continued Tissue expander pain!!

Missymac

Kathie----So very happy to hear of your final results.  It gives hope to us who are still expanding.  I missed 2 weeks of filling due to hardness and pain in right breast.  I go 3/23/09 and hope I'll be able to get a fill-up!!!   It is still harder than the left, but seems to have eased up a tiny bit.  I'm dreading it because my last fill I had really bad pain afterwards.  I'm going to take a pain pill and valium prior to this visit to see if that will help.

Praying for the best for all of us gals.

missymac 

Mykidsmom

Kathie - You are always so positive. I can't believe you could taint your friend!!!!

Missymac - I think the fills get easier the further you are out from the BM, but then a little harder as they get bigger. But mine weren't too bad. Here's hoping for comfortable fills, at least after the first 24 hours! Take care. - Jean

sam1991

Missymac,

 I always took a valium and a demerol for my fills. They were 100cc each time. I had to wait an extra 2 weeks after my BM because I was so bruised and uncomfortable. Mykidsmom is right, the fills got easier. There was one fill I even asked for because I figured it would fill out the sharp edge I could feel...it did. The last fill was the hardest. It pushed back against my ribcage instead of out. I only had to wait 3 weeks for my exchange after that fill. I think a lot of my discomfort was anxiety too. I have slept through the night since my exchange...except for my usual 45 year old bladder waking me up at 2 or so. It's been fabulous to have my bladder and not my expanders wake me up!!!

Jean....just wait....I'm a Vegas girl....I'll work on tainting you too....LOL

Keep your heads, hearts and boobs up ladies....the light at the end of the tunnel is beautiful!

Kathie 

dani42

I had a fill yesterday and have discovered magnesium for the pain.  I took darvocet before the fill and later that night, along with GABA (a natural supplement).  I was hurting last night but did some research and found that magnesium is suppose to help with muscle pain so I headed to the store bright and early this morning.  I haven't even needed ibuprophen today so I don't know if it helped or not but I do feel good.  If you try this, make sure you only take one.  I have read that you can have unexpected bowl movements if you take over 500 mg!   

sam1991

Hee hee....Dianne...I was just gonna warn you about that....the nurse in me bubbled to the top....LOl. Glad you are feeling better honey.

xxoo Kathie 

Cherine

Hi there,

I am new...

I will try to make this short as poss...I was diagnosed in Sept 2003 @ 30yrs with IDC of the right breast 5cms.  I had been married for almost 7 years and we had not had children yet, but were in the planning stages.  I started CEF chemo right away to try and shrink the tumor.  It shrunk very little.  I had a terrible time with it and was so sick.  I was switched to FEC (only injections every 28 days) because I was missing treatments due to my blood counts.  I finished treatment in the beginning of Feb and had a bi-lat mastectomy on Mar 3/04 (no reconstruction).  My pathology was surprisingly amazing in that 90% of the tumor was DCIS and there was little invasive to be accounted for.  It was Receptor+ and HER2-...really great results the margins were widely clear with no affected nodes. 

I was afraid to have any more surgery so I decided to wait or never have reconstruction.  I wanted to have a baby so we decided to just go for it.  There were a couple of bumps along the way like WPW (heart arrhythmia- that gave me a lot of trouble during chemo but they wanted to start right away and decided to treat it later).  I had to have an ablation procedure to correct the problem before I could get pregnant.  I ended up finding out I was pregnancy on X-mas eve /04.  Everything was amazing and went as well as could be expected given that I had a complete placenta previa.

I consider reconstruction after the first pregnancy, but decided to try for another baby.  We had our baby girl in Aug 2008.  This pregnancy was very difficult my body just felt tired and strained.

So now I am 5yrs out from surgery and close to 6 from diagnosis so far things look good.  My oncologist said that given my cancer was receptor+ , the pregnancies were sort of like poking anything that might be there with a stick (my deduction). 

So I decided I was ready for reconstruction - or not so ready. 

I am struggling so hard with this...I had the tissue expanders put in last wed and I am in awful pain.  I honestly don't know what I was thinking...I have an almost 8mth old baby girl and can't pick her up.  I do have lots of support - thankfully!!  I should have done more research.  I am so hoping to feel better soon so that I can care for my tiny ones on my own.  How long was it till everyone felt somewhat normal again?  I have so much scar tissue that is trying to stretch...I feel like the TE are up under my shoulders. 

