latissimus dorsi flap recovery questions

itzy
itzy Member Posts: 7
in Breast Cancer #1
Hi, I had a mastectomy and latissimus dorsi flap surgery on 2-8-2012. It's been 5 weeks since the surgery. I am experiencing a lot of pulling around the expander. It almost feels like its being pulled to one side sometimes. I have been stretching as prescribed by my PS and do feel a little bit of a difference. Will this pulling feeling go away eventually. I ski and garden so I am used to using these muscles to lift and pull. If this doesn't go away, will there be a danger of the implant moving.

I would really appreciate any input! Thanks very much!

Comments

  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #2
    Itzy, I had a lumpectomy but
    Itzy, I had a lumpectomy but wanted to push your post closer to the top so that hopefully, some pink sisters that had this surgery can post some information to you.


    Good luck,


    Leeza
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #3
    jnl said:

    Itzy, I had a lumpectomy but
    Itzy, I had a lumpectomy but wanted to push your post closer to the top so that hopefully, some pink sisters that had this surgery can post some information to you.


    Good luck,


    Leeza

    Thanks for your help, Leeza!!
    I'm new to this site! Thanks so much! :-)
  • Ballerina
    Ballerina Member Posts: 152
    #4
    itzy said:

    Thanks for your help, Leeza!!
    I'm new to this site! Thanks so much! :-)

    I felt pulling
    Hi Itzy, I had a mastectomy and latissimus dorsal flap with expander last year. I remember feeling tight and a stretching of the skin. My doctor told me this was normal because after the mastectomy the skin has to stretch back out. I don't remember feeling a pulling on one side the whole chest felt like it was tight and stretching. I did and still do physical therapy. It takes time how long depends on your body. However, definitely continue to let your doctor know if it is extremely uncomfortable or your expander feels like it's moving. As far as your implant moving that shouldn't happen if you have a good surgeon. The expander is just used to stretch out the skin for the implant.


    Ballerina
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #5
    Ballerina said:

    I felt pulling
    Hi Itzy, I had a mastectomy and latissimus dorsal flap with expander last year. I remember feeling tight and a stretching of the skin. My doctor told me this was normal because after the mastectomy the skin has to stretch back out. I don't remember feeling a pulling on one side the whole chest felt like it was tight and stretching. I did and still do physical therapy. It takes time how long depends on your body. However, definitely continue to let your doctor know if it is extremely uncomfortable or your expander feels like it's moving. As far as your implant moving that shouldn't happen if you have a good surgeon. The expander is just used to stretch out the skin for the implant.


    Ballerina

    Thanks for your help, Ballerina!
    I think I might have to ask my doctor to prescibe come physical therapy for me. He seemed a little resistant to that but he isn't one to volunteer information if I don't ask. I'm a little frustrated with that. I think the implant feels like it's moving when I try to stretch. I worked out a lot before the procedure and I am wondering if my latis muscle is going to take a while to stretch out because of it.

    Thanks so much for answering. It really does help!

    Izty
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #6
    itzy said:

    Thanks for your help, Ballerina!
    I think I might have to ask my doctor to prescibe come physical therapy for me. He seemed a little resistant to that but he isn't one to volunteer information if I don't ask. I'm a little frustrated with that. I think the implant feels like it's moving when I try to stretch. I worked out a lot before the procedure and I am wondering if my latis muscle is going to take a while to stretch out because of it.

    Thanks so much for answering. It really does help!

    Izty

    Just wishing you good luck
    Just wishing you good luck Izty and hoping that your doctor will get you into a physical therapist. I am sure it will help you.


    Good luck,

    Debby
  • GreeneyedGirl
    GreeneyedGirl Member Posts: 1,077
    #7
    DebbyM said:

    Just wishing you good luck
    Just wishing you good luck Izty and hoping that your doctor will get you into a physical therapist. I am sure it will help you.


