continued Tissue expander pain!!
Comments
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Denise, Sorry about the pain with the fill. It really does suck. The best advise I got from someone here on the boards is to take ibuprofen about a half hour before and it does help with the pain. You can always have them put less in. I went for more at the beginning because I knew it would get worse the larger the expander got. My last fill was 3 weeks ago and it's still uncomfortable, almost like I'm still getting them. I have constant muscle spasms (which are actually funny to watch because the booblet moves up and down like those male body builders boobs do). It's now ocompressing 2 ribs which makes it hard to breathe and I get very lightheaded and start to pass out. From what I've read though, it's worth all of this in the end.
Davisfamily, what do you do for the lymphedema? I haven't called the PS yet. A woman I work with is a bc survivor and is a peer-to-peer counselor for the cancer society. She look at it and told me I should call the doctor but I can't bring myself to do it yet (I kinda like not having a dr. appt. every week!). I'll definitly call them Monday because my hand is starting to swell. My upper arm is as tight or moreso than it was after the surgery. I only had the sentinal node biopsy but they removed 6 nodes because 1 tested positive (it was a false positive in the end). My arm gets tired as well but I try to use it as much as I can (I'm right handed and when I'm erasing the board at school I do it with my left one).
Katie, I'm so jealous of you and Traci! You've gotta tell us all the details about the surgery. My PS said he's creating the nipple with the excess skin from the expander. I don't really care at this point. I've been married for 32 years to a saint and he doesn't care whether or not I have it done. I still have one and that's enough for me!
Traci, Almost H-day! I'll be thinking about you on halloween and will have a bloody mary in your honor! (I'll need it because I'm working the fall fun day at my granddaughter's pre-k 3 yr. old class!). I still think you should dress up the new boobs with fake eyelashes and use it as your picture!
Hey Sharon,Welcome to the bosomless buddies (well, for some of us anyway)! You've come to the right place for rants and support! Yikes you've been through a ton of stuff! You've got a wicked sense of humor (something that is truly important to get through a trying day and life for sure!).
The fills for me were the worst part...I had my last one 3 weeks ago and I'm having the exchange surgery December 18th. (Take ibuprofen or pain meds about an hour before the fill and it makes it a bit more bearable...the second day just load yourself up on drugs, alcohol, anything you can find!). I came home with 100cc's in the expander and got 180 the first time, then 140, then the rest were 120. I'm at 760cc's which will supposedly make me a "C" at the end (I was a D before the surgery and had a breast reduction years ago to get to that size).
Like you I had DCIS that was between 2 and 3. I am normally religious about mammograms but Hurricane Katrina put a stop to that (I live in a suburb of New Orleans). I was scheduled for one a week after the hurricane (we were holed up at my sisters in Baton Rouge for a month). So I missed the one for 2005, didn't remember to reschedule in 2006 (had "Katrina brain"-almost everyone in South Louisiana had it...major symptoms are you walk around in a fog, deal with insurance companies, try to find contractors that don't walk off with your money, and ask everyone you run into in WalMart how they made out). I had the stereotactic needle biopsy but didn't have to drive nearly as far as you (only 5 miles). I was diagnosed 06/14/07 at 5pm. I had the mast on the left breast and a lift on the right July 12th, a few days after my 51st birthday.
Drains suck! I had 3 at the time of surgery and lived with the one in the last site for almost a month! I referred to them as my personal "testicles" (I am soooooo glad I'm not a man! Those things would drive me crazy!).
You've come to the right place for support! If it weren't for stumbling onto these boards I don't know if I'd have made it though everything without this great bunch of women. Yall have a good night...I'm going to bed so I can get up bright and early to do Christmas shopping!
