Exchange City
Comments
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Val--
Going to send you a PM when i get a minute to discuss my bras.Kitty: Wow. I just feel like you are receiving complete care right now. However, dont stop reaching for a better alternative in a cancer center or what not. Dont mess around. Praying for you and envisioning you an EVEN stronger woman than you were before!
M-star: massage, stretches, valium!.....chocolate as well
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Welcome M-star...if your ps gives you smaller fills a little further apart you shouldn't have so much pain
![:\](https://community.breastcancer.org/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
I used to get 60cc every 7 days...once I got 120cc (ouch!) but then my ps waited two weeks for the next fill. I found muscle relaxers helped the first couple of nights and then I usually was able to tolerate the fills. If you are in too much pain, just as others have said, your ps can pull a little of the saline out of your expander. I was also a small chested pre BC. Again...welcome to the group there are so many helpful and caring people here. Kitty, been thinking of you all day...hope everything went well
Thanks to all for so many bra tips!
Strength and healing,
Laura on the other side of the pond....
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UNRESOLVED SWELLING ON ONE SIDE 1 MTH AFTER EXCHG??
Hi Ladies
I have learned a lot from this thread with thanks to you all. After surgery one side was much more swollen and bruised than the other so called ps who said that he did a "lot more work " on that side and just to keep an eye on it and I had no redness or temp.so I thought no big deal
Over the next couple days got bigger and then it stopped swelling I'm guessing it's now about 30-40% bigger than other side, Have been going to ps 1/2x week for him to attempt to drain it (on the assumption it was blod clot) but each time said too thick (after inserting several PAINFUL needles- about 3 each visit) so I was told that if this wasn't working I should be scheduled for sonogram this Fri and then I called and asked why not do sonogram today rather than attempting to drain which was not working. So sonogram results said no visible blood clot but edema from "1 o'clock to 8 o'clock" which I was told looked like a "big sheet of ice" and something about implant not being filled out (or something along those lines) Then I go for ps visit and am told nothing to be done but watch it and come in weekly as it can't be drained. Any advice....is this normal?? ( I asked that and ps said NO)
BTW I am also very disappointed with size but I guess I'll worry about that later!
PS I have not had rads/chemo
any ideas would be greatly appreciated
Debra have you heard of this?
many thanks
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winter: I need you to email me photos so I can see what is going on. I'll PM you.
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mstar: My fills are small (40 to 60 cc's) and 3 to 4 weeks apart. Very slow, but no pain. Are you taking pain meds? Stretching also helps. There are many simple exercises that you can do with your arms. Lilah had a list of them a while back. Lilah, if you don't have it handy, I will look for it in my other thread.
Brenda
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Thanks to all for well wishes. It was amazing how many loving friends were willing to give me shots . . . . and surprising how many people are dealing with blood clots. I always had this thought that they were fatal ~ well I know that they can be (God forbid) but are more normal than I realized.
Just another ploy for me to get attention . . . . . Ha!! Looks like my nipples will be WAY healed before I can get tattoos. May even stop bandaging if they get that far along and thanks for the make-up sponge tip.
Lilah ~ yes, it is a SE of Tamoxifen I had just forgotten when they gave me the list 9 months ago. Who can keep track of all that????
Let's just say that I have a legitimate reason to spend the entire weekend in my new fabulous nightgown!!!!!
xo Colleen
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Thanks to all for well wishes. It was amazing how many loving friends were willing to give me shots . . . . and surprising how many people are dealing with blood clots. I always had this thought that they were fatal ~ well I know that they can be (God forbid) but are more normal than I realized.
Just another ploy for me to get attention . . . . . Ha!! Looks like my nipples will be WAY healed before I can get tattoos. May even stop bandaging if they get that far along and thanks for the make-up sponge tip.
Lilah ~ yes, it is a SE of Tamoxifen I had just forgotten when they gave me the list 9 months ago. Who can keep track of all that????
Let's just say that I have a legitimate reason to spend the entire weekend in my new fabulous nightgown!!!!!
xo Colleen
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Colleen -- gosh I know what you mean about who can remember! Hope you get better soon.
M-star -- here are the exercises Brenda mentioned. These were given to me by Sloan Kettering/my PS at time of MX/TE implant surgery and I found they helped not only with range of motion but also with alleviating pain. Except for the wall crawls I was told to start ALL of them the day after surgery... (wall crawl about a month after as it involves reaching over your head).
