TE/Implant OVER pectoral Can exercise, comfortable &NO RIPPLES!
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I am pleasantly surprised that my implant looks just about like my foob looked with the TE. I think my PS gave me a 54 yo looking implant. I did not want a high foob, and this foob is alost pendulous like the natural one. I could have ALMOST gone without a lift on the natural side. I am being patient b/c I have MASSIVE alergies and hives all over my body. I do not want oral steroids, as they can inhibit wound healing. I think I was alergic to everything that was placed on my body, including the EKG leads. I am on large quantities of antihistamines, so hopefully that helps.
Important question, how much will I be able to lift in 6 weeks when we move DS to college? Will I be able to transfer 120 pounds in 8 weeks? My trachea is still irritated from being intubated. On the fun side, DS got a used turntable and set itup, so he's been playing all of my old vinyl, and that has been a wonderfuldistraction!
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how long should I wait after surgery before returning to herbal/vitamins?
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Hi, all! Haven't posted in a while; good to see some activity on the board again.
Andraxo, I hear you on wishing you hadn't even gone down the reconstruction route. I also had a nipple sparing, skin sparing MX and it was after I had to go back to clean up some nipple necrosis on the right that all my infection problems started. It's amazing to me how low my expectations for a decent result have gone down at this point.
macb04, thanks for asking about me! The swelling has gone done somewhat but the redness persists and it is now a clearly defined rectangular area on the breast. I didn't really know what a TE looked like until I googled some images for one but I can see that most of them have a sort of defined area on them in the area of my redness and clearly that's what I'm seeing under the skin. Now that the swelling has gone down a bit thanks to the LE therapy I can see that the TE is sitting quite high into my upper chest area and I've gotta say it looks effing ridiculous, especially compared to my nice, normal-looking left prophylactic side. At one point I had told the PS that I just wanted to look good in clothes some day and he had said "Oh, we can do better than that!" but now that I'm pressing him on it he's backing way off on that statement. Seriously thinking about trying to find another PS at this point anyhow. I don't know if there's any kind of registry that keeps track of infection rates per surgeon or not but if there is I need to find it - I personally know someone else who has had two failed outcomes due to infection with my PS and the last time I was in the office he stepped out and asked his staff to track down a culture result for another patient which I overheard while I was making my next appointment. I really want to know if it's the surgeon or the facility at this point. I have a follow-up appointment with the ID next week; if I don't figure it out by then I'll ask him.
I just saw a post on another board where a woman said she had persistent redness like mine and ended up having the implants/expanders removed and going with DIEP surgery as the redness was caused by the skin being so broken down from radiation. I REALLY don't want to have to consider DIEP. I'm just hoping and praying that once I have the exchange surgery (shooting for October at the latest) that everything will just settle down. I don't even care if it stays red - I just want to be done with this.
mac, have a great trip to Ireland! It's so awesome that your dear MIL is still around to visit. My mommy is turning 89 next week and it's such a blessing to still have her, healthy and happy.
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interesting point about rate of infection. I think rates of infection with implant surgery has got to be pretty high. Afterall, you are putting a foreign body in there! I'm glad your LE treatment is helping raven. Hopefully as the weeks go by the red changes to a lovely shade of pink, and then back to your natural skintone.
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I second that 2FUN. Raven4mi, I really hope your breast changes back to a normal color really soon.
2FUN, the only contraindications I know of regarding herbs/supplements after surgery is the increased risk of bleeding that can occur in the early PostOp period, usually the first 3 to 7 days. Blood clots are a very small risk in the PostOp period (for nonorthopedic procedures), but one that is not much affected by use of herbs/supplements, except a few that interfere with the effectiveness of Warfarin/Coumadin anticlotting medications, like CoQ10, Goldenseal, or St John's Wort. .
Certain herbs are known to increase the risk of blood thinning,
Herbal Medicines
- Garlic: inhibits platelet aggregation (organosulfur), discontinue for seven days
- Ginkgo: inhibits platelet activating factor (terpenoids, flavonoids), discontinue for thirty six hours
- Ginseng: inhibits platelet aggregation and lowers blood glucose(ginsensosides [mimic steroids]). Check PT/PTT/glucose, d/c for 24 hours (preferably seven days)
- Saw Palmetto: associated with excessive intraoperative bleeding(mechanism unknown, likely multiple), in the absence of pharmacokinetic data, no recommendations re: preoperative continuation can be made
Herbal medicines that increase the risk of bleeding:
- Black Cohosh: Claims to be useful for menopausal symptoms. Contains small amounts of anti-inflammatory compounds, including salicylic acid. Theoretically could have intrinsic/additive antiplatelet activity.
- Chamomile: Claims to reduce inflammation and fever, to be a mild sedative, relieve stomach cramps. Increases risk of bleeding because it contains phytocoumarins, which have additive effects with warfarin.
- Feverfew: Claims to prevent migraines. Increases the risk of bleeding because it individually inhibits platelet aggregation, has additive effects with other antiplatelet drugs. Also additive effects with warfarin.
- Fish Oil: Claims to prevent/treat atherosclerotic CV disease (800-1500mg/day). Also used to decrease triglycerides (>4g/day). Dose dependent bleeding risk increases with dose >3g/day.
- Garlic, Ginger, Ginko, Ginseng: Increases bleeding risk by interacting with antiplatelet drugs to inhibit platelet aggregation and inhibit fibrinolysis. Also augments warfarin.
Hope this helps.0 -
Wow macb04, that's the info I was looking for! THANKS
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macb04, congrats on your trip!! Have a wonderful time!!
