Air expander discomfort

Hi Vallerina, I had the same problem with my air expander. It was uncomfortable and hard - I was never really able to sleep well with it the whole time I had it. The advantage was being able to expand it myself...but I was certainly very glad when it was replaced!

I had to create a pyramid of pillows to enable me to sleep well at night because it was just so hard (I likened it to having a brick or a handbag sewn into my chest!) I also experienced the zapping nerve pain. It does however lessen over time...

Nikki 

I had saline expanders and they were really uncomfortable for about 6 weeks. But i imagine they have a little more give than an air expander. I used my zonta pillow (like one of the u shaped travel pillows) to aid sleeping on side. With a bit of fiddling I could have the boob in the hole and the rest of the pillow stopped the pressure on it. I used a small pillow behind my back...and hugged a flat normal pillow. Hugging the pillow stopped that horrible stretch along the scar line and the boobs trying to get tofether. The changeover boobs will be much more comfy I assure you and ve lower. Lack of sleep certainly makes us less tolerant of it all as time goes on. Hope things improve for you soon. Kath x

Hi there sounds like you are struggling a bit with the expanders, and it doesn't help with the bloody menopause either you poor bugger, I know you don't like the pain killers, but maybe just try something one night to see how you feel might be better to get a good nights rest do you think??  and have a fiddle around with some pillows to see if you can get more comfortable like Kath has suggested, it sounds like a military operation but might be worth it to get you comfortable. I'm on the waiting list at the royal Brisbane for my reconstruction, but the wait is 2 1/2 years, can I ask where you had your surgery and how long you've been waiting if you've gone through the public system?? Was thinking of contacting the new sunny coast uni hospital to see if they do it. Margie x

As if t he night sweats are not enough @Vallerina. You must be miserable  I had saline expanders and I was very uncomfortable,  Much the same as you are describing but I couldn't get away from them during the day either! If the air ones are even firmer...bloody hell!

I don't know how much difference our muscle condition and density makes with this procedure but mine did not want to stretch to accommodate the intruders. I managed to shoot both implants out of their pockets into my armpits before things got sorted out. Mind you, I could do 50 pushups before my op.... In the end my surgeon and I agreed a B cup would suffice which, oddly, has been a good thing. As a D I had to buy shirts a size bigger so nothing ever fitted around my waist, clothing hangs a lot better now. I'm just glad no-one can see the mess under it.

Those implants are pushing on muscles that, in turn, pull on others. Even subtle changes in the way we move, sit and lie can affect other parts of our bodies. Neck and shoulder pain seems common. It's all a big insult to our bodies and some react more strongly than others. I'd agree with Margie, if you can't get any positional relief by propping yourself up or adding some pillows (which seem to be the natural nighttime enemy of menopausal women) consider taking some meds. Even one or two nights a week of relief might make all the difference. Marg.

I had the saline expanders and I described them as having bricks on my chest and at night in particular it felt like someone was standing on my chest - the pressure!  Eventually I adjusted to it and my sleep was regular.  Be rest assured even though it sure is a so and so in the discomfort stakes, it is normal and you need to consider your comfort as the others have said with building a wall of pillows and taking meds for a couple of nights until you start to adjust and then sleep hopefully will come naturally.  I often wonder why people want and do get their boobs enlarged! 
Take care

Thanks everyone. Sounds like its all normal and thats good. I know i can cope as long as its how it should be. I will try some of your suggestions. I have a few spare pillows i can gather up. I had been swimming around 4 kilometres a week this summer prior to diagnosis so i reckon my chest muscles wouldve been in good shape!! Probably pretty tight. Zoffiel i wouldnt mind if i had to go a bit smaller but prefer to keep left side untouched if possible. Sounds as though The discomfort is shortlived and can be tolerated as a means to an end!!!
They say air expanders shouldnt stay in longer than 6 months as they start to deflate so.i am hoping to be all done to swim again next summer. Should find out more at appointment this thursday.
Its pretty weird to have a pump up boob. And it has no feeling. So if i bump it into something i feel nothing at the boob end but can feel it down in the chest.   onemargie  i had my surgery at royal briz too but no waiting. I started my "journey" in january  at nambour diagnosed at breastscreen just before sunshine coast hospital opened. they said they had no recon option on the coast  so because i was determined not to wake up flat i had to swap to  Royal Briz..In the end I had a 3 month wait between diagnosis and mastectomy... my first surgery.( Most of the wait at nambour end). During that wait i had plenty of stress but it gave me time to do lots of study and  i found out if i didnt have immediate recon i would go from category 1 down the list to elective and could be waiting years. Having said that i had a huge  7cm high grade dcis but with no invasive element so the cosmetic side of things was the  major thing to me. It seemed surreal to be losing a breast when i "only"  had stage 0 cancer.   If id had a different diagnosis i may have had different priority.  I didnt need any chemo or radiotherapy so it was quite straightforward. Sorry you have to wait it seems unfair as for those of us that want recon it can be such  an important part of recovery. As i said in my original post I hav many things to be grateful for. And wake up again grateful today. Xx

Although I couldn't swim  right away...I was in the hydro pool from 3 weeks and just did lots of gentle arm movements ...much like swimming but without pulling my body through the water....to regain strength and keep the stretching going to recover full movement. My physio said no weights type thing for 10 weeks. Kath x