JoanEH

Recent comments

• Posted to Pain from breast reconstruction tissue expanders? on 17 Mar 2013

  So tomorrow I am having the exchange. On the right side, the expander will be replaced with a regular implant, and on the left side, the old implant (which was not the correct size - too small) will be replaced with the correct size and lifted. Right now I'm looking kind of lopsided: the left side is on the bottom of my ribs, and the right side is on my collarbone, :)! I am looking forward to not having this constant pain, which some of you have said will be gone, yaaaye!! I do hope the PS will have actually listened and that I will have cleavage! I think I might be somewhat obsessed with that particular idea, though I should just be grateful I get to have new bobs, period, I know. Which I am. It's been 2 1/2 years, since the bilateral meastectomy and initial reconstruction. I won't be done yet, he said: possible nip and tuck, and also, down the road, the nipple tatooing. So, I will let you know ASAP how it went and how I am doing. I hope everyone has a lovely St. Patrick's Day!!

• Posted to Pain from breast reconstruction tissue expanders? on 6 Mar 2013

  I have had a total of 890 cc in the expander. I told the dr. I wanted to be a C-cup but he was rather vague about that type of sizing (and so were the answers from some of the PS's I found on this site) so I told him I want cleavage for the first time in my life!! Now I'm praying he gets that. He did promise that the last time I saw him. I am READY!!!! Today I feel like I am wearing a bra that is 4 sizes too small not only all around but in the cups, too. Phew. The expander seems to pull on the right-side regular implant. I am trying to remember I am supposed to "jiggle" it so it will not encapsulate and so that it will be looser.

• Posted to Pain from breast reconstruction tissue expanders? on 6 Mar 2013

  Thank you for the encouragement. I am having my exchange in 1 1/2 weeks, and I am stoked. They did say, however, I would not be allowed to do anything for weeks, and that recovery time is 6-8 weeks. The first 1-2 weeks they will not even allow me to shower. I'm thinking everyone is different (PS's). I'm getting my hair done tomorrow for the first time in years in anticipation, :)!

• Posted to Pain from breast reconstruction tissue expanders? on 4 Mar 2013

  Hi Debbie, my PS said they put the expanders up high so that they are firmly tucked in behind the muscle, and with continued expansion this allows for even skin stretching, and so that they have something to work with when they are exchanged for the permanent implant. If you are in a lot of pain, you could try sleeping in a recliner after the fills. That way the expander isn't pressing on your ribs and thereby on your shoulder-blades, too. I have done gentle stretching exercises throughout this process by interlacing my finger behind my head, and I have had to watch out for a tendency to slouch because I didn't want to be in more pain by standing or sitting up straight. That, however, causes back/neck/shoulder problems and actually does nothing to relieve the pain/discomfort in the long run. So I try to remember to stand tall, stand proud, and breathe, :). Hope you're doing better today. Joan

• Posted to Pain from breast reconstruction tissue expanders? on 2 Mar 2013

  The first few months after my PS put in the expander he would fill it 100 cc at a time. Just like I have read several say here, I felt like I was being split apart, in addition to the elephant on my chest, etc. One time I had to drive myself home, a 3 1/2 hour trip, and I had to do it in stages because I couldn't breathe, the pain was excruciating. So the next few times, I requested he only fill 50 cc, and that was more manageable in terms of pain. The last few months I went back up to 75-80 cc. My goal is cleavage, :), and that would be about a C-cup. I have had 12 monthly fills, and am now waiting for the surgery date in March for the exchange. That is exciting. I am never not in pain, so I am hoping that after 2 1/2 years of non-stop pain the exchange will take that all away, once I have recovered from the actual surgery. But in terms of 5+ fills, I don't think that that is necessarily excessive because some of the women I met at the hospital had been doing this, too, for several months/over a year. Easy does it. Also, I think the position one is in for the fills is deceptive: "Oh, sure, absolutely I can tolerate this," while lying down. Then you leave the office and go stand in line and within about five to ten minutes you are wishing for some kind of, any kind of relief!! :) So I learned to underestimate my tolerance.