Hi All, just felt need to write today as feeling quite low about my reconstruation. Had right expander implant fitted May 08 and to be honest the 10 weeks that I was being inflated was hell - i’v never had so much pain, not even with lumpectomy, mastectomy, 6 x chemo and herceptin for 1 year!! Anyway I survived and was ‘let down’ slightly for my holiday in July.
Since then the i’v been massaging regularly, as suggested, but the implant is now high on my chest wall and to be honest I’m now conscious not of having a prosthesis, but of having odd shaped boobs!!! Can’t win can I.
My surgeon suggests that I may need to have the expander implant taken out and a small ‘teardrop’ shaped one implanted (I’m only 34 B/C cup so quite small) and the left one ‘lifted’ at the same time. I’m really anxoius about making a decision on this one as I’m wavering about going under the knife again, after the amount of pain I was in last time. BUT I’m telling myself i’m only 43 (39 at diagnosis) and surely I deserve the best chance I can of having the best boobs I can after all I’v been through.
God I’m sorry to be rambling but as you can see I’m all over the place with this decision. Surgeon said to go away and have a good think and see me again in January!!!
All your comments guys would be VERY welcome - feel somewhat on my own on this one now.
Hi Clemy,
it sounds to me like you have had the opposite problem to me - I had expander implant put in but it was far too small for my frame and looked ridiculous. Sounds to me like you have one in that is too big for you.To cut a very long story short, I had mine removed because it wouldnt inflate due to faulty valve, replaced, then removed because it leaked, replaced with permanant inplant, removed because it was too small and now have a third expander in which is the correct size for my chest. I have just had it inflated to a D cup and it looks fab. In the mean time my other breast has been uplifted and an implant put in to take it from a B to a D cup so now I have two D cups which look fab in a bra but the ‘good’ breast drops when out of a bra and the expander remains sitting high up as they all do. My next move is to have the implant in my ‘good’ side removed and replaced with a matching expander implant which will give me the same height as the other - at least I will have a cleavage then lol! I religiously massage the expanding side every day with whatever is to hand, baby oil, moisturiser,calendula and have done since my mastectomy op and have not had any pain during the inflation process. My husband worries that I keep putting myself through more surgeries but at the end of the day I want a matching set and will keep going back until that is achieved. I do get anxious before each op - not because of pain but of getting an infection but a few weeks on I look in the mirror and know it was worth it! I hope you can get over your fears and get what you want in the end - you deserve it.
Take care, let me know what you decide to do
Clarabelle x
After 18 weeks of constant pain since having bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction using expander implants I’m glad to say that on Friday November 28th I had the op to remove them.
As soon as I was back on the ward I was aware that the awful tight feeling in my chest, that hadn’t reduced even slightly in the intervening time, had gone. By the time I woke up 2 dayd later I was painfree TOTALLY for the first time in 18 weeks. I have no post-op stiffness like I had when I had the expanders put in and I can only say that I feel like my old self again. The Surgeons think that the skin will shrink back to how it was before as I hadn’t much done in the way of expansion (200mls in Theatre) but if it doesn’t they will tidy it up in about 6 months time.
I am disappointed that for me reconstruction doesn’t seem to have worked. I’d thought long and hard over which op to go for and wanted one with minimum recovery time which was why I chose implants.
BUT, now I feel well again and I know I couldn’t carry on with the constant pain and I was spiking temperatures too which my Consultant felt was due to either a low grade chronic infection or an inflammatory response to the expanders themselves. I suspect it was the latter as the seromas that were constant since surgery have all but disappeared now too.
Either way, my husband says he’s just happy to see me looking so well so soon and able to move around without wincing. For me, having the expanders removed was the right decision, now I can get on with the rest of my life and prostheses and pocketed bras seems a small price to pay to have my health back.
Hi All I have had an expander in for eleven months and like you Trudie am in constant pain … I have refused to have my nipple put on cos it is so tight i couldnt bear any more stretching …the skin over the implant and under my arm feel like thye are goingto snap !!! How long do I persevere before I give and ask for it to be removed .I wonder …could I cope with nothing I dont know fair play Trudie for being so brave and not as vain as me !!!
