Problems with expander fill

amethyst
amethyst Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Has anyone else experienced severe pain as a result of an expander fill (required trip to emergency and morphine injections)? First fill of expander (100 cc of saline) resulted in severe pain for three days which disappeared by second fill a week later. The second fill sent me to hospital that same day and now 5 days later I am still needing Tylenol 3's to manage pain. This experience is very discouraging and I am wondering how I will get through 2 more expansions. Would love to hear from someone who had real difficulty with expansions and still managed to complete process for a successful reconstruction.

Comments

  • blessings1020
    blessings1020 Member Posts: 54
    #2
    Oh my gosh! I thought I was one of the few that was experiencing this problem. I am almost a year post op and have been having my tissue expander filled every two weeks (60 cc). I began having such severe pain that I have had numerous tests done to see if my cancer has spread. My plastic surgeon removed 160 cc from the expander (we were almost there...I am a 38D) and it still did not help. I am on Morphine three times a day as well as Oxycontin and it only dulls the pain.

    No one seems to know what is causing all this pain (fibromyalgia? neuropathy? scar tissue? all in my head?) and I seem to be getting the "brush off" from my oncologist and plastic surgeon. I feel like a child that no one will listen to and I am suffering terribly.

    I have been referred to a pain management clinic (I said I would try *anything* to get rid of this debilitating pain) but (and I don't mean to be cynical) I don't think this is going to do the "trick". This is just another way to "pass the buck" as it were. After all, we all know that women are neurotic, hysterical, going through menopause or it is "that time of the month".

    I am so disgusted and frustrated but I will tell you this...I refuse to give up and I will find out what is causing all this pain as I refuse to live like this...you call this living?

    Before I go, just wanted to let you know the plastic surgeon's remedy was to pull out the expander and "if it takes care of the pain, great" and if not, he REFUSES to put another in until I am 100% pain free. Well, guess what? I now REFUSE to let him take it out as I want and deserve a breast!

    What we have to go through is just primitive and for those of you that have caregivers you can trust, God bless you, consider yourselves very lucky.

    I wish you the best, amethyst, and by all means, if I find out what is causing this excruciating pain, I will let you know. Will you do the same for me?

    May God Bless you and help to relieve your pain. I will keep you in my prayers (and believe me, they are many).

    Diane
  • live42day
    live42day Member Posts: 64
    #3
    My plastic surgeon was a woman. She put some saline in the expander when she did the surgery to put the tissue expander in. I went back every 3 weeks and she let me judge when she had injected enough saline. I would tell her when it started feeling tight. For a couple of days my ribs would feel sore, but didn't have much pain. I really feel for you. Constant pain is hard to deal with. Does your Dr. inject what he or she thinks you need? I usually got no more than 60 ccs at a time. It took me several visits but it sounds like it was well worth it.
    Hope you get some relief.
    Janet
  • amethyst
    amethyst Member Posts: 2
    #4
    Just wanted to say thank you to Diane and Janet for their replies. I have found a website that actually has quite a bit of info on pain from expansion fills etc. (Makes me feel like it is not as uncommon as I was led to believe). The website is from John Hopkins University Breast Center (select "services", then "ask the expert", then "mastectomy and reconstruction".
    The exact address is: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/breastcenter/services/ask_expert/index.cfm?cat=7
    I feel better prepared to discuss this issue with my surgeon tomorrow after reading the info and hope it helps someone else with same problem.
  • booge
    booge Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Hi...I have just finished with my second surgery to have my REAL implants put in. I went through so much pain with the expansions. I elected a bilateral mastectomy and it has been the cancer free side that has caused the pain. I was very very small breasted so stretching was extremely painful to me. My right side even split open several times. We were only able to do 30cc's of saline each week and it took a good 3 months or so. I was on pain meds every night after working and I'm a PE teacher. Was not the greatest work to be doing with the pain. The expansions caused me tons of pain especially down the right arm and my back. I just couldn't believe this. However, I kept pushing and made it through. But, now my question is why is my right side still hurting so bad after the second surgery. My surgeon feels it is due to all the problems the right side went through and poor circulation. I also had nipples made and the right one is pretty much gone. So..if anyone has gone through this..please let me know. I somehow can't post a message. I have not stopped with the pain and have a call into my surgeon. It has been three weeks since the surgery. Thank you to anyone that can help. I will also check out the web site. I am in need of a lot of information. I feel the depression is just starting to hit...my prayers are with all of you.....booge
  • blessings1020
    blessings1020 Member Posts: 54
    #6
    amethyst said:

    Just wanted to say thank you to Diane and Janet for their replies. I have found a website that actually has quite a bit of info on pain from expansion fills etc. (Makes me feel like it is not as uncommon as I was led to believe). The website is from John Hopkins University Breast Center (select "services", then "ask the expert", then "mastectomy and reconstruction".
    The exact address is: www.hopkinsmedicine.org/breastcenter/services/ask_expert/index.cfm?cat=7
    I feel better prepared to discuss this issue with my surgeon tomorrow after reading the info and hope it helps someone else with same problem.

    amethyst...I am the one who should be thanking you! I am going to visit the web address you provided to see if I too can get some much needed information.

    Isn't this something...we are all sisters with this disease and I'll tell you I am learing more from all of you than from my own docs!

    I visit my family doc tomorrow to see about a Duragesic patch (oxycontin, oxycodone, morphine ER and morphine IR not working...NOT all at the same time, btw). Am also scheduled for a Pain Management Clinic on 4/22/04 AND...here is the BIG news...

    I got rid of my oncologist today and I feel like a weight has been lifted. He was not listening to me, taking calls on his cell from his wife, asking me directions to take his family for a drive and the final straw...yelling at me!

    I have already picked out my new oncologist and I like her very much. She is in the same practice and she took care of me when my regular oncologist was on vacation.

    Now, who says we're the weaker sex? I guess he'll just have to rule out that new car this year, cuz I'm not paying for it, not anymore!

    Good luck to you amethyst with your doctor appointment and please let us know the outcome, would you?

    Wishing you all pain free days and many Blessings.

    Diane

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