Thursday, June 25, 2009 stepaheda asks

Q: capsulery (scar tissues) Afte mastectomy & reconstruction surgery

Question: Is it normal after a mastectomy to have problems with capsuley (scar tissues)? Dr. has removed it 2 X's already, wondering is this going to be a contiuing problem for me, and if so what can I do to help make it better, or just for it to go away????? Help!!!

I was hoping not to having many problems after this final surgery, it has not been 4 wks since the surgery as of june 23. I know I am still healing, but am concern because the left breast feel just like it did before, a little tight, and harder than the one on the right. There is a bit of relief when I massage them or the massage thearpies rub them. I guess I am concern because I am hoping not to have to have more surgery. And one who has gone through reconstruction, please feel free to let me hear your story. And please not any of you dear ones out there who had you surgery one wk and was out riding a horse the next wk. I don't fine those stories to be encouraging at all. I'm happy for you that you were able to do that, but for most of us it is not that way. So I need to hear some real stories, Please !

Thank you,

Stepaheda

Answers (1)

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Angi

6/25/09 9:26pm

I'm sorry to hear this Stepaheda, but I know your pain all too well. For some they don't have any issues following surgery, but for some of us it's always problems.

I've never had any issue with CC in my right side, but my left side has hardness in it again. I think it's more prone to the CC because I've already had CC in the tissue on that side. Of course everyone is different, but I think that my problem is that my PS did not quite remove it all. He probably removed the bulk and felt that the rest would smooth out. He told me to wait 3 mos. and the lumps would likely go away, but they have not. I'm going to request him re-do it when I see him in 2 weeks. I really don't want to have an 11th breast surgery, but I want to be happy with my reconstruction, which I fully accept will never be perfect. I just can't go forward with nipples until the lumpiness is removed. Massaging it has not helped, but then again my hardness could be felt right after surgery. I think once it has formed there is no getting rid of it unless it is surgically removed. Wish I had better news for you, but I don't.

Just keep up with the massaging, and talk with your PS.

Good luck!

Angi

stepaheda

6/26/09 10:12am

Thank you Angi,

I understand what you are saying. I don't know but from speaking with other women, it seems that once you have a problem with cc, it is just with you for life. One the day of the last surgery one of nurses told me that for some women it is such a problem coming back so many times, that they just give up and have the implants removed. Wow! I do hope it does not come to that for you and I. I keep telling my self that it has only been 4 wks, and the dr. does want me to start my regular exercises for another 4 wks, totaling 8 wks of just being still, a little wlking. Due to the fact that he had to do so much repairing on that left breast (problem breast). Isn't it funny the cancer was in the right breast and it is beautiful and healing just fine. Life is a trip isn't it???? So what I am hoping is that as soon as I can start streching/tai chi/yoga that this will help break down the scar tissue and maybe keep new scar tissue from forming. One can only hope and pray, right.

Your sooo cool, Angi I love your fighting attitude about this whole thing. Did I tell you that my family is also from the LA area, my bio father live in Baton Rouge, LA. How cool is that.

Take care,

Stepaheda

Angi

6/26/09 12:38pm

I'm really hoping that things look up for you. Keep positive. Maybe if you give it time the tissue will become healthy enough that you won't have anymore complications. I'm truly hoping that another surgery will clear this up once and for all. I know why I have CC in my L side - it's because I had dying tissue there, and had to use this green ointment that ate away the dying tissue leaving me with a quarter size hole. When that hole healed from the inside out, I was left with a golfball and a half of hardness. My tissue experience a lot of trauma from that, and I think my PS just didn't get it all out. I'm going to tell him not to be so conservative with this next surgery - remove the lumps plus some to ensure it doesn't return. I will keep you posted, please do the same!

Take care,

Angi

stepaheda

6/26/09 2:24pm

Hi Angi,

You will truly be in my pray, in hoping that this next surgery will do it once and for all. I just spoke to a Massage Thearpy's who's specialty is scar tissue/and Lympdema. And she seems to think in my case that since iceing my breast seems to help, that it is just still very inflamed due to the surgery and grafting. She has been doing this treatment for over 25yrs, and she said that if it was cc or Lympdema that it would not respond to ice. So that was good news, I'm suppose to go into see her for a complete evalution for insurance purposes some time next week. She told me to just keep iceing it every 10mins, and to do as the dr. said not too much activey because the grafting is still trying to attach to my body, she said sometime that can take up to 3 mos. I was happy to get this good news, but wanted to die because that means that I still can not drive, which means that I am still stuck in the house.