This is a wonderful site, and any thoughts would be welcome and appreciated...

traceyz

Hi Cherine,

This may sound strange but many women say that the fuller they got the better they felt. Personally my back is really the only thing that bothers me. When I first got the expanders in I was a little sore and couldnt lift anything heavy but after a few weeks I felt fine. This is a WONDERFUL thread you are gonna find that everyone here is very sweet and helpful. You will get plenty of guidance and support here. It will get better and you will feel much better about your decision when you are holding your beautiful babies again. You are gonna feel fabulous really soon...I just know it. Just dont be shy when it comes to takin your pain pills that is why you have em....and if you dont have some....GET SOME!!!

Best Wishes,

Tracey

Mykidsmom

Cherine - I am with Tracey. It DOES get easier! Best wishes and give your self time to heal. You will be able to pick up your darling baby soon!

dee1961

Hello ladies,

I had bilat masts with tissue expanders on March 9th 2009. I just had 2 of 4 drains removed and he put 150 cc in each expander on Monday the 23rd. I was in alot of pain B4 but now..WOW!

Feels like I have done a thousand push ups and have this tight burning sensation sometimes.

I don't know how I am going to get through this. It feels like the expanders are in my armpit area and I have a hard time putting my arms down to my sides. I am taking flexoril once or twice a day and either Vicodin or Percocet depending on the level of pain. Can someone please tell me that the pain gets better and that this is "normal"??

Dee

Cherine

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the replies.

I was taking Percocet 2-every 4 hrs for the first 5 days.  Then Tylenol 3's.  They have made me horribly constipated (sorry).  I can't take either now.  Do you, or anyone have any recommendations for pain killers???...the ex-str tylenol & ib are really not cutting it.  I am about to call my PS to see what they can do, but I don't think he understands how painful this really is.

Thanks again, Cherine

mbscruggs

my ps recommended 800 mg of motrin every 8 hours...I too had gastrointestional problems with percoset.  The motrin did help me and I weaned down after 2 days of that.

Anonymous

Welcome,Cherine! 

We all can so well relate to your pain.  Please know that it WILL improve!  Although I took 600mg motrin, I found that the muscle relaxant (mine was soma) helped the most.  As the pain resolved a bit, he said I could cut them in half.  Although they do make you a bit drowsy, it's worth it.  

Dani42 - I got some magnesium yesterday, but could you explain more about the GABA?  Do you know if there are any contraindications with tamox?

Valerie

Mykidsmom

Ladies - I am so sorry that your fills are so uncomfortable! I remember that the earlier ones were much worse than the ones later on. I can provide a couple of suggestions - first, go slowly. If it hurts too much ask the PS to add less each time. I never had more than 50-60 cc at a time. If the narcotics make you constipated, take metamucil or colace or something to help that. My doctor tells me one dose of the metamucil each time I take a narcotic pill. Worked for me. As you heal more I also strongly recommend a hot bath and warm wash cloth, and a glass of wine doesn't hurt either. It will get better. Take care. - Jean

CAZ

Cherine: hang in there.   The end product is definitely worth it.  That being said, there is no reason your pain can't be managed.  Definitely talk to your PS.  Jean's right.  You can prevent the constipation, so the narcotics are a good temporary option in combination with OTC meds.

Dee: a fill of 150cc would have killed me.  I couldn't even take 60cc comfortably.  It felt like I was having a heart attack for 24 hours after each fill despite narcotics and muscle relaxants.  When I finally dropped to 45cc, it was like night and day.  If you're still in pain, don't hesitate to have them take some out.  Take care of yourself.

Carol(AZ)

sam1991

Cherine.....I agree with all...hang in there..It does get better. Don't don't stop taking the pain meds because of the constipation. Just take something to help it. Senna (senokot) is marvelous....sometimes too marvelous..hee hee. it's a natural vegetable laxative. There is also a tea form made by traditional medicinals called "Smooth Move"...LOL..no kidding. It's usually found in all the natural food stores and in some of the bigger grocery stores in their natural section. If you like tea, it tastes good. I'm 8 days post exchange and am feeling like it was definitely ALL worth it....and believe me...I had horrible pain at times. This is and always will be my favorite thread even tho I don't have TE's anymore. 

