Hi Guys
Need your input for this one. I’m 6 weeks past having a becker expander implant on my right side after mastectomy nearly 3 years ago. At first I felt like I’d been run over by a bus! The pain was horrible and I couldn’t breathe easy for days.
I’m now ‘expanded’ to my full size after 3 inflations, and am going to be ‘let down’ a little in July once skin has stretched enough.
HOWEVER, I’m really struggling with feeling uncomfortable all the time. How long will I be before it feels like ‘mine’, will it ever? I’m still getting a lot of uncomfortableness/pain/ache deep inside, like rib pain, toothache. I thought I’d be better by now. Or am I just expecting too much 2 soon.
I’d really appreciate all your thoughts on this one as I’m beginning to feel ‘is this how its gonna feel forever’.
I’m quite a busy person and after being incapacitated for such a long time during surgery x 2, chemo 4 mths and herceptin for 12 months I was very much back to my normal self. I now feel like I’ll never feel ‘well’ again.
I know I’m sounding pathetic now but please help.
Clemy X
Hi Clemy - I had an immediate recon after my mastectomy in March (LD and implant) but I think I know how you feel. It feels as though it has just been stuck on the front and is digging into your breastbone?? Totally alien and not part of you? Am I getting close? Mine is getting better gradually but when I asked the surgeon about it he told me it can take upto a year for things to settle down. this may be the case with the expander as well but I would ask if I were you.
You sound a bit like me in as much as I like to keep busy and don’t feel I have time to be ill…unfortunately I have had to accept the fact and try to be a bit patient…very difficult!
XX
Hi Clemy
I just want to echo what Holly has said above. I started getting frustrated like you and wondered if I would ever get back to normal. I am now 6 months post surgery and recently realised I am doing everything I was doing before. I feel as strong and flexible as I was also. I have some tenderness still on my ribs which I think is caused by scar tissue from the drains.
6 weeks is still early days so be kind to yourself. If I found I had relapsed slightly and was feeling tighter or stiffer I would go back to doing the exercises I was given by physio and that often helped. Or a nice long soak in the bath.
Hope you have a full recovery in good time.
Jackie xx