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Reconstruction expansion appointments

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Aug 21, 2021 | Replies (18)

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@kk57

@happy2bhere Your expanders didn’t hurt? Mine have only been in four weeks. My first real expansion appointment is today. The first one just replaced air with the same amount of saline. Mine mostly hurt on the edge of the expanders under my arm. Really stings!

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Replies to "@happy2bhere Your expanders didn’t hurt? Mine have only been in four weeks. My first real expansion..."

Yes mine do. I didn’t want to bring it up bc you were asking about expanding etc. My temp ones felt a bit like I was in a barbed wire clamp. All around ‘stung’
Some was because I had nodes removed. I had to go to physical therapy to pop the cording that developed down my arm, under my arm and down my side a bit. Some of it is still numb and will be forever.
The pain I felt was from the dr. I thot maybe she put in really tough stitches. One even worked its way through my skin.
Until last week I thought I was the unusual case. I learned it is maybe 40% or so have to get the permanent ones fixed. Example is I’m still in pain daily. We moved 2 mths after the permanent ones went in. Then moved again 6 mths later. Then 11 mths. We are now staying and I have time to discuss this w Mayo on 25th-oncology. Finally. I didn’t get pity from my plastic surgeon when I told them I was in pain. They thot it was all the process. So they knew, but I waited u til permanent went in to know I had to do something.
Keep track in writing when and where it hurts. Ask them what they think. Since it’s first appt maybe you’re not all healed yet. My oncologist who did my chemo prescribed lanacaine? To numb areas before I got my port. I used that on the side where I felt pain-stinging.
Remember to be careful w size. They said radiation would shrink one. It didn’t for me. And my sunburn wasn’t too much. I used udder? Cream water based love it.
Hope this helps. Did you take a pic w a magnet hanging a piece of paper yet? I wrote- look my boobs are magnetic-haha will attract all the wrong people!