Fill me up buttercup bab8/2/2023 ![]() Because when they are filling the expander, the muscle and skin is also stretching, this is a super weird sensation. The expander has a metal port in it, which receives the needle so that saline can be injected to fill up the expander (kind of like blowing up a balloon). Your incision must be completely healed before any expansion can take place, so the first expansion is typically about one month after surgery (although can vary depending on how you heal). So “immediate” is kind of a misnomer, because you still have the expansion part before it even remotely resembles a breast. If going under the muscle, the surgeon will cut through the pectoral muscle, attach a mesh-like sling to hold the expander in place, and then insert an empty (or only very partially filled) expander before sewing you back up. While many believe under the muscle gives better cosmetic results (especially for those who are being reconstructed without real breast tissue to hide behind), it really is typically up to surgeon preference. Some people have enough skin left that an implant can be placed directly.) This can be placed over the muscle or under the muscle. (Most people undergoing reconstructive surgery need this, but not everyone. The goal of an expander is to stretch the muscle and the skin to make room for an implant. If you have “immediate” reconstruction, as I did, you have a tissue expander placed during the same surgery. Not that I really care… all modesty is kind of out the window when so many doctors, nurses, interns, have seen your foobies (they’re not even real, anyway)… But to benefit everyone else’s sensibilities, I do try to keep them covered to a socially appropriate degree and not intentionally flash people. Which is why I have to tell my husband and friends to be on boobie watch, because I legit just can’t feel when they’re all exposed. When the breast tissue is removed, all the nerves are cut and most people never regain any kind of sensation to their breasts. The incision site may vary depending on if you are a candidate for a nipple sparing mastectomy (and get to keep your natural nipples) or not (no nips for me). So, when a mastectomy is completed, the surgeon goes in through an incision and removes all the breast tissue. It became my anthem for those appointments. ![]() I would sing to myself “Why do you fill me up, fill me up, buttercup, baby? Just to let me down…” every time I went in for a fill. When I last left off, I was healing from surgery and about to start the process of getting my tissue expander filled. Normal is good, even if some days my head is spinning to keep up. Things are pretty much back to normal after my mastectomy, which means busy doing all the things- work, cleaning, making sure my family eats real food, swim practice, soccer practice, so.much.laundry, catching up with friends. Hey there! I’ve been quiet for a while because #life. ![]()
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