Forum Discussion

gingerninja's avatar
gingerninja
Member
8 years ago

when will my implants (aka twin peaks!!) settle and soften ???? ouchhhhhh!!!!

Hi ladies,


I am interested to hear about other's experiences of recovery from bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (silicone implants)........

Today is day 18 post op, and while the incisions have healed up nicely, oh lordy my chest is still so very sore and tight.....my implants are rock hard (hence the reference to having my own twin peak mountains!!)....I feel like I am about to burst through my skin (having flashbacks to mastitis days!!) .  the actual implants are smaller than the breasts removed, so I haven't jumped up to some massive increase in size. I have been sleeping on my back only, doing a gently walk most days, and doing the physio exercises from the hospital physio and see my long term physio on Thursday this week.  I have only just began to wear my compression bra as I only had my drain removed last Thursday and was still too swollen to get the darn thing done up.....no temperature or sudden change in shape.....

I would be very grateful for any hints and tips from those who have been in the same boat? My majority of my initial discomfort came from the sentinel node biopsies and my upper inner arm felt both bruised and sunburnt at the same time....that is slowly easing up but now my new lady lumps are driving me bonkers!!! I have a little residual bruising and swelling.........a nurse in hospital told me to expect 3 months before the implants "dropped and softened"........OMG - I hope she was wrong with her timeline!!!!


Cheers

Sal

PS - I joined the reconstruction group but wasn't sure where to post this??  any tips greatfully accepted :)

7 Replies

  • gingerninja's avatar
    gingerninja
    Member
    8 years ago

    thank you Jane @Hopes_and_Dreams for your message :)

    I agree - 18 days is still very early days....but  I am happy to hear that things will eventually settle....I am going to try your strategy of rubbing the pec muscle too to help ease things up a bit.  I find the physio stretches help, so I will hopefully get some new exercises tomorrow at my physio apt!!

    thanks for your reassurance that this is all normal :)

    Cheers

    Sally


  • Hopes_and_Dream's avatar
    Hopes_and_Dream
    Member
    8 years ago
    Hello @gingerninja, I had the same surgery at @socoda and pretty much experienced the same thing.  I'm just over 9 months post op and have noticed in the past month or so that my silicone breast has softened a lot. It even has a little bounce to it when I walk without a bra. 
    It did take a few months before the feeling of tightness went and I didn't increase my breast size either.  It helped me to rub the top of my pec muscle where I think the implant stopped. It seemed to ease the tightness in seconds. 
    I could also feel some stitches under my skin but these finally dissolved after about 7 months.
    You sound like you are doing well Sal but 18 days isn't long after surgery.  You will still have some internal bruising and swelling which will increase the feeling of tightness.
    Keep up your exercises and wearing the compression bra, it won't be long before you can look back and realise how much improvement there is.  Everything you are feeling is normal.
    take care, Jane xx
  • socoda's avatar
    socoda
    Member
    8 years ago
    Thanks Kath @primek . Hi @gingerninja can totally relate to the pain from the sentinal node biopsy and the underarm area that felt like it had been attacked by a cheese grater. I started wearing my mastectomy bra from the day after surgery but I used a bra extender and my beautiful breast care nurse gave me some thick dressings to pop underneath my bra line to ease the pain. I did have a tightness in my chest but did not associate that with any pain. My implant was initially quite firm and I did have a pronounced implant line at the top of my breast. This did however disappear as the implant softened. The softening has been incredibly gradual - so gradual in fact that I noticed a dent in the top of my breast where the implant has softened and is no longer filling the area to the same capacity (certainly not a big deal and I just really noticed it in passing). I think the biggest softening occurred about month 10 and that is when I noticed that I could actually sleep fully on my side a slight twist and my shoulder twisted back to not squash the implant. Just a full on the side sleep. Yayyyyyyy!!!! Gingerninja it is all so gradual that you probably won't even notice it. I was so very used to sleeping twisted or fully on my back that it in fact took me a couple of nights to realise the change. It does get very much better. Xx Cath
  • primek's avatar
    primek
    Member
    8 years ago
    Honestly you are probably looking at 4 to 6 weeks to recover as you've also had an organ removed, and a large muscle cut. I had saline expanders inserted initially and filled 3/4 with a matrix sling to enable this to happen and it felt like someone has sewn a bra in there. That's just the tight suture line. The tightness of the muscle being supet stretched and swelling will take at least 4 weeks and yes it may take a bit longer for the breast area to stretch enough to drop a bit. I woukd say by 6 weeks it will stop feeling so tight and painful and by 10 they should be dropped a bit. I needed lyrica for a few weeks for nerve pain and regular panadol and sometimes tramadol to cope with that pain at night especially.  @socoda you might be able to help with timelines mores, going straight to implant. 

    Hope things improve soon. Hang in there. Kath x
  • gingerninja's avatar
    gingerninja
    Member
    8 years ago

    oh thanks @iserbrown !!!  Yup I have been saying the same thing - why on earth do women have implants by choice...ouch!!!  I do have a pretty low pain threshold...and I am not the most patient person in the world....but was hoping to be starting to feel a bit more comfy by now....oh well.....like you said - eventually it will all settle........ :):):)  Thanks for the much needed reassurance :) x

    cheers

    Sal

  • nikkid's avatar
    nikkid
    Member
    8 years ago
    Hey Sal,

    Part of the reason they currently feel so hard is that they've been placed under your pectoralis muscle - a really strong muscle that is fighting against being stretched! The implants are placed under the muscle because it helps ward off infection, rejection, protects your skin etc. This will definitely give over time (usually why others get expanders put in and then change across to implants later on).

    @primek recently changed over to the implants, so I'm sure she will give you some great advice.

    Meantime, good on you for doing the exercises and getting moving - this will help you over the long haul.

    Good to hear from you!

    Nikki
  • iserbrown's avatar
    iserbrown
    Member
    8 years ago
    Hi Sal - I am sorry you feel so sore and sorry but yes your nurse is on the money - it is very much like asking how long is a piece of string.  There will be others come on and give you good advice about how to make yourself comfortable with pillows et cetera.  I do wonder why would women who do not have to go through this put themselves through it for the sake of a bigger bust than what they had, I don't get it.  For me it always felt like someone was standing on my chest - eventually it all settled but in the meantime you do tend to feel like an angry ant at times with it all!  Yes it does get better!