newbie
Thank you,
Brenda aka shaggy
Comments
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Brenda, I just wanted to
Brenda, I just wanted to welcome you to this site. It is an amazing site filled with amazing individuals. I did not have the same surgery you are awating but wanted to welcome you. I'm sure before too long one of our pink sisters will come along and share their experience with you. Good luck and continue to post and let us know your progress.0 -
Hi, Brenda
I had those procedures in January and I'll get my expanders/implants in July. Finished chemo yesterday. I, too, got scared and almost went with no reconstruction. Not a candidate for recon using my own tissues. But, I chose immediate recon so I woke from surgery with expanders in place and partially filled. Never being totally flat probably helped me recover from the mastectomies faster emotionally. And, having shape these 5 months has been very nice. No bra needed, which I love.
I had little pain after surgery. The continuing, and probably permanent, partial numbness in "breasts," sides and arms is disturbing, although it gets better with time. Node removal sites were more uncomfortable. Occasional shooting pains where the nerves are regenerating, but nothing unbearable. Rarely need pain meds.
We'll all tell you that getting the expanders filled, bit by bit over several weeks or months, is no picnic. You're stretching skin and muscle, dealing with scar tissue, and expanders are hard as a billiard ball, harsh around the edges and cut into you a bit. Not like the nice, smooth implants will be. Expanders can cause discomfort even back to your shoulder blades. I have to be careful not to overdo pot scrubbing, vaccuuming and so forth, because the pectorals don't want to be worked when they're being stretched. Many women feel their arm rubs the expander uncomfortably on the sides, but the implants won't do that.
At this point, my scar tissue is really squeezing my expanders uncomfortably. The process has been a bit tougher than I thought it would be. But, do I regret doing it? No. I'm willing to pay this price for having implants, which I'm getting excited to have. I've tried to paint an accurate picture of my experience, and I hope I haven't scared you further. It's doable! I know other women will give you more info here. Best of luck, Brenda!0 -
Shaggy
I also had a bilateral mastectomy (one side prophylactic) with insertion of tissue expanders the end of January. I won't have my implants put in until 3 months after radiation therapy is completed so probably towards the end of the year. In all honesty, I wouldn't do anything differently even if I knew everything I know now. I wanted to have at least some form (i.e. the implants) but really wasn't up for the flap surgery. From what my docs have told me, having the immediate reconstruction does make the mastectomy a little more painful but I was able to go home the day after surgery. The expanders can be uncomfortable and there are days where one area or another can just decide to act up but for the most part, I did not find the expansions too uncomfortable after the surgical site itself healed (I didn't have my first expansion until about a month out). Now they may get tight depending upon what I do during the day but I don't pay a lot of attention to them. Like Christine Louise, I tried to make sure I was setting realistic expectations....I looked at a lot of pictures so I would know what to expect when I got home and as I went through the process. I hope your surgery goes well!
Chris0 -
Wow you have been veryChristine Louise said:Hi, Brenda
I had those procedures in January and I'll get my expanders/implants in July. Finished chemo yesterday. I, too, got scared and almost went with no reconstruction. Not a candidate for recon using my own tissues. But, I chose immediate recon so I woke from surgery with expanders in place and partially filled. Never being totally flat probably helped me recover from the mastectomies faster emotionally. And, having shape these 5 months has been very nice. No bra needed, which I love.
I had little pain after surgery. The continuing, and probably permanent, partial numbness in "breasts," sides and arms is disturbing, although it gets better with time. Node removal sites were more uncomfortable. Occasional shooting pains where the nerves are regenerating, but nothing unbearable. Rarely need pain meds.
We'll all tell you that getting the expanders filled, bit by bit over several weeks or months, is no picnic. You're stretching skin and muscle, dealing with scar tissue, and expanders are hard as a billiard ball, harsh around the edges and cut into you a bit. Not like the nice, smooth implants will be. Expanders can cause discomfort even back to your shoulder blades. I have to be careful not to overdo pot scrubbing, vaccuuming and so forth, because the pectorals don't want to be worked when they're being stretched. Many women feel their arm rubs the expander uncomfortably on the sides, but the implants won't do that.
