TEs. A Beginner's Primer
Comments
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I hear a lot of you talk about how rock hard your TEs are. Mine are not. Is that because they aren't filled to capacity? I had a skin/nipple sparing BMX in May. I was filled with 540cc of air at the time of surgery. (My TEs are over the muscle). Then a couple weeks post-op the air was exchanged for the same amount of saline. So I only had that one fill. The TEs have an 800cc capacity but I feel like I don't want to go any larger than I am now. I have some ripples in my skin which my PS says he will fill in with fat grafting. I also feel like my foobs aren't very "perky".I'm just curious why my TEs aren't rock hard like some of you mention?
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DeeRatz, Thank you SO much for your response! I'm sorry for your pain, but it makes me feel better that I'm not alone. Even though my pain can be med SE's, my mind did go to potential cancer. I've been exercising, stretching, and I tried a new pillow, but my pain hasn't gotten better. Today I made an appointment with a chiropractor for next week, but the myofascial release is a good idea too. Thanks for grounding me!
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Huskerfan - my TEs were not hard either until my last fill. Up until then, I was smaller than pre-MX. Now that I have surpassed my natural size, my TEs are rock hard. I think my skin just did not have to stretch until this last fill. Now they feel like they might pop, and I'm still not at the nominal size of my TEs. I am waiting another 3 weeks before my next appointment and will speak to the PS about whether I should continue with the fills. Right now I'm feeling pretty buxom at 260 cc's!0
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Dee/DeeRatz: I'm so happy to see you again, it's been awhile. Your new profile picture is lovely. Congratulations on having your hair grow back. I hope your recovery has been smooth. Madelyn
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So I am 6 days post op from my right mx with TE. So far no pain unlike last time. Hopefully fills will be uneventful. I will have my drain in place until my post op appointment on the 3rd.
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Mominator-Thanks! I am actually enjoying my new short hair. I had long hair for years and probably wouldn't have cut it short. It is so easy to take care of. Recovery is ongoing
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Molly, good to hear you are doing well after surgery! Drains are such a pain. I hope you continue to feel good!!
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Hi HuskerFan,
Mine aren't rock hard either, and also aren't filled to capacity. Except for where the port is I can press my TEs like balloons. I can clearly feel the round metal port which is the only "hard" spot I have. Although I didn't have much breast tissue before, these aren't much more dense then my real ones, I don't think.
I'm going in tomorrow because I have folds causing some pressure points that they want to make sure aren't an issue. These are from not being fully expanded. Not sure if they will say all is fine (exchange is Sept. 7th currently), want to fill more in hopes of filling out folds, or move surgery up.
Hope you are otherwise healing well!
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my TE popped and I was in so much pain and pressure I fainted. I was transported by ambulance to the hospital. My PS is out of town so his office said they would exchange it in the outpatient clinic this week.
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Gentle (((HUGS))) Molly, I'm so sorry. Are you Okay now?
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Molly, I'm so sorry for your pain and complications! Keep us updated. Best wishes!!
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Molly - I saw your post and I'm so sorry to hear about your TE! What a scary experience! I hope they can get you all sorted out quickly and that you won't be in pain or discomfort! Prayers with you!
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I thought I'd jump back on this board again! I was on the Exchange City Board for a little while but when I went in for my exchange, I came out of surgery with drains and bigger expanders. I've got my follow up with PS tomorrow so hopefully I will better understand what happened and what the plan and timeline is from here! Second time around is strange. In some ways I don't seem to be in as much pain but in other ways it seems worse. I know one thing - I HATE DRAINS!!!!
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Ringelle, I passionately hate drains also!! I'm sorry for your complications. I hope you get good information and a plan tomorrow.
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Yes I am doing better. Still in hospital because my blood pressure was low. I should be going home this morning. Ringelle, I am curious what happened with you.
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ringelle - did your PS determine that your initial expanders were insufficiently sized to expand both upper and lower pole?
molly - did your expander come through the surgical incision, or rupture in place? I had an expander successfully placed afterward, but did have chemo in between, and had no further issue and was able to expand slowly and proceed to exchange. Just wanted you to know that your experience does not necessarily mean there will be a future problem. I hope you are feeling better asap!
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Hi everyone, I've been a reader but not a responder for a while now. I've had my TEs for 3.5 weeks, so far so good! My TEs were filled to 400cc at time of surgery, after 2 fills I'm at 520cc on my way to 700/800cc. It took me awhile to adjust to the popping and shifting of the TEs but now I don't notice it much at all. Thank goodness!
