Pain w/ expander reconstruction

Christine Louise

kb8ogb said:

pain with expanders
I am also having quite of bit of discomfort with my expanders. My plastic surgeon wanted to put larger expanders in and keep filling. I said I have had enough!!! I am at 600cc's in each breast. My bi-lateral mastectomy was Jan. 25th and my expanders will be replaced with the "real thing" on June 15th! I have been feeling so guilty complaining about the discomfort and thinking that it is just me, so I thank you all for your comments!!! Becky

Hey Becky, my bi-laterals
Hey Becky, my bi-laterals were Jan. 25, too, with immediate expander placement. I have to wait until July 7 for implants because of just finishing chemo. Yeah, I feel like I chose this, just had to have breasts, greedy vain me, so how can I complain about the expander pain. The discomfort keeps getting worse. Now my sides and shoulder blades hurt a lot of the time too. Doing anything like vacuuming, folding laundry, scrubbing pans can set off several hours of pain. Sometimes I don't think I'll make it -- get 'em out now! But, I will, I know. I've come this far. Just a little venting ...

Redjellybeans

m-star said:

I thought id bump this
I thought id bump this thread up as i'm currently experiencing the most pain i've had so far with my expansions.

I had my 3rd fill 5 days ago and had 60ml each side put in. Toatal each side stands at 270ml. I have 300ml expanders in place.

This last expansion didn't seem too bad as he was doing it,but within about a half hour,i was in pain. Pain meds took it off a bit but 5 days after,i'm still experiencing pain,especially in my right side.

It doesn't hurt if i press the 'breast' but if i push it gently across toward the centre,the top inner edge hurts.Its almost like the pain is coming from UNDER the expander on the chest wall-but i'm not sure.

I have another top up in 9 days and im worried he wont be able to do it.

I was only a 36AA cup naturally so there wasn't alot of skin to play with. I hope im not reaching my limit! Maybe i let him put too much saline in last time. He told me to tell him if it hurt but i can usually tolerate pain quite well so it wasn't too bad. My worry is,that if i tell him how much it's hurt this time,he may not let me go any further.This may sound vain,but having new,larger breasts was the silver lining to my cloud.

Not sure what to do when i go next week.Should i ask him to do smaller amounts but over a longer period??

Help!

hi M-Star

I have been reading your thread and your experience.  It was the same as what I am currently going through at the moment.  I am very much the same size as you were pre surgery and struggling with the painanddiscomfortmy expanders are giving me.  I have now had 250mm in my expanders and the pain is excruciating. (50mm each time).  I. am meant to get another  50mm and then my implants, which means I will be biggein than I was per surgery.  I am not sure how I am going to handle that last 50mm.  the expanders are. For 300mm but my surgeon says I can go a little over this..... so still wondering even about the aside component.

Can you tell me how long the pain lasted for you and how large you eventually went.  Were you happy with the out come, I.e shape, size once the implants went.  Do you have any advice or questions I should be asking my surgeon?

I hope you don't mind me asking.

Thank you so much in sharing you thread.

Many many thanks

 

Fleur

 

hope4thebest

m-star said:

Hi e_hope
Thanks for replying

As far as i can remember,my breast care nurses told me there would be pressure and tightness but i don't ever remember being told it would be this bad. I guess everyone handles pain differently.
I am not normally a baby where pain is concerned! This is more like a nagging tooth ache in my boob!

I am massaging my scar and above and below,with Bio-Oil and i also massage the rest of the breast for a few minutes. I read on another forum that alot of women pretty much stay on pain med's from having their Mx,right through to their implant exchange! Is that normal?? Maybe i'm not taking enough. I only take them (usually) after an expansion for 1 day.This time however,i took a muscle relaxant (codeine) before my fill and some Paracetamol.I took it for 24 hours after too but then stopped.I've not taken any since. I think pain is the bodys way of telling you to ease up so if your killing the pain,you may over-do things. I may have to review my theory!! lol

Glad you got a good size implant! What was it like having a larger implant than the expanders were? Did it pull with being bigger? They tend to over stretch you here in th uk then put a smaller implant in =(

It takes time,

Those expanders are much worse than the implants, you will feel better.  Our muscles are really big, and spread across our backs, it reminded me of large wings that wieghed on my back.  I hope it getsbetter, there are many factors invovled.  I am 2 years outs since the echange, when they transferred the expanders out and the implants in.  It is much better after getting rid of those expanders, they are very rigid.  Ther implants are softer.  Finally, I am feeling pretty good, but we are all different.  I think exercise is the most important thing we can do.  I did not massage my scars, but we are all different!! whatever works for you!!  Try to keep some light stretching, and walking/ breathing into your day.  For me, the lungs were very sore, and all those muscles were destroyed.  You will feel better!!  Talk to your Dr about any and all medications, they should be able to manage things.  I took my codeine at night, so I could sleep well.  Do what you can to get through, but exercise before talking any pains meds, it is safe to feel the real pain and know where you are at with your healing.  Do not rush yourself, good things take time.  I was a 34A and went up to a 34 B, it has been hard for my body to get used to it.  Even a small change is major, give yourself some time to adapt.

Stay well,

Annie

Donalea

Expander Process

I am currently going through the expansion process.  I had bi-lateral surgery in Oct 2016.  I wasn't ready for the expansion nor was I told about the pain. I find the spasms manageable now but in the beginning it was more pronounced.  I was a 36C prior to surgery so my expansion is to 600CC's to allow room for the diep flap transfer in March.  I am at 510CC's now and have only two more to go.  I may call a halt at 570CC's.  Close enough!!.  So far my skin saving has worked well with no over stretching of the skin yet.  I wasn't allowed to keep the nipples due to all my prior surgeries having to do with ductal cancers and papilomas.  I  am BRCA positive with over 10 female relatives having had or having current breast cancers as well as non-hodgkins, colon and liver cancers.I am also ashkenazi descent with magnifies my cancer recurrence significantly.

 I thought I was home free after a DCIS in 1981.  Nope, I kept going thru surgical excisions (8) two with lumpectomies.  After the last one in Sept 2015, I went about finding the solution to the onging problems and fears.  Bi-Lateral was the choice of four physicians and surgeons.  I feel ok, but the process is lengthy and the look of the breasts post surgery is hard to wrap your head around.  With skin sparing only, I have a "shark bite" look to both breasts.  The PS assures me that when he does the transplant he will round out the appearance.  I am now contemplating whether to do the nipple reconstruction or just go with the 3D tatooing.