continued Tissue expander pain!!

Don't tell me... drains during the exchange too?  I guess when I think about it, it makes sense.  I absolutely hate the drains!!  My body takes forever to slow down to the little amount.  What else should I know about the exchange?   I'm just now getting used to the expanders. 

 Thanks,

lilyj 

I havent been on this thread for awhile.  Cant believe since mid June, Sorry.

  My Pain never went away...Just kind of settled at an even level.

I had my last fill a week ago. (400ccs) This one really made the pain Strong again.  Havent slept much all week.  I am waiting for confirmation on my Exchange date...Hoping for 9/22

I am on daily aspirin for a heart problem & dont feel comfortable taking anything for my pain.

Sneakypie.  I hope your Culture comes back good.

Is your drain draining  much?

 Sandym- Yes the exchange is usually day surgery (out patient).

 I have a Sept Reconstruction thread started...If any of you are having an Exchange or Expanders placed, etc...Please join us!

Pam

You're welcome Sandy.

I added your Surgery date.  And Bumped the thread so you can find it easier.

Pam

Hi Ladies, I had my left breast exchange and right breast lifted yesterday.  I can feel some relief on the exchange side but the lifted side is very sore and painful even with taking pain meds.  I feel pulling in between the breast and I hope it is only because I'm swollen and that as I heal it will subside?? I do know that the rock expander is no longer under my arm and up by my collar bone.  It's one pain to another but I prefer this kind of pain and pray it doesn't take long to go away.  I'm wearing a sports bra round the clock and was told I can take a shower tomorrow but my lifted breast is so sore I don't know if I want to have any water running over it.  I don't want to sound discouraging to all who have not had their exchange its just too soon to tell exactly how I feel.  I pray for you all.

lilyj,

go to forum index and click on 'Breast Reconstruction'.  

From there you can see what is being discussed or click on the 'Post New Topic' button if you want to start a new topic.

Hope that helps. 

Hello Ladies, Greetings from Michigan

Well it's been a while since I last visited you all, sooo sorry about that. Summer has been crazy in our house. I have some yucky news regarding my last surgery - the nipple recon. It didn't take, and they went flat.......what a bummer. So Nov. 24th the PS is going to try again. He has to wait for scar tissue to heal again. The other bad news is my left arm where they did my SNB. About 5 weeks ago I started to have pain in my armpit where my scar is, I seen the surgeon and they confirmed that I have scar tissue pushing on a nerve bundle and it is making my arm numb and is shooting pain down the outside of my arm to my fingertip and then also up my left shoulder, to the side of my neck and behind my ear. It's now pretty much 24/7 and a pain management team is setting up test at my hospital downstate. From what I understand the tests are really going to suck before even a surgery is schedule. I am so sick of needles and doctors.......I guess it doesn't help having a DH as a doctor as well, I always have told him not to sugar coat any thing. Anyways, that's a brief update. Hope everyone is doing well.

Love
Sharon

Hi everyone,

I had bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction using tissue expanders on July 23rd so am nearly 5 weeks post-op. Since the surgery I've had a REALLY tight feeling just under my bust, around my ribs, like I'm wearing a bra that's about 3 sizes too small. I can also feel the implants against my ribs and if I move in certain ways they dig in and cause my ribs to feel bruised. When I try to lie flatter than propped up on 5 pillows, including a V pillow that tight feeling gets even TIGHTER. 

Right now I feel as though my body will never feel normal again.  My ribs are getting more painful and I'm now on antibiotics as last Tuesday and Wednesday I was running a temperature and the pain in my left ribs has definitely got worse since then.

I HATE the way I feel now and can't help feleing that I should have just had the blateral mastectomies and been done with it. 

Trudie.

Trudie,  I think we all have that feeling of a too tight bra with the expanders.  I have heard it called the iron bra.  Even when you are braless it feels like you have a bra on.  I am 4 months out from bi-lat and expander placement and I still feel the "iron" bra.  You kinda get use to it.  I never had the digging into my ribs feeling but I did have the "feels like an elephant sitting on your chest" when I would try to get out of bed.  I no longer have that feeling.  I have heard that with the exchange the "iron bra" feeling will go away.  I am waiting for a date for my exchange.  Hopefully in September.  Mine was not so bad that I wanted them out.  Give it a little more time since you are only 5 weeks out.  Each day will be better.  Just try to hang in there.

Linda

Hi Trudie,

 I'm with you - I thought I was going to lose my mind with the expanders.  After all the other stuff, I thought this was going to be a lot easier.  Check out the note I wrote back in June when I was frantic.  I was sure I was going to have them taken out, and then slowly, the pain lessened and I could sleep without being in horrible pain, and I got off the pain meds.  It will get easier. Blah blah blah, right?!!  But, really it does.  There are days that I forget that I have them.  