At this point, my scar tissue is really squeezing my expanders uncomfortably. The process has been a bit tougher than I thought it would be. But, do I regret doing it? No. I'm willing to pay this price for having implants, which I'm getting excited to have. I've tried to paint an accurate picture of my experience, and I hope I haven't scared you further. It's doable! I know other women will give you more info here. Best of luck, Brenda!
Wow you have been very helpful to me. I went yesterday to see the plastic Surgeon and he didn't really tell me much about what to expect, just that I would have the expanders and they would fill them once a week. For about 2-3 months or until I get the size I want to be then they would take them out and place the implant in. It is nice to have someone who is being real with me about what i can expect during this time. Pus it was my choice to have both breast removed since I have it in the left breast I didn't want to have just 1 all perky and the other saggie when I get older
. I am olny 36 and to have this is bad enough.
I was going to have the 1 that they take the tissue and reconstruct but the DR scared me out of that one. Plus I would be any bigger than I am right now. And that would suck going from a 36A to less. I know I couldn't handle that at all. Plus the time it would take to have the surgery would be 14-16 hours compared to 2-3 hours and the recovery time is crazy. I think I will be good with the implants. Plus I can get up to 36 B or C haven't figured it out yet. What size were you before the sugery and ended up getting after the surgery?0 -
I was and am small breastedshaggy420 said:Wow you have been very
Wow you have been very helpful to me. I went yesterday to see the plastic Surgeon and he didn't really tell me much about what to expect, just that I would have the expanders and they would fill them once a week. For about 2-3 months or until I get the size I want to be then they would take them out and place the implant in. It is nice to have someone who is being real with me about what i can expect during this time. Pus it was my choice to have both breast removed since I have it in the left breast I didn't want to have just 1 all perky and the other saggie when I get older. I am olny 36 and to have this is bad enough.
I was going to have the 1 that they take the tissue and reconstruct but the DR scared me out of that one. Plus I would be any bigger than I am right now. And that would suck going from a 36A to less. I know I couldn't handle that at all. Plus the time it would take to have the surgery would be 14-16 hours compared to 2-3 hours and the recovery time is crazy. I think I will be good with the implants. Plus I can get up to 36 B or C haven't figured it out yet. What size were you before the sugery and ended up getting after the surgery?
I'm kind of petite, so kept with smaller expansion. Hubby agreed. Probably was 34 A or B before. I stopped expansion at 250cc -- much less than most women on here, I believe. I hope m-star checks in here because she is going from small to substantially larger and can tell you about that process. If she doesn't, I'll give her a shout out. You also can read many discussions about this in older threads, such as:
Pain subsiding but numbness in breast -- currently on page 2 (they move around)
Pain w/expander reconstruction -- page 3
Tissue expander shape/size vs. implant shape/size -- page 4
4th expansion owwee -- page 4
sleep, tissue expanders, pain medication -- page 4
I have put my 2nd expansion on YouTube -- page5
Tissue expanders -- page 7
to name just a few. There are discussions about bi-laterals, nipple reconstruction and tattoing, silicone vs. saline implants. Relax with a cup of tea and do some reading!
Be aware that you might not change from expanders to implants as soon as you expect. Each surgeon has different requirements, but some are several months. You can call and ask.
I applaud your decision to do bi-lateral, not only for symmetry but for safety. I did bi and after removed tissue was tested, my supposedly "healthy" breast had worse cancer than the other. Wasn't caught by mammogram or MRI, so lucky decision for me.0 -
HI Brenda
I had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in February this year. I had immediate 2step reconstruction so i have tissue expanders in place right now.
I decided to have this surgery as i was high risk of BC due to having had Mantle radiation to treat Hodgkins lymphoma in 1990/91.
For me, my choice was very matter-of-fact. I knew my breasts could 1 day go on to kill me and chose to get rid of them before they got rid of me!
I don't regret my decision 1 little bit~dispite the discomfort i sometimes feel. The surgery itself leaves you unable to do much for a while,but if you do as you should do (rest,not lift stuff,stretch your chest and shoulders regular etc) then recovery should go ok.
