continued Tissue expander pain!!

Well today I went to see my ps for a fill-not as sore today as he only put in 90cc, compared to the 125cc last week. After surgery he told me that he had filled the expander with 300cc-but anyway so today after the fill he says i am just about half way there; i was in a haze as i took my pain meds b4 hand and now im thinking so far i have 515cc in the expander and he says im not quite half way? 

I had a double mastectomy 03/04/08. The PS the placed the expanders in at that time. Not sure how much fluid he put in them at that time. I don't think he would have put too much because I still have to go through radioation. I started off with 6 drains after the surgrey. 1 for each side of my back and 2 for each side of my chest.

I do not need to even say anything about the pain I was in, as you have all been there. Which is what is so great about this site.

Gradually they started coming out because my PS said it was time and then cha-ching, another surgery to put 2 new ones back in on one side.  I have 1 left, that he wants to take out on Monday

I don't understand and have a question:

Did you guys have the drains taken out when you chest and underarm was still filled with fluid? How can I tell the difference between fluid and swelling? He says they are ready if the fluid drops below 25cc for 2 days in a row.

It just that my underarms and chest on both sides are still filled with fluid. My one side that hasn't had a drain in it for about 2 weeks has a lump that is about 1 inch thick and 4 inches wide.

Crumcake, (cute name)

I can only give you my two cents on this complication and what I personally would do. I don't mean to sound harsh, but were your complications due to your ps? I mean think about it, was your bleeder due to his surgery or the bc doctor? If it was the ps, I would seriously think about a second opinion regarding placement. When the expanders are in place, they don't move, just fill up. They don't just float around your chest caviety, and if you are having pain and discomfort before any of your fills and the expander is misplaced and sideways it will expand where it lays in your chest. I've seen pictures of this happening to women and when their expanders expand the skin and create pockets for the implants in the wrong location and it has always been very painful for them. On a personal note, my expanders were expanded to far under my armpits and then I had my exchange. The problem I now have is fluid and fat pockets under my arms. My ps will have to correct this problem when I have nipple reconstruction at the end of June.

I hope this helps you.

Kerry, can I come to the foob party? Can you just picture the face at the Customs booth when they ask "what is the nature of your visit?" If I replied "Well mister customs man, I'm attending a foobs party, and It's for women only, we all compair our fake boobs and then take our pain meds." He'd probably take my passport away, or pull me over to "THE BOOTH" to do "THE SEARCH" Hah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only 5 more days (you can't count the day of the surgery)

Sharon

Kerry - If I don't talk to you before Friday, I wish you a smooth surgery, soft and fabulous foobs, and a speedy recovery.  Good Luck!

Crumcake - I can't believe the expanders will move either.  Do you like your ps?  Maybe a second opinion from another ps wouldn't be a bad idea.  This whole process is tough to get through and it is too bad that it started out that way.  Let us know what you decide to do and how you are doing.

Sandy

This is my second time with implants.  I had them removed due to painful scar tissue and then they seemed way too high and under my armpits so I had them removed and now am  trying this tissue expansion project which I had thought would be easy breezy and I have had pain for a month now and have had only two injections of 120cc in each side.  For some horrible reason the right side pains me constantly and I am not sure if I went back to work too early.  Does anyone else's ps demand that you massage the expanders?  I cannot even touch them they are so sore....

Just want to say hello! I'm new to this. Haven't really talked to anyone but family and close friends.

I had my bilateral surgery March 24th and have had 2 fills now in the last 2 weeks ( 60 ccs each fill) Is this normal? Everyones different but i'm getting filled every week! I think it's uncomfortable and it feels like I have bricks on my chest, alot of pressure!

About the uterine ablation my sister had it done in Oct. and said it wasn't to bad. She's glad she did it.

I had my exchange surgery about 14 hours ago!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had the exchange done early (a little over 2 months since expanders were put in) as I didn't think I could take being so uncomfortable until after chemo.  This surgery was much easier.  I do have a little pain/discomfort but it is clear this is soreness from the surgery. The expander pain is GONE!!!!!!I am so happy.  I did take a quick peek at how I look.  A little flatter then I expected but I bet ps tells me that gets better.  The part sticking out under my arms is gone.  I have cleavage! Insision the same but the breasts look bruised - I think tomorrow they wil be very black and blue.  I go back to the ps in the morning so I am sure he will tell me what to expect. 

Suebee - I felt the bricks too!  I think it had to do with the expander in general and not with the fills.  When I went longer  between filld it made no difference.  If I got up and walked arounf, I usually felt better.

Hi guys! I'm sooo excited I registered for this site. I'm feeling more normal talking to people who have been through this. I go back to my ps on Thurs. for another fill. Does anyone take pain meds? before you go? I can feel everything the needle and wondered if that might help? another question is with the expanders are anyones uneven? my right is bigger then my left? They assure me it will be okay but I think it bothers me.

Hi Ladies,

Welcome to the new girls.

Debbie,  So glad that your surgery went well. I am now booked for June 6/08. Had to be posponed due to low Hg.

