Radiation and Expanders

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  • grneyd5600
    grneyd5600 Member Posts: 420
    edited January 2011

    bher - I probably have to be re-expanded again too.  The radiation has tightened up my skin some as well.  I am supposed to see the PS next Wed.  It will be the first time he has seen me since they de-flated me and I started radiation.  Next Friday is my last radiation.  Yay!!!!  I willlet you know what he tells me then.  In the mean time hang in there!

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  • Smile_On
    Smile_On Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2011

    I made it through radiation with expanders in and no fluid removed.  I was smallish chested before mastectomy & am aiming for a B cup, so I have a large B/ small C amount of fluid-410cc's in my expanders, I can imagine having more fluid would be more painful.

    Any of you have any input/idea of when your reconstruction can be?  My surgeon said all of my redness/tightness has to be gone first.  She also said I will likely need a lat-dorsi flap reconstruction because of damage to my skin/tissues.  She said it could be anywhere from 6 months to 2 yrs. before I can get reconstruciton.  My expanders actually look pretty natural in, other than they were a bit big for my tiny frame and are a little more pointing out to the sides than out front, but I've had people who didn't know that I hadn't had implants done already. I am ready to get them out though since they are quite hard and uncomfortable.

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  • klc22
    klc22 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2011

    For your reconstruction, did you go larger?  If so, did they have time to expand you enough before rads started?

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  • klc22
    klc22 Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2011

    I had surgery December 1.  Doctor said rads usually start 4-6 weeks after but willing to wait 8 weeks to allow for expansion.

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  • taterranova
    taterranova Member Posts: 13
    edited January 2011

    Hi, I actually didn't have expanders put in until 3 months after my radiation, though we knew before that I was going to need it.  I had to have latissimus dorsi flap. The reason for no expanders is due to the skin and muscle tightening during radiation and the loss of elasticity.

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  • Pegs
    Pegs Member Posts: 198
    edited January 2011

    I have expanders in and just finished with radiation, as far as i can tell the expanders are fine, the radiation burn is very sore expecially under my arm, i am using emo oil , not sure if i should use something else along with it.  i tried aquaphore, what a mess that is. they game me silvadene i tried it ok i guess. read about emo oil and thought i'd give it a try, not a messy waiting for the stuff to work

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  • beacher4209
    beacher4209 Member Posts: 540
    edited January 2011

    to smile_on,    im confused? when they take your expanders out are they putting implants in or dorsi muscle?

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  • Smile_On
    Smile_On Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2011

    She plans on doing implants and the lat. dorsi muscle.  I'm healing really well from radiation though, so I'm hoping I can do the straight implant/exchange.  My plastic surgeon said sometimes they do reconstructions by taking fat from parts of your body (such as your tummy) and using that instead of an implant, but I don't have a lot of that to spare--although definitely have more post chemo than I used to.  I think every surgeon has there own methods, and it probablly differs for each of our individual cases/body types.

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  • beacher4209
    beacher4209 Member Posts: 540
    edited January 2011

    THANKS PEGS KEEP US POSTED!

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  • beacher4209
    beacher4209 Member Posts: 540
    edited January 2011

    SMILE_ONYES I GET IT NOW MY PS TALKED OF THAT FOR ME TOO,I DID NOT REALIZE IT MEANT TO USE IMPLANTS TOO.I HOPE YOUR SKIN STAYS HEALING WELL SO U DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE THAT EXTRA SURGERY TO RECOVER FROM! I TTO DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TUMMY TO TAKE FROM BUT BY THE TIME IM WITH RADS I SHOULD ALL I DO IS EAT ,RADS,CREAM, EAT ,SHOWER, EAT ,RADS ,CREAM ECT.... HOW BAD WAS YOUR INITIAL SKIN TISSUE DAMAGE? DID IT HURT ALOT? DID U HAVE OPEN SORES?? IM ON MY 6TH TREATMENT TODAY AND IT FEELS LIKE ITS GOING TO BURST! I ONLY HAVE THE LEFT MX SO I GOT ONE DOWN AND ONE UP HARD TO DISGUISE,SO GOING OUT IS LIMITED A BRA WOULD BE TORTURE WISHING U MUCH LUCK

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  • Smile_On
    Smile_On Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2011

    The skin in my armpit opened and peeled back several layers deep and became "weepy."  I also had some peeling underneath my right breast, but not nearly as bad (my rad. onc said it is b/c my TE breast is small--I was an A now a full B/small C).  I had a bilateral mastectomy & my tissue expanders are quite firm and don't bounce so I found these super soft t-shirts made by Jockey at Kohl's and wear those instead.  I couldn't stand the rubbing of a bra.  I became pretty sore by the end.  I was offered a pain prescrip. but I didn't think it was quite that bad, and very much disklike the side effects of pain meds.  I did use Neosporin plus a lot in the last week and the week after I was finished.  It has a topical pain med in it.  I put it on when I was finished with rad. for the day and slathered it and a hydrogel the nurse gave me at night.  The good news for me was that my skin decided to be a quick healer.  I still have some pinkness and flaking and am still slathering the aloe, but traded the hydrogel for Aquaphor ointment.  The severe pain/redness only lasted about 1 week post treatments.  Good luck.

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