I think I want them out!!!

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  • macb04
    macb04 Member Posts: 1,433
    edited July 2016

    Hi lisey, in one of the research articles written about the reason to do over pectoral, or "prepectoral implants" for reconstruction was that masectomy and implantation of TE's into the pectoral muscle could actually seed breast cancer cells there, as happened to one patient they mentioned who had a reoccurrence. Quite scary thought for me. Most Prepectoral Implant Reconstruction actually uses Acellular Dermal Matrix stuff, or Seri Silk Scaffolding like my PS used to reinforce my skin. It is comfortable, no iron bra feeling , none at all.

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  • Mom2fourplusmore
    Mom2fourplusmore Member Posts: 183
    edited July 2016

    I can totally relate to all of this. I was adamant before the surgery that I did NOT want to reconstruct. I wasn't big before and I didn't need anything back. I had a full hysterectomy 2 years ago and I never once felt like I am any less a woman. I am me. I always was and I always will be. My body parts do not define me. But.....the Drs thought I was nuts. They insisted I see a PS. Everyone said the reconstruction was no big deal and the first 2 days were sore but then it's fine. I told them I did not want to lose 5 min of my summer to pain. This is my time with my kids and a second lost was too much to ask of me. Well against my judgment I had the reconstruction. No one told me any of this. It's awful. I had natural childbirth and the spasms on this are worse. When I woke up from surgery I was in terrible pain. The PS pressed on it and I swatted her. Natural instinct. She said she's never seen anyone in this pain. I can't take pain meds so I have to do this without anything. So my kids have seen me suffer so much. That upsets me tremendously. I really feel the Drs don't listen. I did have my first fill yesterday and I am more comfortable. I will do a couple more fills but I may do what you did. I commend your strength. And I don't think our pain is that uncommon. The Drs need to stop dismissing people

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  • dragonsnake
    dragonsnake Member Posts: 159
    edited July 2016

    It just came to my mind that PSs do not want to install smaller implants for the purely mechanical reason: bigger implants stretch muscles more and thus they  are sitting under the muscle more tightly, without slipping out and going sideways. It you have a small frame, they might consider a smaller implant because the muscle tension may be sufficient to hold it in place, whereas for a bigger frame you may need more tension in the muscle to hold the implant. I do not know if my logic is correct, but my experience with medicine is that many things have simple explanation despite  the complexities of the processes in the human body.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Yes, and yes!, I had contractions... like childbirth, with my pec muscles spasming to try to remove the TEs.. Valium could only calm them down so much. It was the most horrid experience and when I think of what they did to my body, what I allowed them to do, I'm sad. I'm 2 weeks post op having the TEs removed.. I feel normal again... Thank you! I'm tight, but no pain.. I just have to keep stretching. I hope I didn't seed cancer with this whole boondoogle, but I am reassured since I had a huge margin over 3 cm. As for the pocket concept, I'm fairly thin. I was huge breasted for my frame naturally (34DD - which I think were mutant boobs from all the estrogen milk I drank)... The PS told me I can't sleep on my side because the muscle is fragile and doesn't have the extra support of breast tissue, so the pocket to tear open. It sucked. Women who get implants with breast just have no idea.

    When I met with the nurse for my follow up visit last week she said , you can't achieve an 'A' with implants. Well... once again, that proves they didn't listen to me. I'm trying to rock the flat and everyone around me says I look thinner (probably because my huge boobs gave me a fake apple shape)...

    And I had no idea about the cancer that can come with implants, the Lymphoma... Why don't they tell you that stuff?


    So lesson learned...

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    I wanted to add this to the conversation. This article just appeared yesterday. Yet another reason to go flat.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3704934/Cancer-risk-breast-implants-10-times-higher-feared.html

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    I don't know about that Kayb, I was going to get gummi bear implants, which are textured so as to adhere better to the muscle. so they don't shirft.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Just a note KayB... if you look at the stats for the implant lymphoma ALCL, it is much higher than the subtype for BIA-ALCL. Both of these cancers stem from Implants.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Crap.. hit the wrong button... On my facebook group, we have a younger woman who just got diagnosed with this. She's furious she wasn't warned. I think the issue is MUCH bigger than the stats say, like the article, 10 X bigger. That would mean a much larger group of women have it but it's misdiagnosed. Instead of 1 in 500,000, it would be 1 in 50,000. Still considered rare, but certainly much bigger than the 1 in 500,000 they currently say. If you do the math.. with 10M implants out there, 1 in 50,000 is 200.. which is close to the amount diagnosed (and all the experts agree it's underdiagnosed currently).

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    If you look at the stats you posted. 173 cases right? If there are 5 million women with implants that is 1 in 29,000. If there are 10M women with impants that is 1 in 51,000. It's CLEARLY not 1 in 500,000 as that would only be 10 -20 cases. We have way more than that being affected. So that is why the numbers hold up. It's at least (probably more too since experts agree it's underdiagnosed) 1 in 50,000... probably more like 1 in 25,000. The risks are there, they need to warn us. As for the surgery warning.. that's my point. You sign a waiver... they warn you. The odds of getting ALCL is double or quadruple that of dying on the table (using your stats) and they never once give a warning about it. That has to change.

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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Kay B, well partly because my PS was an ass..or lazy... or ignorant.... not sure. This was the same PS who did tell me I'd have to have mammograms every year - which I'm told is false. Either the guy just doesn't know or he just didn't feel the need to warn me of all the potential risks. He also didn't tell me any of the other issues associated with TEs, and to this day, he 'left a little skin' just in case I changed my mind again on being flat. Dude was sloppy and I'm switching later on to fix my skin up nice and tight.
    I'm not outraged, I'm just pissy... And I want other women to know this is out there.

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  • TallnTerrific
    TallnTerrific Member Posts: 114
    edited July 2016

    I just thought it might be good to hear another good story for worriers who are reading this and still wondering if they should do reconstruction. I have had the TEs in both breasts for nine months. I was filled to 350 before radiation with no pain in two sessions. There is a great deal of discomfort the week of the surgery and the contractions you describe are also related to the muscle damage from the surgery not just the TEs. The best thing anyone can do is frequent exercises recommended by the PT to keep your range of motion working.

    I had radiation after that level of fill and all went well there with burning only after all sessions were done. Gradually it seemed that the non-cancer breast was growing larger and/or the cancer breast was shrinking. I saw my PS and decided to try more fill in the cancer breast and he put in 100 ccs more. There was pain with that and the breast is very firm. I think fills should be done before radiation and should perhaps go beyond the size you think you want. Fills after radiation are a crap shoot. My skin remained soft on the surface but the tissue underneath may not have been as happy to stretch.

    Now I am scheduled for the exchange in a month. I have had some ups and downs along the way, but I am glad I did it. I am a large person and if you have or may one day grow a belly it is nice to have breasts to balance out your body.
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  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Tall, good point on the body shape. I'm fairly slender so flat looks natural on me. I told my husband it would have been a harder decision if I had a larger belly.

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