Why is lying down on back so painful w/expanders?

It's great that you started out with some fill!

I do think ladies who get fill at the orignal time have more discomfort. It's a lot for your muscles to get used to.

Are the drains out yet? As time goes by you can work on stretching. I'll bet when you are sitting up that you are slightly slumped forward which can relieve pressure on your chest muscles. Try to be aware of that because you don't want to end up slumped over on a permanent basis.

Imagine yourself lying on your back, legs straight up against a door or wall. Now, hands underneath your head. After your drains are out and you're feeling stronger that's what to practice towards.  

Hi Julie,

I am pretty much on the same schedule as you as I had my surgery 7/9- bilateral ( L was prophy)Snb and immediate reconstruction.  I also have been having significant pain when lying down.  It feels as though there is a truck on top of my chest.  I find my hands become numb while I am propped up with pillows and sleeping on my back. I can only stay in that position for a few hours and then I must get up walk around and I usually wind up in my recliner chair.  My 7 year old son does not understand why I am sleeping in my chair in the living room each night.  From what I have have been reading it does get better.  I fell like my pectoral muscle (aka-  chest muscle) is fighting the expansion and that is where the pain is coming from. 

I hope you find comfort in knowing you are not alone and that it does get better( I hope) 

Elisa

Hey Julie -

Have you tried some pillows under your knees when laying in bed.  It might help to keep you from sliding down.

Amy

Lying flat stretches the pec muscles out to the sides. They don't want to go that way!! Also, I think there's so stitching done near those lower ribs, so getting flat really pulls there, too.

It was weeks before I could lie flat. And months before I could sleep on my tummy. Hang in there!

Anne

Hi Julie,

I was exactly the same as you! I'm now almost 8 weeks since bilat mast and expanders (filled to 200cc at surgery) The first 3 weeks were the worst then it got better. I couldn't lie flat for about 6 weeks or completely on my side for 7 weeks. Even now I use 2 pillows and 1 of them is a V -shaped one. I also put a small roll behind my back so that I could lie sort of half on my side without rolling on to my back. I found I was worse when I first woke up but it would ease after about 10 mins and hot showers are the best! I just took the pain tabs offered to me by the ps until it settled. I don't need anything now.

I think it may be like Anne says, the muscles relax and stretch when you are flat and especially when you fall asleep. I was told by my ps that the breast bone pain is because the nerves are cut alongside the breastbone when they do the mastectomy. BTW; have you noticed a strange cold feeling across your chest when you drink anything colder than body temperature? I did and my ps said he sometimes hears this from his patients and thinks it has something to do with the nerves being cut next to the breast bone.

Like everyone says: Hang in there Julie, the worst is almost over. Oh, I just remembered, the nurse suggested I get dh to raise the bottom of the bed to stop the sliding, I didn't do that, but I guess it could work. All the best, Carol

I like using a pillow under my back lengthwise - not sure why it helped.  STRETCHING as soon as the doc allows.  Wall crawls with fingers, arms above head with hands clasps together and elbows against my ears really helped.  A small soft fairly flat pillow between the mattress and boob and another more substantial one between the boobs to support the upper boob helps take the pressure off.   It gets better!  Hang in there.

I like using a pillow under my back lengthwise - not sure why it helped.  STRETCHING as soon as the doc allows.  Wall crawls with fingers, arms above head with hands clasps together and elbows against my ears really helped.  A small soft fairly flat pillow between the mattress and boob and another more substantial one between the boobs to support the upper boob helps take the pressure off.   It gets better!  Hang in there.

Hi Monique,

I am 2 1/2 months postop from bilat mast w/ expanders, and I had 2 of my drains in for 5 weeks!!! That was very miserable. I wish I had thought about looping the drain and taping it to my skin, as I also had one that pulled out quite a bit. Pulled my skin out too, so it looked funny and hurt lke heck. My PS had me take 2 diff antibiotics for about 6 wks till after I got the last drains out, so I didn't have any infections. Getting them out, finally, was wonderful! But the tape over the dressings on the drains was wearing my skin raw, so I started using ace bandages and just wrapping them across my chest, and over all the drains--that felt much better than all that tape. I still have some red marks from the tape, so am using some scar ointment for that. I have not had my expanders move, but I have read of other ladies that had that, and I can't recall if  the PS had to adjust it, or if it was ok to leave it alone.

Gals, it feels wonderful once you can really sleep on your side again! Sounds like you everyone is doing real well....it just takes time...lots of time...to be healed. I feel pretty good now and am doing almost anything I want...gardening, heavy work,etc. Not sure if I am supposed to be doing all that, but my PS said if it doesn't hurt it should be alright.

Take care everyone,

Kathy

Girls I had my bilat mast. on June 9th and I have felt everything you all explain. I couldn't lay down for at least 3 weeks slept sitting up on couch. If I layed down felt like the bricks on chest. I had 50cc's put in at surgery and then the first fill was 50cc's and that set me back 6 days of pain. I went 25cc's the week after that and done so well and got back on my feet and have done great since. the next week i took 35cc's and then last week I took 45 and plan on taking 50 this week. My PS says its not a race, I do want the expanders out as soon as possible but I have to function also, and I am still reaching my goal. I now have gotten up to 205 so I am getting there. I just wanted to tell everyone don't hurry it to get it down quicker if it is painful. I am able to do all the things I was doing before and no pain. I can sleep in bed and just at times i feel the pressure around the expanders but nothing like before. It seems the more fills I get the better I am sleeping  and feeling. Good luck to all. Hang in there it will be over soon. We all have to stick togather and get threw this. Hugs

Oh, me too, I'm wondering when I'll ever get another decent night's sleep! I also had delayed reconstruction and had TEs placed on March 19. I'm at 250 ccs now and am uncomfortable pretty much all of the time. I dread sneezing..wow, that hurts. I am forced to sleep on my back, which is not comfortable and just when I'm feeling a bit better, it's time for another fill

had my mastectomy in February and on Friday the 15th my reconstructive surgery. I can relate. I've tried and I was able to sleep on my side 4 20 minutes. But the pain of the breast expander and the metal plate makes it horrible to lie flat.

I also have a pain in my chest bone between my 2 . Sharp and painful. I rubbing it all the time. Lus pain off and on under my arm. But I'm hoping after my surgery it will go away.

I call my breast expander my little football. Because it looks like a football but feels like a basketball. Bending over to get something I dropped hurts also.

The things we have to deal with. Life is great!

Just remember our breast expanders are only temporary. We deal with them for about 2 1/2 months while they expand. Then it's time for your reconstructive surgery.