Margaret
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Dear Julie, well I think I may have had a day that topped all. My ex and I who are still very good friends have decided that it would be best if my son Kevin who is having his own issues move up north with me and my daugher. The so called wonderful current husband, said he didn't think he could deal with another child. He was mad that I said he did not have a say in this issue...this is my son we're dealing with. I have never in my life ever considered when we were having problems with his oldest son and came to live with us for his 4 years of high school, when you re-marry you always have to except the children as well. This is what I have done with all of his children!!!! For me to actually have to decide one or the other was not a position for me to put in 9 days post-op. I told him I loved him but could not and would not let my son down at this time in his life. He didn't like this answer, and at 7:00 left to his mother's and is now going down to Key West for a week or so. I feel no man or woman should ever have to choose on how or share their love. So for the moment, I think I'm single. (Oh by the way, he made sure not to forget the case of beer but didn't leave me any money for the next two weeks.) Oh well...Hope he wasn't to attached to that Classic Car in the garage. It's like the BC pin I just got last week "Fight Like A Girl" or even worse for a drunk, find the pocket book:)
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ok, well had my first fill since expander was placed...i didnt go any more then 20ccs.....i couldn't. She said it is going to take forever..I said well since I am not booked for any wet t shirt contests soon it really doesn't matter.
So, Maybe by summer time I'll have new girls.lolol but it really doesn't matter how long it takes. I don't want anymore pain.
Still waiting on the chemo schedule...for they never sent my slides out to the oncology dept., "someone ropped the ball" is what they said.
ERRRRGGGGGGG....
I have been really good emotionally....but today was bad, cried alot..and I have no idea why not becasue of bc or my dad passing...I just cried and cried. It was really wierd. I kept saying to myself what r u doing stop the crying, but i couldn't.
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She's having her expanders removed next month and having the permanent implants placed and she is so excited. Anyway, she gave me so much hope and I just wanted to share that with you. Every time I start feeling hopeless or just plain mentally and physically worn out by this, I think of her and realize there will be an end to this misery. Hang in there. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers like so many of these other amazing women. ..
omigod, yes.thank you all.
i am just beginning having the expander put in on mov 29, i had a rt mastectomy last november 15 and 8 mos of chemo,and a sentinal node lymphectomy.
gratefully ive read alot of the posts and it helped me accept that its gonna hurt. my fact is that this nerve pain described above is what the area has felt like ever since the mastectomy..so im fearing that being stretched amd is gonna be hurting much worse even .i have my own busines 30 years and recently a divorce of my 28 yr marriage and im on my own. all at once.
i hope that i can do my work thru this, i pray i can.the journey to feel whole again --its weird but it feels stronger than the fear of reoccurrence.
the mastectomy rt side really messed with my sense of womanness, i think,
in we spark cancer support group im trying to see myself as whole but the mirror doesnt lie. im regaining my hair now at 1 inch, its a start i guess.
i live for work,my 4 dogs,friends and really want a new breast no matter what comes.
i appreciate so much what everyone is sharing here, its a beacon in the lonely dark. a fellow traveler in this hero's journey we make alone.
anybody who had a mastectomy n goin thru expansion a year later is so invited to share it as i go thru it too, any one in fact who wants to share, please write me. im really scared..ive been through so much in one year its been hard. but hope prevails- its the drive to be me and whole in any way i can again.
the arms hard and swollen,the port is out of position,ouch and the fatigue and aridex bone muscles numbness pain --is hard to handle.
we battle on.and i pray we all succeed in this battle ..
funny..but mitzi was my moms name and she loved monkeys.hi mitzi..
i thank you all..
onward and hopefully upward.
to regain ourselves and our lives. -
Hey Neeliecar & Miracle:
My heart goes out to you both. Neelie, you will get through this pain. I remember how discouraged I felt by the 4th week. I was so sick of the pain/discomfort, whatever it was at the time. I especially felt it whenever I over did things. Anything.... A little too much stretching when I'd try to exercise like b/4 the mastectomies, a little to much around the house. There would always be payback in the form of pain. Please, please try to rest as much as you can. I promise it will start to feel better. I didn't get my first fill until 5 wks after surgery..I'd take a pain pill once a day, usually around 2:30, and I just kept ibuprofin liquid gels in my system every 4 hrs, slept w/ lots of pillows and finally, at the two month point, after a couple of fills, everything started to lighten up, and the discomfort became manageable, the pain part subsided and all I mostly felt was the tightness. Also, the BEST thing I found which was the most comfortable was a cotton exercise bra. I would step in and out of them. That's all I wear under my clothes now. Walmart has a great selection. Fruit of the loom brand is very comfortable and inexpensive. It's been 11 wks and now I'm back to doing just about anything, except pushing the vacum cleaner. I paid for that one time and I'm not taking any chances for a while. I get my exchange next week.
Everyone is different in their recovery. My advise is listen to your body when it's hurting. Just rest and don't over do it. You're going to get through it and this web site saved my sanity some days when I was so scared and frustrated.
