September 2014 Surgery Sisters

thought I'd come join this forum - having my exhange surgery sept 19th!! I see my friend Sandra from my March surgery forum here so I know you all are getting great information!!  Wishing you all great luck and speedy recoveries.

Hi Marie,

The process so far has been very doable.  The hardest thing i have dealt with was the chemo.  The BMX was fine but was a lengthy recovery.  Not painful for me - just restrictive on what I could do.  I did have a bit of a healing issue - which my PS handled in his office and then things seemed to be smooth sailing on that end.  I really didn't have any range of motion issues once I let everything heal up properly.  

I am so looking forward to the exchange - the TE's are not horrible but it will be nice to replace them with something a little less hard.  

I am here if anyone needs any insight into the BMX process and the fill process - although Sandra has alot more experience and knowledge in this area.  

hi Linda, 

That's great to hear that your initial surgery went well and was tolerable.  

It's great to have the knowledge that tissue expanders are hard. I never knew that. How often did you go in for fills? And do the fills hurt? How much on average do they fill each time in each breast? (How many cc's?) I am such a newcomer....

Sorry to bombard you with questions. It's hard to find answers scrolling through past months of surgery sisters.

I'll be happy to hear your updates. 

Marie 

Fills don't hurt because your chest is numb after the mastectomy. You don't feel the needle. It doesn't go in very much anyway because the TE has a metal "port" opening close to the top that the doc will locate with a magnet. (Otherwise he/she might pierce the TE itself and cause a leak.) No one loves needles and some people are panicked by them so my advice is to look away. You'll never know when it's being put in. You may notice a tiny drop of blood when the needle comes out. I had that once. A little pressure and it stopped.

It helps to first understand how big a cc is. One tablespoon is 15 cc's. They are tiny! If you get 50 cc's, that's only 3.3 tablespoons spread out over the whole TE.

Some doctors have a set amount of cc's they always put in each time. I think that's a real mistake. My plastic surgeon (PS) uses one finger to press lightly on the skin over and over again, watching to see how long the skin takes to go from white when he lifts his finger to pink. That's called the capillary refill response. The doc should put enough saline in to stretch the skin, but not so much that he compromises the blood flow or causes you immediate pain. I got 180 cc's the first fill, then 240 cc's, and 100, 80, or 60 cc's as we headed towards the end. Some people get 30 cc's each time, others 50 or 100 cc's. Some have 100 - 500 cc's put in at the time the TE is put in, and smaller fills in the weeks afterward.

I never felt fullness or tightness until several hours later in the evening. I took Tylenol and it was fine the next morning. Because the TE has a hard back, all of the saline is pushing your pec muscle and skin out so it stretches. Sometimes the TE settles in an area that hurts - there's a nerve that is unhappy or the TE is aggravating skin or a muscle too much. A change of position can help (so can a Lidocaine patch for your skin...ask your doc for a prescription for them.) If you get a muscle spasm, ask your PS for Valium, it's a muscle relaxer and it really works. Some women ask for a little saline to be removed. Remember, this is not a sprint to the finish. Take it slow and let your muscle and skin stretch.

Like a pregnancy, at the end you've had it. You are tired of dealing with these coconut half shells sitting on your chest that makes you look like a hooker. The muscle and skin have stretched as far as you think they can and the hard back of the TE is pressing back against your chest too. When I sat, one edge of the TE would rub against the bottom rib. Ouch. It was uncomfortable but never out and out painful...until the last fill. I was at 680 cc's heading for 800 cc's so there were a few weeks to go. But the 60 cc fill I got that day (the smallest I'd ever had) had me in pain by that evening. It only lasted 2 days, but it was enough for me to tell the PS that I wanted to stop where I was at 740 cc's. I could have also asked him to give me a couple weeks to adjust and had another fill, but I really didn't want to. Enough was enough. A month later I exchanged the TE (and the original 800 cc round implant still in the other side) for an Allergan Natrelle Style FF 740 cc anatomical-shaped gummy bears.

Sorry to hear of your problems with pain relievers. I'm just the opposite and can take only Tylenol. I get the IV type in the hospital because it is stronger than the tablets and it helps take the edge off. I'm deathly allergic to any kind of narcotic/opiate. Even a Tylenol #3 has codeine. I've coded (flat lined) 4 times and usually give the anesthesiologists a run for their money during each surgery too. Oxy should be fine for you.

It's really not that bad after the BMX...much less pain than I expected. Standing up was no fun the first time but that's mostly because you can't use your arms to pull or push yourself. Whatever narcotic they give you, try to get off it as soon as you can because it will cause constipation. (I've read of women who stay on it for a month or more and are absolutely miserable.)

You may not need anything if you ask your PS to inject Exparel into the incisions at the end of surgery. My PS uses Marcaine injections too... a powerful combo. You will enjoy 3+ days of minimal pain. (The first 3 days after any surgery are the most challenging.) I wish I'd had it after the BMX. I wouldn't have even needed the Tylenol. It makes such a huge difference. I read about it before my 4th surgery and asked the PS for it. WOW. I'll never be without it again. The PS told me that not everyone has such good results, but most do. 

