October 2014 Surgery Sisters

Fourminor - I'm picturing your rain of pomegranate seeds all over the kitchen. I hope the clean up wasn't too bad

I've been really cutting way back on sugar for a long time but it was hard over the holidays, as there are some things I bake only at Christmas. It's a bit of a struggle to get back to normal but I tell myself that the craving for anything sweet is the cancer's last gasp struggle to survive; it makes it easier to win the battle.

It looks as though I'll have surgery in April. My BS wants me to have a full 6 months on Femara in order to have the best chance of completely clearing the node - and that would be mid-April. It interferes with my spring/summer plans (depending on the outcome) but I'm o.k. with that if it gives me a better shot at hitting all our goals. I'll have an extensive imaging session next month and then we'll start planning surgery.

Thanks for asking, Fourminor. I'll be thinking of you on the 6th and the days leading up to it. I hope all the care issues, etc., get worked out. (PS - For what it's worth - I have a stationary bike that I've had for a LONG time (maybe 18-20 years?) that is worth it's weight in gold. It's a bit battered by now, and not very high tech but we both get a lot of use out of it. If you can find one you really like at a reasonable price it's an excellent investment and a good complement to yoga and Pilates.

Hello ladies, tomorrow is my day. Surgery is at 9 30am. I get my injection at nuclear center at 7 30. I am very thankful for all of your support, its been a long journey for me. Check in when I am on the other side of this adventure. Wish me luck.

Revelle 

Two weeks with exchange is about all you'll need - depending on how you metabolize general anesthesia and how long you were "under." Unless your PS has to do anything to the pockets he/she already made for the TE's, the surgery is not long. This is one reason why you should have a good idea what kind of implants you want at the time you get the TE's. It's not so critical with rounds but with everything else the fit must be exact or the implants will migrate. If a round implant rotates 90 degrees it's no big deal but finding the top of your anatomical in your armpit is not a happy surprise. They can even turn completely upside down! So not only does additional pocket adjustment take time, it can sometimes extend recovery time and impact pain. My most painful and longest recovery was after the exchange because I had gotten rounds at the time of BMX so the pockets were made for them. I had lost one implant and gone through the TE process on that side only, but both sides were changed to gummy bears. The pocket work was substantial and the surgery was nearly 4 hours. One side felt like I'd been hit with a baseball bat around the ribs for several weeks. Weird. It took a full four weeks to turn the corner and feel better.

So two weeks is plenty...maybe even less if you have light anesthesia and it's a simple exchange. Some women do it on an outpatient basis.

Horse, even though you might get a larger implant, don't be surprised to find it looks about the same size as your TE. Yes, implants the same size as a TE look smaller but also at the beginning they are weirdly shaped and flat like the top half of a hamburger bun. Since the implant is soft backed as opposed to the TE, it allows the implant to mold to the shape of your chest so it doesn't stick out so far. 

At one point when I had an 800 cc round implant on one side and a 2/3rd filled 700 cc TE on the other. The TE looked twice as big! I got up to 740 cc's before I declared surrender and at that point that TE looked like it was in danger of breaking out of my skin. It made a fine stripper boob! I had to put "fluff" over top of the 800 cc implant so that I looked even close to the same on each side in clothes.  

Sandra I am curious what size bra you are wearing. My PS said she wants me to be 630 cc when I am done, which should be in two weeks, but I am clueless as to how big that is and what size bra? I feel as though my scars are getting thicker from the stretching and I feel my chest is ready to explode, but they tell me this is normal. I used to be a 40D before surgery and PS said not to go that large again. I like where I am now 590 cc but PS said one more injection, wants me to 630. My TE are so hard and uncomfortable. I am hoping that when I have the implants it will feel more natural than foreign.

Fun, yes you will feel MUCH better with "squishies." Remember that even if you could trade a 590 cc TE for a 590 cc implant, they wouldn't look the same. In fact, the implant will be smaller. The shape will be entirely different and you will not "stick out" nearly as far as you do now. If you like where you are now, the PS will have to put in a larger implant to achieve a result closer to what you want. Most TE's can be filled 100 cc's more than the average capacity. Your skin may not like it, but there has to be enough skin to cover the implant so sometimes you have to put up with it in order to "grow" more skin.

Bra size doesn't have much to do with the size of the implants you have. It has more to do with the measurement of your body underneath the implants and the projection and shape of the implant. They are wide - much wider than you expect, so buying a bra with a defined cup is not always a good idea. The shape of implants is a mound. They are not shaped like natural breasts. They are not cone shaped so when you put on a bra, the end of it is usually empty. Even if you had a nipple sparing procedure, the tissue supporting the nipple is usually gone so the end of your new breast is flat. Some women report they are able to wear their pre-mastectomy bras but those are few and far between. Plan on buying new bras if you decide to wear one.