The TE's (tissue expanders) were put in at the time of the mastectomy. I started expansion 3 1/2 weeks later and i have mine done every 2-3 weeks~ 60mls at a time.
I am 36 yrs old also and was only a 36AA pre-surgery. I have 330ml in at the moment and am measuring a 36B so its quite nice to have shape!
People deal with this surgery very differently.For me, it was never a problem coming to terms with losing my breasts as i never really had much anyway.I felt no great loss of femininity. I feel more feminine now with my TE's in than i ever have. Another factor,is that i was not diagnosed with BC so i didn't have the additional psychological trauma of that.
I only have 1 or 2 more fills to go,then i have to wait 2-3 months for my implant exchange. Having another method of reconstruction wasn't an option for me as i am fairly slim (ish!) so didnt have enough spare tissue on neither my tummy nor my back to make 2 new boobs with. TE's then implants was my only option. Its the least invasive option also as the recovery time and infection risk is higher with the other 2 methods.
Brenda,look at it this way. You are getting rid of 2 parts of your body which are basically land mines waiting to explode! Get the bomb disposal team in (breast and plastic surgeons) and get them disarmed and destroyed! lol I think you've made a good choice in getting rid of the unaffected breast also (just my opinion). one thing less to worry about and a chance of better symmetry after implants.
wishing all the best,
Kay0 -
p.s.m-star said:HI Brenda
I had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in February this year. I had immediate 2step reconstruction so i have tissue expanders in place right now.
I decided to have this surgery as i was high risk of BC due to having had Mantle radiation to treat Hodgkins lymphoma in 1990/91.
For me, my choice was very matter-of-fact. I knew my breasts could 1 day go on to kill me and chose to get rid of them before they got rid of me!
I don't regret my decision 1 little bit~dispite the discomfort i sometimes feel. The surgery itself leaves you unable to do much for a while,but if you do as you should do (rest,not lift stuff,stretch your chest and shoulders regular etc) then recovery should go ok.
The TE's (tissue expanders) were put in at the time of the mastectomy. I started expansion 3 1/2 weeks later and i have mine done every 2-3 weeks~ 60mls at a time.
I am 36 yrs old also and was only a 36AA pre-surgery. I have 330ml in at the moment and am measuring a 36B so its quite nice to have shape!
People deal with this surgery very differently.For me, it was never a problem coming to terms with losing my breasts as i never really had much anyway.I felt no great loss of femininity. I feel more feminine now with my TE's in than i ever have. Another factor,is that i was not diagnosed with BC so i didn't have the additional psychological trauma of that.
I only have 1 or 2 more fills to go,then i have to wait 2-3 months for my implant exchange. Having another method of reconstruction wasn't an option for me as i am fairly slim (ish!) so didnt have enough spare tissue on neither my tummy nor my back to make 2 new boobs with. TE's then implants was my only option. Its the least invasive option also as the recovery time and infection risk is higher with the other 2 methods.
Brenda,look at it this way. You are getting rid of 2 parts of your body which are basically land mines waiting to explode! Get the bomb disposal team in (breast and plastic surgeons) and get them disarmed and destroyed! lol I think you've made a good choice in getting rid of the unaffected breast also (just my opinion). one thing less to worry about and a chance of better symmetry after implants.
wishing all the best,
Kay
The size you end up with depends on how well the skin and muscle stretches during expansion. You can always just say "i think i'll be a 36C please" lol. I am finding that out right now! =(
But things might be done differently here in the UK. if you've had radiation to the chest and breast, you MAY be limited with how much your skin will stretch as the radiation can thin the skin out.I have been lucky up to now but my radiation was 19 yrs ago. I would like to keep going with my expansions but my PS says only 1~ possibly 2~more cus of my skins risk of tearing.
And there was me thinking i'd get a good rack for once in my life ;-)0 -
Well thank you for sharingm-star said:p.s.
The size you end up with depends on how well the skin and muscle stretches during expansion. You can always just say "i think i'll be a 36C please" lol. I am finding that out right now! =(
But things might be done differently here in the UK. if you've had radiation to the chest and breast, you MAY be limited with how much your skin will stretch as the radiation can thin the skin out.I have been lucky up to now but my radiation was 19 yrs ago. I would like to keep going with my expansions but my PS says only 1~ possibly 2~more cus of my skins risk of tearing.
