Message DilysP re. Implant

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Hi Dilys

Thought I’d start a new thread on this as you asked me a while back about my tissue expander. To be honest, it sounds like your Becker (?) implant is very similar - I’m not really sure what the difference is !

I’ve had two injections of saline so far. The first one was a week after my mastectomy, and did hurt a little (probably because I was still bruised), but last week wasn’t bad at all, and I hardly felt it. The first time, he injected 100mls and last week 75mls. Tonight I’m going for another 75mls and again on Friday. I think he’s trying to “hurry up” the process so I can get started on radiotherapy. Must admit, my chest area feels very tight now, but I suppose its going to as the skin is being stretched!.

Anyway my lovely, let me know how you go with your saline injections too, and we can compare notes !

Love Julie xxx

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Hi Julie

Thanks so much for this. Like you I have had two lots of I think) 100 mls and it did feel weird. That was after the mastectomy too. They then stopped as they woldn’t come near me with needles thank god while on chemo. They told me that the rest would be done over three weeks - eek! But it does sound like what you are doing - same thing as well in that it needs to be done before rads can start. I don’t understand the differnce between a Becker implant and a tissue expander either. I’ll ask when I see them on Monday and let you know, unless you get there first! The second time he did it we had fun and games trying to find the port!

So grateful for your post. I was beginning to think I was the only person to have gone down this route. I couldn’t face the thought of more surgery on back muscles or tummy. And did think, after Womans Hour this morning, that if it doesn’t work I’ll have it out and get a stick on prosthesis!

Hope it goes well this evening (that’s late) and on Friday. Let me know how you get on, won’t you. And I wll let you know how it goes for me. Where are you, by the way? I am in London.

Much love and thanks again

Dilys
xxxx

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Hi Dilys

Thought I’d quickly respond before I go and make myself look half decent before seeing my Consultant later ! I will ask him the different between your implant and mine while I’m there.

I’m the same as you, I can’t face any more surgery at the moment, and to be honest I’m getting sick of being poked and prodded around now as it is !

Anyway my lovely, I’m off now - will log on again maybe later or tomorrow to let you know how I got on, oh and by the way, I’m in Peterborough - not a million miles away from you !

Take care

Love Julie xxx

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Hi Julie

Good luck! Speak soon then my love. Will be thinking of you.

Much love and thanks again

Dilys
xxxx

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Morning Dilys

Hope you’re ok my lovely. Sorry, had such a busy day yesterday that I never found time to log on.

Well, the first thing I asked my Consultant on Wednesday was the difference between a Becker implant and a tissue expander! Apparently, yours is a permanent implant, and mine isn’t. Once yours is filled with the right amount of saline, that’s it - job done (pretty much!). Once mine is fully inflated, its left for a few months, then removed under general anaesthetic and the proper implant is put in place. Yeah, another operation - boo !!

I did ask why I wasn’t having a Becker instead, but he felt the tissue expander was best for me. I didn’t question it, I guess our Consultants know better than we do at the end of the day !

Anyway, I now have a “boob” the size of Mount Everest and just as hard - and am having more saline put in on Friday. I swear I’m going to topple over soon !

Hope you’re doing ok my lovely, and speak to you again soon.

Love Julie xxx

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Dear Julie and Dahlia

Thanks so much. Light is finally dawning on the difference between the becker and the tissue expander. Like you both I just went with what the surgeon said, having rejecetd myself the idea of the back muscle or tummy tuck options. After that the offer was a becker. No mention of tissue expanders. Neither did they say leave it until after radiotherapy. So I jumped at the chance of getting the mastectomy and implant done at the same time. But you are right Dahlia. The radio guy did say about the possibility of damage but it is too late now. What they did decide was to do the inflation first so that the skin was already stretched before radio starts, rather than the other way round. So I don’t yet have a date or schedule for radio itself - that comes later. Odd how different they all are, isn’t it?

Julie - I shall be prepared to be bionic on one side for a while then. hey talked about over inflating and then letting it down a bit so that it gets a droop. Delightful! The surgeon is also keen on tweaking the other one to match but he can just leave me be! Interestingly have I lost close on two stone since the implant went in, so wonder what happens if you gain or lose a lot of weight when it is in place? I suppose that could be interesting with any type of recon?

Dahlia - what’s involved in replacing them? Day visit? Hospital stay? I had thought that if this goes wrong I will get it removed and go for a stick on prosthesis. Either way I’ll ask loads of questions on Monday.

Hope you are recovering from your trip and the shock of the Portugueuse accident. And great that you are in touch with Lucy - hope she is well? The others are very quiet at the moment and I don’t like to nag on. But I am up for that tea and am pretty sure Lollie would be. And Peterborough isn’t that far away Julie? We were thinking of the Dorchester.

Much love

Dilys
xxxx

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Hi Dilys

Tea at the Dorchester ? When ? Where ? More details please - lol !!

Have been for another “inflation” this evening, and have the final one next Tuesday, by which time I will be having to push my left “boob” around in a wheelbarrow judging by the size of it !!!

Hope you’re doing ok !

Lots of love

Julie xxxx

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Hi Julie

Oh god poor you! I will be following you by the sound of it. Barts rang today to give me a radio appt for 15 November, by which time I must be fully inflated.

Will keep you posted about the meet at the Dorchester!

Am fine! 2 stone lighter than when all this started in April but that suits me! Can start to put it all back on again!

Much love

Dilys

xxx

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Hi Dilys

I think my rads planning is about the same time as you, and I’ll be going to Addenbrookes each day for mine.

I too lost weight at the beginning (again in April), I lost a stone and a half and have only recently put the half back on (I think thats due to not working and eating mountains of chocolate each day - lol!).

