Breast Expanders are the devil :(

I know it sucks. Try the muscle relaxers, put some headphones on and walk. try deep breathing and stretching that shit out. breath in deep and hold it. repeat.

I did find docs that didn't make you wait the expected 1 yr after rads. but you might not have had rads.

call my reconstuction team in San Antonio-they do this diep flap a lot. it would mean a 3 week hotel stay. but since then I have learned that american cancer society can help a lot if there is no Hope house.

angie, tomorrow is 3 weeks for me. i woke up saying "ow, ow, ow". like you said nothing prepared me for that pain. the first week was around the clock lortab and celebrex and only felt a tiny little bit better when the first two drains came out (the devil). i was able to drop the lortab during the day, still taking it in the morning (the worst pain) and at night in order to get comfortable. at my two week appointment the PS took the second set of drains out but followed with a fill of 100. I could barely catch my breath. he had to give me more lortab just to get me off the table. the pain in my chest was awful. he offered me valium but i didnt take it. should have. this week has been more bareable. my second fill (5 days later) was not as bad - 50ml. i do think the tightness is muscle spasm - a 24 hour / 7 days a week muscle spasm. i have been able to go outside and walk - hurts like hell when i walk, but i do think it has helped overall. as long as i keep moving the muscles loosen up, but if i use my arms to much then they tighten again. for example i tried reaching into the bottom of the wash machine, bad idea. that side of my chest has hurt all day. agree these things suck

Angie,

I had TEs for 2 weeks... and then told my PS to take the damn things out and make me flat. NIGHT AND DAY difference! I finally feel like 'me' again... and I don't have to worry about ALCL (lymphoma) or all the risks with the TEs. Read my tagline, that says it all. There's a large group of women in a Flat and Fabulous group on Facebook.. you should join us.

My TEs were very painful, too. I started getting fills 7 days after surgery, and every fill hurt but the fills were done after a month. During the fill process I went twice a week to a specially trained physical therapist (LANA-certified). Her massages saved my sanity. I had my last - and largest - fill July 2nd and was in terrible pain. I went to my PT on July 3rd and felt so much better I was able to celebrate the 4th of July without trouble. Also, after the fills were done the pain subsided. The TEs still felt hard and weird, like rocks, but didn't keep me awake.

I agree with all of you, these things are like rocks for breasts. I take zolpidem to help me sleep at night. I am so tired of sleeping on my back!! And that feeling when you sit up in bed first thing in the morning, the worst!!! I noticed some "knots" on my right breast and went to see PS. He said that's just your expander! Barf! He filled mine with about 130 ccs at time of surgery, talk about pain. I was in hospital for three days. This Friday will be four weeks post BMX and I haven't had a fill yet due to some infection in my scar, so waiting two more weeks. I have to start work next week, I'm out of vacation and sick time and can't afford to take FMLA. I hope I can get through it. Has anyone tried the scar cream that PS sells, this one is called bioCorneum. It's a silicone product. I really like it. Reduces that feeling I have of my rocks being rubbed raw by bra or clothing. I will be so happy when these are out, they really kind of nauseate me