And there was me thinking i'd get a good rack for once in my life ;-)
Well thank you for sharing with me. I am feeling much better about all this. and I decided to have both breast taken just because of my aunt having had to have both removed cause of cancer. I didn't want to take any chances of it spreading. I don't think I could handle going through it a second time. So are you having the nipples done with skin graft or the tattoo? They told me I couldn't get the tattoo done. they want to do the skin graft from my crease by my groin area. They say it is less noticeable.
Plus I am in menopause so that don't help out any. I was diagnosed with endometriosis after I had my son 13 years ago and had to have a Total Hysterectomy about 4 years ago, so that was too hard for me to handle since I was already done having kids.
So now I am not on my hormone medication anymore, and that is si hard for me handle, the hot flashes and night sweats. But they did put me on a new medication called Pristiq and adding Nurontin because the hotflashes get so bad. And they told me it could be the hormones that caused the cancer to spread as fast as it did.
Ya hopefully I can get the size I want since I didn't ask for this cancer. lol 0 -
BRCAm-star said:p.s.
The size you end up with depends on how well the skin and muscle stretches during expansion. You can always just say "i think i'll be a 36C please" lol. I am finding that out right now! =(
But things might be done differently here in the UK. if you've had radiation to the chest and breast, you MAY be limited with how much your skin will stretch as the radiation can thin the skin out.I have been lucky up to now but my radiation was 19 yrs ago. I would like to keep going with my expansions but my PS says only 1~ possibly 2~more cus of my skins risk of tearing.
And there was me thinking i'd get a good rack for once in my life ;-)
Well looks like I got some good news yesterday, I took the genitics tests and it didn't show me a carrier. so that is awesome. just wanted to share that.
Brenda0 -
Undecided about nipplesshaggy420 said:Well thank you for sharing
Well thank you for sharing with me. I am feeling much better about all this. and I decided to have both breast taken just because of my aunt having had to have both removed cause of cancer. I didn't want to take any chances of it spreading. I don't think I could handle going through it a second time. So are you having the nipples done with skin graft or the tattoo? They told me I couldn't get the tattoo done. they want to do the skin graft from my crease by my groin area. They say it is less noticeable.
Plus I am in menopause so that don't help out any. I was diagnosed with endometriosis after I had my son 13 years ago and had to have a Total Hysterectomy about 4 years ago, so that was too hard for me to handle since I was already done having kids.
So now I am not on my hormone medication anymore, and that is si hard for me handle, the hot flashes and night sweats. But they did put me on a new medication called Pristiq and adding Nurontin because the hotflashes get so bad. And they told me it could be the hormones that caused the cancer to spread as fast as it did.
Ya hopefully I can get the size I want since I didn't ask for this cancer. lol
Having had big nipples that were difficult to hide, I'm now enjoying the smoothness of these expanders. I don't wear a bra. Haven't decided about getting nipples and/or tattoos yet. You can find some good, past discussion on here about all this. Last month or so, one person said she's thrilled with her new nipples and they were formed just with the skin she had -- no graft from elsewhere was needed. Why can't you get the tattoo?0 -
fantastic news that you'reshaggy420 said:BRCA
Well looks like I got some good news yesterday, I took the genitics tests and it didn't show me a carrier. so that is awesome. just wanted to share that.
Brenda
fantastic news that you're not a carrier! Thats brilliant!
now......nipples! I change my mind almost daily on this subject! Right now,i have only worn a bra once since my surgery and i LOVE the free feeling of not wearing one. I would like to continue not to wear one after my exchange.
I have been thinking of leaving it at least 6 months after my exchange to decide on nips. If i do get them,my PS makes them by cutting a flap of skin on the breast and kinda folding and tucking it to make the mound. But if i decide to do this,i only want the TINIEST little bump under a fitted top. I would then get the areola tattood on.
My only major worry is that the nips dont end up level! I have had recurring nightmares that i can see myself in a fitted top and 1 nip is in one place, and the other is completely off-set!!!!! LOL This is why i would leave it a good while before i get nips,cus of the dropping and settling in of the implant.If i got them too soon then my implants dropped(1 more than the other) i would end up asymmetrical.