The only other drug I had was Valium after surgery #2 because I got muscle spasms. (Didn't have them with any other surgeries, not even the BMX.) 

Hi, I'm 41 and have been having mamo's for 2 years because I'm "lumpy". 

I went in for my yearly mammogram on July 8th.  Went back for an ultra sound and mamo with biopsy on July 15.  They diagnosed a small (2cm) tumor IDC on my right breast on July 21, 2014. 

I'm booked for a Lumpectomy with Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection for September 5.  It's nice to know they can move fast but a little scary as to how come they are moving so fast. 

The radioactive seed was put in yesterday which was the same as having a biopsy but a little easier.  The radioligist showed me the tumor on the screen.  It looks like a puzzle piece right in the middle of my breast.

I'm just so tired and my brain is constantly thinking.  Sometimes I need to just cry.  My kids are still young and I have a full time job stressful job. 

Leihla

Thank you for the info on pain meds. My surgery a left side mastectomy is scheduled for Sept 3rd and I am getting nervous and questioning my decision.  Chose mastectomy because didn't want radiation to my heart.  Will be contacting PS today to discuss these options.  Taking 500 mg Tylenol knocks me out for 12 hours so serious concerns about narcotics.  Planned on sleeping in recliner & appreciate everyone sharing experiences.   This is going to be hardest part so far since I am not good leaning on others.  Thanks to everyone for posting experiences & providing a frame work to work with.

Dear Kate,

Welcome to the BCO community. As you can see there is much support and information shared here by others who truly understand the impact of a breast cancer diagnosis and all that it brings with it. Please continue to post and let us know what other questions/concerns you have. We will be thinking of you especially next week as you move towards surgery. 

The Mods

Leihla - don't worry that looks like a very normal time schedule to me.   I got diagnosed on middle of February and had my BMX at the end of March and that was after one delay due to a change of plans.  They want to move a quickly as possible as the lumpectomy or mastectomy is the first and most important line of treatment and in many cases the only treatment.   Good luck with your surgery and hope you have a very speedy recovery.

Hi kate and welcome.  Please let us know if you have any questions or need any other advice.  

I've been gone a few days with a "lovely" kidney infection ....been on a bit yesterday for a few moments and now am finally able to catch up on this wonderful thread, now that I'm feeling a bit better  

Thank you Sandra for your wisdom & excellent advice. I'll be SURE to ask for the injections to help with pain in my chest. I already suffer severe colon issues (this sucker needs to come out ASAP after I'm healed- they're thinking Crohn's disease and gastroparesis) so I am best on pain patches. I know I'll be trying to get off those pills soon afterwards. I'm sure I'll try sneaking Tylenol only to feel pain in my liver, lol. I'm a bad girl!! But Tylenol is my best friend!  I'm a Gemini, let's just blame my naughtiness on THAT, and NOT on the fact I'm stubborn, shall we? Lol. Hey, at least the first sign to getting over a problem is admitting I have a problem.

To the newcomers: WELCOME. I am so glad to see more women on our September Sisters thread. For a while there, I was wondering if it would just be the little tiny bunch of us. I'm sorry it has to be under these circumstances, but I'm blessed to get to know each of you as we each travel through our own journeys through our surgeries and learn how we are all doing. 

This site has brought me MUCH comfort in the past 2 months (almost 3) and I know I'll be here for a very long time, to give open arms and open ears to those who need them. I'm blessed to have found this site when I was scared and worried, and now as I chose to finally take a proactive path to NOT have cancer again in my future, I'm now undergoing a prophylactic nipple sparing double mastectomy. I chose this for my future, as I've had the diagnosis before and have been fortunate to only been on Tamoxifen for a little over a year, and have undergone a few core needle biopsies, and 2 wide excision lumpectomies since 2011. I no longer want to be a walking time bomb and wonder "is THIS the month I'll lose my breasts?!" Instead, I have chosen to make the choice myself and hopefully my crazy MRI that shows signs of cancer is wrong once they perform the mastectomy, because I really am hoping to keep a part of my own anatomy intact. If not, it wasn't meant to be, and God has a different path. I take each day as it comes. Life is not guaranteed, and I live each one as though it's my last. I'm a 34 year old single mother to an 11 year old beautiful and talented flute player, and to 7 year old boy & girl twins who light up my life, and my amazing Niece is 21 and lives with me- I call her my "angel on earth"....life is a journey each day, and even on the rough days, I try to find peace and comfort and find it helpful to help others while they're having a rough time. 

I'm looking forward to getting to know each of you. 

