Healing following BMX with Reconstruction
Hello!
I'm just over a month out from BMX with direct to implant reconstruction. Breast cancer was found in my right breast and I opted to have BMX so that I don't have to go through this again! My cancer was caught very early, the pathology report indicated clean margins and my lymph nodes were also clear. I feel very lucky with these results!
But I'm wondering what others' experience has been with recovery and healing following BXM/reconstruction, as my own experience seems kind of weird to me. The left breast feels absolutely fine...almost as if nothing was even done! The right side is more uncomfortable (not exactly painful), but there seem to be more nerve-type discomfort. It just seems strange to me that one side is nearly fine, and the other side is 'annoying' for lack of a better description. I'm following all of my PT's recommendations for exercise (my range of motion is good on both sides) and am also doing some localized massage therapy on the right side. (I also took gabapentin for a couple of weeks but would prefer to not have to take it again if it can be avoided.)
Are there any thoughts on how long the discomfort might last, and any tricks or ideas for how to get the right side to calm down?
Thank you!
Comments
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Poodlemom--I wanted to give your thread a bump so that perhaps you'll get some responses. The best I can say is that each of us is different, and each surgery is different... so one person's experience is probably not going to be the same as another. For me, I had a single Mx a year and a half ago and I still don't feel "normal." I still have random weirdness, tightness from radiation, occasional nerve pain, and some lymphedema to deal with so it seems it will probably go on forever in my case.
Your surgery is very recent so things will likely smooth out and be better for you soon. Take care and my best to you.
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Hi poodlemom,
I had a BMX with TEs and implants a few months after. While I had no serious healing problems that warranted going back in for a follow-up, I did have more issues with the non-cancer breast. It hurt, bruised, and took longer to heal after the implants. It took several weeks for the non-cancer breast to become no problem after the reconstruction. My cancer breast healed up without issues—like it never had surgery. My only issue now is an occasional discomfort wearing sports bras.
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Hi Poodlemom, please see my post "Tips for Bilateral Mastectomy with Immediate Tissue Expander AND Implant Exchange". I wrote about my journey; hopefully this can give comfort and helpful info to others.
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