-- shoulder rolls (10 forward, 10 back)
-- make wings by putting hands on chest (fingertips touching clavicles) and flap your wings 10 times
-- arm circles (put arms out straight, horizontal to floor and circle forward 10 times, then back 10 times)
-- wall crawl (if it's been a month since MX)... stand facing a wall and reach up with both hangs... crawl hands up with your fingers and stretch (count to 10)
--- put hands behind back, palms up, and rest on small of your back for 1 minute
If you do these very simply exercises every day (I was told 5x a day but I usually only think of it 3 - 4 times) they gently stretch the affected muscles; I notice when I don't do these exercises, especially right after fills, I feel more discomfort (SO doing them DID alleviate the the pain). I also found that 600 mgs. of Advil taken BEFORE the fill and for a day or so after helped (every 6 hours). Also helpful were massages to the shoulder blade... to release what I presumed was a spasmed muscle (reacting to being stretched). I will say that the more you get expanded, the longer the discomfort can last; as I drew closer to the end of my fills I did get smaller amounts (50 - 60 cc's).
If you want other exercise ideas, you can also check out the American Cancer Society website. They have some exercises there that I did not get but which look helpful. They have pictures too
Search term "exercise" will work, I believe (or "exercises").Cheers,
Lilah
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Katey ~ Drag your husband to the dr. Promise wild sex, it usually works . . . . . When I called my Onc it was from the airport in Oakland on my way home. His PA wasn't thrilled to hear that I was getting on a plane but was composed (I see that in hindsight).
BTW ~ Women with new nipples. My breasts are just getting back to their pre-nipple "fullness" and my surgery was the end of March. I think that a lot of skin is pulled in for the nips (my type of procedure) and then the implants are tight and smaller again. My husband commented this morning that the girls looked bigger ~ bless his heart. I think they are settling down again after the nipple surgery at the end of March.
When I live through this there will be a story to tell . . . . . . . . xo Colleen
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I'm home from surgery (been home for a little while). I feel really nauseous from the anesthesia and morpine. I've been sleeping most of the afternoon.
My BS said he removed more of the scar tissue from the capsule. If my margins are clear, I'm good to go. If they are positive, he said he'll have to go and take more of the capsule. And then there wouldn't be enough to support the implant. Aside from being scared to death that I'll have positive margins and lymph nodes, now I'm worried that I'll have to lose my implant and be lopsided forever. This doesn't sound right. Can't they radiate the area to kill the remaining cancer cells? What about an aggressive treatment? If I lose the implant, can the PS do something else? I emailed my PS tonight.
What do you guys think? I'm getting a 2nd opinion if I have to deal with this. Ughh....
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Kitty, I have no answers for you, and my heart aches for you. I have you on a powerful prayer thread... and I will continue this for you.
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Kitty I am going to continue praying. I will pray you get all the answers you need to make the right decisions.
I hope you are not in to much pain.
Many hugs,
Rebecca
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Thanks Laura and Rebecca!
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Kitty: Ask your PS if, in that event [and we are going to pray like crazy your margins are clear, clear, clear] you would be a candidate for a flap procedure.
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Kitty ask your doc about a new drug called Zometa
I thought I heard it's suppose to be just as good as chemo but it's only a shot you take every 3 or 6 months. I know Parker started taking it a few months ago. I sure hope u get clear margins : )
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Praying for clear margins for you Kitty... and if you have to lose the implant there are other options that use your own tissue (so I don't think you'll have to be lopsided). I SO PRAY that you got it all and no nodes.
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Thankyou all for replying!
Ok, i havn't taken many pain killers except for the 1st 24 hours after a fill. I don't tolerate pain med's too well and they constipate me! (i suffer with IBS). But when i do take them,i take 1000mg Paracetemol and 30-60mg Codeine.I try to keep the codeine for just before my fill and for night time. I cant take Ibuprofen well as it affects my stomach. I think i will keep the amount in that my PS put in last time as i'm sure it will ease up at some point-hopefully before my next fill in 13th!!
Glad to hear there IS light at the end of this tunnel! I think i will have to stick with the tear drop shaped implants now anyway,as it's that kind of expander they have put in.I am happy with this as long as they can give me a higher profile one.
I am massaging well and the chocolate def sounds like a good therapy! Come to think of it,i've not had any choccy in 4 days.Maybe thats the problem!
As for the exercises,thank you.I have the exercises that my PS gave me which i put on ACS CSN the other month funnily enough!! That site has been a God send and i joined it in March although admin accidentally deleted my account in April and i had to re-register!
Before i went to bed last night,the pain had eased up some,but on waking today,it was back.I think relaxing during the night stiffens the muscle up.I think some more careful stretching is in order.
I did feel a bit of a fraud joining this site when i've not actually had BC, but i wanted advice on something that alot of women on here have been through also. Thank you all so much!
