. They didn't see any infection inside the right breast but the skin was red and there was a scab that was kind of gooey so they cultured that and kept me overnight for observation. By the next day the breast was quite red. They just gave me every IV antibiotic in their arsenal until the sensitivity came back and showed it's sensitive to Augmentin. I had ancef in the OR, and levaquin, cefapime and vancomycin for 3 days. They sure took things seriously! They mentioned talking to the infectious disease doctor. I've been trying to avoid that TE trouble board, for fear of getting jinxed!!!
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Boy oh boy StaceySue2U, you sure are getting an education in antibiotics, infections, etc...
But so good to know they are not messing around with you. I hope that this means you will bounce back quickly.
The chills are a good sign something wasn't right. So miserable feeling that way but a clear sign. Hope that TE stays where it is and those antibiotics kick butt quickly!
I know my PS would think you are being quite wise in avoiding reading about trouble quite yet. I know it can be helpful to know more, but hopefully you are on the road to recovery!
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StaceySue - I'm glad the antibiotics are working. It's probably really nice to be at home and just relax ! One day at a time ! Lots of good thoughts your way!
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StaceySue: I'm glad you called your PS and he looked at you right away. It was the same for me 8 days out of exchange. I got the chills one evening and woke with a raging infection the next day. Yep, our PS's take infections very seriously.
I'm so glad you're home and beating that infection! Yeah! Rest up and enjoy the grand babies. 😍
I avoided the TE trouble board, it was too scary for me.
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Ringelle, congratulations on the end of your fills! My PS did one more fill after I said I was pleased with the volume. He said that he fills one more time to make sure the pocket is big enough.
Ringelle and StacySue: I was a 38DD, lost 40+ pounds to get to a (very pendulous) 36D pre-BMX, and now I'm a 36C. I'm very happy smaller.
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my surgery date is 15 days away. Is it crazy to say it seems so near but yet so far? Left breast is a full mx and the right is prophylactic. It looks like I'll be going directly to implants, no TEs. What can I expect with a double mastectomy? Wht will I need after the surgery- anything I should buy for my recovery time at home? My husband will be with me for one week and then my sister will be with me the next week.
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Heathet, the drains and compression were my biggest issue after surgery. I found that tight tank tops under button-down shirts worked well. I pinned my drains up inside the tank tops off to the sides where they didn't show with the button downs unbuttoned. On the days I used the compression garment I just kept my drains in a carpenters nail pouch. At first I couldn't get the tank tops on and just had to use the compression garment the hospital sent me home with. For me the pain really wasn't that bad at all. I took something every 2 hours to stay on top of it - a valium, then 2 hours later a percocet, then 2 hours later a valium...I only had to do that for a few days really. After that I just took something at night because sleeping on my back was difficult and of course you can't sleep on your sides or belly.
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Heathet, a lanyard for the drains while you shower works well. If you have time, order Pink Pockets. They stick to your button down shirts to manage your drains. Many women sleep in a recliner early post op since you can't put weight on your arms. I used pillows to prop my arms up. You may need some help with your drains in the beginning.
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I used a clean shoelace to string the drains on while showering, but not all PS allow you to shower with drains in. I have one shower in my house with a hand-held shower head and found it to be invaluable for keeping clean without wetting my chest - I could sponge bathe from the waist up and use the hand-held from the waist down. I used plastic wrap wound around like a plastic tube top to stay dry. I also found it easier to wash hair in the kitchen sink that had the detaching faucet - but some make an appointment with their hair salon to have hair washed and dried during the first couple of weeks. I used big safety pins to pin the drains to a men's tight undershirt and used lightweight zip up track suit type pants and jackets - which is also my go-to surgery attire, with flip flops. Some use a hoodie worn inside out and put the drains in the pocket. I cooked ahead and made portioned meals and froze them, also had easy stuff on hand - fruit, yogurt, soup. Having a few plates/glasses at counter level helps - stretching up can be uncomfortable in the short term. You can use a phone app or pen/paper to track pain meds and/or muscle relaxers - you think you will remember what you took when, but you might not - best to have a way to keep track. I also found having a basket of my stuff close by was helpful - the phone, charger, remote, cordless house phone, tissues, lip balm, hand cream, meds and list, etc. Also, good to have a cup with a lid and straw. My DH got a lamp dimming switch that is genius - I love it - don't have to lean way over to turn off the lamp, I linked it below. I did not use a recliner, just a lot of pillows and I did not sleep flat for at least six weeks, maybe longer - but I had another surgery five weeks after BMX, and three more over the following month - so, I am not the norm. I came home on a Wednesday morning, and my DH was home with me until the following Monday and then he went back to work - I was fine. I had one child in college locally at the time and she helped drive me to post-op appts., but other than that I have no family locally - didn't need any help beyond that.
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Thank you everyone on the tips and advice! SpecialK - I'm ordering the dimming switch to set next to the recliner! Molly50 thanks for the tip on pink pockets - I was just on their website and I can have them here before my surgery. It sounds like the pain is manageable with medication.StaceySue how are you feeling ? Are the antibiotics kicking in?