There is a picture forum online of breast recons but you have to be a member of BREASTCANCER.ORG first and make quite a few posts,then you have to private message a member who is the pic forum administrator and its at her discretion whether she gives you access or not. No one is allowed to give out any log in/password info for the site i'm afraid but its worth the wait to contribute to the other forum and gain trust.0 -
Hi and welcome to a greatMyTurnNow said:Brenda, I just wanted to
Brenda, I just wanted to welcome you to this site. It is an amazing site filled with amazing individuals. I did not have the same surgery you are awating but wanted to welcome you. I'm sure before too long one of our pink sisters will come along and share their experience with you. Good luck and continue to post and let us know your progress.
Hi and welcome to a great site for support and knowledge! Good luck to you!0 -
Well as for the nipples, Im-star said:fantastic news that you're
fantastic news that you're not a carrier! Thats brilliant!
now......nipples! I change my mind almost daily on this subject! Right now,i have only worn a bra once since my surgery and i LOVE the free feeling of not wearing one. I would like to continue not to wear one after my exchange.
I have been thinking of leaving it at least 6 months after my exchange to decide on nips. If i do get them,my PS makes them by cutting a flap of skin on the breast and kinda folding and tucking it to make the mound. But if i decide to do this,i only want the TINIEST little bump under a fitted top. I would then get the areola tattood on.
My only major worry is that the nips dont end up level! I have had recurring nightmares that i can see myself in a fitted top and 1 nip is in one place, and the other is completely off-set!!!!! LOL This is why i would leave it a good while before i get nips,cus of the dropping and settling in of the implant.If i got them too soon then my implants dropped(1 more than the other) i would end up asymmetrical.
There is a picture forum online of breast recons but you have to be a member of BREASTCANCER.ORG first and make quite a few posts,then you have to private message a member who is the pic forum administrator and its at her discretion whether she gives you access or not. No one is allowed to give out any log in/password info for the site i'm afraid but its worth the wait to contribute to the other forum and gain trust.
Well as for the nipples, I am not for sure what I want to do about that. I am kinda confused about it, not sure if it will hurt gettign the tattoo, since they say i woon't have any feelings on my breast. But then again they say I could have some feeling but not much. Any info on this?
Plus I see where you are coming from if they don't level out evenly. that would suck having them done with the skin graft. But then again I don't know if I could look at myself or have my husband see me without nipples. There just seems to be so many deatails in making so many decisions. But I guess I will have some time to think about it, since I won't get them for about 3-4 months after the surgery anyway.0 -
It's hard to predict howshaggy420 said:Well as for the nipples, I
Well as for the nipples, I am not for sure what I want to do about that. I am kinda confused about it, not sure if it will hurt gettign the tattoo, since they say i woon't have any feelings on my breast. But then again they say I could have some feeling but not much. Any info on this?
Plus I see where you are coming from if they don't level out evenly. that would suck having them done with the skin graft. But then again I don't know if I could look at myself or have my husband see me without nipples. There just seems to be so many deatails in making so many decisions. But I guess I will have some time to think about it, since I won't get them for about 3-4 months after the surgery anyway.
It's hard to predict how much feeling you'll end up with. My mastectomy was 4 months ago and upper arms, armpits and ribs are somewhat numb -- expanders are quite numb. The numb areas are hit-and-miss, not even. Personally, I'm not worried about possible pain from tattoos. After all the other stuff I've been through, it seems minor. Surely they use something to blunt any pain, anyway?
Good point, m-star, about the nipples getting uneven. Since I'm undecided, I'll wait and enjoy my implants and decide whenever I decide. Yes, there are an overwhelming number of details. I, too, am enjoying the braless, no nips thing so much that I'm considering getting JUST the tattoos so I keep the total smoothness. But, one person posted that having the nipples reduced the look of her mastectomy scars a lot -- I like that idea since my scars are major, red, Frankenstein lines.