Take care, Kathie 

smmr

I agree with Kathie about not stopping the pain meds just because of the constipation.  I started taking stool softeners while I was on hydrocodone and that helped so much.  We shouldn't have to worry about that problem on top of everything else!! 

I admit the pain of fills was horrible to begin with.  When I scaled back and just got 45 ccs at a time that made the world of difference.  My last fill has been a little difficult.  I think it's because I am so overfilled.  My TE are only 450 ccs capacity but I'm filled to 600 so they feel like boulders!!  I keep telling myself that someday this will all just be a distant memory!!

Cherine, I know it has to be difficult with your kids being so little.  I remember thinking several times.....what would I do if I still had little kids to take care of.  I hope your support group stays with you until you are feeling better.  Hang in there!!  It will all be worth it shortly!!

boyzbeebs

Well ladies!  I had my exchange surgery last Thurs and had immediate relief.  I woke up with no pain.  He told my friend that he didn't think my pain was from the expanders.  Well, I saw him this past Tues. and he didn't say anything.  He also wouldn't give me pain meds.  I had to get the meds from my Oncologist.  The PS did give me pain meds last week.  I didn't need them.  I just wish the doctor's would listen to us.

 There is hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sam1991

Hi all....agree with boyzbeebs....I had immediate relief from the tissue expander pain after my exchange a week ago tuesday. I fortunately did have pain meds prescribed but only needed them a couple of times and that was for my fat graft harvest sites and injection sites, not boobs!!! 

Hang in and hang on ladies...it gets better and it's worth it. I'm back to work part time next week...looking forward to it!

Kathie 

traceyz

Hey Kathie,

I am trying to absorb all the info I can, I really wanna be in the know about things. So when you said you had fat graphs and injections??? My PS says he will not do any lipo to fill in areas around my implant for atleast 4 mos. I wasnt thrilled about that but I guess thats just how he does it.

3 MORE DAYS TO UNTIL THE BRICK REMOVAL!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!

dani42

val61

I don't know if there is a drug interaction with GABA.  You can call a pharamicist and ask them.  They would have the most knowledge on what is safe to combine.  My chiropractor didn't ask if I was taking anything or on any treatment when he suggested it.  I even asked if it was safe with pain medicine or ibuprophen and he said yes but I would check with a pharmasicist. 

sam1991

Tracey...My PS did them at my exchange. He said at my pre op appt. that I may need another graft after the initial one at exchange. Maybe that's why yours waits? I'm very pleased with my results. Even the lipo sites that he took the fat from are healing just fine. Just little scabby stab wounds from the cannula they use. Bruising is subsiding and the normal 'lipo itch" is there. Boobs are filling out nicely and he said I can wear the waist high compression spanx garment. I highly recommend going with that brand instead of the less expensive store brands. Spanx have a little pee opening in the crotch area (for lack of a better word) like men's underwear so you don't have to keep pulling them on and off. I wear the binders from the hospital at night for my boobs and belly. So I guess I could say I'm one happy customer!!!!

I also didn't have chemo or radiation so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with when or if they decide to fat graft.

Good luck with your exchange....You will be amazed at the difference between the expanders and the implants.

Hi Dianne....nice to see your face today. Hope you are feeling well.

Kathie 

Anonymous

Thanks, Dianne!  I'm for anything to make this process more bearable!

Hoping everyone has a lovely and pain-free weekend!  

