? about expansion and recovery from surgery

christald21
christald21 CSN Member Posts: 55
in Breast Cancer #1

HI Ladies,

     I just came back from my reconstruction surgeon.  He wanted to do my first expansion today, but no go Frown.  It has been 19 days since my double masectomy.  I got my drains out last week.   My left side healed very good, and where the drain was it scabbed over real fast.  My right side has issues, and i am still having fluid coming out of the hole where the drain is.  Just a little bit, but still seems to be having a hard time healing into a scab.  Has anyone had this issue?  And the cancer was on my right side. I am thinking that might have something to do with it.  Although the rest of my sutures look great, and healing just fine.  I hade lymph node taken out too.

And i am set up appt. for next Monday, hoping we can do my first expansion. Keeping my fingers crossed that this little boo boo i have will heal and scab up.  Can anyone tell me what its like to get expansion done.  Is it a painful process? 

Thanks in advance for all your support and comments!   and Merry Christmas!

Comments

  • disneyfan2008
    disneyfan2008 CSN Member Posts: 6,583 Member
    #2
    Sorry, I have no expericnce

    Sorry, I have no expericnce or advice -just sending hugs

     

    Denise

  • camul
    camul CSN Member Posts: 2,537
    #3
    it is a little sore

    You are stretching skin that has never been stretched so it was more of a tight soreness that would last for about a day and a half.  Then when you get used to it, you will get another expansion.  It depends on big you are going.  I had a single mast. So the mast. side was a little tighter than the left side. I went from an almost a to a small c,  and he went a little bigger with the stretching so when they did the exchange it was more comfortable.  

    I was just told to gently massage and that would help.  Your plastic surgeon will have some good tips, at least mine did.

  • Clementine_P
    Clementine_P CSN Member Posts: 518 Member
    #4
    Easy procedure

    Hi Christaldi,

    I had a double mastectomy and one of my drains had some issues so I too was delayed having it out.  As a result, I ended up not having my first expansion for about 7 weeks after surgery.  I was anxious  - really wanted to get the expansion done right away so I was disappointed with the delay.  In the end, it was just a small disappointment.  As to the pain factor during an expansion, I found there to be no pain at all.  You feel a tightness that Carol described but for me no pain.  It sort of felt like I was wearing a sports bra when I wasn't.  By the next morning that feeling had gone away too.  If you go on youtube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ8-f7F9BdI you can see a woman that had her expansions taped so you can see the process.  The entire process takes about 5 minutes total (for both breasts).  I worried about it too until I went through an expansion, but you will see when you get one that it is not something for you to worry about at all.  It is easy.

    Best,

    Clementine

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