Scheduled for tissue expander placed in 2 months!!

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Mommyto6sweeties
Mommyto6sweeties Member Posts: 16
edited August 2016 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi everyone! I had skin sparing bilateral mastectomy in January 2015. Chemotherapy before and rads afterwards. Remission for about 12 months now. Expected to have a flap procedure for reconstruction and was very apprehensive. After meeting with PS she said my radiated skin looked better than expected and she recommends tissue expander and implant reconstruction! I have gained 50 pounds in the last 8 months.... not sure why. PS didn't mention the gain, I am 5' 6" and weight is 220. Wondering so many things!!! Is there ANYTHING I should know, research, etc before the expander surgery? Will my current stature change the size, kind of implant I choose? I am attempting to lose weight in the mean time. Any advice or information is greatly appreciated!!!!

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  • pab
    pab Member Posts: 53
    edited July 2016

    Hi mommy to 6!

    I am about your size now. Yes I gained during chemo and the whole process. Steroids given during chemo did not help! Also gave into sweet tooth!! Stress eating also! I had bmx nipple/areola sparing with TE placed immediately. That was July 2015. Then chemo then radiation. I was full a little but not much due to radiation. 3 mos after radiation my PS started to full again. He wanted to do the lat flap buy I said let's try the implants so she did. She said certain implants will be kind of 'swallowed up' by my size/shape. So she did high profile silicone 800cc. They are bigger than I thought they'd be but I was a DDD prior so still smaller! Hope that helps a ittle!?

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  • Mommyto6sweeties
    Mommyto6sweeties Member Posts: 16
    edited July 2016

    Hi Pab, thanks so much for your reply. I will make sure I talk to ps about implants vs my body stature. I have been without breasts for 18 months so I am so incredibly excited to begin the reconstruction process!! How long have you had the implants? How were the tissue expander?


    Hugs!!😊

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  • pab
    pab Member Posts: 53
    edited August 2016

    Hi! I had my TEs for a year. My bmx was July 6, 2016 and my exchange was July 7, 2016. I did not have a problem with my TEs. I know many women have. I was not filled quickly at all, I'm not sure how much but it wasn't much, maybe 50cc each time. My PS stopped filling me so I could go through radiation. I think during radiation they moved a bit given my arms were in that awful position every day for 7+ weeks! They only bothered me my last full when she filled me the most. But still they were just firm boobs. I'm not afraid to take pain meds. My BS gave me Valium in the hospital after my bmx and they came in handy with my fills. They are expanding your pec muscles and I didn't have much there so it did bother me the day if the fill but did subside. So, I've had my implants for almost 4 weeks and they do not look the same. I was very upset right after because there was such a build up and I was kind of excited to have boobs again. (But actually got to the point where I totally understand that women choose not to have any recon) My radiated side is tight as my PS did warn me she said she can lift the other side, another surgery, so that they match better. It's still early and they may settle more so in no rush. I'm going to try a real bra and maybe a push up pad on one side to see if they look a little more even. I really wanted to avoid the lat flap surgery as my first attempt at reconstructuon if the implants work then great, I avoided having my back cut into, you know? Hope my rambling helps!

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