Feels like no improvement 5 days after BMX&TEs - is this normal?

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On Tuesday morning, my wife had a bilateral skin-sparing mastectomy, placement of tissue expanders, and axial dissection on the left side. Today (Sunday) her condition is just about the same as it was four days ago - just barely able to get up out of the recliner by herself, overwhelming pain occasionally, can just barely move her elbows out of the way for me to empty the drains. Is this normal?

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This is all so frustratingly vague and hard to describe, I realize, so here's a more objective measurement - what would be a normal number of days after surgery before a BMX/TE patient could be expected to be left alone for a long stretch (6-8 hours)?

Lisey

I was in agony after I had MX/TEs and it felt like a bra 3 times too small and I could take it off and it would be stabbing pain when I least expected it. I hated it... 3 weeks later, it was WORSE than at first. So I had them remove the TEs and now I'm 8 days out and doing well with no pain, just soreness and tightness... no bra of death, no stabbing.. more like a sunburn on my chest.

Also, I had to have my husband and mother forklift me to a sitting position a lot and they had to help me for about 2 weeks in that going from laying down to getting up. I'm doing better now, but still have my husband help get my bed into 'office chair' mode every morning before he leaves for work because I'm not allowed to raise my arms over 90 degrees or lift anything more than 5lbs.

If she's on oxycontin or any codeine she can't drive. I was left alone, but wasn't expected to do anything for 2 weeks.. my mother would bring me drinks and food.. I just worked from my bed. (I couldn't move due to the TEs hurting so bad)..

I've been told 1 week after surgery is when you just being to start stretching, but I have a small seroma, so I'm delaying it until it's gone... I still don't do much and it's been 1 month since the first MX/TEs disaster and 8 days since they were removed.

Alex276

The first 2-3 weeks were very painful for me and I think most of my pain was tissue expander related. I was on a consistent dose of muscile relaxers, Norco, tramidol and Xanax. I had some serious depression for a couple weeks that i now take meds for too. Keep an eye on her for this, it is very common for this to happen. After 4 weeks I started to feel better slowly also after my first fill the expanders felt more tolerable and that got better each fill for the first few. The only way I was able to sit up in bed was to kind of hook my toes under the outer edge of the bed and use my legs and abs to sit up and rotate off the bed. Please tell your wife it does get better, she just has to make through the first few weeks

kcat2013

That was where I was at that point following surgery. It does get better. I couldn't even reach across the bathroom counter to push the soap out of the dispenser to wash my hands--needed help with that. I also needed help getting up from the recliner for at least a week. I was able to move around quite a bit easier by 2 weeks out, but still had alot of pain through week 4. By week 6 things turned a corner and no more pain and my range of motion started improving. I think I stayed home alone for long stretches about 2-3 weeks out My husband just made sure I had everything I would need within easy reach--so plates/cups/etc placed on the counter because my surgeon didn't want me lifting my arms up still. I also switched to sitting in a different chair when I was home alone--one that was less comfortable than the recliner but I could slowly get out of on my own. And I always had my cell phone on me in case I needed to call him or a friend.

SummerAngel

I think this varies widely. I was on the younger side and in very good physical condition when I had my surgery. I was definitely in a lot of pain for a while (those TEs are pretty rough) but I was able to get my own meds, deal with my own drains, and get up and around for things myself right away.

SpecialK

My surgery was on a Monday afternoon, bi-lat mastectomy with expanders placed. Went home early Wednesday morning due to a delay in removing my paravertebral block - otherwise would have gone home next day. My husband was home with me until the following Monday, when he returned to work. During those five days I could strip my own drains, get in and out of bed (didn't use a recliner), and handle my own meds. I was on my own during the day when he returned to work, which was 10-12 hours due to his long commute. I still had pain but it did not prevent me from doing things for myself, and during the day I was off narcotics and on Tylenol by the end of the first week, although most stay on those meds longer. My surgery was on Nov. 1 and I prepared Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 25, did all but lift the turkey and put it in the oven - so that was 3 and 1/2 weeks later. Most can do fine for periods alone at the 1-2 week point, needing help with showers or hair washing, weaning off pain meds by several weeks - maybe continuing to need them at night, and usually there is usually a distinct turning point at about the 4-6 week mark, with most returning to driving and working. Everyone is different and we all have different pain thresholds, but the good news is that this does get better with time - wishing you both the best.

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Thank you for your replies! Makes both of us more comfortable with this being "normal" - whatever that means!