Bubby,  I also had fluid collect around my right expander after the PS pulled my drain out when it was draining 50cc in 24hrs. She wanted it out early. Some PS's like to get them out ASAP due to the risk of infection and others keep them in until the drainage is <30cc in 24hrs. It all depends on the PS. I had mine drained 3 times and each time my PS did a fill to try and fill up the space that the seroma was developing in. In the end my fills stopped and she stopped draining it and it just stopped developing on it's own. After a few weeks my expander dropped down into the space where the seroma was developing, and it did not get any bigger.

SueBee,  Yes, I took pain pills for the fills. I took Percocet, and an over the counter muscle relaxant. Some women get 50cc weekly and others get 60cc every 2 weeks. It all depends on how you tolerate the fills. Try to go slow and steady as you do not want to go too fast or too much as you can get into a lot of pain. One of my expanders sat differently than the other one. The right one was higher and seemed to be more puffy at the top. It has now settled and dropped down and they are both even. I could wear just a tee shirt now and they would look symettrical (sp?) After your fills are done, they will probably drop a bit as the muscle and skin loosens up.

Bubby,  I  rub lotion on the foob skin 2 times a day. In the am and pm. Some people swear by cocoa butter lotion, others use Bio Oil. I just used some lotion that was in my cupboard that had cocoa butter and flowers in it. I found just massaging the edges of the expanders was helpful for the pain. I checked with my PS about this first.

Hope that helps with some of the questions. There is a lot of info in the past postings on this thread, if you have time to read them all. I found that helpful.

Take Care,

Kerry

Hello again?! Just wanted to say everyone is talking about lotion and massaging there foobs and I asked my ps if I should be doin any of that and he said no? I'm sure alot of ps are different with there techniques but I don't want big scars either! WHAT DO I DO? ANYONE?

Thanks Kerry!  He threatens the expanders if too hard won't be removed until they loosen up!  I have expansion today and he always does 60 cc each side.  My right one is still smaller and a weird shape.  I hate the pain and the ps says no medications.  He said I went back to work too soon!  Thanks for responding. 

Ahh good to know! I guess when you hear alot of different stories you just need reassured that your ps is doing something right. Thanks!

I go tomorrow for my next fill and i'm curious to see how much they'll put in? I've had 2 fills prior with 60ccs and asked them what size they thought they were? (They said B+) I know it's up to me but I really have no clue? How do you determine? I was a D before this happened and I just don't know if I want to be that big again? I also don't want to go too small? WHAT TO DO?

WHAT TO DO - I hear you 

I have had 150 at the time of initial expander placement, then 140 3 weeks later then another 120 one week later and will wait 2 weeks for the next and possibly the last.  I asked ps when I should quit - he said to measure my hips and that is the size my breasts should be.  I'm hoping for a b+ or small c, never have had large breasts so think this will be plenty but not sure - I really don't want to be disappointed with the size after going thru all of this.

I have pain the day of the fill and the next day, which pain meds help.  In my opinion I would rather get the larger fill and get it over with.  1 1/2 days of taking pain meds and sleeping alot aren't too bad for me but don't know if I would feel the same if I had bilateral.  I will be getting an implant on my good size to even me up - don't know what to expect in the way of pain on that side.  Anyone know??

Hi Ladies,

Suave,   My periods started being prolonged on my last birthday and would not stop on their own. The GP tried 2 different meds for me but those did not work. Then he came up with another one and it did work. Usually took the pills 3-4 times per day for 10 pills and it stopped after 5 days. Since I had the bilat mast on Jan 25/08 things have been funny. In Feb I had a period but it stopped on its own and I did not have to take the meds. Lasted about 4 days. And then on March 11 I had another period start which has not stopped since and I have tried 3 different doses of the medication. Things are all screwed up for sure.The only 2 things that are being offered to me now are the Merena IUD or a uterine ablation. The IUD emits a hormone, so I am trying to get the hospital to do hormone testing on my tissue samples, which was never done for some unknown reason. The ablation would be surgery (day surgery) but it has to be a minimum of 6 weeks either before or after the exchange surgery. What a drag!!!! This is really depressing me. Now the exchange is booked for June 6/08. I really wanted to get this done this week. Oh well, what can you do? Will the PS do exchange surgery on you soon? I hope that it works out for you. Have you asked him about the lat. flap surgery and then an implant? More surgery, probably what you don't want.

Take Care,

Kerry 

Kerry,

The lat flap is my next option but I would love to avoid it. I can't believe things are not simple. I don't find the mastectomy surgery to have been so bad, but reconstruction is the problem. Then, adding another surgery doesn't help. I don't want to scare new girls here. It is not that I am in pain, it is that my radiated skin doesn't stretch well. Okay, your period is even worse than mine. I do wish my period would stop, since I am  hormone positive. I have been having flaxseed with my breakfast, and I feel that it is helping regulate my period. Why don't you do the uterine ablation first, since it is getting you anemic.  I wouldn't do the iud if it has hormones.