Molly, I'm so sorry to hear of your situation. You are in my prayers for a successful TE replacement and I hope your not in to much pain. (Molly)
Does anyone know how often or why TEs rupture? It seems like they would have strict guidelines to be passed before sending TEs off to the PS's clinic. Hhmmmmm
I have a lot of reading and learning to do here so until next time everyone take care of yourselves ❤️🙏
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wench - as with any product there can always be a defect, but it is very rare. I have been here for quite a while and not really seen this happen for a true manufacturer's issue. More often, there is an inadvertent puncture - this can happen during a fill, by human error, or a fold in the expander that overlays the fill port.
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Special K, seriously I love it that you always have an idea of whats going on...it's so helpful to the rest of us.
How can a TE pop though ? I mean I understand shifting, but popping? So scary. I am considering of rushing through the fills and get to the exchange surgery asap just to avoid further complications with the TE. I have heard the implants are a breeze compare to the TEs
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fubc - Thanks! Unfortunately, a lot of my knowledge is through personal experience, I actually had my first left expander come through the front of the skin, just under and to the inside of the nipple, due to necrosis - not on the incision line as that was in the IMF (inframammary fold, under the breast) so it was a bit of a surprise, lol! I had three tries to close the skin before I had to give up and lose the expander because I needed to proceed to chemo. Six weeks after chemo was done I had the expander replaced, filled slowly, and exchanged successfully. A couple of years later I had additional issues, and seven more surgeries - also stemming form that area of weak skin, but due to a surgical error during a repair to my allograft slings.
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Molly - I'm glad you are doing better! I hope you get your BP under control so you can get on home again!
Molly/SK - After all my fills were complete, my PS retired and the new department head took over my case. I saw him twice before surgery. Neither PS thought there was going to be an issue with my current TEs. Both said my skin looked great, I had lots of extra skin to work with, I didn't have chemo or rads so in both their words - "slam dunk"! I had 450's and at one point had expanded both to 510 but I had lasting problems with pain after my last fill so we removed a fill from both sides and took me back down to 450. I had to wait a little longer than expected to get my exchange date and I talked to both PS about the benefit of trying to add another fill. Both said the lower pole and scar was nicely expanded and another fill wouldn't make a difference. Forward to surgery. The resident on my case came down to talk to me when I was in recovery. I'm glad it was a woman because I was a blubbering idiot at the time (drugs and emotions are not a pretty thing). I had so much pain after my first TE placement and I was also begging for them to keep me overnight with a pain pump. LOL Wasn't needed but fear and anxiety had taken over. Anyway - apparently there was scar tissue or something and the upper area was fused together and would not allow for an adequate implant to be put in. My husband says PS came out to talk to him after 45 minutes to explain what he was going to do. The resident told me PS had tried everything, cutting away the scar tissue and even cut into the muscle or something but it was a no go. Therefore I woke up with HUGE TEs and drains. I swear these TEs are 2x the size of my previous ones. Actually I think they said they were 600 something. They start way up by my collar bone and fill my chest completely. They only filled me in surgery to 320, so I am very flat again
Tomorrow I will find out the plan for fills and waiting again. I'm hoping the fills will go faster but part of me is anxious because it was the upper area that hurt so bad when we took those fills out :May have to take it much slower - we will see. The drains our pumping out fluid like I've never seen after both my other sets. I think I'll be with these babies for awhile! I'm looking forward to talking to PS tomorrow. They said he talked to me after I woke up but I have NO recollection of hearing his voice or seeing his face!0 -
Wow Special K, so sorry to hear about your endless surgery. I hope all is well now and that you're back to normal.
Ringelle, I can't imagine what it must be waking up and finding yourself back to step 1, TE's & Drains. Hope all goes well now and I pray you'll be done soon with this nightmare.
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Whippetmom is the whisperer of implants - Special K is the whisperer of TE's. Unfortunately - it comes with a huge price tag! Super grateful Special K hangs around and gives her experience. I wish I was better at keeping up with the boards. Only time I seem to be able to keep up is when I'm at home recovering from something!
My mind is doing better about the whole back to TE's step now after I've been able to process it for a few days. I think it is what it is and no one is to blame! If I can manage to keep my record for avoiding infection, I will be grateful! I don't easily come unglued but I think I surprised the nurse when I overheard her saying I had drains and tissue expanders. All of a sudden that anesthesia fog cleared for a moment and I was like "excuse me . . . you are wrong . . . I shouldn't have expanders . . . " She was so sweet - "Well honey . . . " and then I fell apart! I had a dream this morning that I went to the appointment tomorrow and it was over and I had not even talked to the PS about what had happened or when my fills would be - nothing - he hadn't even examined me! I woke up mad at myself! Thank God it was a dream!