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Thanks All. I am looking forward to going, alot. Will be going back for a day to Kenmare, County Kerry on the West Coast of Ireland, to visit my 2nd Cousin, and show my girls the old farmhouse my Grandfather grew up in. I splurged on a gorgeous room looking out at Kenmare Bay. I will post some photos. Just need to line up a temporary pool membership at Trinity College, Dublin, near my MIL's house, in case my arm bothers me and I need to go swimming after the 9 plus hour flight.
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just went for my first check back with PS 8 days post exchange. When I had the pre pectoral.TE I had full range immediately, altho I was told to limit motion and weight lifted. PS told me to go.ahead and go.for full motion, just limit to 5 to 10.pounds. I cannot believe how limited my.flexion and abduction are? I can tell.it's coming from the pectoral muscle. Anyone experience this kind of thing after exchange?
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This is my first post, and my delight at seeing this topic is what has motivated me to post after many weeks of just searching around and learning from other people's experiences. I will have a prophylactic BMX in late August after an LCIS diagnosis earlier this year, and my PS (Dr. Kamakshi Zeidler in Campbell, CA) has recommended over the muscle implants with fat grafting, and I will have the AirXpanders rather than the saline filled ones put in at the time of the BMX. From everything I've read, I'm grateful that I am a candidate for both of these options because it seems that the recovery will be a little easier. I'm usually a person who has low expectations to avoid disappointment, but in this particular part of my life, I need to have higher expectations
I do have confidence that the over the muscle implant will provide natural looking foobs. My PS is a perfectionist at the cutting edge of her field, I won't accept anything less! Thank you to everyone who has posted here with their experiences, it is a great resource for us newbies.0 -
Welcome cyclegal! I look forward to hearing more about your treatment.
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Hi Cyclegal, glad you stopped by. I have added your PS to the list. Hope it all goes really well for you. Read up on good nutrition to help with healing from surgery. Let us all know what questions you have as you through the process, and we will do our best to help you with our collective wisdom. Good Luck!
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Thanks, 2FUN and macb04
. I'm in the process of running through all the posts and will certainly tap into your collective wisdom!0 -
very excited, I got my call from my BS tonight, and all of my pathology ( breast and thyroid) is benign!!!! Yay!!!!
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Great news 2FUN!
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Welcome, Cyclegal. Sorry you're here at all but happy to help answer questions if I can. Great group of women here.
2FUN - awesome news!!! Way to brighten my Monday morning!
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Thanks! Now all I need to do is stop itching and get my skin to heal!LOL
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Marvelous 2FUN!
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Hey, y'all. What is it with me??? I went in today for my last fill (750 ccs in a 650 cc TE) and when the intern/resident kid first poked me to do the fill he got the wrong spot and now I have a leak! Are you freaking kidding me??? I know it's the saline fill because my PS dyes it blue. I cannot even freaking believe this. Why in the hell can I not get a break on this process? I have an e-mail out to the PS but he's in surgery on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and, anyhow, not sure there's anything they can do about it at this point.
~sigh~
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(((((hugs))))))) raven, I'm so sorry. I would call the office manager. Let them know how ticked off you are.
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I'm having a PBMX on August 3rd and I wanted to use a saline implant. I am concerned with "silent rupture" and I don't want to subject myself to future MRI testing. My PS strongly encourages silicone. I feel pressured, but something in me is resisting the silicone implant. Has anyone had a prepectoral reconstruction with a saline implant? If so, I'd LOVE to hear about your experience. Thank you all so very much!
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Yep, definitely punctured. Soaked through a feminine napkin last night and still leaking. I estimate at this rate that I'll be completely flat by tomorrow. I am SO PISSED. I've got an e-mail out to them about it and will call as soon as they open this morning.
I cannot even freaking believe this. NOT HAPPY!!!
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oh no!! So sorry Raven4mi! Hopefully he can get you in quick.
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OMG! That is sooooo f'd up. Intern/residents sre supposed to be supervised? Who was watching them to prevent this kind of mistake? Are you close to done, so they can just move up the exchange date? They should apologize big-time. Hope they fix this somehow. I am really sorry this happened to you.
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Thanks, all. My initial panic has subsided - the external leaking has now stopped and while the breast is noticeably smaller I don't think it's going to go completely flat now. After sending a couple of pissy e-mails to the PS's office this morning and then putting in a call the PS called back said as long as there's no external leak he would prefer to try to refill me with a smaller gauge needle to see what happens. If it starts to leak again then we'll move forward with the exchange since I'm already completely filled - after the last fill yesterday we were going to wait three weeks and then schedule it. He said even if the TE is still leaking the breast is still filled with fluid, it's just under the skin instead of in the TE. Made appointment to go back on Thursday for the smaller gauge refill. Looks like exchange may be sooner than I expected depending on what happens with the refill and I'm perfectly fine with that.
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Has anyone had under the muscle recon and switched to over the muscle? Or any advice in regards? I had a DMX in 2015 and live in chronic pain. I am also unhappy with my recon results. I went for a consultation with a different PS than the original one and he suggested I should remove my implants from under the muscle and put new ones on top. Then do fat transfers Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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McCMom, the woman who started this thread, macb04, went from under the muscle to pre-pectoral, as have a couple of other women here. I'm sure they will chime in soon with advice and information. Just wanted to wish you luck.
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I'm going to make the switch next month. Yikes! I am scared! Would love to talk more about it either here or via private messaging.
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I would love to talk about it too
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