June 2020 Surgery Group
Comments
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Thank you for all of your posts. It really has been helpful. I had a skin sparing bilateral mastectomy and tissue expanders on June 25th so I'm about three weeks post op. I am feeling better each day. I had 2 drains removed after 1 week and the last 2 removed after 2 weeks. My PS says no bras until after the implant surgery and I was able to shower right away. I will need radiation and meet with the Radiation Oncologist next week.
I'm getting fills but only on one side. The left side doesn't appear to be healing as well as the right. Did anyone have this issue? I will meet with the PS's PA next week to evaluate.
Has anyone started the expansion process, had radiation for 6 weeks, and then finished the expansion process before having the implants? From what I read it's more desirable to be fully expanded before beginning radiation.
Thanks again for everyone who has posted. I appreciate everyone's transparency sharing their journies.
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Hello again. I have been reading the posts but have not posted for a while. I have started PT as I developed cording. My range of motion is great yet I have the cords in my armpit running towards the elbow and one from the SLNB towards the nipple. Very frustrating. My BS insists that it will resolve on its own but I don’t want to take chances hence the weekly PT.
I have moved back to sleeping in my bed and although I try to sleep on my back I make a nest of pillows I find myself turning in my sleep and wake up with uncomfortable pressure in my chest. Anyone having the same issues?
On the topic of the implants how would you decide when it is enough to stop expanding? My PS tells me it is up to me but I read that the way we look with the TE will not be the same as when we put the implants. So I am not sure how to determine how much I need to expand now in order to have a certain look later. I am afraid that I will feel I am too big with the TE and then will be disappointed once the implants are placed and the size decreases. On the other hand if I expand too much would that make the pockets too big forcing the PS to put larger implants? I am confused.0 -
Mheibel
My PS told me that if I needed RT he prefers that I am fully expanded.
I have started expansion and I am at 300ml in each breast. For me that looks huge given I was barely 34B before the surgery. I am thinking of adding 50mi. and then discussing with the PS if that is enough. I don’t want to screw up and not get enough and then be unhappy with the size.
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Hi Emily,
There's a woman on a subforum who has a good reputation for providing guidance and how much we should expand. I don't remember what form it's in but it may be under breast reconstruction.
All you have to do is provide her with your stats and the stats of the tissue expanders and she recommends how much you should fill and the brand of implants you should use, if I remember correctly.
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whippetmom in the Implant Sizing 101 thread.
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics...
She needs your weight, height, rib cage measurement and pre surgery bra size.
Also tell her what Tissue Expanders you have (make, model, volume) and how much fill your PS put in total.
She'll tell you what implants you should look at for your exchange. She might also be able to advise on how much to fill but, I'm not sure if she goes there.
I've been neglecting this thread. I am going for my second fill Thursday. I went for a Radiation Consult on Friday and we're going to do 25 sessions. I need to be fully expanded before we can do the CT Scan and that's scheduled for 7/31. So we're going to have to be aggressive and get me filled in 3 sessions. We did 120cc the first fill and I have 475cc TEs. He said he put "a couple hundred" cc in during surgery but I somehow doubt it.
I'll find out how much I have total and how much more we need to go before I can start rads.
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I have posted twice my question to whippetmom, she has not replied yet. I am getting pretty close to being too full although again I am not sure how right my perception is so I was hoping for some guidance from this forum.
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@Emily -
I'm sorry I don't have any answer, maybe try the exchange city thread? They might be able to help since they already switched?
Ultimately it's your call. I went for my 2nd fill and he said see how I feel about them, he thinks I could use more fill but, ultimately it's my choice.
In other news, I had my 2nd fill today and will get my 3rd and final fill next Wednesday. We did 120 for the first, 180 today and, he thinks he put 120 in during surgery (waiting to get the notes). So far I have somewhere between 300 and 420 and we're going to top it off on Wednesday.
They look big but, I think it's because they're sitting so high, my understanding is when I switch to implants they won't sit so high and will end up looking smaller (even if they're the same CCs). I think I read that somewhere.
