February 2015 surgery

RAK1

My TEs weren't bad. I was expanded to 300 in surgery. Each fill was 100 ccs per side.

After surgery it was difficult getting in and out of bed. I slept in a chair for several weeks. It was just easier, and I knew I wouldn't roll on my side. I was considerably better after just a few days. However I did not feel really good until about the 10 week mark.

The Fills weren't that bad either. It increased the tightness (Iron bra feeling), but a couple of ibuprofens and Valium at night and I was good to go the next day.

I only waited three months from my last fill, however I did not need rads or chemo.

I just measured, and there is still a small amount of swelling, but it looks like I am a large C maybe small D. About the same size I was before, but it sure looks different.

My PS used anatomical's and also did fat grafting during the exchange. The fat grafting donor site was probably more pain than exchange.

You'll do great! I think problems are more the exception than the rule.

Rak1...look thru recent posts. Nurseshark and I both had the nipple skin sparing bmx so they will look dreadful at first. Hope you are getting gummy bears...no need for fills and expanders. They place alloderm (sp) at the base of the implant but do not really remember why...support maybe?

In time I will post in tbe picture forum. 

You have been brave from the get-go so your positive attitude will take you to good places! 

Peace.

Lots of activity here today! Jabec, I'm so happy for you! Think of all of us while you're relaxing with your margarita!

I had a great appointment with my breast surgeon, margins are CLEAR of DCIS and no additional invasive found. She doesn't need to see me again until October.

At the PS, I got my first expansion. She did 90 instead of 60 because things are looking good. How great to have more of a breast walking out than you had walking in?! Amazing! Feels fine so far.

I still have that pesky drain, looks like til Thursday or Friday, but I can live with that, given the good news today. The expansion is supposed to help curb the drain.

Justamy- I was guessing on 600-700 total based on two friends who've walked this path. One stopped at 600, she thinks she is a C although never needs to buy bras. The other was a DD and she went to 800, trying to get as close as she could. She feels hers are small but she's very happy. I was a 36D before, and since I only had unilateral, I need to end up pretty close to the same.

Camisoles are our friends! Got about 5 in my Amazon shopping cart. That's the only way I could feel even slightly sexy with my DH. The stupid drain sat there watching us like a pet in the room. But, we got past it. And I'm really glad, because things were tense for a while and I feel close again. It's hard to need and have to ask for help, and I felt we'd been mutually aggravating each other. Everything's feeling back on track with us since. I did feel some sensation on my breast and I'm trying to figure out if it was real, remembered or imagined. I also felt a short sting of pain with the needle for the expansion. Good I think

RAK1: I am getting reconstruction. I had TE placement when I had my BMX 2 weeks ago. Then I had them repositioned last week (another surgery). I should get drains out next Mon. I really never thought about not getting reconstruction. I'm 43 and have always been fairly large chested (about a D cup) and thought I would just feel not myself flat. Now that I'm going through the bother and pain of it all, I wouldn't mind being flat. My husband wants me back to D's ( he says it jokingly but he really does I think). I think I will end up around a C or so. I've become so much less concerned w what people think about my looks since this started. I guess that was a long answer for a short question....lol

Oh I forgot to report the not so good news. I gained 7lbs since surgery 2 weeks ago and about 15 since DX...I already needed to lose weight so...my family is getting back on track starting March 1. Sigh...

justamy- sounds like good news! I have not dared to approach the scale and they haven't been weighing me at appointments thank God. Curious, why did you need chemo? Due to the size? I had thought Er Pr positive and her2 neg did not require it? I will be starting Tamoxifen soon in the next few weeks

You are all fantastic women. I am so thankful that all of you are all so sharing and giving to us. Truly, I started having panic attacks at work off and on all day today. I am starting to lose it and get nervous as my exchange surgery grows closer. I am not just having an easy exchange I have to have a fold done, capsullorphy, something to get it off the nerve causing my severe AWS cording, . I thought I was going to be only in there for 2hours and today my husband told me my psurgeon said 4+hrs. I have not physically and emotionally recovered from my bmx and its been 12 weeks. I lost my mom, dad, sister in law and beloved dog all in 15 months. I'm thinking I need to ask my ps for ativan or something to help me get thru these next few weeks.

Rak1 your words express how I feel if I could write.

Justajennifer - I couldn't help but laugh at your honesty about your drain in the room. I am so happy you got great news~~~

Fourminor- MY exchange is going to be similar to yours. I am getting so nervous. I need to start preparing myself for the reality that there is a lot more recovery involved. I took a couple of days off of work and that was a real stretch because my job is so demanding.

