I am not sure that the magnitude of what has happened truly hit me until the day I was in the plastic surgeon office getting my first "fill" 13 days after surgery.
During the surgery, the Plastic Surgeon put a tissue expander (aka: a plastic bag with a metal port on the front) behind my chest wall. Naturally it is very tight as nothing really belongs back there! During the surgery, they filled the tissue expander with air.
On my first fill day, they used a magnet to find the port on the front of the tissue expander. After finding the port, they inserted a needle to extract the air. Then they put in 150cc of saline. I am told the first fill is the hardest fill.
Physically, I found it to be very uncomfortable. The expanders are meant to stretch the chest muscles to make room for the implants and stretch they do! It seems almost every movement I make pulls my chest wall. I took the muscle relaxers around the clock for 5 days. Then, after 5 days, it started to ease up some.
Emotionally, it was the hardest day I have had. There is something totally surreal about watching them blow up a fake breast like a balloon on your chest.
I'm not sure exactly what triggered it, but I felt totally repulsed and shocked at what was happening. I think it was a mixture of having the drains pulled out, the needle pushed into the port... the air coming out, deflating the "breast" and then filling back up again... just all so unreal. I had this moment of: I can't believe this is my life right now.
Still, I have no regrets. I am grateful for many things and although I waivered a bit on doing the reconstruction to begin with, I am glad I am doing it.
When I left that day, I was convinced that I would not need any additional fills and that the size was good. The PA assured me that things would look very different in the coming days as things "settle." She was absolutely right.
On the day that I left her office, I looked to be about the same size I was before surgery and my skin was smooth.
6 days later, I am about half of the size and I can now see the expander under the skin. The saline has definitely "settled."
This was discouraging to me as it made me realize that I need another fill. I hear the next one will be easier. I hope so.
During the surgery, the Plastic Surgeon put a tissue expander (aka: a plastic bag with a metal port on the front) behind my chest wall. Naturally it is very tight as nothing really belongs back there! During the surgery, they filled the tissue expander with air.
On my first fill day, they used a magnet to find the port on the front of the tissue expander. After finding the port, they inserted a needle to extract the air. Then they put in 150cc of saline. I am told the first fill is the hardest fill.
Physically, I found it to be very uncomfortable. The expanders are meant to stretch the chest muscles to make room for the implants and stretch they do! It seems almost every movement I make pulls my chest wall. I took the muscle relaxers around the clock for 5 days. Then, after 5 days, it started to ease up some.
Emotionally, it was the hardest day I have had. There is something totally surreal about watching them blow up a fake breast like a balloon on your chest.
I'm not sure exactly what triggered it, but I felt totally repulsed and shocked at what was happening. I think it was a mixture of having the drains pulled out, the needle pushed into the port... the air coming out, deflating the "breast" and then filling back up again... just all so unreal. I had this moment of: I can't believe this is my life right now.
Still, I have no regrets. I am grateful for many things and although I waivered a bit on doing the reconstruction to begin with, I am glad I am doing it.
When I left that day, I was convinced that I would not need any additional fills and that the size was good. The PA assured me that things would look very different in the coming days as things "settle." She was absolutely right.
On the day that I left her office, I looked to be about the same size I was before surgery and my skin was smooth.
6 days later, I am about half of the size and I can now see the expander under the skin. The saline has definitely "settled."
This was discouraging to me as it made me realize that I need another fill. I hear the next one will be easier. I hope so.
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