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Doing great! I'm not 100% back to normal but I think I feel better than I did before the surgery, because the drains are out. The antibiotics seem to be doing the trick and it's occurred to me that I might be able to get a job soon, since my implants will be delayed a few months. If I understand it right, I think after you have an infection you have to wait for it to be gone for 3 months before the exchange.
My dad brought me a sleep mask during this last hospital stay and it was great. I didn't even take it off when the nurses came to draw blood.
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Stacey - Hope things are getting better - really hope you can save the TE!
Heathet - all the advice given has been right on target! I used an app called Drain Logger to keep track of my drains. It was great because I could print out a copy of the report before my appointments - if needed, I could text/email a report to the dr. I was more likely to have my phone rather than the paper and pen.
Thanks for the feedback Mominator!
I emailed my PS today - pretty much to whine! I'm still in a lot of pain from Friday's fill which is so unlike all the other fills I had! I'm not a happy camper. Over the weekend, I took my pain meds and muscle relaxers but today I had to work - it's been a long, grouchy day!
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I just had my third fill today after a 6 week break (had to have my NAC removed because of close margins) and I was surprised that I could feel the needle this time! I think some sensation must have returned to my skin
Also now officially bigger than I was pre-mastectomy - 210 cc's in my TE vs the 196 gm of breast tissue removed
Ringelle - congrats on finishing!
StaceySue- good to hear that you are doing better.
Heathet - have you checked out the April surgery thread? You will find support from others going through surgery this month.
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Heathet: there's a Forum for Surgery and a specific thread for preparing for surgery.
Forum for Surgery https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91
Topic: Shopping/packing/to-do list for surgery + recovery.... https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topics/699896
I didn't have compression garments. In fact, I was too swollen the first two weeks even for a bra. I had the large ABD bandages and an ace-type bandage wrapped around me. All I could wear was button down clothes, I couldn't pull anything over my head. I wore button downs for two to three weeks day and night after BMX/TE placement, and again after exchange.
I pinned the drains to a washcloth and put the washcloth around my neck during showers.
One thing not on the surgery list that I would add is to take photos to document your journey if you wish. My first few after photos were horrible, but then I could see the progress.
Best wishes for a smooth surgery and a swift recovery.
Mominator
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thanks everyone for all the tips. Mominator I love the idea of taking photos of this journey. I think it will be good for my recovery. I'll check out the April surgery thread. I'm thankful for all the support here! Planning ahead for things to expect or things I will need after surgery helps me to feel less anxious.
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Hi grandma3X! Fun to be bigger than before isn't it? You mentioned feeling the needle during your last fill. That is great your nerve sensations may be coming back.
Interestingly, during my first fill I felt nothing on the right side but I did feel some pricking on my left. This left me anxious that it might get stronger at my 2nd fill. Funny thing is that it switched - the 2nd time I felt a tiny prick on the right and nothing at all on the left! I'm sure it's just luck that the needle followed a different path each time. That butterfly needle is pretty intimidating looking, though. When I first saw it my mind would not accept it wouldn't hurt like a dickens despite their assertions that I should be basically numb.
StaceySue2U, hope you are continuing to improve on your antibiotics!
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Hi everyone! I've read the posts from page 1 to the most recent one and enjoyed every page of it.
All women who shared their experiences and knowledge in this thread are truly amazing. Some familiar faces are here from the March surgery thread – grandma3x and JessieJake. Thank you Moonflower for creating and keeping this thread active.I'm coming in late on this thread, I'm on my 4th week out after a BMX with TE placement. Overall, my experience was not too bad. At surgery, I was given the apprepitant, gabapentin and paravertebral nerve block. I think they helped me a lot with the pain because I felt no pain after the surgery. I stopped taking my pain meds on the 3rd day. I developed skin rashes from allergic reaction to antibiotics. My 2 drains were taken out 4 days after surgery ( I only have 1 lymph node removed on each). During my first visit to the PS, he was more worried with the rashes than the surgical sites. He sent me to a dermatologist right away. As of now, I still have traces of the rashes and some bruising on my breasts. I had 2 fills of 60cc in the last couple of weeks. I felt a lot of discomfort and tightness on the first fill (which I knew was normal), but second fill was uneventful, most likely because I took Alleve an hour after my fill. The only problem I have with Alleve is it gives me stomach upset. I'm going back for my 3rd fill this Friday. I don't know if this will be my last fill since my TE is only 200cc. My TEs are the crescent shape and it looks odd, but looks fine when you have clothes on. I don't like looking at them in the mirror since I see the stitches and the bruises. How long does the bruises stay? I joined the Picture Forum to find out if my bruises are normal but I don't see any pictures on the site but only conversation threads. Does anybody know how to navigate the site? Will appreciate some help on this. Thanks.
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Hi Sheree66, Nice to hear your surgery went so well, and drains out at 4 days! Wow! I think that may be the shortest I heard. What a difference it makes to have them removed. Yikes on the rash. It's amazing all the drugs we get pumped full off for surgery. It's no wonder that our body might react from the assault. I hope that continues to improve.
