continued Tissue expander pain!!

MooreTennis

Celine - glad to hear you are doing better.

swest

Celine - Good!!!  That is exactly the way I was feeling after my last fill.  I think I'm going to take a long hot shower tonight.  Maybe that will help me relax.

sandy1964

Hi Ladies, I had a bilateral mastectomy 8 weeks ago.  After about ten days I started having redness on the left breast.  It eventually started on right breast too.  I have had bloodwork done, an ultrasound with a guided aspiration on the left breast and an exploratory surgery but there is no sign of infection.  My white blood count is good.  I have taken about four rounds of antibiotic but nothing helps it.  Somedays it is redder than other days.  My ps is now checking with the te manufacturer.  He feels like I may be having a reaction to the expander.  My question is - has anyone else experienced anything like this? If so, please let me know what you did.  I am beginning to think I need to have them removed.  Thanks.

Angel10

Sandy,

My infection, described as cellulitus was only determined by an elevated sedimentation rate (ESR).  My white blood count was normal, and I never had a fever.  I took about 3 days or Keflex to no avail and then I went into the hospital and did 6 days of twice daily Vancomycin IV. That seemed to get the sed rate down, and got at the redness, too. I left the hospital on Bactrim DS for almost 3 weeks, but developed drug induced hepatitis from the Bactrim. Seems I am now allergic to sulpher drugs!  I went back to the hospital for another 6 days of Vanco...and now am on nothing, but the sed rate and liver enzmes have normalized.

So...eventually got better, but I did ask about whether or not it was known how the original infection started (it did not culture anything), or was I just having a reaction or "rejection" of the implant. I was told because I did get better, it was not a "reaction or rejection". If I had not gotten better, then perhaps there would have been a different answer.

Another note of interest...my PS was heading towards having me go back into the OR for a "wash" to clear the infection. he was going to clean up any infected area, wash out the area with about 6 litres of saline and replace the TE's in an attempt to save the process before abondoning for 6-12 weeks as some have done.  I never had to go that route, but I think it is a fairly new technique with anywhere from 50-70% success.  It was good to know that there was another option before abandoning the expansions for several months and redoing everything.

Good luck...feel better and God Bless!

Angel!

sandy1964

Angel, I do have an elevated sedimentation rate. Just had it done yesterday.  I see my ps in the morning and I am going to print your remarks and take them with me.  Darn, I sure don't want to have to go back in hospital.  But I think I may have to.  I certainly appreciate your quick response and I will let you know what my doctor decides.  Sandy

sandy1964

Angel, one other thought.  Did the redness itch any?  Mine tends to want to be itchy!

dee1961

So sorry you ladies had to go through infections. I thought I had one a couple months ago. I had a red patch on skin on my cancer side (looked more like a reddish bruise) but it went away on its own after some more fills. The PS thinks it was just irritation from the expander. TE's are torture!

Angel10

Sandy...not terribly itchy as I recall...just hot, hot, hot!  My sed rate was as high as 85. Normal I believe is 15-25...if it were 100 we were going straight to the OR for that wash procedure.

Good luck and let me know how you make out!

God Bless!

Angel

yasminv1

Hi Ladies,

Sorry some of you are having a tough time with the expanders. I had a couple small issues in the beginning (itching, really bad bruising caused by a hematoma) and now 6 weeks after things are going better. Just a small bruise left from that hematoma. I have only had 2 fills (each 50cc) and both times I had pain and soreness that lasted 3-5 days and then I was all better. These bricks are no fun. I woke up this morning laying on my left TE and it hurt like hell all morning. I can't wait until exchange!

Take Care,

Yasmin

makingway

My PS suggested I take homeopathic Arnica montana 30X 4 tablets 4 times a day and Bromelain 500 mg 2 tablets 3 times a day. I started this 4 days BEFORE surgery and continue for 2 weeks after. I had absoltuely no brusing. I also conditioned the whole area with a natural product called Calendula Cream by a company called Arbordoun's. Kinda sticky, but I healed well. I bought some Aubrey Organics Rosa Mosqueta oil. It's supposed to be great to reduce scarring. I have another surgery Monday (implant exchange), so I'm taking these again. On another note; my PS told me my TE is sideways. It's been that way from the beginning! My general surgeon commented that one end was folded over, that's why it's sticking up so far near my clavicle. It frikin hurts! I'm so sick of it I insisted it's got to go! Wish me luck, I have little confidence in my PS at this point. I finally got to see his prior reconstruction photos-there were only 2, and one was from 10 years ago...

yasminv1

Makingway - Wishing you tons of luck. All will go well and you will hopefully have some pain relief.

