TE/Implant OVER pectoral Can exercise, comfortable &NO RIPPLES!
Comments
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mac04,
strangely enough when i am walking in the morning, i dont feel my implants.. but when i do feel themand i wear a bralette for support i feel really tight.. coz i have not worn a bra in years. i do hope it wil get better coz i dont want anymore surgery.plus i am only 3 mos out and icant stretch really that much coz of frozen shoulders...
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Hey kae, I have had good sucess with Low Level Laser Therapy for my Rotator Cuff Tear. Admittedly wasn't extremely severe, but still, it was reallly bugging for months and now it is not, so here is a study about that.
Send to
Photomed Laser Surg. 2008 Apr;26(2):99-105. doi: 10.1089/pho.2007.2138.
Low-power laser treatment in patients with frozen shoulder: preliminary results.
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
In this study I sought to test the efficacy of low-power laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with frozen shoulder.
BACKGROUND DATA:
The use of low-level laser energy has been recommended for the management of a variety of musculoskeletal disorders.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Sixty-three patients with frozen shoulder were randomly assigned into one of two groups. In the active laser group (n = 31), patients were treated with a 810-nm Ga-Al-As laser with a continuous output of 60 mW applied to eight points on the shoulder for 30 sec each, for a total dose of 1.8 J per point and 14.4 J per session. In the placebo group (n = 32), patients received placebo laser treatment. During 8 wk of treatment, the patients in each group received 12 sessions of laser or placebo, two sessions per week (for weeks 1-4), and one session per week (for weeks 5-8).
RESULTS:
Relative to the placebo group, the active laser group had: (1) a significant decrease in overall, night, and activity pain scores at the end of 4 wk and 8 wk of treatment, and at the end of 8 wk additional follow-up (16 wk post-randomization); (2) a significant decrease in shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) scores and Croft shoulder disability questionnaire scores at those same intervals; (3) a significant decrease in disability of arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire (DASH) scores at the end of 8 wk of treatment, and at 16 wk posttreatment; and (4) a significant decrease in health-assessment questionnaire (HAQ) scores at the end of 4 wk and 8 wk of treatment. There was some improvement in range of motion, but this did not reach statistical significance.
CONCLUSIONS:
The results suggested that laser treatment was more effective in reducing pain and disability scores than placebo at the end of the treatment period, as well as at follow-up.
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mac,
will this be effective for frozen shoulder? my mri was clear and i dont have tear
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My friend is a Nurse Practitioner who works in a retail clinic. She has been telling me scary stories about how sick people are getting with the Flu this year. She provides Functional Medicine care to her patients, they really love her. She told me about taking Black Elderberry last year when I got the Flu. I was done with a really nasty Flu in 4 days. She hands out this information to her patients. I make sure to always keep some Black Elderberry in the house. She also showed me this cool study about the amino acid, N - Acetyl Cysteine, (NAC), being given to frail Elderly helping prevent (25% ) of them from being symptomatic with Influenza, despite having positive blood testing for Influenza. I read up on it, and in another study it said NAC doesn't work that impressively with every strain of Influenza A, but considering there is not much that can help, it is good to know any little thing that might help.
Tamiflu only shortens the durstion of Influenza A or B by 1 to 2 days if taken within the first 48 hours from onset of symptoms. BLACK ELDERBERRY SHORTENS THE DURATION OF INFLUENZA BY 3 TO 4 DAYS.
WORKS FOR ME!
Send to
Eur Respir J. 1997 Jul;10(7):1535-41.
Attenuation of influenza-like symptomatology and improvement of cell-mediated immunity with long-term N-acetylcysteine treatment.
De Flora S1, Grassi C, Carati L.