I'm not sure what your bruising might actually look like, but I do still have just a wee spot (I've been binge watching a BBC show and I'm picking up some of their colloquialisms 'cuz they are so cute!) of bruising left. I didn't look at my chest for a good week or two after surgery so I don't know what the bruising looked like in the beginning, but when I did start looking I could see light bruising on both sides. Now I have just a smallish spot of yellowish bruise left. I'm at 5 weeks out. At my follow up appointment they always say I look wonderful so I figure the bruising and my big scars are doing ok. Just taking a while to completely disappear.
I can now look at myself easily, but it was difficult in the beginning. Before my fills began my chest was just some weird lumpiness from the empty TEs. Now they are a little fuller but I can still see the edges and a few corners that are pressing out because they aren't full. I'm guessing you are feeling like I did and it will take some time (and short peeks) that will lead to feeling comfortable looking at yourself. I also started to put lotion on my chest to help my skin stretch. I could barely stand to touch myself or run my fingers over the scars. I think a lot of it had to with the hypersensitivity I was having from my nerves and I was worried I was going to feel or see something that wasn't right. That has also gotten a lot better now.
I can't recall if I had shared or not, but originally I was going to have the same TEs that you got. During surgery, however, the PS found she was able to place round 300cc TEs, but she didn't share this info with me. I spent some time during the first week feeling these edges around the top of my chest. I kept asking my DH if that was the drain tubing - like maybe it wrapped in a complete circle around each of my breast areas. He said it was the TE which confused me since I thought I had crescents, but he could clearly feel (and see) the edges of the TEs. When I saw my PS afterwards she confirmed that she used round ones. Not a big deal, but I'm thinking she should have shared this with us when she saw me the day after surgery.
That will be great if you near to begin done with fills. Do you know when you might do exchange surgery?
I only have 100cc in my TEs and go back next week for fill #3 of 50cc more. I'm thinking if I fill these guys up to max I will be huge! I know I'm not ready to be done yet, but I am bigger than I was to begin with already. My fills are pretty easy since I am above the muscle. It's just they can't put in much at one time since my skin is being newly stretched.
Well, I can't help you navigate the site, but hope my sharing might be helpful.
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ant this if you Hi Sheree! Glad you popped in here! Also glad to hear things things are going well.
For all interested, the picture forum is on a different site than BCO. It is watched over by dedicated people who will give you access after approval by the admins of he site. Because of the nature of the pictures and stories contained within, they won't be placed on an open forum. Also, don't feel bad if you are not allowed access right away, as the admins need to know you are an acctual BCO member and not some person who wants dirty pictures. So if you have not posted more than a time or two, they may wait till you've been around a bit. If you think about it, you'd want the same consideration for your pictures in the future. To gain access to the pic forum go to and follow directions in the Header by Nowheregirl.
Much love
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JessieJake - I don't have a date for exchange surgery yet but I asked the NP last week (PS was not around) and she told me that usually it's 3 months after surgery date. I will ask PS on Friday since I also want to plan ahead of time so I can fix my schedules. I'm not rushing but it would be nice to know early. I will also ask the PS about my bruises if they are really normal or I'm just freaking out for nothing. 😳
Moonflower - I am familiar with the rules of the picture forum because there was instructions when Nowheregirl replied to my request. She validated my account and I was able to access the site but I only see discussion forums just like this and no pictures. I think I read somewhere that navigating the site is a little bit confusing. It's okay, it's no biggie. Thanks.
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Just so all of you now, I tend to say way too much when I explain things. Sorry, bad habit! LOL I should preface everything with, " if you know about _______ skip this next part" LOL
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Stacy. . .hope you are now on the mend and staying there. Hugs to you.
Scottie
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Hi Stacy - I was thinking about you. Hope you are feeling better!🙂
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Thanks, Scottie and Heathet! I'm feeling better. I think everything's going to be fine but I still have those bandages on with the little silver strips so I can't see my incisions. IDK if it's normal or not but I really haven't felt pain or discomfort with any of this so it's hard for me to know how I'm doing.
When is your surgery, Heathet?
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StacySue- My surgery is scheduled for the 19th. I'm counting down - 10 more days! This week I met with my PS for my pre-op appointment. The nurse showed me the drains and how to use them. She also went over the other things I'll need to do pre and post-op. I purchased a holder from Amazon for the drains when I shower. Just waiting for if to arrive. I'm glad to hear you are feeling good.
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Heathet - I can't believe I forgot to mention this. Before my BMX I ordered the Heal in Comfort shirt (I ordered two and found that two wasn't essential). I basically lives in that shirt after my BMX and after my te placement surgery until my drains came out. In fact in the hospital as soon as I was in my room I put it on. I found it to be comfortable, it has drain pockets and it has Velcro closures. The Bs, PS and nurses all like it. It has easy access to look at incisions, drains, etc and when you get up to walk you feel like you're dressed. I now take my shirt to all my appointments and fills no more paper vests and feeling undressed while waiting/talking They are pricey but I feel like one was well worth the cost. In fact the one I didn't wear much (pink) is XL. if you think it will fit I'd be happy to mail it to yo
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