Miracle, you have been through so much. It's good to let your emotions go. You need to cry and get it out of your system. A good cry will always help. I had a good cry every day after my surgery and it was such a healthy release. You have had so much more to deal with though. Give yourself some time each day to release that emotion. I hope you have a strong support system too. Let them help you through this. Just take this all one day at a time. I'm a firm believer, from experience in the loss of my parents, that time does heal. You just need to be patient with yourself and good to yourself.
Both of you, hang in there. You're in everyone's thoughts and prayers who are reading through this thread.
God bless,
Katie
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Thanks to all of you ladies, I have no idea whre would be without you.
I gofor my 2ndfill on wed., errrgg i am dreading it.
The PS gave me vicodinfor pain last week he gave me 30 with no refills,
I don't want him to think Iam getting addictedbut...when you take 4 a day for 7 days thats 28....And they hardly even work, Itake 2 then 2 hours laterI take 1/2 then take 2 at 8 pmanda0.05 xanax before TRY to go to sleep.
I am going to 475 I had 50 the day they put the expander in and 20cc least week...lololol i have while to go.
I have alot of support in my mom, she is amazing....she knows just what to do and say....However, my friends are little or no help. My one friend of 20 plus years has maybe called 4 times since sept 14......I can't believe it.
I am so upset with that whole situation, but I have much bigger worries then loosing all my friends becasue I got breast cancer, DO THEY THINK THEY MAY CATCH IT OR WHAT???? we used totalk everyday, now most of my friends have dropped off .
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Hi Miracle,
I truly feel your pain with the expander stuff. Just remember that in the end it will be worth it (so I'm told). Don't worry so much about having to take the fills slow...it doesn't matter how long it takes to get you to where you need to be!
As far as friends not calling...maybe they aren't sure what to say so they say nothing. It may take you picking up the phone and just talking to them about anything. I had that experience as well and that's what I did. Once we started talking they were a bit more comfortable asking questions about the bc and everything that comes with it. You could also break the ice with them and ask them to come sit with you while you undergo your treatment. I hate having people "do" for me but have learned that it's okay to ask for and accept help. That would also include talking to people about how I'm feeling.
In your earlier post you talked about crying...that's so normal! It may be a bit strange if you didn't cry with everything you've gone through...the surgery, losing your dad, getting lost in the system with the chemo...I'd cry too! Crying is a very cleansing thing to do. I always feel better after I cry. Crying was part of my routine especially on fill days and a few days after. It was so incredibly painful (got my last one 3 1/2 weeks ago) and it still hurts. But, I know the worst part is over and the exchange is on the horizon (December 18th).
You're in the right place to vent about all the stuff that's going on. When I feel upset about stuff I either post in this forum or write in a journal. For me, sometimes just writing and ranting about how I feel makes me feel better. Take care.
Margaret
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Miracle,
About those pain meds--doctors generally don't understand pain and are afraid to over-prescribe. I am a nurse practitioner and used to work in a pain clinic. Boy, did I learn tons!
Take you med bottle with you when you go, and tell the ps just what you told us. That if you take one vicoden every 6 hours, that's four a day and 28 in a week. Supplementing with advil may not be enough. Ask for a prescription that states "1-2 every 4-6 hours as needed for pain" and then for the quantity that will last till your next visit. Ask directly if he has concerns about dependency. If so, then perhaps alternating with a medicine called Tramadol (nonnarcotic, but works on the narcotic receptors) may help a lot.
I strongly believe that we don't heal well when we're fighting pain. We certainly don't sleep well, and that's when our body gets its "quiet time" for the reparative process.
Best of luck.
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HI Tracy
I have had such a terrible experience with this bi/mast/recon, that I have spent very little time online since my Sept 26th surgery. The pain has been unbearable. Three different RXs have not helped at all but did cause severe nausia.
I have a pacemaker that needed to be relocated away from the left side as my Onc had planned on RADS. Now it is located on top of the right expander and is causing a lot of pain. I was in severe (and still am) pain following the surgery and remained in the hospital for a week.
The pain continued after I arrived home and only seemed to get worse. After 2 weeks I was badly infected and had to have "office surgery". My PS reopened my incision, removed the entire scar, drain the infection and sutured me back up. (I actually fainted when they were removing the bandages).