Marie June

Hi Stasia, 

Welcome to our September Surgery Sisters. Sorry to hear that they pushed you up a few days. That's NOT ever "the kind of words you want to hear" when you're all prepared for the surgery of our lives.....I'm glad you are ready, prepared and doing all the research you need. That's the best thing you could do. I'm about to undergo the same thing, but without the node removal or biopsies (unless they get in there and find something), and know how you feel about FINALLY being ready enough to get the "show on the road".....it's scary and overwhelming as it is, I can't imagine hearing "we have rescheduled your appt". My children are about to head to school on Tuesday for their very first day and with THREE little ones, I am PRAYING hard that they don't bring home an illness......I have until September 23rd, so I am awhile out, with a pre-surgery date of sept 15th, and with systemic lupus, I am all over the place with WBC's and kidney and liver function, so my little skinny fingers are crossed that not  only me, but ALL of us are HEALTHY and READY to go for our pre-surgery and then our BIG dates. This certainly isnt the kind of "date" I would expect, I will leave my heels at home, my nail polish in the drawer, and my hair curler under the sink, LOL, but I'll be ready to go MAKE-UP free (other than simple chapstick- which I have learned is a MUST HAVE with general anesthesia). lol. 

I wish you the very best and will be checking in to see how you are holding up through the next coming days. I pray you have a safe journey up until the 12th, and will be thinking of you on that day. Many hugs to you. 

MarieJune

Mischief46, 

The 9th is approaching VERY fast......EEK! It's really REAL with September 1st being TOMORROW!!!!! I wish we had a post on top of our September Sisters Thread with all of us with our names and what we are going to be undergoing surgically this month with the date, so we can all wish each other luck on that day. It seems to be on top of each thread, but not ours.....I may do some digging and see if I can figure out each of our names and do it myself and PM the mods once I have done so...... Not sure if I am that magically computer talented, but I shall try, LOL. Putting my nerd glasses on NOW (ok, so they are already on, but who's looking? LOL)

I am glad you mentioned that the TE's are uncomfortable excessively for you. I am VERY bony in my chest area......I can see and feel my ribs through my chest.....do you think that will end up being unfomfy for me? I expect to have them for anywhere from 3-6 months (YUCK) due to having systemic lupus and not wanting my body to reject them.....and wanting time to heal during the whole process, etc.....their reasons go on, and on, and on.......blah. I want them for a short time and be over them.....I've heard so much about them being a pain in the chest LITERALLY, lol. Not painful for some, but uncomfortable, or causing nerves to feel pain, etc. What has your own experience been with the TE's? How long have you had them, etc? 

I hope your exchange goes well!! I'm excited to hear the outcome and how well you recover afterwards. I am sending you ~*~*~*~speedy recovery dust~*~*~*

Marie J Mello

I think the only way we can get our names up top is through golfingirl who started the thread - but she hasn't been around for awhile so I don't think it is gonna happen.  I think we all just need to post the day before our surgery to let all the rest know so we can cheer each other on.  The only other thing we could do is start a new thread lol.   The other thing that we should do is post the date in our profile info so that is shows at the bottom of our posts.

hi Linda we are the same size, 5'5 and 115lbs my ribcage is 29.  Your exchange is coming up too...are you getting anxious.  I am surprised how anxious I am.  I am not sure if it's because of the actual surgery or if it's the results I'm worried about.  I don't have any real expectations..my hope is they are out from under my arms.  

I do believe I need to check out these genie bra's everyone is talking about.  Did you get it online?

Mischief, 

LOL!!! "get on that" for the top of the thread comment I had made, LOL!!!!  So funny. I love it. I've been working on it, and the moderators should be able to place it at the top if I PM them....I have seen another forum with someone who requested it, and they were granted the header at the top with all of our dates and what we're having. I have started the process, but it's rather HARD to do when I don't quite know when the actual dates are, or when we have people who come in and then have been gone? I hope they are all ok. There are about 3 ladies who joined early on this site and are now NOT any longer here. :~/  The woman who started this forum hasn't been seen since her last chemo treatment date. I pray she's doing well and simply recovering.....her date is on September 4th!! That's right around the corner. I wish her well regardless of wether she's on here or not. I pray all of the ones who came and disappeared for a while to be healthy and ok. My blessings are with them during their surgeries. I pray they make it through healthy and safe. 

You are both SO helpful with your TE experiences!! Thank you so very much for sharing. That really helps me to know what to look out for and maybe even expect. I'd rather be prepared for the worst and end up feeling much better, lol, than going without ever knowing how I would feel afterwards. I can only imagine they will be uncomfortable. yuck......will be feeling glad to get those out and be on the track you are both on. Lucky Ladies!! I am so glad you've made it this far and you're doing well with everything so far. I wish you a speedy recovery after your exchanges. 

The recliner should be your BEST friend, noonrider! I am considering one myself......We shall see. I already rent other stuff (go figure a mattress that I won't be sleeping in for a few months LOL) because there's no way I want to lay down and feel like I can't get up, or to feel like I'm being pressed down from the TE's on my chest. I'd prefer just to rent a chair and stay in the semi upright position so that I can easily get up and not worry about anything.  

I'm learning a lot from this site. It's like doing a sprint marathon for homework before our surgeries to collect as much info as possible, LOL.  I am lucky to be here so that I can learn as much as I have from you lovely ladies. God Bless each of you. 

Marie J Mello