Hoping someone can advise me. I am 4 weeks post ld with expander implant. Had first expansion done 2 weeks ago which was fine, but had my second one on Tues, and now my back is really tight and the scar almost feels like its sticking to my back. I had an achey cramp like feeling in my side, but that has now subsided.
I rang my bc nurse, and she said i may have had too much saline put in (50mls this time and 50mls last) and that i could have some taken out.
Has anyone ever had saline taken out for this reason, or am i just being a wimp and it will settle if i keep exercising and massaging.
Any advice welcome, thanks.
Rosie x
Hy Rosebud, i had my ld recon in May this year. Since then i have had 6 expansions and am now waiting the date to go in for my tidy up op.
Your back will feel tight, mine felt the same. It is difficult for your ps to know how much your impant can disperse straight away. I have had some withdrawn in the past, it is as painless as when it is inserted. So there is nothing to worry about but if it is really uncomfortable and you will find he will put either less in or put it in slower.
Thanks for replying. My back is still very tight, so will go to see my bc nurse next wk. Can I ask you how much you had put in at each expansion and how far apart each one was? Its very difficult isn,t it because you want to know that what you are feeling is normal, but i suppose everyone is different.
Thanks again.
Rosie x
Hy Rosie, i had 50ml put in each week for 6 weeks. Once he did try to put in 100ml but far too tight so i stopped him.
Good luck with Bcn next week. Thing we forget is we are the ones who have been through one hell of a lot and know how it feels when they are pumping us up. Make sure you tell him to stop if it gets too uncomfortable.
Hope you start to feel better soon. It is worth it in the end.
Just seen my b c nurse, who reassured me. I didn,t have any saline taken out, but need to really massage the scar on back now as it is a bit puckered. I had a few other little niggles that she addressed.
I don,t think i could have stood having so much in like you did in such a short space of time - ouch!
B c nurse did say, next time if i,m not comfortable having so much put in, then say so.
Hy Rosie, i found my expansions totally painless, apart from the feeling of pressure.
Glad you got reassurance from Bcn, i know i had to get my husband to rub cream into my back as it gets very itchy at times.
Glad i could help and best of luck with the rest of your treatment. Be so glad when i can have my next op then can start living again.
What is your next op? Is it to have expander changed for a permanent better shaped implant?
That is what is going to happen with me, although i have no idea of time scale. I,m a little concerned that i am going to be lopsided for quite a while and wondered how to disguise this.
Did you have that problem?
I will have to get my hubby to massage scar also, tho not yet as the whole area is still too tender for anyone but me to touch.
I can’t thank him enough, I had a lump under my arm on the opposite side to my previous cancers, Glenfield told me it was a leak from my implant and nothing to worry about. I did worry and my GP referred me to another consultant who said he would have a look which he did under local anesthic at our local hospital within 3 weeks. The outcome was that yes my lymph node had been effected by a leak but cancer was also found, resulting in me having various scans and 3 weeks of rads, that was last month.
So I have a lot to thank him for, he is now going to replace the implant that is leaking at some point.
He did’nt do my original LD reconstruction 4 years ago, that was done at Glenfield.