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ringelle - happy to stick around for questions answering - I am betting your fills will go faster. I was without an implant from May of 2014 and had a new expander placed in December of 2015, so 18 months with a flat side. I was able to fill much faster even though nothing had been under that pectoral all that time, and the expander was placed without a surgical fill.
FUBC - I just had a new implant placed in May 2016, had the TE for almost 6 months. I am doing well, but may still need one more surgery. I had an abnormal PET scan right before this last surgery so they elected not to remove my port, the decision being made between my MO and PS in pre-op that morning. I have a MRI in about three weeks, and the biopsies done during the May surgery were odd inflammatory stuff and a ball of suture granulomas, but no cancer. If the MRI is clear (they couldn't do it prior to surgery due to the TE) the port will be removed, the left nipple removed and a small fat graft - probably at the end of this year. Hopefully that will be the end. For the moment, lol!
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oh wow SK, I hope the MRI comes back with no major concern so you may be done with this nightmare...God bless you for the awesome attitude you have towards this whole ordeal. It gives me strength for sure.
Meanwhile, I noticed you're taking the arimidex. What are the SE you had/have and how you're overcoming them?
I started arimidex on 7/21 and had the lupron injection also. I almost lost my mind, not sure if it was the injection or the arimidex. Sore joints, depression and anxiety. I am supposed to start it again tomorrow as we (me and MO) decided to stop it for a week and wait for my system to get clean from all the norcos and NSAIDs I was taking. I am freaking out...I wish there were no SE so I may have somewhat a normal life again, not sure if I can take these hormones for 10 years
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Molly and Ringelle, I am so sorry you both had complications. Not fun. You will get through them but its really depressing to go backwards.
Wildtulip. Im sorry you are in psin. I hope the chriopractor helps. Mine was a godsend during chemo.
Someone on the last page said they were thinking if pushing faster because they fear complivations. I'm hoping that was just talk, because that's the wrong thing to do. When in doubt, take more time. Slow it down and think.
Huskerfan, My TEs only got painful the last 2 fills. And thats when the rock hard stripper boobs were in evidence. Banged into many doorways during that time. Now would also be a good time to remind everyone that TEs project much further than the squishies will ever do. Thats why they over fill. Even anatomical models will not be quite as projecting.
Grandma, you are closing in to those squishies. Hang in there.
I am truly surprised at the number of women whose implants are not placed under the muscle. I will have to do some research to see the reasoning and benefits of that method.
Im going to close this post out and start another one before i accidently lose this long one. LOL
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Specialk, so happy this edition of your story is ending well. You've had your share already. Enough. Only good news from now on. LOL.
Ringell and Molly drains suck. Figurativly as well as literally! Are you remembering to use the alchol prep wipe on the tube when milking those drains? I was surprised at the difference it made when my nurse showed me.
Ringelle, hugs. Many woman have scar tissue cause problems, but it is just scar tissue, not what your mind goes off to. I had a scare about 6 months after my TEs were in. Even went as far as to get ready for a mamogram, yes, AFTER my BMX. LOL. I had enough side boobage they would have looked at it that way. My scare was only a dead lymph node which caused a problem later, but i went exactly where you did. Sigh.
Molly, hugs too. Did you have an infection too? Please check in and let us know how its going.
Wench, SK is right. Actual manufacturing problems with the TEs are very rare. Most time problems occur due to infection and misplaced needles.
And, question.
Are the links above enough? Are there any other ones you think would/could help? Just leave a note here or pm me with suggestions.
Thanks and Much Love
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I went in for surgery tonight. My PS associate was concerned about infection. They took 750 cc out of my breast plus tied off an artery. I don't know the status of the TE yet because I was out of it when he talked to me. I am waiting on a blood transfusion now.
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Molly, My thoughts are with you. Sending healing hugs!
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Moonflwr, I had been thinking the same thing about the drains that you put into words!!
I noticed that you have Saline implants. Can you tell me how you feel about them? (If I've asked you this before, please forgive me. I'm trying to gather info to make my decision and I'm doing so much reading I don't know who has said what at this point.) Or is there a topic where the pro/cons of saline vs silicone are discussed?
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