When I returned last week, he had 2 HUGE needles laying on the table for my fills. While waiting for him to enter the room, I continued to look at those needles and almost fainted again. When he did come in he said no fills as the other side was now infected. My husband look a photo so I could see what it looked like...Horror. One side looks like my "breast" will be completely covered with scars, I am scar to death.
The topper to all this, my path/report. Two weeks after my surgery I was informed that there was no cancer...NO SIGN OF CANCER. It had all been removed at the time of my biopsy, with clear margins. However my BS was sure it had spread to my nodes, althougth he never removed a single one to check. Bottom line, I had both my breasts removed, now have PM wires zig-zagging across my chest, and must go thru 2 more surgeries to complete the reconstruction of two breasts that I should still have, not to mention all the pain.
Traci - My expanders are also under my muscles. I was told the implants would show thru the skin if not done in this way. - Jean -
Neeliecar,
Just wanted to let you know that the burning sensation will go away. It's a good thing because it means the nerves are regenerating. I had a bilat. with immed. alloderm and expander reconstruction on 6/26/07. I was filled to 350cc. I tried to go off the pain meds too early, and it was a mistake. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get off them, yada, yada, but one of my doctors advised me to stay on them. Listen to your mast. surgeon, and stay on them as long as you need to. I still feel the tight band, but it's not like it was, and the burning sensation is completely gone (I felt like I had a bad sunburn on my chest--when I didn't take the pain meds, I was really miserable).
I've only had one 50cc fill and will have one more 50cc before I go for the exchange. I was a 32DD before mast. and told ps I want to be smaller, probably a C. The size I am now with the expanders (400cc) or a little smaller would be okay with me.
Good luck. It does get better. I think it's nice to wake up after a mast. with "breasts", but it's harder to get used to the stretched muscles and skin.
Take care,
Carolina -
I had my first fill yesterday, 100cc both sides. Now I'm at 400cc. Not sure how far we'll go--most likely about another 100. The Botox has been a godsend. I have tightness and tingling and some burning, but no true spasm. But I did need some extra Darvocet last night.
Today I go to PT to start some gentle stretching out of the muscles.
One question that I haven't seen here yet: I know the port used to instill the saline has metal in it. What are the chances I'll set off the alarms in the airport when I travel next week??
Anne
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Hi Anne:
You won't have any problems. I've flown a couple of times since my expanders have been in and there were no problems with security. I also had 100cc at each fill.
I'm at 500cc's now and have the exchange next week with 420 silicone gel implants. I had the last fill 5 wks ago and have no discomfort anymore. Just the tightness. Hang in there and have a good trip.
Take care,
Katie
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Thanks, Katie, for the advice! Glad to know I won't be facing the wand in airport security!
Good luck with your exchange!
Anne
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Question for ANNE and KATIE
How often did you have your fills?
I have had a problem with healing so my first fill will not be for 2 more weeks. I originally had 200cc. Yestrday my PS said he will be filling me to 750cc before the exchange. I was thinking if he's only filling them at the rate of 50cc every other week - that means half a year before I can have my implants. Then, of course, there's the rebuilding of nipples etc. I feel like this will take forever. - Jean -
I am 3 months from lat flap surgery, at 425cc. I don't want any more fils, just want it over. I am constantly uncomfortable with the tight band feeling, I can't take a deep breath and it feels like the rad. side has slipped under my arm. It have mild LE in that arm as well. With each fill I am in unbearable pain, a nerve pain that radiates down the arm.
At first the ps was giving me valium to relax the muscles and lortabs for the fill.
She became insistent that I get a pain block in the LE arm, but I was afraid to. Now she is withholding all meds.
I can't get valium or anything for the 2 days of pain after the fill. She says I need to wean off. hmmmm. She only gave me like 5 pain meds and my fills 3 or 4 weeks apart. It would be hard to be an addict. I feel like I am close to panic.
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Jean......
I am so sorry to hear what you've been through. OMG...you poor thing. I wish I could say something to make you feel better. Only time will though. How is the other infection? I feel so bad for you girl.
Please let us know how you are doing.
Margaret....had my hysterectomy on Wed. I felt o.k. Thurs and then felt like I was hit by a truck yesterday. I went to sleep at 8 pm last night and other than waking up every few hours to take a pain pill, slept until 9 am this morning.