Author information
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an analogue and precursor of reduced glutathione, has been in clinical use for more than 30 yrs as a mucolytic drug. It has also been proposed for and/or used in the therapy and/or prevention of several respiratory diseases and of diseases involving an oxidative stress, in general. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with NAC on influenza and influenza-like episodes. A total of 262 subjects of both sexes (78% > or = 65 yrs, and 62% suffering from nonrespiratory chronic degenerative diseases) were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial involving 20 Italian Centres. They were randomized to receive either placebo or NAC tablets (600 mg) twice daily for 6 months. Patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases were not eligible, to avoid possible confounding by an effect of NAC on respiratory symptoms. NAC treatment was well tolerated and resulted in a significant decrease in the frequency of influenza-like episodes, severity, and length of time confined to bed. Both local and systemic symptoms were sharply and significantly reduced in the NAC group. Frequency of seroconversion towards A/H1N1 Singapore 6/86 influenza virus was similar in the two groups, but only 25% of virus-infected subjects under NAC treatment developed a symptomatic form, versus 79% in the placebo group. Evaluation of cell-mediated immunity showed a progressive, significant shift from anergy to normoergy following NAC treatment. Administration of N-acetylcysteine during the winter, thus, appears to provide a significant attenuation of influenza and influenza-like episodes, especially in elderly high-risk individuals. N-acetylcysteine did not prevent A/H1N1 virus influenza infection but significantly reduced the incidence of clinically apparent disease.
- PMID:
- 9230243
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kae,
I guess it has worked sucessfully for some people, like in the study, but like many things, no way to know except trying it. I heard a Orthopedic Surgeon talking about using it, he said that it either works or does nothing, and not really able to predict who will benefit. I would say that there is a great variation in cost, so if you do decide to try it, look around your area and call for prices. I got my treatment at Bastyr University's Natural Medicine Clinic in Seattle, which had the lowest prices per treatment $150, versus $200 for a few other places in the area.
Good luck. Frozen shoulder has to completely suck.
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Hi macb04,
He said that 500 filled the existing pocket better and that going down 3-4 cm in diameter would have been a recipe for ripples and divots, given that I had 650cc. I’m really happy with them, I feel so much less weight on my scapula and neck. He is wonderful and I’m ready for nipplesbut on the fence. One option is to share my right nipple that was nipple sparing MX, with the left or shave the right down to look like the flat reconstructed left that fell. Thanks for checking in!
Mimi
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kae_md99, I found a super comfy Jockey seamless bralette at Kohl's. I was super aware of my implant's edges until my fat grafting at revision. It really helped cushion my skin. I saw the PA today at my BS office for my 1 yr post mx check. Got the all clear!! As she was doing the cbe, I winced and said oww when she pulled my left arm out to the side. I told her about the shoulder pain. She said I need to get to PT. My cortisone shot has not helped much. The pain is not as frequent, but when I do hurt it, it travels down my arm with a severe headache-like pain. Thankfully, it goes away in a few minutes. We had such an awful cold snap here I have been hibernating even though I have my PT orders. I guess I better get going with it. Since I am having more revisions perhaps in March I need to get some strength back.
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shoregirl,
thanks i have tried a similar jockey bralette but i am not comfortable with the band. it is very comfy but the band feels very tight to me.i am not used to wearing a bra bec ihavent worn them in years. just wore camis...im actually quite comfy without a bra but i need support. sorry if i missed it but did you hurt your shoulder? did fat grafting add weight to your implants? do you mind me asking why you did revision? as of now i really dont want any more surgery while i deal with my frozen shoulder. just had the cortisone shot t
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I love my stretchy jockey bralette. I'm pretty tiny though and I wear a large for comfort. It would not be as comfortable if I was bigger
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kae, I know what you mean about the band. I have a hard time too with bands as my incision is along the IMF. I like the Jockey b/c the band is lower than my IMF. It would be great if we could find a bra that had an adjustable band that sat below the IMF!!
I had a revision Nov 29 b/c my 1st implants were very uncomfortable. They were larger than I wanted. I felt the edges, felt like scraping behind my skin. The ps didn't tighten the pockets enough and the implants kept flipping over backwards, so the profile part was facing my back, and the flat part facing fwd.
They were ultra high profile Inspiras. So they were very firm. When I hugged someone, it felt like I had boulders strapped to my chest. I told my ps I wanted him to remove the implants, put smaller ones in, and fill the space left with my fat. I also wanted nipple recon. He doesn't do nips, only 3D tats. He doesn't do extensive fg, only a bit around the edges. So I found a new ps that does those things. She downsized my implants, switched brands for a more natural feel, and put fat all over in front of the implants and around the edges as well. I can't tell you if fat added weight since we put smaller implants in. I wouldn't think it does though. Not much fat is used when in conjunction w/implants, usually 100-150cc. I loved the fat in front of the implants as it made them nice and warm. But I am still too big. My ps told me it would be a staged revision, she would have to go back in so I knew I would be going back to OR. We are going to step down in size again, and prob go from high profile to moderate. Also more fat. I am wanting the smallest implant and the most fat. Some women have no implants and just fat. I would love that!!My shoulder started hurting 10 days after last surgery. I don't know why it was delayed reaction. I didn't do anything else to hurt my shoulder though. My orthopaedic dr says it was prob due to positioning in surgery, he dx'd it as "rotator cuff syndrome" and ordered PT. I requested the cortisone, but as I said it didn't do much. I have improved enough on my own that going back into surgery is do-able for me. But 3 weeks ago, I would not have been able. I hope you feel better!!