This website helped a lot, especially during my sleepless nights.  It's comforting to know there are a lot of women out there dealing with the same pain and issues as me. 

It gets better, hang in there!!!  USE A LOT OF PILLOWS - BUILD THEM UP SO YOU HAVE SUPPORT UNDER YOUR ARMS!

 Lilyj

Well, nuts...I had to have my Frankenboob implant removed today! It looked pretty bad--pink and, in one spot purplish and yellow--and to the ps it looked like infection. So... another trip to the hospital and a wait of 3 months until the tissue heals. And, omigosh, another #@#$! drain!!! Not too happy here, but perhaps if it is redone, it will better match the other implant (symmetry, you know) and it will stop resisting the tissue. Actually, even with the incision pain, I feel better than I did with the implant pressure--it really mimicked the expander. (And yes, Debbie, Sneakypie is a cat--both Rita Mae Brown and Sneakypie Brown are billed as authors of a mystery-book series!)

Sneakypie, I just knew that was the inspiration for your name! Love that book series and the TV movies; hope they do more! (One pet shares a name with my son!)

Hoping all goes good, better, and best for you!

Hi Ladies,

Sharon 67,  So sorry to hear of all of your troubles. It just cannot go smoothly can it?

Trudie,  Hang in there. The expanders are tough. I did think about having mine taken out and going for the DIEP, but I thought that I was that far into it and I just kept them, but some days and nights were pretty miserable. It does ease up after the expansion is done.

Sneakypie,  Sorry to hear that you had an infection. Hope that it gets cleared up soon.

Janelle,  Are the ripples that you see anywhere near the scar tissue from the lumpectomies? Wondering if the scar tissue is doing this. Just a thought.

Take Care All,

Kes

Hey Lily!  I can give you some idea about recovery.  I had my exchange at the middle of June.  It was SOOOOO much easier than the mastectomy.  I did have drains but they were much much smaller and came out the next week.  I did have some work to be done at exchange time as my orginal breasts were a DD and there was a lot of excess skin to be dealt with.  I am about a C cup now.  I originally wanted to be a B cup but I think it's closer to a C cup which is fine with me!  I have cleavage still but nothing like the DD cup.  I was in a bit of pain for a few weeks post exchange but now I just have occaisional pangs of pain so that is good!  I do have itching though.  It's really irritating sometimes.  I want to just rip those suckers out sometimes due to the itching!!!!  I am a bit numb still and I think at this point I will always be.  I am still at odds about what to do with the nipples.  I have pretty long scars on both sides so I was hoping to have a nipple to break that up a bit.  In clothing I look really good though and I am having a blast being able to wear camisoles and cute tops without a bra!! That is the really big bonus of all of this.   Good luck with your exchange!!

 Anne

Kerry,

I don't think it is scar tissue as the ripples seem to have a symmetrical circular pattern. But then again, I do not know for sure.

-Janelle 

Hi Everyone,

Haven't posted in a very long time.  Lots of new ladies on the thread.  I had my exchange last February and have been IN LOVE with my implants.  I finally got my nipple reconstruction last week.  I found it painful, the ps just used local anesthesia and due to nerve damage he had trouble numbing me in areas.  So far they look fantastic!  I too was looking forward to it breaking up the big scar across the middle but the dr said he could not place the nipple directly on the scar.  (I didn't have the skin graft, so I am not sure how they do that!)  But in about 6 weeks we will tattoo on the aerola.  I think that will make the biggest difference.  It will cover some of the scar which is what I can't wait for!  Sharon I am so sorry you are still having trouble!! Yours went flat?  How long after you had it done??  I still find I have to wear my sports bra to bed if I go too long without support.  I just get achy in my chest, and sometimes get shooting pains.  I too, have pain where they did the snb.  My surgeon more or less told me it was in my head.  Said there was no reason for it.  LOL 

Sheila, I hadn't heard that about pressing down on the expanders....I would have cried!  Mine were so painful I could hardly stand it at times and to press on them? No way....but have heard others say that it helped relax the muscles, so my thought is that maybe there is something to it!

I was also at about 250 ccs after getting the expanders put in.  I could only tolerate 50 cc's per week.  I did 100 once and couldn't go back for 3 weeks.   The muscle spasms were dreadful.  Other ladies, could tolerate 100 just fine....so it will just depend on your tolerance.  Don't do more than you can stand comfortably or it will make you afraid....at least it did me. 

Everyone take care!  Teri