continued Tissue expander pain!!

ronqt1 ~

EC is all about our journey through this whole BC experience.  Whether we are just diagnosed or in treatment or near completion, it is a thread that provide comfort & support to get through this...together.  I joined several wks. after my MX.  I learned a lot through my expansions & to my exchange.  It is a thread to ask questions because so many have been there & done that...that's what's nice about the thread.

It is a place where all the ladies are as one!  Hope to see you there!

NAE

Warm thoughts for you Angel!!!  !  Every time I watch the news & see the weather on your end I think of you all!  Many blessings!

NAE

Kristinka, my best wishes of health and only good for you.  It took a little while but my chest muscle spasms disappeared gradually.

Angel - Knowing that I am not alone with this TE has attempted to make me a little more sane. I am also sleeping now with a square angled pillow that I had to purchase when I had a reflux problem some time ago. It does help.

Thank you gals again. Talk to everyone later.

And to all the other gals on this site who have responded. Will be back, but have to check in on Exchange City site.

Love and Hugs,

I want to share this song with all my sisters who have been there for me!!!  This song seems all the more appropriate as we go through this journey together.  I know we are from all dfferent backgrounds but I wanted to convey to everyone how special all of you have been!  So...here it is...from me to you...have a Merry Christmas!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAkN3nRht7Y

Have a blessed Christmas!

NAE

ronqt1 ~

Happy Hannakah!!  Chinese food & a movie sound awfully good! 

NAE

Hello all,

My family leaves for Maui on the 26th and I just tried on my new Target tankini for good measure - my hard TEs do a great job of keeping up the strapless top, much better than my former smallish breasts ever could...!  I think I'll blend right in around the pool with a big pair of sunglasses.

Thanks for everyne's encouragement over the past few weeks.  I can now get through the day with a few does of advil,  especially when I don't try to do too much around the house. I do find it hard not to be able to prepare for the holidays like I used to, but it's probably good for my family that we are having a simpler Christmas this year.

 best wishes to all of you lovely ladies - Merry Christmas, Happy late Hanukkah and a Happy New Year! 

I put this news item on another thread. However, I want to share if there are any Cobra recipients like myself:

COBRA Subsidy Extension
On December 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010 ("Defense Act"), which, among other things, has confirmed an extension of the COBRA subsidy originally authorized under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("ARRA").  (See April 2009 Insurance Law Alert.) The most relevant provisions of the Defense Act with respect to extension of the COBRA subsidy are as follows:

(1) Provide an extension of the COBRA subsidy eligibility to February 28, 2010;

(2) Extend the nine month time period for application of the subsidy by an additional six months, for a total of fifteen months;

(3) Permit retroactive payment of premium for up to sixty days after enactment of the extension for those assistance-eligible individuals ("AEI") whose subsidy expired on November 30, 2009 and who did not pay their premium for December coverage;

(4) Mandate an additional notice to all AEIs (i) who are on COBRA on or after November 1st or, (ii) whose qualifying event is a termination of employment on or after November 1st;

(5) Correct the current inconsistency in ARRA which requires both the termination of employment and eligibility for COBRA to be within the eligibility date. Only the date of the involuntary termination of employment will have to be on or before February 28, 2010. The COBRA benefits can begin at a later time.

 Well another delay of fill today. PS would not give me the 2nd fill due to scab that is still there, but he said it would not interfere with hopefully March date of exchange.

 I have to try again in 3 weeks, hopefully I can get the fill.  He also said the expander breast is hard as a rock and when touchd it hurts like heck.

 So I shall just keep reading everyone's posts and wish everyone well.

Katesf:  I hope this has been solved for you!  I stopped taking the pain meds (were not helping) and just used the muscle relaxer (flexerill) which was much more beneficial to me personally, allowing all those muscles that have just been cut, moved, reaarranged, pulled at and such - heal.

Ronna,  Are you in physical therapy?  My therapist does some gentle massages around the TE to loosen up the chest muscles and soften everything up.  My PS also wouldn't do a 2nd fill two weeks ago because I was still too hard and he felt my muscles weren't ready.  I go in for another fill on Jan 4 - I think I am softer now but am not sure.  I still have my bad pain days, so once and a while I reach for my Darvocet.  Flexeril is great for the muscle spasms, but you can't take it for more than 2-3 weeks at a time.  I'm saving my Flexeril for the next fill.  

Good luck to all of you ladies in waiting!

Kristen 

Kristen: Happy New Year, Wow, besides my scar on incission that is having difficulty healing, I too am hard as a rock and it hurts when I touch it.  No I am not in physical therapy, I have an appointment with oncologist on 13th or maybe early this week, I will call maybe he can prescribe some pt treatments, and once again, PS on 19th. Hopefully that can change pulling on my side and tightness.

My mobility of my arm is getting much better and for the first time (don't laugh) I was able to shave on mast side under arm since Mast. date 10/30.

The healthiest of New Years to everyone.

I have the same cleavage issues with the expanders.  When looking at the size, they seem larger than they will because they are filling straight out and the real implants will fill in that gap.

Jesse, Whippetmom is the resident expert on cc's and bra sizes.  I've also heard of women bringing in a bra that they would like to fill - that's my plan.  I think that 300 cc's can make a large cup size on one woman and a very small cup size on another - so there is no exact measurement. 

You are much farther along than I am with your fills b/c my ps likes to go pretty slowly - my 2nd is tomorrow.  I know about the knives though - that's exactly what it feels like for me!  Do you have any darvocet or percocet to deal with the pain?  I hope that it's better today.

Kristen

Hi all, I am still on site, even though it is 2 months past mx, I still get wiped out with TE, and occasionally feel knify pains and if I move a certain way, that TE has its own mind.

I am diligently reading everyone's posts but am trying to keep positive until the 19th when 3rd attempt at 2nd fill is for. PS said that is all I will need.

 On one of the previous posts, one gal said her dr does not go by size. Neither does mine. On a positive note, I am looking forward to March, hopefully the exchange.

Just wanted to share.

Have a pleasant evening.

Take care ladies....and hang in there...this will get better...

God Bless!