I feel better today. I did a little laundry and cleaned up my room. It feels best when I have a pillow pressed against my tummy. Now, I have my implants put in on 11/28 and then I'll be done! I hope I have enough hair by Christmas to feel completely normal.
Hugs everybody.
Traci
ps Julie....Man, I would be pissed. I don't think your doctor understands the kind of pain you are in. That is BS. I don't know what I would have done without my pain pills after my last fill. I wouldn't have been able to take it. I quit having fills 150cc's prior to the original goal. Forget it. I could not take the pain. Even with the pain pills!!!
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Hi Tracy
Thursday my PS discoverd another infection, this time on the right side. He had to perform another "office surgery" similar to the one he did 2 weeks ago. I had anticipated this prior to my office visit and was prepared. I much perferred it being done now than 6 months from now after it had healed and left a terrible scar. I suppose this will put off my fills for another 2-3 weeks. My DH said I should stop with the 200cc. I just cannot see myself going thru an additional 550, just to have a "B".
I am glad you are feeling better. Have the hot flashes hit yet? Mine hit about 2 days after the surgery. I was extremely surprised it hit so quickly. Do take it easy, don't do much cleaning for a while. If you're like me, you will want to clean and do the laundry before your exchange, but just do what is absolutely necessary.
Jean -
Hey Jean:
I also originally had 200 in each expander at the time of my mastectomies on July 31st. A wk later I got an infection on one side that my ps had to open back up, debride and staple closed. I didn't have my first 100cc fill until about 6 wks after my initial surgery. I couldn't even imagine having any sooner b/c I hurt so much between the arm pit and breastoid on one side. I had read about some women who felt some relief from the pain after they began their fills. Surprisingly I did end up feeling less pain after I had the 1st one. Boy was I tight, but that one spot that had hurt so much before was stretched with the saline injection which alleviated that nagging, cutting feeling in that sore area. Anyway, I waited 2-3 wks in between fills and had a total of three to get me to 500cc. This Tuesday I get my exchange with 420 silicone gel implants.
Everyone is so different. You need to go at whatever pace is most comfortable (or least uncomfortable, I should say) for you. There is no right or wrong way to do this. I sure wish you well and will keep you in my prayers.
Hang in there.
Katie
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I had 300cc filled at the time of surgery. Two weeks later I got 100cc each. In two weeks I'll go for 100-150 each.
My ps used Botox on my pec muscle to eliminate the horrible spasms that so many of you experience. I merely get "uncomfortable" tightness and aching and skin sensitivity--and still take a mild pain pill during the day and at bedtime.
Some days are better than others. I find physical therapy and massage of the implant area to help an amazing amount! The next day I almost feel human.
My friend went through this two years ago--had about 200cc initially, then one monster fill after. Her pain was horrific. Two months later she had the exchange (saline) which never looked right. Last year she got a new ps and exchanged for silicone. She still feels some tightness in her chest and a heaviness where the implants are.
Anne
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Hi everyone. Been awhile since I posted. Just to recap who I am, I had my double mast last July and just had my expanders put in oct 18 and I have to say it was just as bad as the mastectomies were. I just had my first expansion today with 50cc that my dr is going to do weekly. he said he would put in more if i wanted but I thought I would see how I do with 50 first. I work at home so I am lucky, I take phone orders for 1800flowers from home and it is hard enough to make myself sit here so I can't imagine how some of you do it going out to work. I am going for a good C cup when this is all said and done so the dr said it will take about 9 expansions! That seems like forever!!!! I am ready to have my body back and stop focusing all my time thinking about it and working around it! I don't have any serious pain as of yet but the tightness is getting worse now...wondering what I will wake up to?
Nice meeting all of you.
Teri
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OH MY GOOOOSSSSSHHHH!!!!!
WOW, this is what I am in for???? I am going in Dec 10th to get my expanders. I could not get them in do to complications with my bilat mast (about 17 days ago). Reading all your comments scares the pants off me:<]. I ask a question just a few min ago(on this blog) and I think you all answered it for me. I am going to be in ALOT of pain!!!! Im scared
Jodi
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Hi all,
Very glad to find this thread. I am sooooo tired of my expanders. I had the bil.mast on 12/28/06 and the expanders were placed at the same time. Started chemo in Feb. and developed mild lymphedema after the second fill. So ps decided to hold off on the fills until after chemo. So, the first of Aug. we started filling again. I am up to about 480ml and he said that was enough. I am scheduled for exchange on Dec. 13. Almost one year after the mast.