At the beginning when you get your implants, they sit high on your chest and may look too close together or too far apart. They WILL change, smooth out, and round out, and drop down into their final position over the next three months so don't invest money in bras! Lots of people wear an inexpensive soft bra or nothing at all. I didn't wear a bra at all for 14 months and it was wonderful!  My plastic surgeon said there is no clinical proof that for a normal breast implant, a bra is needed. If you are exercising, however, a sports bra is a good thing. Since October when AlloDerm was added, I have worn a bra 24/7. Your own tissue has to grow into the "scaffolding" provided by the Alloderm, so a bra is often required. Hope I don't have to wear a bra forever. I got spoiled.

When you start learning about bras you find out 98% of us wear the wrong size so you can't go by what you wore before. I got measured by a certified bra fitter at Nordstroms. Even with the size she came up with, 36 C, I tried on about twenty 36C bras that she brought to me in the dressing room...and only 3 fit. I found some soft stretchy bras that fit ok...not perfect, but acceptable. They were $60, $65, and $57 which is WAY more than I would ever have spent but at least I had something. I also bought several Genie Cami Shapers (online) that work great and aren't expensive. At Walmart they are $19.95 but online they were 6 or $60 so I got lots of fun colors.

There is a thread here on BC.org just for bra info.

I'm sure you'll sleep better AND feel better for getting such great news, Revelle. thanks for keeping us in the loop. It's great that your surgeon called you on a Friday evening, too. Since you're not up to doing the happy dance yet, consider us your designated Happy Dancers Take it very easy and feel better soon, Revelle.

Thanks for all your great support. I know that I wouldn't have done as well without you. I am feeling better every day, tomorrow I go to the surgeon  so maybe the drains will come out, keeping my fingers crossed. I have been on my own every night sence coming home from the hospital and all has went well. You all prepared me for what was coming and that gave me some peace, although like every one the fear and stress is still lurking around, now not so much. I still haven't looked at my chest, not ready for that yet. Did any one wait to look at your chest or is it just me.

Revelle, I can't remember if you went right into reconstruction or if it was delayed.  Mine was delayed and I won't lie, the first time I saw myself, I cried.  It wasn't like it was so horrible looking but I really think I just felt weak and a bit hopeless and extremely helpless.  I was instructed to shower the first day after I got home from surgery and I just wasn't ready for that and those drains were a DRAG and it was just a collection of a whole bunch of emotions.  I have no problem looking at myself now.  It's amazing how flat I am, almost concave and that was shocking at first but it all gets better day by day.  I feel almost like myself again, which is awesome since I'll be having another surgery or two and I better get myself ready.  When I'm wearing my foobs, I feel almost "normal" again.  Take it easy, it's just a very emotional time.   

Revelle, take your time. I'm almost 3 months out and I still haven't looked at my chest. At this point I probably won't look until I get my nipple tattoos.

On another note....last week I was feeling pretty good...almost finished with radiation, it's like there was finally a light at the end of this really long tunnel. Then another speed bump came up...I had to have a seroma drained on Friday and I'm being referred to a lymphodema specialist/therapist. The therapist is over an hour away and I don't know how many times a week or for how long I'll have to go. It just sucks because I thought that I'd be FINISHED in 7 days (with the exception of my herceptin through June, which doesn't bother me at all!)

SC Mom - sorry to hear about your set backs. I REALLY hope you can nip the LE in the bud.

SCMom I had lymphedema in my arm after having 20 lymph nodes removed. I went in for PT for about 6 weeks 3 times a week, it worked wonders. It resolved itself and I have had no problems in 19 yrs. It is a pain but good it happened early, the later it comes on the harder to treat although that doesn't make it any easier. I am sending positive thoughts your way.

Thank you all for your words of support, I did have to rearrange my bandages so had to look at one side for a second, a little scary maybe better when staples come out. Because I have had radiation on the side of the reacurrance there is a place not healing very well so hopping that heals. This adventure can go on longer than any of us expect, how fortunate we are to be together and supporting each other. No matter how long the journey the people that support you and you them make it doable

Hello October Sisters, I haven't posted much though I've been trying to read up on everyone's journey. I believe I am going thru a bit of a depression as my mother passed away 2 days before Christmas and handling that plus recovery has tripped me up. I hope to get to a point where I can contribute more, but please know that I care about all of you and reading your stories does make me feel less alone. I did want to ask a question of you all--I am experiencing a "sensation" for lack of a better word on my left side, that makes me really, really uncomfortable. I can't distinguish between it being my chest, my heart or what. It's a very tight crushing, bordering on pain, but not quite. I try taking ibuprofen (and xanax) which will calm it down but it always returns. Sometimes I try to apply pressure to the area, which seems to help, though I'm not certain. I am wondering if it's anxiety-related (as I have had a tremendous amount of that, mostly due to my mom's passing) or a physical thing, or a combo of both. Has anyone else had that feeling? I did not have immediate construction due to blood flow issues/thin skin and am anxiously awaiting my next appointment with my plastic surgeon on the 20th to find out when, and if, we can start moving forward with anything.

Leelee,

So sorry to hear that. You certainly have a lot on your plate. Although anxiety can certainly cause all kinds of physical symptoms, its not a bad idea to stop in to your surgeon and see what he or she thinks, as chest pain can have a lot of different causes.

4