IMPLANTS REMOVED: YAY!

Very much appreciating your posts and the follow-ups from others, Bettyboops.   I had been very active with exercise, including upper body work, before diagnosis of small stage 1A 1cm lobular cancer in Jan/Feb this year.  I decided on mastectomy direct to expander on the left, with reduction on the right, because I did not want the radiation required with lumpectomy. 

Disregarding my own advice and misgivings, I went ahead and had a new expander inserted Oct. 1, four months.after removal of the original one for infection.  After the original removal in May, I worked out like crazy those four months, lost some weight and improved my physical fitness dramatically.  So here I sit, again debilitated by five more weeks of sitting and tending a drain for the new expander - my drains take a long time.  I have had one fill up since drain removal and am anticipating the second fill this coming Tuesday. 

A local  hospital (mine) had an online "chat" with MD's recently about reconstruction and I was appalled at the marketing push and the low quality responses to questions, including an idiotic cavalier quip to one patient who was obviously anguished.  This, from a very reputable nationally known clinic whose name pretty much anyone would recognize.   One of these doctors said, and I quote, "The goal of reconstruction is to restore form and get women back to looking and feeling their best."

My thoughts: LOOKING THEIR BEST ACCORDING TO WHOM, AND FEELING THEIR BEST ACCORDING TO WHAT CRITERIA???

He also said, "IMPLANTS SHOULD NOT AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO EXERCISE.  IT IS NOT GENERALLY RECOMMENDED TO DO EXERCISE THAT FOCUSES ON YOUR CHEST/PECTORAL MUSCLES BUT YOU SHOULD FEEL FREE TO DO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THINGS YOU DID BEFORE MASTECTOMY." 

I would like to visit this doctor and ask face-to-face how these two statements do not contradict each other and why there is not more info available as to exactly what exercises are ill advised after implants.  My PS has not responded well to my direct questions on this subject.  My PS's surgical skill and experience are unquestioned - he is great in that regard.  His awareness of the consequences of deployment of that skill?  I wonder.

It is said that exercise along with proper diet and weight loss improve one's chances of long term survival of early stage breast cancer.  I was into a great eating program and exercising like a trooper with wonderful results before all this happened.  I am thinking of going to my fill-up appointment with my PS this coming Tuesday and instead asking to schedule a hospital date to have this second expander removed, with removal of the excess skin and as much repair done as possible and never considering implant(s) again, because it is now obvious to me that the implant will interfere with my survival chances.  I can hardly wait to see the look on his face.  Serendipitously, I have an appointment with my oncologist the same day, a couple of hours before the appointment with the PS.  I plan to pass this by the oncologist too, first, and see the response.  These encounters will provide amusement, if nothing else. 

The alternative is to continue going along with the implant process, since the site looks good, the expander has not so far caused me significant problems, etc etc etc.  I can always have it removed later instead of putting in the implant. 

Any and all thoughts welcome.

Sort of wishing I had had bilateral mastectomy. That would be real symmetry. The four months I spent hassling a prosthesis that always rode up higher than the natural side were not a lot of fun, but at least I was not feeling so limited in exercise. It may be that the winter onslaught just now is affecting my thoughts because I can't just go out and pound pavement whenever and wherever now. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm glad you are happy with your choice. Some of the photos of DIEP and TRAM results on my hospital website anyway were awful - and they were showing them off as if proud of them. Will come back here and post the process and results.

Erica, I have not had it done yet.  I actually had it scheduled with THAT PS,,, he is good,,, but then I developed lymphedema. So I decided to postpone it and get the LE figured out.  Then I needed a hysterectomy!  So maybe next year.  I debate whether I want to go thru another surgical procedure or not,,, since it's not fun,, but then I think,,, do I want to live with this excess skin for the rest of my life??  He will do it,, he just wanted to talk me out of it!

Betty, I knew I couldn't do recon. I can't stand any foreign thing in my body.  I have an implanted tooth that drives me nuts. I'm mostly used to it now,, but it felt SO foreign at first and made me nuts. I wanted to yank it out.  I can only imagine how I'd feel if there was something foreign lodged inside my body.  The other thing is that most of my life I had very small breasts.  Like I didn't need a bra small,,,, then I hit 40 and they grew! Suddenly I need to wear bras. So in reality, I'm used to being "small",,, so flat is not such a big adjustment.  If something happens to the other one, I won't hesitate to be all flat.   Being lop-sided is very interesting!

Do you do tai chi?  I want to find a class!

Thanks Betty.. Yes, I'm not looking forward to the drug brain but certainly ready to have these ice cubes removed!!

Thank you for this thread. I am in the health profession and tried my best to make informed plans, which as you all know was very difficult. I had a unilateral mastectomy with immediate placement of an implant 1 year ago. It seemed OK at first, but I now have scheduled removal of the implant for Jan. I tried to go for a year to see if it would work out, but it just keeps getting more and more uncomfortable. Sometimes I just want to pop the darned thing. My pec muscles very frequently spasm, it is in the wrong spot (moved way up), too big (my PS admitted this right after surgery - I am a thin, small chested person), and gets cold (I live way north). Basically I feel like I have a Tupperware bowl tightly duct taped to my chest. I have given up upper body exercise as it feels too awful and feel very week in my arms, and don't have full range of shoulder motion. This in a very active person who lives on a farm, runs, works, etc etc at the age of 58.

My question to anyone who has had implants removed: I read that muscle repair is not effective. Does the muscle cramping sensation stop with removal? I just want functionality at this point. Oh to be able to move my arm freely, to lift things without cramping ...

gotgoats:   just talk to our resident goddess of all knowledge of foobs and bras,  ARIOM.   She has extensive knowledge and is very willing to help out.

Good Luck Amy! Let us know how it goes. There are a lot of us in the wings contemplating doing what you're doing. Congrats on taking a big step!

Just a quick update: I met with PS on Friday - he felt my implants and immediately said, yes they're very hard and immovable. I can see why you are in pain. He suggested I have them removed and implanted on top of my muscle and under the skin. He thinks my skin is thick enough and sturdy enough to handle the new implants.

When I asked if I just had them removed completely, could he remove the excess skin he said NO! I told him about some of the ladies on this board who were very happy with the removal and reconstruction of their skin and that they looked good. He said only very thin women would have a good flat result and said I was not in that boat.

I am willing to compromise and give placement of implants over the muscle a chance. It makes sense that they'll not hurt like they do now. Thoughts?

Amy