I am concerned about a recent development. Starting a week ago I began running a low grade temp. and feeling like crap. I finally went to the doc Mon. and dx is "viral syndrome". Also, have a small red sore on my upper arm, which she dx'd. as shingles. Oh joy. I am on the med for that for a week. Now I am concerned because I feel like my right arm pit feels full(this is the arm of the lymph node dissection and the mild lymphedema). This arm pit has always felt more full than the other one. Of course there was more surgery on this side as it is the side of the breast cancer and the lymph node dissection. I also have this feeling of a band around my chest.
Have any of you had experiences like this. Like a change in the tightness long after a fill? I hope and pray I don't have an infection in the expander. The internist did do a through exam of the axilla and didn't find anything she was concerned about.
I will be so glad to be freed of these expanders. Mine feel like rocks and look like hamburger buns. LOL....gotta keep a sense of humor.
Best wishes to all and any info will be appreciated. Sammie Kay
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Hi Jodi,
If you have read all the threads, and i have read on other sites, that some women do not have any pain at all, just mild discomfort and I have always read that the discomfort of the expansions, is gone right away with the final implant surgery and just about every woman has said it was very worth it and they would do it all over again. I was terrified after reading all the comments by these brave women to have mine put in and I won't lie...I had a terrible time. I had my first fill of 50 cc yesterday and I thought Iwould be in a lot of pain today but I am really NOT! I do feel tight but it is not painful. I am trying to keep everyone in mind and appreciate their situations but also rememeber that everyone is different so I am trying to have my own journey with the process. It is so nice to have a group of people who DO understand what you are going through and can give some real advice and a shoulder to whine on! Keep in touch, and I wish you the best.
Teri
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Sammy Kay
I also have that feeling of a band around my chest and very tight. Someone, on this site, said it felt like a turtle shell but to me it's more like a brick.
I cannot believe what my underarms look like. Thank goodness I still have no hair from the chemo because I have no idea how I could possibly shave. I hope "that" hair doesn't grow for a while.
At the time of my mast, My PS filled my expanders with 200cc. (5 weeks ago) SInce then I have had 2 infections. The first 3 weeks ago. My PS had to reopen, clean it out and cut off the incision. Last week he had to do the same on the other side. I was to have re-started my chemo last week. It was put off until this Friday. However today I saw my Onc and after looking at my chest he called my PS in France (vacation). The two of them decided to put off the chemo one more week as I still have stitches and not healed.
I feel like this will never end. If I get 50cc fills every other week and my PS wants me inflated to 750, I am going to have to wait 22 weeks for my exchange. I guess I am looking at a year before this entire procedure is completed, nipples and all. -
Teribear
Thank you....I am usually a positive person. I know this is a GREAT place to get out all of ones feelings. Thank you for a possitive exp. After my bilat mast...I had little pain...no 18 days latter the feeling (I guess) returned and I ach alot. Having trouble sleeping....just cranky.
Thank you ladies for all the stories, the good the bad and the ugly...I know the end result is worth it all
j
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Great site. Thanks everyone. I don't feel so alone with all this. Had my masectomy 2 years ago and was advised to wait for reconstruction because I was "high risk" for recurrence. After chemo and radiation and being one breasted for two years, I finally decided to go for reconstruction and was surprised by the amount of discomfort I have been feeling. My masectomy surgery was far less painful than the tissue expander process. Each fill gets more uncomfortable but I am only one fill away from an exchange. I will only be about 300 c.c.s. which is fine with me. I was only a b cup before and am just looking forward to having TWO breasts! One little set back though...I noticed a change to my "good" breast, almost like a crease in the breast tissue when I raise my arm. I am scheduled for a mammogram and ultra sound at the end of the month. I guess my exchange will be put on hold until my results come in as my plastic surgeon wants to match my existing breast with my new one. I just hope that I don't have to go through this all over again. When I was initailly diagnosed, my general surgeon refused to take my other breast. He said they would just watch me closely. (I had fibroscystic, very dense breast tissue) Wish me luck, ladies. I just want to get on with my life!