I think I too may have a TE that may not be in the right place. My Right TE is pointing towards my armpit tha side to side. My left side is nicely shaped side to side. I think my BS moved it when he had to go in for re-excision a week after mastectomy. My PS said everything is ok.

KarenLazarovitz

Hi Celine,

I have had the same excrusiating pain after a fill but mine is on my right side.  I'm now at 360 and when they filled the left one, no pain, the right one, I thought i was gonig to die.  When I lifted my arm, I also had shooting pain.  I had to take 3 days off of work becuase I was in so much pain.  i even went back to the PS to make sure that everything was okay.  i also had a fill of 80 cc's.  I have not had cancer and my PBM was preventative because I carry the BRCA2 gene so I know that my pain is not from the cancer.

Glad that you're feeling better.  I wish I had a date for my exchange surgery, I still have a few more fills to go.  i find that the shower helps me loosen up but I hate the mornings, I can barely get started.  Damn tissue expanders!!

You women are all so wonderful

xo

Celine

Hi Moore and swest, nice to hear from both of you. I took a hot shower today and seems to help the pain. This morning when I woke up i felt like I was wearing a wired bra. NOT!!!

Hi Karen, I had two more fills to go. I wish this is over. I asked my doctor if it is safe to pass those metal detector at the airport and he said yes it's fine because the magnet inside the te's are too small to detect.

I don't know if I can make it to 600 cc. That's one of my wish list. I hope so. Take care and good luck to all having to go to this TE's process. Not fun at all.

swest

Celine - I flew to Denver earlier this month and had no trouble getting through security.  Have fun!

 Sonia

dee1961

Hi ladies,

Well I could go on for days about the wonders of the tissue expander, but I won't bore you. I did want to tell you that I had a new experience with them just tonight. I am a very clumsy person and am always bumping into things, anyhooo...as I walked through my bedroom door tonight I ran into the door frame and actually bounced off!  LOL  So maybe they are good for something after all Dee~ 

nealeann

I have never written before but find compfort in all  your stories.  I had a double mesectomy June 5 with expanders put in place, on July 3 I was back in the hospital with and infection on both sides, surgery was done on both sides and drains put back in.  Now almost a week later I still have two drains in on my left side and have had 3 fillings in the last week of 100cc each.  My drains don't seem to slow down and the Dr. wants them at 20 or below before he will remove them.  I am in quite a bit of pain on my left side, my right side is filling like a champ. Anybody else and are there any suggestions.  Thank you all and  Good luck to us all.

dee1961

Hi nealeann,

I'm sorry you are going through the drains, everyone who has has mastectomies know and feel your pain. The only thing I found that helped the draining slow down was not to do anything active and physical. I mean other than the necessary things like eating and bathing. The pain will be better too after they come out. So just lounge and rest as much as possible and hopefully those things will be out soon! Take care! Dee~

traceyz

Hang in there ladies the implants are like night and day. You can do it!!

nealeann

Dee,

Thank you for your reply.  I miss typed my drains have been in for almost a month not week.  I am sure this too will pass. Again thanks

Alitman

Paula, it is nice to know you are close by.  My PS is in Omaha and I get my fills mostly at Emanuelle as it is closest to my office.  I don't have to go through any chemo so I am VERY FORTUNATE in that.  How far into your recovery and reconstruction are you?  I am six weeks out and having a hard time but not as hard as others who post here.  I think my right TE has slipped and it feels like my fills will have to be done through my armpit (LOL)- I go back on wednesday and I'll ask if this is "normal".  I wish for the day when I am not FULLY AWARE of my breasts.  Before the bilat mx - I never really thought about them (except that the left one looked ahead of me and the right one just stared at my left shoe).  While I didn't have cancer - it was only a matter of time with my family history and my own breast issues - lumpectomy after lumpectomy.  I feel for everyone here who was diagnosed with cancer and will keep you all in my prayers.  I am thankful for this site to be able to "talk" to others who understand the bricks and iron bra feeling - it is something you just can't explain.  I love the "aliens" theory - especially when I feel the sloshing!!!