Justamy- Im glad you got good news today. YOu are not alone with the weight. We have all gained weight here. I thought i was the only one suffering from weight gain and the inability to exercise. I just can't focus on my weight right now. I have to eat my emotions.

jabec- YAY!! Enjoy Mexico!! Don't hesitate to post a pic of the scenery for some of us who are buried in snow.

Nurseshark- I was so nervous having hubby help me. I felt totally exposed. I think this experience is bringing my spouse and I grow closer. I had to learn patience because I was always wishing he would go faster

zjrosenthal - It's almost time for us. Good news on getting all the preop out of the way. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

jilly59- I had a nipple sparring too. The ps told me the alloderm was used on my bottom half too help fill it out. My pictures are in the picture forum.

Horsemom- I was encouraged by your statement about problems are more the exception than the rule. I am going to keep telling myself that.

Roadrash: I have suffered from panic disorder for at least 20 years. Don't hesitate to ask your PS or your GP for some ativan,xanex or Klonopin. All of them work for immediate relief of panic attacks and can keep them from happening. There is no sense in suffering needlessly. Panic attacks are terrible. Feel better soon

well turns out my foob going hard is normal. It is tight and awful feeling. My PS told me that i just need to massage it and it will loosen up. Good news, as I was convinced after googling that I had capsular contracture. Another example of how googling can be bad.

robin- the alloderm straight to implants was my obvious first choice for me as it can be done with only one surgery. And it looks natural so far and matches my other breast. I am struggling with how it feels right now. My breast feels numb and implant feels tight and foreign. I am hoping that I just need time to adjust.

On another note, i want to my gp today for something unrelated to breast cancer. But they had my final pathology report. My debrief with the BS isnt until later this week. Well my gp spilled the beans for me. Some great news and some not so great news. A mixed bag.

Sentinel nodes not cancerous - yay!

No lymphovascular invasion- yay!

Tumor smaller than expected, 1.9cm - yay!

New DCIS found - woah, what? Not so good.

Regraded from grade 2 to grade 3 - not so good

Anyways, I think overall this is good news. I am just letting it sink in. I will meet with BS on Thursday. This at least gives time to think of my questions.

All my best to everyone.

audrey- I am thinking of you. I know this is a difficult time for you and your family. We are here for you. Hugs.

jabec- yay for mexico! Have a great time. Might as well recuperate in the sun.

Glad for the mostly good news waiting-to-exhale.

God speed faithhopecourage

waiting-to-exhale: clear margins though for DCIS too? Then you're all set for now! If you are surprised by that, I'm guessing it hadn't shown up in previous imaging? That's what happened to me- invasive located only in ultrasound, they found DCIS in lumpectomy tissue.A later MRI did show the DCIS but it wasn't visible on mammo or US due to density.

Nurse shark...I had a good day Monday,  not so good yesterday. I think it's perfectly normal to have fluctuations. 

Try and enjoy your bonding time.  He doesn't know it yet but you're his biggest hero.  

Hi ladies--

More thoughts after reading some of your posts:

If any of you ventures over to the Implants 101 board you will see that using cup size as any kind of reference is difficult with implants as the shape is not the same as a real breast. Also as cup size is relative to your chest size the idea that there is a fixed volume for a B or C cup is not true. Right now I don't know what bra I will be wearing after this is all over. Its a bummer as I had treated myself to a bunch of new ones a month before I was diagnosed--those are packed all up in a shoebox in my closet so I don't have to look at them until such time as i am ready to even see if they can fit me again. My reconstruction looks identical to my original right one in a bra right now but right now I can only wear a stretchy, no underwire bra. So I don't know what size I will be wearing just yet.

Also, as far as adjuvant therapy, almost all of us are going to be advised to do something. Surgery it turns out, is only the first decision you make, and in some ways its easier because when its done its done. If you are ER+ and grade 1 or 2 and haven't heard of the oncotype score yet, you will very shortly. I was shocked to have chemo discussed when I had a clear lymph node and was stage IA. I eventually went along with it but had an allergic reaction to the first dose. Now I'm on ovarian suppression and about to start an AI. I am 47 but was very premenopausal. Had my son no problem at 43 and had a pelvic sono in December which shocked me that my ovaries were still cranking out follicles. My mother said her periods didn't stop until she was 57. Two weeks into Zoloadex the hot flashes started. I have found the loss of estrogen no less upsetting than losing my breast. However, I realize that after two breast cancers, estrogen is not my friend and menopause is something I was going to have to face someday anyway. For sure I cannot have another child without risking my son losing his mommy, so that show is over. What also pisses me off is how old this all makes me feel. Life flies!

Nurseshark--I will always know how much my husband loves me from how he helped me shower with those damn drains--washing my hair for me. Its such a pleasure to be clean and loved! Your baby is too cute!

Jean... You're in my thoughts and prayers!  Bundle up!