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Shoregirl, if you can stay away from cortisone injections , stay away. The most recent research shows that injetions can cause more long term problems than previously thought. See a good PT with experience in shoulder/BC.
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I have heard that Cortisone can cause healing issues before also. I know that strroids are known to make skin thinner if applied topically, and have read about them
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/do-cortisone-shots-actually-make-things-worse/
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I'll be having my procedure to "unlock" my frozen shoulder tomorrow. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
Shoregirl, mine started right after radiation, it was from the positioning I suspect. I'm sure it had started long before but was aggravated and made much worse from that arm position. I'll have my DIEP injust over 5 weeks and there is no way I could lay in position for that if this procedure doesn't help a lot. We'll see.
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I'm having a BMX with immediate reconstruction with TE's placed overy the pec muscle. My question is how long should I expect to be off work? My PS didn't give me any exact weight restrictions or tell me much about what I shouldn't do. He just said to use the "common sense" approach. I am a nurse who works in the OR. I carry heavy trays, take surgery call, push patients on carts, etc.
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Twills,goodluck for tomorrow! pls keep us updated.. manipulation is one of my options.
nursepatient, i am a floor nurse at telemetry. we dont have a lift team in my hospital so we do all turning,boosting pts,etc... my PS put me off work the entire time i had expanders upon my request... now i am on longterm disability due to bilateral frozen shoulders....my PS also did not give me a strict restriction as far as moving my arms is concerned.. goodluck to you too.
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2fun, I had heard cortisone can damage joints, and also lower immunity. But now hearing all you sweet ladies comments, I am getting nervous and really don't know what to do. I have had so many random (unexplained) tendon issues over the past 2 years. In the summer of 2016 I could BARELY walk. I went to PT, but got little improvemtnt. My ortho said I had to go to pain mgmt. They sent me for SI joint inj. A few weeks later, after the shot and PT I started improving. But sudden onset Dequervains tendonitis (wrist) came up. I suffered w/it for a few months, and finally got an inj Oct 2016. It helped almost instantly, and it hasn't come back. About 2 months later, I got "trigger thumb". Again suffered w/it for months, then said I can't do it anymore and got the inj. Again, it helped 100%. It tried to come back a year later, but I figured out what "triggered' it....I had one of those stainless steel tumblers I drink water from all day. It is very wide at the top and I have to really stretch my thumb out to grab it. I switched to a smaller diameter tumbler and just babied my thumb for a couple weeks and the trigger thumb never came back. Also, in summer of 2016, I developed bilateral elbow tendonitis, again no reason...no overuse or anything I could think of. I lived with it because it wasn't as bad as the thumb or wrist. It only hurt if I rested my elbow on something or lifted something over 2lbs. It took 18 months to go away. The frozen shoulder was so painful I couldn't even pull up my pants, and this was when I was supposed to be wearing compression garment too. I went back to the ortho. He was just going to send me to PT. I was the one that requested the shot b/c I was in so much pain. But this time it didn't help nearly as much. I am wondering if a Rheumatologist could figure out why I am getting these weird tendon issues. I know it must be inflammation but from what? My case is complicated by the fact I can't take NSAIDS due to stage 3 chronic kidney disease suposedly caused by too much Ibuprofen prescribed to me back in the 90's before and after my neck surgery. They had me on 800mg presc strength ibuprofen around the clock for a year. So if PT and Tylenol and ice don't help, I resort to the injection.