    Good luck,

    Debby

    Hey Itzy~
    I am 3 years out from my surgery~ it has taken time to adjust to the flap, but overall it feels a part of me now. There are some odd sensations when using that muscle that do take some getting used to. They relocated a part of our bodies to accommodate for our loss~so things are not going to be like they used to be. I do exercise but find that i can fatigue the muscle and it will ache if i over use it.
    I agree with the others that you should let your doctor know, and please insist on physical therapy~ it has done wonders for me!!
    Hope this info is helpful~ I had been off line for a few days so missed your post!
    ~blessings, Melanie
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #8
    GreeneyedGirl said:

    Hey Itzy~
    I am 3 years out from my surgery~ it has taken time to adjust to the flap, but overall it feels a part of me now. There are some odd sensations when using that muscle that do take some getting used to. They relocated a part of our bodies to accommodate for our loss~so things are not going to be like they used to be. I do exercise but find that i can fatigue the muscle and it will ache if i over use it.
    I agree with the others that you should let your doctor know, and please insist on physical therapy~ it has done wonders for me!!
    Hope this info is helpful~ I had been off line for a few days so missed your post!
    ~blessings, Melanie

    Thank you Debbie and Melanie for your advise!
    I think I am going to talk to the doctor at the next appointment.

    Melanie, are you able to do most of what you are used to doing? I do gardening and I downhill(alpine) ski. I am just worried that I won't be able to do that anymore.

    I discovered that if I stretch and hold my breast in place, it seems to work better. I think the muscle was getting irritated when I stretched. I have a little difficulty sleeping. I'm finally able to sleep on the side opposite the surgery but I still wake up at night and have to stretch. I guess I will keep taking advil if that happens.

    I've also had a hard time wearing a bra. I finally found a shop that sold me extenders for the bra. I bought them yesterday and will I am going to try and wear the bra all day today. I can't wear anything that is too tight. After wearing the bra for a while, I start getting sort of spasms in my breast and in my back. I am hoping that this will just work itself out. I start back to work on Wednesday and I'm hoping I'll be able to make it through the day wearing it.

    Did you have any of these problems?

    Thanks again,
    Ginny
  • GreeneyedGirl
    GreeneyedGirl Member Posts: 1,077
    #9
    itzy said:

    Thank you Debbie and Melanie for your advise!
    I think I am going to talk to the doctor at the next appointment.

    Melanie, are you able to do most of what you are used to doing? I do gardening and I downhill(alpine) ski. I am just worried that I won't be able to do that anymore.

    I discovered that if I stretch and hold my breast in place, it seems to work better. I think the muscle was getting irritated when I stretched. I have a little difficulty sleeping. I'm finally able to sleep on the side opposite the surgery but I still wake up at night and have to stretch. I guess I will keep taking advil if that happens.

    I've also had a hard time wearing a bra. I finally found a shop that sold me extenders for the bra. I bought them yesterday and will I am going to try and wear the bra all day today. I can't wear anything that is too tight. After wearing the bra for a while, I start getting sort of spasms in my breast and in my back. I am hoping that this will just work itself out. I start back to work on Wednesday and I'm hoping I'll be able to make it through the day wearing it.

    Did you have any of these problems?

    Thanks again,
    Ginny

    Hey Ginny~
    I think you will eventually be able to downhill ski again. You will just have to take it easy at first, give yourself lots of time to heal.
    Remember I am like 4 years out from surgery.

    As for sleeping, that did take some getting used to. I sleep on my sides fine~rotating back and forth. I was a tummy sleeper for years, can only lay on my tummy with my left leg bent for a short time. I have a saline implant, and it is not as soft as a gel implant~ so it is firm.

    Bra issues~ i used a sports bra for a long time, then found that playtex makes a nice soft cup bra that is reasonably priced, and cute! My doctor told me no underwire, because it will cut off circulation to the flap~

    My best advice is just give yourself lots of time to heal~ it is a big surgery.
    I hope this helps, you can always send me a personal message thru this site.
    ~Melanie
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #10
    GreeneyedGirl said:

    Hey Ginny~
    I think you will eventually be able to downhill ski again. You will just have to take it easy at first, give yourself lots of time to heal.
    Remember I am like 4 years out from surgery.

