Sleeping with tissue expanders

Doreen12

Thank you,



I had my first fill of only 50 cc's last week , it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the pressure from the expanders are killing me, but I'm trying to hang in here. Lots of luck to you also. Have a great weekend.



Doreen

Doreen12

Hi,



It's been 5 weeks since my double mastectomy , and absolutely I CANNOT SLEEP ON MY SIDES, I tryed five times I gave up I'm on a recliner every night , I try to get in bed for a few hours and end up sleeping upright on the recliner , the side position is wayyyyy to painful for me , wait it out, the Dr. Told me in time ?... Good luck.



Doreen

Anonymous

I'm so sorry you girls are in this boat. There was NO WAY I could ever sleep on my side with the TE's. in fact I was not able to sleep on my back either. The recliner was my buddy for the duration. But an odd SE of that, fir me, was that my hamstrings got very tight...due to position, lack of exercise, etc. I'm guessing. And that led to knee pain. Odd how the it's all connected. Anyway, just an FYI to do lots of gentle stretching if, like me, you find yourself having to be propped in basically one position for months.



If it is any consolation, three months after exchange it's kind of like childbirth. I remember that there was some pain, but the memory has faded with the joy of the new boobs. Ha!!!!

jacquettaholmes

Hi Doreen, I was reading your post and we are going threw the same pain. Its 2:30am in the morning and I can't sleep. I ask the doctors and they same its normal. I can't sleep on my side or my back. Ever since my exspanders were put in after my mastectomy I have not sleep in my bed. I stay on my recliner. They hurt so bad I want to cry every night. I thank God for healing me from breast cancer, but the pain afterwards its just unbearable. ( Jacquetta)

RealityCheck

Hi jacquetta,

Sooo sorry to hear your not sleeping well. How long has it been since surgery for you? When I first had sugery it took me a couple of weeks to get used to sleeping in the bed with pillows and being propped up on my back. The recliner was also my friend. I am a stomach sleeper and I am just now after 7 weeks starting to sleep on my stomach (not all night, just long enough to get to sleep) without pain from my expanders. Sides are no problem now. I also switched sports bras. Same brand just different hold. If it persists I would speak to your PS and tell him you can't sleep and you need to sleep in order to heal and go through all of this. Hugs to you!

Suerabs

Hi gals. We all need sleep and with TE's it is sometimes difficult, if not impossible in our minds. I am a stomach /side sleeper so the adjustment to sleeping on my back was rough as it is. We all go through discomfort and pain differently, but some of the common theme advice is good. Sleeping in the recliner for 3 -4 weeks post BMX worked for me. I eased back I to bed mostly due to discomfort of my back and legs more than anything. Prop my head up on 2 pillows and one for the front,slightly underneath my TE. My breast center here have us little mini square pillows for snb/arm comfort. I used this under my TE that I was sleeping on. It's a wonder what that little pillow of comfort provided. Takes strain and stress off the muscle to hold everything in place moving back and forth. I was eventually able to even sleep in my front, for short periods of time. I know that the extra "good" sleep and rest did wonders for my daily discomfort. Good luck! It WILL get better!!

jacquettaholmes

Reality Check. My surgery was April30,2013.  And i really didnt start feeling the pain untill the middle of June. If i evev try to atempt to lay back, the pain wil start. I would have to roll out of bed protecting my chest to get up. So i just stay on my recliner. I tried dif bras, it didnt help. They gave me lortab and muscle relaxers, they didnt help. so they gave me oxycotin, it didnt help, so i just dont take anything. I just acepted the fact that im go hurt until i get my silicon Aug15. To God be the glory. jacquetta

jacquettaholmes

Suerabs, thanks for the encouragement. I wish I could sleep in any position now, but I am a side sleeper. Pillows don't help me. Its as soon as I try laying back the pain starts. So I just stay in my chair.It has start to eeffect my breathing now. I breath a little harder. I know its going to get better and go be worth it cause I was a A now in a C, but I wish the pain would ease up some. God is good. Jacquetta

Suerabs

Many a woman on here has said try physical therapy. The slight layer of muscles that are over the tissue expander has to have time to readjust and build elasticity and range of motion again. Anything that causes those muscles to work could make it hurt. Just a thought. Pushing, pulling, lifting, reaching, bending use those muscles. When the TE's are filled those muscles move and stretch to accommodate the extra fluid. This is their job. That's why we hurt. Take it easy. Recommend being aware of those things that we do that may impact those muscles

Anonymous

jacquettaholmes,

I just wanted to encourage you. I slept upright in our recliner for 4 months with my TE's. I had many of the same issues you described. There was NO WAY I could even tip the recliner back beyond just putting the foot rest up.