Valerie

Jeansbeans

Hi Cherine, I haven't posted here in a while as I have joined the Exchange City thread finally!   Your pain you are having is not uncommon.  If you go to fast with the fills, the tissue can stretch too fast.  I was filled to 400cc's when i woke from my bilat mast. If only I came here first! { This thread has been my life saver during my expanding time.} Needless to say, I had to have some saline removed so I could function. From then on i only had 30-50cc's over a period of 3 months. My final fill was 600cc's. Then I waited 3 more months for my exchange.  Which I just had and am now having my tatoos on Monday.  It does get better, usually 2 months into the expanding you should feel better.   I don't know what i would do if i had small children to care for.  I hope you have help until you feel comfortable. You have gone through so much, and you are so young. I couldn't pick up my Grandaughter or lift anything for a while.  It will get better. Bless you all!  Good Luck to the LADIES having their exchange!!  You'll LOVE your new foobs, they will feel so soft. You won't be able to keep your hands off them!! LOL  Gentle Hugs, Jeanie

traceyz

Kathie,

So your PS did lipo in certain areas and then put it around the implant?? When you say graphs what do you mean? I assume the injections are of the fat removed from other areas right? I was kind of pissed about not getting the lipo done at the time of surgery because I really wanted to wake up skinnier!! Oh well I guess we will just see what happens. Thanks so much for all the info, and I am sorry to keep asking so many questions but I am just trying to understand it all.

Thanks again,

Tracey

sam1991

It's ok....ask away Tracey. So the untechnical explanation is yeah.....he sucked the fat out of my belly and hips and put it around the implant. Mostly on the top of the implants. Downside is you don.t wake up skinnier because you're all bruised and swollen....the upside...when all that starts to subside...woo hoo...there is a skinny body underneath. Have to wear spanx for 6 weeks tho because it really is a lipo procedure to harvest the fat so you have to recover from it. Does take a little longer but truly......I just giggle when I look in the mirror I'm so happy.

I did make the mistake of watching a lipo video before my surgery.....gawd....so barbaric!!!

Luck to you honey and PM me your email if you want. I'd share the pics with you.

xxoo Kathie 

dani42

I ended up going to the ps twice this week for unscheduled visits.   Earlier in the week my stitches were coming out, snagging my clothes and pulling.  Not a great feeling.  I have disolvable stitches but my body is pushing them out before they disolve.  Yeah.  

Then yesterday I was walking and felt my expander shift, twice.  It felt like the expander was completely under my arm and there was more flat space on my chest.  I had a pity party last night and a complete meltdown.  The ps saw me right away (again) and agreed that the left one  did shift.      

The ps wants to wait a month to let my skin soften and for me to live with this size to see if I like it but that might be the end of fills for me.  They measured me and said that I am at least a C cup.  I went to the store and tried on bras and fit into 34D's.  I don't know if that is accurate because of the shape of the expanders but I would be happy with C's.

Tracey, you must be so excited!  I'm very happy for you that your exchange is so close!

Hey Kathie, your pics are beautiful! 

jo-w

There's anatural homeopathy pills-called arnica -you can get it whole foods. does help with the pain...and go as slow as you want-not what your doctor wants- with the fills.  ice packs helped me too, and sleeping propped up a bit...hang in there!

Anonymous

Dianne - How scary for you for both events!  I'm glad  the fix won't involve extra surgery.  Waiting is way better.  Why did your ps think that that's all the fills you might be able to have? I guess there's a limit on how far the skin will stretch.  That's my biggest fear - that I won't stretch enough for even a baby implant. 

Gentle hugs to you. Hang in there!

 Valerie

dani42

val61

He has explained that because I am petite, I don't want to go "too big" for my body frame.  He has a point.  They didn't mention how the shifting is going to effect my fills but he didn't want to go bigger than where I am now anyway.  \

Now that I am fitting in 34D's, I am not finding my size bra in the stores.  Even with a sports bra, I went from buying a small to buying a large.  The problem is with a large the band is too wide.  You can easily find D cup bra's in band sizes of 36 and up.  I will wait until the end of April and then decide.  I won't get any more fills now, the only thing I need to decide is if I want to go smaller. 

My ps wants to wait 3 months after the last fill before my exchange. So I may have already started the countdown!!

sam1991

Hey Dianne.....emailed you. How are you sister? Just think you may have Pamela and Anderson in the works on your tiny little frame. I kinda had the same problem once my cup size was astronomical....LOL. Danskin and Champion seemed to be the best coverage and could still find a relatively small band. I also took to wearing them over a thin Gap body tshirt.....Jeez....do I sound like a paid employee of these companies...Oh I'm so excited if this is your "countdown"

xxoo Kathie