    As for sleeping, that did take some getting used to. I sleep on my sides fine~rotating back and forth. I was a tummy sleeper for years, can only lay on my tummy with my left leg bent for a short time. I have a saline implant, and it is not as soft as a gel implant~ so it is firm.

    Bra issues~ i used a sports bra for a long time, then found that playtex makes a nice soft cup bra that is reasonably priced, and cute! My doctor told me no underwire, because it will cut off circulation to the flap~

    My best advice is just give yourself lots of time to heal~ it is a big surgery.
    I hope this helps, you can always send me a personal message thru this site.
    ~Melanie

    Hey
    Just wanted to report that My doctor finally sent me for some physical therapy - specifically soft tissue massage - and it worked wonders. The PT said that I have a lot of scar tissue. She worked on the back scar last week and I can't believe the difference!!

    Just wanted to share that for anyone else out there.
  • Mariannemm
    Mariannemm Member Posts: 136
    #11
    I did too...
    I had the same surgery and the same feeling. I am a year and a half out from my surgery and my body is still getting used to the new arrangement! I don't ski but my doctor told me as an expample "You will be able to ski you just probably won't be in the Olymics." I completely understood what he was saying and as long as I can exercise and do some sports that I like I would be good with that. I too go to PT and have for the past 3 years since I had my mastectomy. She is best and she watches me like a hawk. I also notice that if I do too much even at this point my flap side will get swollen. For me if I apply heat to that area it keeps it in check. Which isn't fun when you are having terrble hot flashes! I try to use the heating pad every night, it works better than ice packs for me. You are normal and it does get better, it is so hard to wait. Hugs
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #12
    Mariannemm said:

    I did too...
    I had the same surgery and the same feeling. I am a year and a half out from my surgery and my body is still getting used to the new arrangement! I don't ski but my doctor told me as an expample "You will be able to ski you just probably won't be in the Olymics." I completely understood what he was saying and as long as I can exercise and do some sports that I like I would be good with that. I too go to PT and have for the past 3 years since I had my mastectomy. She is best and she watches me like a hawk. I also notice that if I do too much even at this point my flap side will get swollen. For me if I apply heat to that area it keeps it in check. Which isn't fun when you are having terrble hot flashes! I try to use the heating pad every night, it works better than ice packs for me. You are normal and it does get better, it is so hard to wait. Hugs

    Thanks Mariann!
    I haven't look here in a while. It's now June and I am feeling much better. I finished with PT because my insurance only covers a certain amount. That really made such a big difference. I've been back to the gym and I think strengthening the muscles might be helping, too. I go to see my PS on Monday and we are supposed to discuss when I will have my second operation to put in the implant.

    I am feeling much better now and feel that I'll be ok in time. I realize now that I just have to be patient.
  • itzy
    itzy Member Posts: 7
    #13
    itzy said:

    Thanks Mariann!
    I haven't look here in a while. It's now June and I am feeling much better. I finished with PT because my insurance only covers a certain amount. That really made such a big difference. I've been back to the gym and I think strengthening the muscles might be helping, too. I go to see my PS on Monday and we are supposed to discuss when I will have my second operation to put in the implant.

    I am feeling much better now and feel that I'll be ok in time. I realize now that I just have to be patient.

    I just had my 1-year anniversary this past February 8th

    I'm doing well!  I went skiing in February.  Did notice a little weakness on my right side so poling was a little more difficult but skiing was fine!  I still stuggle with tightness under my arm and around my ribcage.  I bought a homedics massager and massage myself every morning after taking a hot shower.  I also try to stretch when I feel uncomfortable.  Generally though, I am feeling just fine.  My Mamo came back negative in November so that was a plus!

     

    Hope you are all doing ok out there!

     

    Ginny

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