Expanders and expanding shaving and deoderant

lulivesay

So I am almost 5 weeks out from bilateral and have my expanders placed.  I have the iron chest feeling but otherwise seems like things are good.  What about shaving and deodorant?  I waited until my drains had been out for a week to use deodorant and just shaved with a real razor last weekend but now read that maybe I shouldn't do either what has anybody else done?  My surgeon is on vaca for two weeks!

sarahjane7374

I got no instructions one way or the other from either my BS or PS on shaving or deodorant, so I just continued to do both, right on through BMX, reconstruction and exchange, with no problems.....  I never even really gave it a thought until I read some postings here.  But I didn't have any issues with it.

RainDew

only suggestion I had was to use an electric razor (as SNB site quite numb under arms so concern about nicks and LE with a blade)

My BS and nurse both said to use whatever deodorant I liked

Good luck!

lulivesay

I am really numb too so that concerned me as well.  I did use an electric razor at first but ended up with an ingrown hair that has since healed but I was worried about infection.  So RainDew our surgery date and diagnosis are very similar how is the healing and experience with expanders going? I am real tight and numb yet and I have had one fill so far!

RainDew

hi lulivesay!

I am healing well generally - left side looks great (I had nipple sparing mx) and w 300ccs looks like a miniboob. Right side (cancer side) is a total mess, all kinds of weird wrinkles and TE sitting in a really bizarre place - only fills at the top so kind of in my armpit and collarbone. And poor right nipple sort of folded in half. PS swears none of this matters and will fix in exchange if not with fills. I am hoping he is right...

All in, I can't complain, compared to others' stories I have had it relatively easy so far (knock on wood!! I am very grateful for this!!)

How are you doing? We have a May surgery group you might be interested in joining. Lots of us had BMX in May, very different experiences.

Peace,

Rain

vbishop

Hi all -

I missed shaving for about a week while my SNB site healed.  Never stopped using deodorant.

Good luck on your TE experience.  Other than the "stop a bullet with my boobs" feeling, it was pretty easy.  The exchange surgery was an outpatient surgery for me and I was out walking the neighborhood two days later, with the tube top cut off 4 days later and showering on day 5.  So much different than BMX. 

Love my results!

lulivesay

hi Rain, I am still trying to find my way around on the site.  I will def try to find and join the May surgery group!  Glad to hear your expanders are doing alright.  Mine are a bit lopsided as well the left cancer side has not been filled to catch up with the other side yet. So I only have 150 left and 250 right so far.  I hope I will know the right size to go, it seems it really varies. And a friend told me the final implants appear smaller then the TE!  What to do? Are you close to exchange day? Take care! Lu

RainDew

hey Lu,

I'm in a fill 'pause' while a few things settle so still at 300ccs. Cancer side still looks totally weird - same as before. PS not worried but I hate the lopsided look (all the saline is up at my collarbone because the TE kind of folded in half at the bottom). 

Not even close to exchange - I had IDC so will need to work out if I am having chemo first (I just can't decide!!!)

Peace,

Rain

lulivesay

That is frustrating! It sounds really uncomfortable as well. I know my PS also said don't worry how they look now it will be okay in the end! Let's hope! So did you have an onco test while you try to figure out about chemo? Mine onco number was 13 and they said it wasn't worth having the chemo!!? Mine was invasive ductal carcinoma insitu, our diagnosis seem very similar??? Does that seem right? Lu

RainDew

hi Lu,

Yea, I had onco - score was 14 so very similar diagnoses indeed.

MO was ambivalent about chemo - fine to skip it but I am young (39) and I am not sure I want to skip it - I know there are no guarantees either way and I could get mets even with the chemo, but I want to make sure I have done everything I can. Equally, I don't want to do it if it really won't help my type of tumor - honestly it's a crapshoot.

I ordered a Mammaprint - more waiting, but one more input before I make a decision. Will have to go one way or the other next week.

When is your exchange scheduled for?

Rain

lulivesay

Rain,

I am glad that you are gathering all the information to make your decision.  I certainly will be thinking about you.  At 47 I am a few years older than you and when they said no chemo I shouted for joy!  But it has crossed my mind the what ifs, I had a couple of isolated tumor cells in my auxiliary lymph node, but not enough to call it positive.  Plus I had a lumpectomy first and didn't get clean margins so went back and went with the BMX.  Back in my mind is a little shadow though of "a couple of isolated cells"  and then waiting for a month with some of the cancer still there before my second surgery.  Let me know what the mammaprint tells you.  I hope that it will make your decision more apparent to you!

I don't have a schedule date yet but am thinking it won't be until September, I was only filled to .50 in the left and 100 in the right after surgery so have a ways to go in fills yet!

Wishing you the best!

Peace, Lu

hope49

Hello!

Just weighing in on the shaving/deoderant question.  If you had the axillary lymph nodes removed, it's recommended that you only use an electric razor on that side. Since you have numbness in that area, you could potentially cut yourself more easily and if there was an infection could cause problems due to lack of lymph nodes to fight it off.  Luckily I had laser hair removal on my underarms just before diagnosis so now I only have to tweeze a stray hair or two under that side LOL.  As for deodorant, I had heard that we should stay away from anything with aluminum...although my docs didn't seem to think this was a problem, I went with public opinion on this one.  I had to try many organic versions to find one I liked, which is called Moo Goo.  I also used one from Jason's that I liked but didn't think it had the staying power of the Moo Goo.  Hope this helps!

Janett2014

Instead of shaving under my arms I use Veet hair remover with aloe for sensitive skin. Put it on thickly and leave it for 5 minutes, then wipe off with damp cloth, and rinse. It's easy and painless, and my PS gave me the OK to use it. I do it about once a week which seems to work fine for me.