Yes do keep me posted about the meet up, it would be great to meet you all.

Have a good day

Love Julie xxx

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Hi Julie

We are on two threads! Of course I’ll keep you posted. And we can hold cyber hands and do radio together! I have three weeks of it - how about you? Everyone says it is a doddle after chemo so here’s hoping!

Lots of love

Dilys
xxxx

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Hi Dilys

Yeah, I’ve just realised we’re on two threads too !!

I’ve got three weeks of rads coming up too - some time next month. I’m not worried about it at all, if I can get through chemo, I can get through anything !!

See you on the other thread !

Lots of love

Julie xx

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Hi Julie

Yes indeed. If I get clearance for inflation tomorrow then ny “marking up” appointment for radiotherapy is on 15th November. You are right. Most people say it is a doddle after surgery (which was a doddle) and Chemo (which wasn’t so brill). Onwatds and upwards eh? When is your radio date then?

My very best friend at university was a Julie! I have always wanted to be called that. Lovely name.

Much love

Dilys
xxx

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hi dilys and julie,
ive been reading your thread and want to know more about your recon plans, why did you not have a silicone implant, was it due to the size of your natural breast, im having a right mast then? dont know, ive got my plastics appointment at st thomass next week, so i will make a decision after that. did you ever consider not having recon? im still not sure. im newly diagnosed and my mind wont sit still.
any thoughts
thanks
julie x

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Hallo Julie

Oh I know what you mean. I couldn’t think straight at all at the time, and there didn’t seem much time to make a decision. I suppose the simple answer is that I was only really offered a choice between the muscle from the back option, or the Becker implant. Or leaving it alone for later. I personally didn’t want any more surgery than was necessary so rejected the back muscle option. I didn’t want more surgery later so the immediate implant seemed a good idea to me. I actually did think long and hard about just leaving it (I am 55) and having a prosthesis. I was very tempted. here was a lady on Woman’s Hour last week with a stick on one and it sounded great. If this lot goes wrong then that is what will do I think.

My breast care nurse lent me a really good video on beckers which finally swayed me and my husband to go with it. I am a 36C by the way (or was till I lost two stone over this lot!).

It is an intensely personal decision so good luck with it my love

Dilys
xxxx

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Hi Dilys and Julie (yet another Julie - there’s loads of us on here !)

Sorry you’ve had to join us Julie, but you’ve come to the right place. It’s such a scary time when you’re first diagnosed, but with this site you never feel you’re alone - we all know what each other are going through and the support is brilliant.

Re. your question about reconstruction. I was told at the very beginning that I would need a mastectomy - my tumour measured 5.2cm x 2.5cm so therefore was quite large and to have a lumpectomy would mean taking a lot of my breast away, and therefore wouldnt look great cosmetically (my boobs were only 36B). I was asked if I wanted a reconstruction or not and I didn’t have to think about it, I said yes straightaway. As I am quite slim, my Consultant felt there wasn’t enough muscle/skin on my back to do an immediate reconstruction so he suggested a tissue implant.

Anyway, after my chemo finished (31st Aug), I then had my mastectomy and lymph node removal on 3rd October, and the tissue expander was put in as my breast was taken out (as it were!). The tissue expander is like a deflated balloon and has been injected with saline every week, to stretch the skin to create a “pocket” for the permanent implant to go in at a later date. I’ve actually had my last inflation tonight and have had a total of 700mls injected. My Consultant has actually put more in than usual, due to the fact I’m starting radiotherapy soon and this has been known to shrink implants, but also to allow for a natural “drop”, so therefore I have a very large “mound” on my chest at the moment -lol !

My reconstruction will be about February next year, at which time he has offered to also put an implant in my other breast, taking me up to a 36C which I’m very pleased about! (I always wanted larger boobs, but this is a bit of a drastic way of going about it !).

As Dilys said, its a personal decision so at the end of the day, its entirely up to you. Personally, I didn’t hesitate about having mine done, I figured as I was only 41 at the time, I still wanted to show off a cleavage sometimes !!

Good luck with whatever you decide and we’re always here if you need any advice, support, and even if you fancy a good old rant !

much love

Julie xxxx

Dilys - have got my rads planning this Friday - eek !

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Hi Julie and Julie

Hope this helps you Julie. As other Julie said we are always here if you need us.

Well done with the last inflation Julie! I am having mine next Wednesday to start with and not sure after that. Rads planning on 15th November though!

Much love

Dilys
xxx

17

JulsRis

About your concern over recon or not to recon.

JaneRA has written very eloquently about why she decicded not to have recon. If you search and put JaneRA it will come up with topic/comments.

Many ladies live happily with prostheses and many also delay their decisions until they are quite settled on what they want to do and what type (if they actually have a choice) of recon they will have.

There’s a BCC booklet which is helpful in describing the various surgeries.

D

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Thanks Dahlia

Here is the link to the booklet called ‘breast reconstruction’ as suggested by Dahlia:

breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/breast_reconstruction_dec06_web_0.pdf

Best wishes
Lucy
Moderator
Breast Cancer Care

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Dear everyone, thanks for your helpful comments, Ive had radiotherapy in the past,so wont be having it this time, which may affect the recon options, so far i prefer the idea of expanders the most, although hate the idea of implants, oh i just really dont know, i will read jane RA thread, and see what is said at tomorrows appoinment,
love
julie xx

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Hi Julie

Such a dilemma isn’t it? Know JUST how you feel. I had another 60 mls today watched by an audience of students. Have given up caring - bless them, they are someone else’s future saviour. Just knackered though. Bring on the radiotherapy on Thursday! More inflation once rads are over.

Love to all

Dilys
xxxx