But just a few weeks post exchange I was able to start side sleeping again. It did not happen immediately, but it happened!! Now, 5 months later, I am sleeping like I used to...except that I wear a bra to bed each night for support.



I certainly hope relief comes quickly for you!

jacquettaholmes

Thanks Dulcigirl. I pray for that day of relief to come. And I never use to sleep in a bra, but now I won't let this bra they gave me go. Its funny how I hated this bra cause it use to be so tight it made cut marks on my back but now I love it cause if I take it off the tatas hurt. Stay blessed

sherry67

I had masectomy July 1011 and didnt have exchange until feb 2013 so I can feel for what what everyone is going through I had severe pain all that time from the expanders and nothing would help. Had a revision on July 9th and finally pain free..I to was a side sleeper so sleeping was tough...good luck to all

Marcyv

I'm so glad to have found this forum!!  How I survived this long without it I don't know.  I had a double mastectomy and am done filling up my TEs.  The fill process was very painful for me so I'm glad that's over!  I have my exchange in September and I cannot wait.  These things are horrible!  I was sent to PT and that does help but I feel them all the time and they bother me all the time.  (sorry for the rant!).  Anyway, there is no way I could sleep on my side!  I spend many weeks in a recliner as well.  I am thrilled to hear that once I have my exchange that I should be able to sleep on my side again! 

Layla2525

Doreen, you couldn't be much worse than me. I had to take pain pills for the fills and then stay out of work about 3 days after each fill. I had to sleep in my recliner for mths until right before the exchange.  Ask any of us, the getting rid of the TE is so much better whether you are getting implants or another kind of reconstruction.

I had drains for about 2 or 3 days with the implants and then I was ready to go but the PS wants most patients to take it easy for 6 wks. I got my second set of implants cause the first set went into capsular contracture. I got these July 1st and am going crazy to get out. I have been walking but PS wont approve much. I gotta still ice. The swelling has still not totally abated itself. I feel ok but I was a little woozy the first few days after surgery from all the anesthetic and such.  Hang it there, it gets better for most of us.

Anonymous

Not sure if this will help much. I'm a side sleeper, when I can. The recliner has been my bed for most of the past year. I carry so much stress in my back, shoulders and neck because of the mx, the exchange, and revision. I find that a heating pad on the lowest setting on my upper back and/or lower back relaxes the back muscles enough to allow me to sleep.

jacquettaholmes

Hello everyone. I just wanted to share my good news. Had my silicone put in yesterday. Hoping I'm not speaking to soon but I'm back in my bed, after a couple of months in my recliner yaaa. No more recliner. To God be the glory. Praying for all cancer patients, that God will help and heel everyone thats going threw this cancer. Incase you didn't know, WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD, He's our healer. Stay blessed all.

CeCegbp

Just wanted to say thanks to all of you for posting about your TE issues. It makes me feel better knowing it isn't just me & gives me the hope this WILL get better with time.

vamiss

I had my TE put in at the beginning of August 2015, and have already been diagnosed with lymphedema. I am still sleeping on a recliner. Tried to sleep in bed once, but only lasted a few hours and the next day my arm and underarm were really sore. I just ordered a foam wedge to put in the bed so that it will be a little more like my recliner. I also sleep with my arm up on a pillow to help control the lymphedema. I am glad to be reading that once the exchange occurs, sleeping gets easier! Does anyone have any additional suggestions for sleeping with TE's and lymphedema besides the recliner/pillow routine? Thanks!

Moderators

Hi Vamiss-

We want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We hope you find this to be a place of support when you need it most.

You may want to check out our Lymphedema forum as well; it's full of valuable information and advice from members who have or had lymphedema, and someone there might be able to offer you some insight!

We wish you continued luck on your recovery!

The Mods

upsidedown42

I am really, really glad I found this thread. And I am kind of glad I didn't find it prior to my surgery. I honestly had no idea how uncomfortable these things would be. If I had known, not sure I would have agreed to them! But, I know that in the end I will be glad I did it. Sleep has been trouble lately!

Is it common to have a sunburn like feeling on my skin? Especially on the side where I had a lymph node removed? My clothes just irritate the skin on the back of my arm and shoulder.

NYNJGirl3

hi ladies,

So glad I stumbled across this forum as I've been a bit down in the dumps. After a strong family history and brca1 postive diagnosis, I underwent a double mastectomy on sept 28. Drains came out yesterday (woohoo) but these tissue expanders are beyond awful. They are uncomfortable and suffocating and i would love to just rip them out. I'm smaller so they feel huge and overbearing. It's making me feel depressed and blah (I'm usually super active) but I just don't feel like doing anything. My mother and sister have been through this and have been very supportive as has my boyfriend. I keep trying to keep the end In Sight but any tips on how to deal with the TEs? I don't think I can do this for 3-4 months.