Thanks for all the great advise and comments. No one else could possibly understand! -
Jean, thanks for answering my post. I am sorry you have had to deal with infections. That is no fun at all. I hope things turn out well for you. I had chemo from Feb to July. Glad that is done.
One of the girls on my Feb.ChemoCruisers site said," I just want my old hair, my old boobs and my old life back". I know what she means. I have cried a lot today. The first time in months. Guess I am grieving the loss. My hair is less than 1/2 inch long and salt and pepper. One good piece of news is that they moved my surgery date from Dec. 13 to Nov. 29. That made me feel some better.
Kelly, I hope everything is good with your mammo/ultrasound. I have lobular breast ca and had dense breast tissue. So, after having mammos for 30 years and never an abnormal one, last Oct. I felt a thickening of my right breast and turned out to be bc. I had a good breast removed because I was told lobular is more likely to occur in the other breast. Good luck and best wishes to you and all the other generous, caring people here on this website. Sammie Kay
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Hi Katie
I hope your exchange went well, let us know how you are, I think you are about two weeks ahead of me although I have to wait until February for my exchange, my PS likes to leave the expander in place for at least 4 months, hope you are pleased with the results.
My last fill was about a month ago, I'm 600cc full and after the last fill I was surprised at how comfortable I was, I was hardly aware that I had an expander!! About two weeks ago I caught a chest infection which turned into a flu like cold and I had a dreadful cough. Well, I am in quite a lot of pain now in my expander side, it hurts right through to my back and I am wondering if I have done any damage to it with the cough. I keep hoping it will settle down again as my cough has gone now, but it still hurts, I supose I will have to see the doctor, has anyone else had this happen with a cough?
Moet xx -
Sammy-Kay
I know what you mean, " I just want my old hair, my old boobs and my old life back". It seems like my hair will never return. I had my last chemo August 31 and just this week discovered about 1/8-1/4 of new hair. I am sure it will all fall out agian when I start my new chemo - next week.
What is really bothering me the most (casuing a lot of crying) is my path report . It showed NO SIGN OF CANCER. The pathologists ran testing on over 40 sections. No cancer in any , breast tissue, or skin. The surgery was done ONLY because I was told the cancer HAD spread to the lymph system. Had the BS removed ONE node at the time of the original surgery, he would have known I was cancer free, before he butchered me. Now I am cancer free but also, breast-free and hair-free and maybe facing even a worse issue regarding the moving of my pacemaker. A few days ago it was annoucned some of the Medronic pacemaker wires are being recalled...now I wonder if any of mine are being recalled.
Moet
I so happy you are not having an issue with the expanders. Did they hurt at first? I have the original 200cc but no fills yet do to the infections. Mine expanders feel like bricks and hurt with only the 200cc.
A strange thing has been going on with me when I breath. It's hard to explain, but I'll give it a try. Many times during the day, as I inhale, I have a jerking sensation. The only way I can explain it is - it is very similar to the jerking sensation that occurs when crying hard and we inhale. Kind of a gasping or jerking sensation. It happens to me many times a day, -
Hey Moet:
I was just thinking about you yesterday because we hadn't heard from you here for a long time. Thanks for checking in! I'm doing just fine. I had the surgery this past Tuesday and feel really good. I go see my ps tomorrow for the "unveiling" of the bandages. I'm a little nervous but excited too...I guess
. There really hasn't been any pain, just some tenderness underneath. I can already see that they're sitting lower than when the expanders were still in, which he said would happen. They're not so full on top like before. He said they would look more natural after the exchange, so we'll see tomorrow and I will certainly let you know. That flatness in front will probably always be there, but that's ok. We're getting through this, aren't we. It's hard to believe after reading through our earlier posts in September. Wow!
I hope you continue to feel better. That cold could not have felt good with the expanders. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Every year I generally have fall allergies with tons of sneezing, but angels must have been watching over me b/c this is the first year I didn't have them. I wouldn't have been able to handle constant sneezing with the expanders.
Anyway, next wk I meet w/ my oncologist for a three months follow-up and hope everything looks good, then plan for the nipple thing....I'll keep my options open, but that nipple twist sounds better to me than skin graft. I'll learn more I guess after I talk to my ps tomorrow.
You take care and feel better. God bless. Good to hear from you and keep us updated.
Katie
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