any positive expander stories?

ssyoung,

I had my bilateral expanders placed 4 months ago. I'm having no real problems, and am very active.

TRAM or lat flaps were not  options for me because of the muscle transfer. I briefly considered DIEP--wish I'd looked into that more--but I didn't want to travel for it and have a long recovery.

I think if you get some timely physical therapy after your expanders are placed, you'll be in the gym again in no time. I was climbing after less than 8 weeks. Yo'll find many active women here who are happy with their expanders, and ultimately their implants.

Anne

Hi ssyoung,

I had a right mast with expender put in at the time of surgery(On Dec 5, 07). I have had a very good experience. I have had some muscle tightness....but the PS gave me some meds for those. I can not complain at all. I have had almost no pain......The PS had done mine with Allederm. My PS waits at least 3 months after the last fill before he does the exchange surgery. My fills were between 90cc's- 160cc's, the most pain I had is went he put in 60cc's...I don't know why this one hurt. But take your meds before your fills. I did not, because I only take them if I really need to. I was like you, reading the post and thinking, "What am I getting myself into?". But it has been no problems for me. But I remember, The people that are not having any problems, are not going to write posts hear. I think that there is a lot of people that sail right though this, Don't get me wrong, some don't. Every body is different.

I wish you all the luck in the world, and be one of the lucky ones.......

Shelly

SS, I had bilat with expanders placed June 2007. I was on medical leave for 5 weeks. I had 200 cc put in the day of surgery and started fills 2 weeks after surgery. I had most fills were 60 cc with one 100 cc fill. My fills were usually 7 to 10 days apart. I had some discomfort with the fills but nothing I could not stand and if I needed I only took some tylenol for the discomfort. I started gentle yoga stretches 1 month after my surgery. I had my exchange surgery the first of November and was out of work 1 week after the exchange. I had my nipples created Dec 20 and my areola done Feb 13. All in all, I have not had any complications from the surgeries.

There are a few threads in the surgery section that talk about what to expect after surgery. I will find them and bump them up so you will see others suggestions that helped them through surgery.

Good luck to you while you make your decision.

Sheila

Hi SS,  I had a bi-lateral in March 2007 followed by immediate placement of the expander.  My ps placed 250cc each side at the time of placement and I continued weekly to increase by 100cc - I reached 700cc (they continued to placed 100cc to hold it at 700cc because there was a leak in the expanders).  In Oct 2007 I had the silicone replacements 625cc, nipple created at that time as well as areola.  Now I did have some problems with the outcome and that was my doc not following what we had agreed on but I have to admit the expansion process was OK... 

I understand that it is unusual for the creation of the nipple and areola at the same time as placement of the final implant but my PS has done it for years and that too was good.  What went wrong was more a product (and this he admitted later) of him being use to doing things a certain way.  He had promised to do a "purse string" close and place the final implant through the mastectomy scar but didn't do that so I have at least two more scars than we had originally spoken about (actually four as the "purse string" is done to hide the original mastectomy scars).. but again the expansion process was actually easy in comparison to getting the doc to do what he showed me he could do in our consult..

Best of luck

Marian

I had late reconstruction with expanders and cohesive gel implants and didn't and don't have problems.



This included the cancer side which had been radiated.



I'd recommend this approach for those women interested in trying.



All the best to you,

Tender

Another satisfied customer chiming in here   I have my *final* procedure tomorrow - nipple recon - then I'm done!!  I am fairly active, too - finding myself restricted only by my mild case of lymphedema (which was caused by node-removal - not the recon process....)

I find the cohesive gel silicone much softer and more comfortable than saline (I had those at first for 3 mos.) - definitely a consideration if you are a stomach-sleeper!  I only needed 2 fills - and they were a breeze!  I took 2 out-of-state vacations, one 4 weeks the other 6 weeks after the bilateral mast./expander placement surgery.  Aside from not carrying luggage, I was good to go!

I have great symmetry, and have asked a few close friends how I look in a bathing suit.  They have told me they would never know unless I told them.....Unclothed is a little different story - my scars are pretty good-sized, and the implants will never look "like the real thing" - but I was prepared for that, and don't mind.

Good luck!

Mary

I'm one of those who've had a tolerable expander experience.  My results are okay - you can see them on the picture site and judge for yourself.  But, I must say I don't like doing pushups or "flies" with weights, and I'm not terribly motivated to overcome it - so my upper body is pretty wimpy.  It has not kept me from being active.  I walked a marathon in December and monday just finished another race with a personal best.  (you don't need pecs to race!  LOL!)  However, my bowling game has mysteriously improved (I'm not a pro bowler by any stretch).  But it gets tired after 2 games.

You may want to quiz the doc and others about how your pectorals will be compromised, (that is, how your golf game will be affected!).

I would think a gap or diep would be better suited, unless you are too skinny.  If you are golfing 6 days a week, you must be a pro or addicted. (aren't all golfers addicted?)  You may want to consider delaying recon, to give long thought to your options.

Gotta agree with you about being afraid after reading some of the posts....everytime I read them, I say THANK GOD no one was posting like that when I went through my expansion/exchange or worst yet, BEFORE I had my surgery!  At any rate, I had a unilateral mast with expander placed at the time of my surgery.  I took Tylenol for the ride home (2+hours) and really wasn't in pain.  I had a dull ache and only used Tylenol from that point on.  My fills were very doable.  They were usually 60cc every 2 weeks beginning 3 weeks after surgery.  I always told my PS when I could 'feel' it and never had pain from a fill.  When I had my exchange, I also had a lift/augment on my 'good' side.  The 'good' side was uncomfortable but I actually had to remind myself that I had surgery on my recon side.  I have had my cohesive gel silicone (round, smooth) implants for a little more than a year now and would absolutely do the same thing again.  Best wishes!

My experience was also fine.  My tissue expanders were placed at the time of my BM on 8/16/07 and then had the first fill after about 7 weeks.  They filled 100cc at a time about every other week and I really didn't have much discomfort at all.  Minimal muscle soreness that first night and tylenol was fine for it.  They filled to 560cc to make enough room for the 460cc silicon implants.  My exchange was on 12/21/07 and I had some nerve pain for a couple of weeks, but then that passed.  I get the nipples in April!  And, after all of this, I must say that they look pretty good.  Probably better than the real ones did!  No regrets here.  Good luck!