I couldn’t have coped for 11 months!! And I’m sure that I’d have been just like you and still in pain. About a week before my op to remove the expander the Breast care Nurse did say to me that it was unusual to still have as much pain and tightness as I did after 17 weeks. She said they would’ve expected it to have eased by then. Maybe it’s due to our internal musculature. After all who can tell from the putside how much room there is under our pectoral muscles internally?
I am under the impression that the expander is only to stretch your skin , i now have had 800mls in, and then after xmas i will be having the expander removed and a proper boob shape implant put in, and my other breast lifted ( i am an e cup) . The shape that the expander gives you is not a normal breast shape, but is usually high as to allow for the stretched skin to move lower after the implant has been inserted. I would not be happy if my expander was the end result.
MAZAROO
Why have you had your expander in for so long? Are you having it swapped for a better shape implant.
I cannot wait toget a better shape, with an implant
Sorry sharon … I had the expander removed in January 08 and the perm implant put in … its the perm one that is giving me the trouble its a horrible shape and has gone hard going to see bcn on tuesday to see if I can have anything done to improve things …soz for givin the wrong info had a bad week!!!
I have just had an expandable implant put in 5 weeks ago and have been told that it will stay in. It is a Becker implant which apparently isnt replaced they just remove the porthole. Sorry to hear ur having trouble with ur implant…Im hoping to stay positive and have a successful inflation!
deb was just wonderin i have just had beker tissue expanders put in and i have found they are great but my port-hole rest on my ribs and this is very painful,where is your port-hole situated and does yours hurt??? Will it move when i start to have them filled more??? any idea would be appreciated thanks Ally xx
hi, i had a ld flap recon with an implant, when i had the first side done i had no problem with the port as it moved further up when it was first filled, i then had it emptied to get myself more equal, now i have had the other side done the same and the port is killing me as well, especially when i put a bra on, i am due to have both the implants filled, hopefully this friday, if the port still causes bother then i am going to ask to have both ports removed at the same time, still happy with my results though
Alisonxxx
wooohooo so happy today got results of my snb yesterday and they were all clear!!!Also got my expanders filled a bit and to my relief the port-hole has lifted off my rib and not as sore now and i actually can wear my bra top today lol.
Thanks for your response to reassure me that it is ok if it did hurt!!!
Hi Guys
Have finally come to a decision - Have decided to get the expander implant out and am on the list to have it replaced with a teardrop shaped. Have had it inflated another twice to enable there to be plenty of room for the swap. - at the moment I have one big and one small - good job its winter ha - and also am having the other side lifted slightly to match, no implant.
I can honestly say that now the decision is made I feel fine about it. I’m sure I’l be petrified when my date comes thru but hopefully this will be the last time I’m under the knife and may even end up with a pair of boobs that match!!!
Plus I have been given a nipple prosthesis and I can’t tell you how much this has helped - even tho the shapes are very different now when I look in the mirror I see 2 breasts with 2 nipples - can’t believe the difference its made to my mind set - - for any of you who are nippleless - get in touch with the breast nurses and get one quick - its really helped me.!!!
Thanks for all you postings - they did help - will keep you posted how I go.
Hi clemy,
is your nipple prosthesis one of the manufactured ones most hospitals give out or a custom made one?
Just asking as I have just had some customed made FOC on NHS using a cast of my remaining one so now have two identical and sooooooooo realistic
Clarabelle
Wow that sounds brilliant - no mine is just one of the stick on ones but the areola and nipple are quite a good match - I’m amazed they can do a cast and reconstruct a false one - anything seems possible. Thanks for that, it may be an option other than tattooing.
Clemy X
They cover your good nipple in a pink substance a bit like PVA glue which sets almost on contact. They then peel it off and put it to one side. They then mix a silicone type stuff with different colours to get an exact colour match of your other one and I mean exact! and then you go home. 3 days later you go back and hey presto perfect replica silicone nipples (they gave me 4 in case I lose any) which you either adhere with vaseline or a glue that they supply if you want to shower or swim in them! - Brilliant!