Sleeping with tissue expanders

Most of the time with my expanders I did sleep on my back with plenty of pillows, although close to the time of my exchange I did manage to sleep on my side.

Sheila

I was always a side/front sleeper, but I propped myself up with pillows and slept on my back or right side for several weeks after my single mastectomy in May 2009. After that I found that I was able to lie on my left side again, for a short time to start with. Now I can sleep pretty much the same way I did before mastectomy and don't have to even think about it.

I had my TE placed at the time of my mastectomy, so it has been there 11 months now and my body has got used to it. Your surgery is still pretty recent so you probably just need to give your body more time. I hope it gets easier for you.

I actually tried a muscle relaxer once and I found that it helped.  If you aren't against trying that, maybe you could get a perscription.  I also find that spooning a pillow helps me.  I promise you they get more comfortable!!!  I've had mine in for six months now and I really haven't been uncomfortable in a long time. 

kfrog- i had the lat flap after bmx 11 days ago.  The TE are tough to deal with but the back is super sore and the muscles seem to "roll" around and I get so skeeved out by that.  Does it go away eventually?  I realize i still have drains and it has not been very long since surgery but to me it feels like forever!

T.

I sleep on my sides and on my back.  When I sleep on my side I usually place a pillow in front of my chest and stomach to elevate my arm (lymphodema risk).  I found that the pillow made me more comfortable with the expanders.  I was able to sleep on either side (I had a prophylactic mast and TE on the left and LD on the right with TE) within a few days of a fill.  Now that I'm filled and ready to burst: just waiting for my exchange sleep position isn't an issue.  When I roll over to my side it might be uncomfortable at first so I just make sure I am truly on my side and not rolling over onto my front.

I recommend travel pillows for propping yourself up in the sleeping position that you desire.  I got two of them at Target, and they take up less space than full pillows.  I could NEVER sleep on my side with the TEs, but about 3-4 weeks after my exchange, I started sleeping on my sides, propped with pillows.  Just know that it does get easier with time!

Hi Sharon,

I had a double Mastectomy on April 23, with tissue expanders placed in me. It is almost 4 weeks, I am so uncomfortable with the tissue expanders, I tried over and over again to sleep in bed with several amounts of pillows in all different ways its so painful I feel like the expanders are moving around and I cannot get comfortable and end up back on the couch on my recliner praying I can fall asleep because my back and rear hurt so bad sleeping like this every night. You had mentioned it does get better in time , question .How long does it take? I find myself always crying and praying for the pain and discomfort to end and it doesn't. I have mentioned this to my surgeon and he says its normal. I still haven't begun to fill , I am a bit nervous I feel like my skin won't be able to stretch I feel very tight . Will this get more comfortable. I am ready to take them out and start all over and friends and family tell me to be patient , I don't know what to do, the pain from the expanders are terrible. Doreen

Hi Niki1202,

Thank you for your reply, I am trying so hard although my plastic surgeon does not want me to see a physical therapist until another week he feels I'm not fully healed due to surgery. He did in-fact mention to me the pain in my left arm and shoulder blade and shoulder might subside a bit once I begin therapy because I still cannot move. I recently began the crawling up the wall on my own but I'm so limited I can only get into my first shelf in the kitchen. It's so hard when your used to being so active all day. But I'm thinking positive and I do feel like somehow someway there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

But didn't you just recently get your surgery 5-1-13? And your sleeping on your side with expanders? How are you able to I get severe pain and my expanders move so I try for a mixture and give up and cry. But if you can all the power to you God bless and keep up the great work.thats fantastic.........Maybe one day I can but I definitely do not see it anytime soon. Doreen

I slept on my sides immediately when I got home. I used a lot of pillows positioned around my breast and expanders and bracing my back. I absolutely cannot sleep for any length of time on my back. Maybe that's also why I never slept in a recliner. My back feels so much better when I can stretch it out .

Thank you Niki1212,

I am taking your advice and beginning tomorrow, my plastic surgeon did not give me any exercise as of yet because of the amount of pain I am in , he said my pain is extreme compared to other women , he said by now it should of subsided it is a bit better and I thank For for that. But anyway tomorrow I will begin to start your advice , thank you once again. And lots of luck to you also. I am writing at 3 am its terrible I cannot sleep anymore from this recliner. But I'll try in about a week for side sleeping my favorite position , your right. Thanks!



Doreen

To DocBabs,



Pillows aren't the word, I laugh every morning when I get off the recliner I have around 8 of them wrapped all around me and still not enough... Lol

I can just keep praying that it will get better and think positive that this is temporary. The exchange better be comfortable, I pray every day for that. Hope your doing well. Thanks



Doreen

Hi Ladies, hang in there, it does get better! I have spent a lot of time on my recliner as so many have. I found that a sheet on the recliner plus a heating pad on my back (only) helped. Was carrying a lot of stress in my shoulders and lower back so heating pad on low eased the pain. I too have 0 pain tolerance and am very squeamish. What I found that worked for fills, this will only work if you have someone else drive, especially for first fill: took a Xanax night before and morning of fill. Took Flexeril (muscle relaxer) before I left the house for appt. As soon I was directed to exam room, PS's nurse put a topical called Emla (numbing cream) on fill site, and waited 10-15 before fill. Honestly, felt almost nothing: very slight pinch, then slight pressure like a finger pressing down - not bad at all. And it goes quickly. First time I didn't want to look so I put the only thing I had at the time, a magazine, over my face so I couldn't see anything. Don't advise that, had newsprint on my face. Nurse not only kept me talking that couple of minutes, now can't believe she actually put saline bag in my hand and I squeezed it. Continued this routine till last one. I couldn't get someone to drive me so I decided to put on my big girls panties, no pills taken, only Emla applied and I got thru it with no problems (and I was overfilled at this point).

Doreen,

Hang in there. For me the fills were generally uncomfortable for about a day. My advice would be to not let them add too much too quickly. I had 50-70 cc's every two weeks. Some bothered me, some actually felt BETTER!! Especially the early ones....i thought maybe the fill changed the position of the TE jst enough to get some pressure off different nerves.



Remember that each person has her own experience with all of this! For me the exchange provided SOME instant relief, but I had pain at the spots where my implants were anchored to my chest. That pain gradually lessened over about 5 weeks. I stayed sleeping in the recliner for about a week and a half after my exchanged. I am now on my side in bed just like I used to do before cancer. I do not know the answer to your arm position/lymphedema question.



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