Ah, hubbies, yeah ... that's another question ...0 -
We have been Newbies
Welcome,
We all say we are sorry you have come to find us, but so glad that you did. You are right, this is al very scary. When they told me a needle biopsy was needed I decided no, not for me. I said if you think its needed, then take the whole thing out for biopsy. So, had day surgery to remove the 1cm lump. I knew that if it came back positive we would need to make other choices. Biopsy done 2/16, diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carsinoma, state 1 on 2/23. I knew that a lumpectomy wasnt for me, I wanted it gone. I felt the most aggressive option was to remove them both, so had bi-lateral mastectony 3/16 with immediate reconstruction, expanders. The surgery itself wasnt bad, they were, and still are completly numb, so there was no actual surgery pain, just muscle pain. Couldnt sleep on my back, so had to have help from the nurses to prop me on my side to sleep. I have ready many women are unable to sleep on their sides with expanders, but I have always done just fine. I had my first fill 1 week after surgery. It was fine, no problem, no discomfort. I have gone weekly, and the last few have caused minor back aches a couple days after each fill. The last fill was actually painful, felt like my ribs were being smashed. again, just the day of, and the next day, then ok. I will wait 2 weeks for my last fill, on June 4th. The expanders are very hard, and somewhat lopsided, one is higher than the other. I can tell, but no one else can. The doctor will even them and place them how I want them when I have surgery scheduled for 7/6 to replace them with the real ones. Then, wait 2 months for nipples, then wait another 2 months for tattoos. What a long process huh? I will tell you, that making the decision to remove your breasts is a hard one, you ask yourself, do I really need to do this, and if you answer yes, then its the right choice for you. I have been blessed. Mine was stage 1, grade 1, clean margins, no nodes involved. My Oncotype test scored 12...so no chemo or rads for me. I began hormone therapy Femara 2 weeks ago, and so far no side effects. This is a very scary time for you, the waiting is horrible. At times you want to just get it over with, then again are afraid...Dont be afraid to cry...I cried every day when I got out of the shower for a week, couldnt believe that person in the mirror was me. The scars arent nearly as bad as I had expected. Vitamine E oil helps, and even though its been a short time, they look like very thin pencil lines. I will say, its pretty cool not to have to wear a bra, they look the same either way, so why wear one? You will likly have 2 drains, one on each side. They are difficult, uncomfortable, and hard to wear clothes to go out, you will find unusual ways to hide them. I had mine for 2 weeks, and its was liberating when they came out. I celebrated.....thats the key, celebrate every hurdle that you cross, every stage you go through. Celebrating means you are telling yourself that you are proud of you. This is a difficult journey, but never feel alone. Here, you can say or ask anything, there are no judgements, just support. We are here to celebrate with you.
I wish you the very best, sending prayers.
Karen0 -
Saying hi and a big welcomeChristine Louise said:Hi, Brenda
I had those procedures in January and I'll get my expanders/implants in July. Finished chemo yesterday. I, too, got scared and almost went with no reconstruction. Not a candidate for recon using my own tissues. But, I chose immediate recon so I woke from surgery with expanders in place and partially filled. Never being totally flat probably helped me recover from the mastectomies faster emotionally. And, having shape these 5 months has been very nice. No bra needed, which I love.
I had little pain after surgery. The continuing, and probably permanent, partial numbness in "breasts," sides and arms is disturbing, although it gets better with time. Node removal sites were more uncomfortable. Occasional shooting pains where the nerves are regenerating, but nothing unbearable. Rarely need pain meds.
We'll all tell you that getting the expanders filled, bit by bit over several weeks or months, is no picnic. You're stretching skin and muscle, dealing with scar tissue, and expanders are hard as a billiard ball, harsh around the edges and cut into you a bit. Not like the nice, smooth implants will be. Expanders can cause discomfort even back to your shoulder blades. I have to be careful not to overdo pot scrubbing, vaccuuming and so forth, because the pectorals don't want to be worked when they're being stretched. Many women feel their arm rubs the expander uncomfortably on the sides, but the implants won't do that.
At this point, my scar tissue is really squeezing my expanders uncomfortably. The process has been a bit tougher than I thought it would be. But, do I regret doing it? No. I'm willing to pay this price for having implants, which I'm getting excited to have. I've tried to paint an accurate picture of my experience, and I hope I haven't scared you further. It's doable! I know other women will give you more info here. Best of luck, Brenda!