Now, coming up on Jan 31, I have orders to get an epidural injection. I have a really messed up spine. Its been a mess for years. My symptoms and recent MRI prompted my doc to order the epid. I have been in PT for 2 months w/no improvement. In the pool for PT as well. I have spinal osteo arth, spondolysthesis, multiple bulging discs and the stenosis has gotten so bad my legs buckle sometimes when I walk. I went from walking a mile to only able to go less than 1/4 mile before my legs stop working right. The pain radiates to my buttocks and hips. It doesn't help that I have arthritis in both hips as well. I toss and turn all night, and my social life has really been impacted. Just grocery shopping puts me in pain. The doc said get the epidural. It may help for only 2 weeks, it may help longer, 6 mo to a year. He said when it wears off and I can't stand it again, repeat it. But if after 2 times it doesn't help, I will need decompression surgery for my spinal canal. He said the surgeon will not do the surgery until I have tried epidural. I don't know what else to do.
Twills, I pray you get relief from your shoulder procedure. Do let us know how it goes!
Nursepatient...the norm is no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk (5-10lbs) for a few weeks. Pushing and pulling should be avoided for a few weeks as well. I would def ask your surgeon for specifics as related to your job. I just re-read your post...I was giving you limitations for an exchange surgery. For msx surgery, it is much bigger surgery than exchange. I would venture to guess you would need 3-4 weeks off work (on the conservative side.) Best wishes
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Nursepatient, I agree with Shoregirl, minimize lifting/pushing/pulling for the next few weeks after surgery. If you think about the Prepectoral Reconstruction technique, unlike Subpectoral, the implant is only held in place with disolvable sutures and a sheet of Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) like Alloderm/Strattice or Seri wrapped around your TE or implant. The ADM is anchoring your implant in place on your pectoral muscle. Eventually the ADM and the sutures are expected to sort of dissolve and become incorporated into your tissues, but that really can take months. I know for myself, that I would feel uncomfortable pulling sensations in my chest 6 weeks out if I did something strenuous. When I had those uncomfortable pulling sensations I would worry I was going to damage something, tear a suture, ect, so I would lighten up my activity immediately that minute. I think, realistically, that I babied myself that way for at least 8 weeks or more. I think the general lifting restrictions are around 6 weeks. Then I would just say be very attentive to how it feels with any exertion. If you have any degree of discomfort with strenuous activity, stop immediately to err on the side of caution. I know that sounds like a colossal pain in the butt. The huge investment you make to have a reconstruction be sucessful means unfortunate constraints like that. Doesn't last forever. I can do any heavy activity I want now, no problem.
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just reporting back to say that I've been told by a surgeon that having had a breast reduction increases my risk of complications from reconstruction surgery generally, and therefore pre-pecs are not recommended for me.
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Shoregirl - are you on Tamoxifen?
I'm a PT and I have had a ridiculous amount of tendonitis since starting tamoxifen....and in various places. Seems like one area finally gets better and then I get it somewhere else. I've also partially ruptured my plantar fascia and have been dealing with that for almost a year. I too usually resort to steroid injection (though not for my foot) - I even injected myself for intersection syndrome near my wrist a few months ago. I blame tamoxifen. I also partially blame the reaction I had to taking levofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone) during chemo because my muscles and tendons have never been the same since. It's all so frustrating. I was running at least 6 miles every other day (sometimes up to 10 miles once every 1-2 weeks) during chemo and weight lifting and doing plyometrics on the other days....until I took that drug.
on the restriction topic - mine were always the same. No running and no weight lifting for 2 weeks after any surgery (mastectomy, TE placement, implants etc); No lifting arms far overhead while drains in, but no overhead motion restrictions for surgeries that didn't require drains so I was always pushing my motion. I could also walk/hike all I wanted even with drains in, so I did and at higher elevation to get a better workout. Once I hit 2 weeks post-op I was allowed to do whatever I wanted. I did have cording/axillary web syndrome on my left side, so that limited my motion and weight lifting through the shoulder for a few months but not much - I pushed it as much as I could.
- xo
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Question for anyone who had TE's. I just got out of surgery about a week ago. I still have a drain. Do I have to still wear a bra if I am able to attach the drain to a lanyard or something. I think the bra is the biggest source of my discomfort... It's hard to tell because so much is going on in my chest area with the tight bra, drain, and TEs. I think if I could sleep without a bra maybe I could actually sleep. Just maybe.... I don't remember what the doctor told me.
Rebekah
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Rebeka, call your surgeon about what they want you to wear. Every surgeon does different things.
I am taking AIs, and i am having the same thumb tendon issues.