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m-star - sounds like you're well-druggged....lol......codeine.....wow!.....they don't use that much here for this kind of stuff anyway. I forgot to tell you earlier that my fills were tiny......25-30cc's each time and at least three weeks apart.......I had six fills total. For us tiny-boobed girls, slow and steady isdefinitely the way to go.
Kitty - so glad to hear you're home. Bless you, sweetie! And you're in great hands with Estepp's thread......they're great prayers!
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Colleen - that's an issue that I've been wondering about regarding nips. I REALLY don't want to lose what projection I have just to have nips.....yep, I suffer from big time boob greed now......so it's good to know the fullness returns. Was it so bad that your bras didn't fit anymore?0
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Sorry to not have time to read any posts this morning...must run and teach....
I have put some new photos with a couple of questions on the forum....feeling better today
Looking forward to reading all the new messages....be back in this afternoon.
Strength and healing to all,
Laura2
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Val, projection really hasn't changed after the nips heal. They just have the more realistic look about them now! In fact, I think there's the appearance of slightly more projection.
Kitty, you'll be in my prayers. Ask lots of questions if you can get in touch with someone while you wait. No sense agonizing over the "what ifs" when you can start getting your mind around things.
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Val ~ Bras fit the same but probably because of the bandages. It was like dropping & fluffing all over again. They are looking really good~if I do say so myself!!! Have to wait on the tattoos until my blood issues are resolved.
Will post updated pics this week compared to the ones right after nipple surgery so we can see the difference.
Colleen
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Kitty - My heart aches for you my dear!!
Ladies - With two jobs and some house remodelling going on, I am not on very often. Please PM me w/ surgery dates. I will be happy to add them.
Hugs to all! - Jean
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KittyCat - I just wanted to send cyber hugs and let you know I was thinking of you. I don't post on the boards very often, but I have been following your story on this thread and feel terrible that you have a second diagnosis so soon, but so glad that you caught it. Good luck in making your treatment decisions. I will be thinking of you. Stay strong and positive. Cancer does suck!!
Karen
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I just wanted to add some information about creams and moisturizers. If you are ER and/or PR + you should be careful of using any creams and moisturizers that have Parabens in them. Mederma has the ingredient METHYLPARABEN. Parabens have something in them that acts like estrogen and you would be putting estrogen on your scar. I have included a small "blurb" below, but you can look it up on the internet. Jergen's has come out with some natural moisturizers that do not contain any parabens. Just something to think about.
Parabens - Widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic industry (including moisturizers). An estimated 13,200 cosmetic and skin care products contain parabens. Studies implicate their connection with cancer. They have hormone-disrupting qualities - mimicking estrogen - and interfere with the body's endocrine system.Karen
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Scrapmom - interesting info. I've been putting Mederma on my scars. I am ER/PR negative, though.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes and cyber hugs! I got the rest of my path report today. Again, I am ER/PR negative. The onco's office told me I could wait until Friday to get the rest of the report (I'm now shopping for a new onco). My breast surgeon's office gave me the info, but the girl that gave it to me doesn't understand what the rest of it meant:
Proliferation rate 56%
CEP Ratio 1.0
HER2 CEP 17 1.0 - not amplified
HER2 silver in situ hybridization (SISH)
I don't even know if I spelled this correctly. So, if I'm reading this correctly, I am HER2 negative, as well?? Ughhh... that would mean I'm triple negative??? No wonder it came back so quickly!
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Kitty huge piles of prayer to you for wide clear margins....so sorry you are facing the waiting game again.....all good thoughts your way....
Colleen I hope your feeling better and enjoying a relaxing day
m-star you aren't a fraud at all.... prophylactic bmx is still a bmx and needs support too
Strength and healing,
Laura2
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Kitty - can you ask them to fax a copy of the report to you? I always get a copy of all my reports and having them, has come in handy on more than one occasion. I keep a complete folder including all my medical reports, pathology reports, blood work, copy of all DVD of my MRI and ultrasounds etc.
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Scrapmom: interesting, because I've been using a Mederma knock-off and couldn't find all the ingredients anywhere on the packaging. A few months ago, I got rid of BAGS of cosmetics, lotions etc. that contained parabens and bought all natural, organic replacements.
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Hello Ladies, I hope I can join in here. After 16 long months of having in expanders, I am finally having my exchange on June 4th. Noone seems to understand what an exciting milestone this is for me, but I knew you girls would. I am so tired of the pain of these expanders and am hoping for some relief after exchange. For all of you with upcoming surgeries.....good luck!
Susan
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