Allison

nealeann

Allison,

Hi I too have my TE parcialy in my armpit and walk a little like Popeye. My PS assures me that it is not uncommon and when the exchange is done he will be able to correct the look.  Good luck

 Neale

Wink

I had TEs placed on July 6,2009 and have had 2 fills of 120mLs each time.  My PS wants to get me up to 660.  Thursday is my last fill and then I will have the exchange in Sept.  I could not believe how much pain I was in after the expanders were placed - much worse than my bi-mast!  After the 2nd fill I've had less pain, but still feel like I've blown out my underwire bra on the left side. 

Neale - love the Popeye analogy; I feel that way too - underarm foobs!  My PS also said that he would fix that during the exchange.  Wonder if he could fix a few other things too (like total body lipo....lol).

I think that we should all rally and demand that the expander manufactures come up with a more comfortable tissue expander.  You know darn well that they would make it more comfortable if it was for expanding Fenises or Falls!

FACECRAFTER

Donna, are you really wearing an underwire? 

Wink

Judy - no, I don't wear a bra at all - but when I did wear an underwire bra (which I think contributes to breast inflamation), I remember that it always felt like it was jabbing me in the ribs - similar to the way my expander on the left feels.

nChapelHeel

My wife is experiencing pain late in the afternoon. She is active at home while I am at work. I have noticed that she avoids contact to her chest since the tissue expanders are doing what tey are supoosed to do. Since it has only been 3 weeks since BX, she isn't all that comfortable anyway. She is not a "complainer" either!! She is using Ibuprofen all day and then takes a codeine pill at about 4 PM. This seems to work well for her. Hope this is helpful

nChapelHeel

sandy1964

Sorry I haven't gotten back on this board sooner.  I took some of the info from the board to my ps and shared with him.  He had tried aspirating the left breast before but nothing much came out.  Last Friday he tried one more time and got 45 cc of a clear yellow liquid.  The cultures showed no infection.  This past monday he aspirated again and got 75cc.  I go see him tomorrow and he will probably aspirate again.  The inflamation and redness is so much better and not near as hot.  Thank goodness!! My surgery was May 27th and I still have not received any fills due to this inflamation.  I bet starting next week I will start getting my fills.  I will keep you posted.  A special thanks to everyone who has helped me with my problem.   

Angel10

Sandy, so good to see your response. I was about to PM to see what was going on with you.  I did not culture anything either when I was infected....it was just the elevated sed rate andd the redness and heat that determined I was infected.  Did you go any antibiotics or does your PS think it is not necessary?

Glad to hear you are seeing an improvement...keep us posted!

God Bless!

Angel

sandy1964

Thanks Angel.  I have been on 4 rounds of different antibiotics and they didn't seem to improve the redness and heat.  The aspirations have helped more than anything.   My sed rate was 65 so it was definitely elevated.   Thanks again.  Sandy

lhendri479

I had surgery a week ago and the expanders were put in.  Today - I had had it.  It hurt so bad.  I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon today and when he asked, "How are you doing?", I just let him know.  Between the tears, snufles, and the pain, I told him that I wanted the expanders taken out because all this pain just is not worth it.  He said, "No you don't want to do that.  Let me take some of the saline out"  He ended up taking out half of the amount he had put in there.  I told him "If the pain is still the same, I'm going to rip them out"  He did renew my pain meds and set up an appointment for next week.

 I have never had such severe, persistant pain in my life and never want to again.  As of this evening, the pain has lessened (finally) and I can tolerate it at this level.  I have also found out that the general surgeon 'left little amount of skin for the plastic surgeon to work with'.

I might even be able to lie down and sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow morning without crying in absolute agony.

Maybe my skin is not as elastic as someone elses and cannot accomodate a large amount of saline.  Maybe the filling will take quite a bit longer than anticipated and planned for but I would rather go without any breasts than to have that kind of pain again.

Just had to tell someone about this and thanks for the place so I could do that.  Meanwhile, I hope I did help someone else in the same position as I am in.

Thank You

Liverpoollou

Hi everyone I am new to this forum but thought I would tell my experience, had my masectomy end of march at which time my expander was put in. Four weeks later saw my GP due to redness,heat put on antibiotics. Next day saw my surgeon as I was very worried he whipped me back into hospital there and then and I was in a week on IV antibiotics. Also had 450mls of fluid aspirated  from tissue surrounding expander which made it feel way more comfortable.

Subsiquent fills left me feeling  unable to breath and faint for a couple of days (too much saline I think) now expander has slipped under my armpit very uncomfortable. I am now at a wait and see stage.

Starting rads in september.

Good luck to everyone out there at least I know I am not alone.