Andraxo, I ruptured both Achilles tendons from Cipro. I still cannot jump up and down, and that was 5 years ago!
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rdeesides,
never wore a bra with my prepec TEs.. TEs were bad enough and for me bra would be impossible. slept on a recliner fo 4 weeks post BMx and TEs placement...
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Hi Shoregirl, have you had your hsCRP checked.? hs CRP stands for Highly Sensitive C Reactive Protein, a very sensitive marker of Inflammation. I took Thorne Meriva Curcumin twice per day, and it decreased my CRP levels. Curcumin has considerably decreased the many areas of pain I would otherwise be suffering with. Once I ran out of Curcumin and got really worried that bc was coming to kill me off because of the upsurge pain I was experiencing. Then I had an Ah Ha! moment when I realized the pain was because I had missed a couple of weeks of Curcumin. I started back on the Thorne Curcumin immediately, and my pain just gradually faded away after a few days.
Analgesic Efficacy and Safety of Curcuminoids in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Phytother Res. 2014 May;28(5):633-42. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5045. Epub 2013 Aug 7.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27703331
Are curcuminoids effective C-reactive protein-lowering agents in clinical practice? Evidence from a meta-analysis.
Author information
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this context, C-reactive protein (CRP) has been identified as a strong predictor and independent risk factor of CVD. Curcuminoids are multifunctional natural product with promising cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcuminoids have been suggested to lower circulating levels of CRP, but clinical findings have not been consistent.
OBJECTIVES:
To pool the published results of clinical trials on the impact of supplementation with curcuminoids on circulating levels of CRP.
METHODS:
PubMed/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases were searched for clinical trials reporting circulating CRPchanges in individuals receiving curcuminoids. Effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random-effects model. Inter-study heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q and I(2) tests. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using leave-one-out method.
RESULTS:
Six trials comprising 172 subjects in the curcuminoids group and 170 subjects in the placebo group fulfilled the eligibility criteria and included in the meta-analysis. Compared with placebo, supplementation with curcuminoids was associated with a significant reduction in circulating CRP levels (weighed mean difference: -6.44 mg/L; 95% CI: -10.77 - -2.11; p = 0.004). This significant effect was maintained in subgroups of trials that used bioavailability-improved preparations of curcuminoids and had supplementation duration of ≥4 weeks, but not in the subgroups without these characteristics.
CONCLUSIONS:
Supplementation with curcuminoids may reduce circulating CRP levels. This effect appears to depend on the bioavailability of curcuminoids preparations and also duration of supplementation. Future well-designed and long-term trials are warranted to verify this effect of curcuminoids.
Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27879642
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25050518
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23922235
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How was you HSCRP checked? Who ordered it?
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2FUN - so sorry to hear that - that is awful! UGH! I hope you are continuing to improve. I listed Levofloxacin as an allergy now, which means they would not give me Cipro either since also a fluoroquinolone. There is no way I would take any of those ever again. I already had chronic Achilles tendonitis before taking it and I am amazed I didn't rupture anything given how much tendonitis and weird muscle problems I had all over within 7 days of starting that awful drug (in Dec 2015). I feel like it ruined me.
on another note....I started trying some cupping on the tight radiation skin on my left side since it distorts the implant shape (makes my hamburger bun lopsided). Going to try every other day or every third day for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.
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Hi 2FUN,
My Primary Care doc ordered the blood test for hsCRP. I found her to very helpful in that regard once my out of state NP friend recommended it.
I totally agree Andraxo about the tendon damage risks with Fluoroquinalones like Cipro and Levofloxacin. I had a partial Rotator Cuff tear soon after having Cipro. It was greatly improved by Low Level Laser Therapy.
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Just got back home from my shoulder manipulation. No pain because they did a nerve block. I'll go to my PT evaluation in the morning and hopefully I'll only have 5 days or so of PT like the Ortho said. I'll let y'all know how that goes. Oh, one of the surgical nurses said that removing lymph nodes can lead to frozen shoulder, I had 14 removed so I had a lot of contributing factors.
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Twills,
happy you are not in pain.. hows your range of motion now? did it improve after the procedure
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twills, keep us posted. I hope you really only need a few visits of PT
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kae, it will take a while for the nerve block to wear off so in the mean time I have a dead arm in a sling which feels so crazy. I'll know more tomorrow.
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