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Hope you June ladies don’t mind me chiming in. Emily whippetmom answered you in the Breast Implant Sizing 101 thread.
And yes your implants will be smaller than your expanders (and not as high up on your chest). I was a 34B prior, filled to 465cc and my implants are 495cc ultra high profile. Although I fit into a 34 C or D bra depending on brand, I feel and look smaller! I almost wish I had gone a little bigger. (I’m 5’6, 120ish lbs).
Wish I had signed up for this site right after DX, instead of after exchange surgery. I remember feeling so alone and having all those same questions and being so unsure about size. So I hope this helps you guys and best wishes going forward!
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thanks for dropping in LiveLoveLaugh! Great info
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You’re welcome! Best of luck with your surgeries. Hope you are happy with the results. Just remember to give yourself time.
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I got another fill today. I thought the plastic surgeon put in a hundred CC's during the surgery but it turns out he only put 70. I have 270 CC's as of today not the 300 that I thought I would have.
I askef yhe plastic surgeon how many operations do his clients have on average. He said many get fat grafting at the time the implants are, well, implanted.
I'm not inclined to do fat grafting but who knows if I change my mind. It depends if I have any divots. but even then I'm leaning towards not having another surgery. As the aesthetics of the breasts aren't really that important to me. But again I have to be in that situation to know for sure.
I'm still sleeping on the recliner. Sometimes I think I'll be for 6 months or more. I hope that's not the case.
Morrigan, how are you tolerating the fills. Are you uncomfortable. I am only getting 50 CC's per visit but I'm thinking of increasing it next week to 60 to see how I tolerate that amount.
LiveLoveLaugh, your post have been very helpful. Thank you.
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i tolerate the fills just fine. Was a little sore yesterday afternoon but took some Tylenol and felt better.
My PS gave me the ok to sleep on my side which is great. I got used to sleeping on um back for the past 5 weeks but, I'm a side sleeper
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No matter how many pillows I use on the bed, I am not comfortable. Not even the wedge pillow is comfortable. The pressure on my chest is very light but I don't like feeling it at all and the recliner is the only spot where I feel normal.
On a side note, I asked the plastic surgeon the reason we would need a fat graft. He provided two reasons, although, there may be more.
First: if a lot of fat was removed from the lymph nodes.
Second: if the skin in the area is very thin due to the mastectomy.
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found out that I'm at 420cc as of 2nd fill.
Surgery - 120, 1st - 120, 2nd - 180
My Expanders are 475 so I'm almost full. They're pretty big but, I've always been big so they feel/look mostly normal in clothes.
I think I'll do one more fill although I might ask him to fill the right (cancer) breast more than the left, I swear it looks smaller...although the TE might just sit/placed lower.
In anycase, I'm going to make a note for the PS to address symmetry during exchange (fat grafting or nip/tuck).
I was told I could sleep without a bra but, I tried it one night and didn't feel comfortable. I'll keep wearing a bra 24/7 for another week or two.
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Fat fat grafting is different than a nip and Tuck? If so, then I may consider it I thought the two were synonymous.
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Fat grafting is liposuction from one area with excess fat (thigh, stomach) and injected into the breast to add volume. From what I've heard, it doesn't always take the first time so you may need a few attempts.
When I said nip/tuck, (I just Googled - is a term for face lift, who knew? 😁) I was meaning a more surgical option, cutting excess skin or doing a mini lift...not even sure if that's possible. Just something/anything they could do to make them look the same size and sit at the same height.
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The terms can be confusing. I try to be as cool as i can about this breast cancer thing, but sometimes I just want to smash everything in sight.
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I will be mapped by my RO on August 10th to start 6 weeks of radiation. I have only been filled on my right side due to my left side not healing well. My PS cleaned up the scabs and scars (on the left side) and flushed everything out on Tuesday. By Wednesday afternoon I was running a fever. My PS prescribed antibiotics. That night my fever was up to 103 degrees.