Saying hi and a big welcome to you! Good luck to you with your treatment!0 -
I want to thank you foryoungnana said:We have been Newbies
Welcome,
We all say we are sorry you have come to find us, but so glad that you did. You are right, this is al very scary. When they told me a needle biopsy was needed I decided no, not for me. I said if you think its needed, then take the whole thing out for biopsy. So, had day surgery to remove the 1cm lump. I knew that if it came back positive we would need to make other choices. Biopsy done 2/16, diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carsinoma, state 1 on 2/23. I knew that a lumpectomy wasnt for me, I wanted it gone. I felt the most aggressive option was to remove them both, so had bi-lateral mastectony 3/16 with immediate reconstruction, expanders. The surgery itself wasnt bad, they were, and still are completly numb, so there was no actual surgery pain, just muscle pain. Couldnt sleep on my back, so had to have help from the nurses to prop me on my side to sleep. I have ready many women are unable to sleep on their sides with expanders, but I have always done just fine. I had my first fill 1 week after surgery. It was fine, no problem, no discomfort. I have gone weekly, and the last few have caused minor back aches a couple days after each fill. The last fill was actually painful, felt like my ribs were being smashed. again, just the day of, and the next day, then ok. I will wait 2 weeks for my last fill, on June 4th. The expanders are very hard, and somewhat lopsided, one is higher than the other. I can tell, but no one else can. The doctor will even them and place them how I want them when I have surgery scheduled for 7/6 to replace them with the real ones. Then, wait 2 months for nipples, then wait another 2 months for tattoos. What a long process huh? I will tell you, that making the decision to remove your breasts is a hard one, you ask yourself, do I really need to do this, and if you answer yes, then its the right choice for you. I have been blessed. Mine was stage 1, grade 1, clean margins, no nodes involved. My Oncotype test scored 12...so no chemo or rads for me. I began hormone therapy Femara 2 weeks ago, and so far no side effects. This is a very scary time for you, the waiting is horrible. At times you want to just get it over with, then again are afraid...Dont be afraid to cry...I cried every day when I got out of the shower for a week, couldnt believe that person in the mirror was me. The scars arent nearly as bad as I had expected. Vitamine E oil helps, and even though its been a short time, they look like very thin pencil lines. I will say, its pretty cool not to have to wear a bra, they look the same either way, so why wear one? You will likly have 2 drains, one on each side. They are difficult, uncomfortable, and hard to wear clothes to go out, you will find unusual ways to hide them. I had mine for 2 weeks, and its was liberating when they came out. I celebrated.....thats the key, celebrate every hurdle that you cross, every stage you go through. Celebrating means you are telling yourself that you are proud of you. This is a difficult journey, but never feel alone. Here, you can say or ask anything, there are no judgements, just support. We are here to celebrate with you.
I wish you the very best, sending prayers.
Karen
I want to thank you for giving me more info on this. It does help me out a lot when i hear stories from other women who are or have been through what I am going through. and believe me I will get that vit e oil. I don't want to have scares that are that noticeable. I hope I am able to sleep on my side cause that is the way I usually end up in the morning. I usually start off on my back then side. I too am hoping that I won't have to get chemo or rad. And as for hormone replacement I won't be able to get on those since I am already in menopause.
Brenda0 -
hormone therapyshaggy420 said:I want to thank you for
I want to thank you for giving me more info on this. It does help me out a lot when i hear stories from other women who are or have been through what I am going through. and believe me I will get that vit e oil. I don't want to have scares that are that noticeable. I hope I am able to sleep on my side cause that is the way I usually end up in the morning. I usually start off on my back then side. I too am hoping that I won't have to get chemo or rad. And as for hormone replacement I won't be able to get on those since I am already in menopause.
Brenda
There are 2 typed of hormone therapy, 1 for pre-monopausal, and 1 for post-menopausal. I am post menopausal, and take Femara. Even though you are post-menopausal and your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen, other parts of your body still do, so this therapy stops those other parts from producing estrogen. So, you will likely take one of them if it tests as hormone receptive.
good luck,
Karen0
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