On Thursday, I went back to the PS and they drained out 10 cc's of the fluid through the port and then sent me to ultrasound to see if they could see any additional fluid. The Tech and Radiologist did, but it was too close to the expander to try to remove it, so I went home. By Friday, my fever was down and I was feeling a little better. Then at about 5pm the incision was leaking and oozing. Of course it was after hours and I got their answering service, but the on call resident called me right back and asked for pictures and soon I was on my way to the ER.
They met me at the ER and took out my expander, then I was admitted and put on 24 hours of antibiotics. Now I'm home and digesting everything that has happened. I have a follow up with my PS on Tuesday to see how to proceed.
Has anyone had this happen? From what I've read, I would be limited on reconstruction. Now I wondering if even want reconstruction at all. Has anyone thought about going flat?
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I am thinking of removing the implants I have had for 10 years and do full fat grafting instead. Not sure if anyone has had this done and if so does it take the first time? Do you have mammograms after for follow ups? My implants/chest hurt if I work out, they are rippled and neither are even with the other. Just frustrated. Any info with this would be so helpful. Thank you
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mheilbel, what a ride you have been on. It doesn't sound like the most pleasant of experiences. I believe some of the women in our group have decided to go flat. Hopefully they will chime in with their thoughts.
B123, we are a group that is not that far along in our journey. None of us have gone through reconstruction yet. Perhaps try the Reconstruction forum four experienced advice.
On a side note, my aunt died of breast cancer today. Sigh.
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My RO moved my radiation mapping out one more week so I have time to heal then I'll start 6 weeks of radiation the week after that. I still have an open wound so hopefully that will give me time to totally heal before I start radiation. I'm still going in for Perjeta/Herceptin infusions every 3 weeks, so I hope the rest of this journey is smoother.
LaVue: I'm so sorry to hear about your Aunt.
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i am very sorry LaVue
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My deepest sympathy LaVue, very sorry for you loss
mheilbel, sorry to hear of the trials you’ve been through and hope your road is a lot smoother going forward.
As for me, my abdominal incision from the DIEP flap is healing slowly But no major issues and the swelling of my reconstructed breasts and my belly are slowly going down. Still a lot of discomfort but I did get some good news - my oncotype score was only 6 from my left side so no chemo needed for that but now awaiting results of right side (I had invasive lobular on left and invasive ductal on right). Because oncotype test is expensive insurance companies will only pay for the second one if first test doesn’t indicate a need for chemo so more waiting on test results...
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Did my final fill today. Had 120cc put in, that brings me to 540cc.
They're finally, fully round and look mostly normal (still have a somewhat odd shape).
I'll start Rads in August and my PS wants to see me a couple of weeks after I finish Rads to see how the skin looks.
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LaVue, I am sorry for your loss.
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my expansion has been uneventful so far. I am at 350ml. My PS only injects 50ml per visit so it has been a slow process. At 350 I look big. I have always been small chested and these expanders look like grapefruits sitting high on my chest. I can't imagine what it will look like if I go to 450 which is what whippedmom had su
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Thanks thanks everyone for the condolences.
I received another field yesterday 60 cc's. I will request 70ccs next week.
I still haven't looked at my chest. I just can't do it. I rely on other people to tell me how it looks.
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It it seems like yesterday was my last fill. I go in next week for an evaluation to determine if we will proceed with implant surgery or whether to put in more cc's. Unless something unexpected happens, I believe I am done and ready to schedule the surgery
Hope everyone is doing well.
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Hi LaVue - I’m happy to hear your good news and hope things continue to go well. I ran into a few wound healing issues with my DIEP flap reconstruction (largely from being a 62 year old former smoker) but mending well now finally. I will have some cosmetic fat grafting to smooth them out in few months and then done as well.
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Im doing pretty well, Rads is going fine. The TEs don't bother me. I have noticed that my non Cancer breast looks bigger and sits higher but, I think that might be due to the extra skin.
Also, they tend to fall to the side when I'm laying down (like normal boobs). Going to ask my PS about the placement and if it's something we need to fix during exchange
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