My BRCA Journey

I woke up a week ago, groaned that I was in a bra, and headed to shower. Something looked odd, but I didn’t have glasses on contacts on. After my shower I noticed that my left side looked weird. I threw on my glasses and sure enough, my expander had rotated. 

This entire fill process with Megan I had told her I was so worried about them flipping. Of course I worried that into existance didn’t I? She had told me it could happen at any time and not to stress too much. 

I also learned that my expanders were sutured into my chest wall and muscle. The pain I experienced those first weeks that had me in tears? That was the pulling of the stitches that were sewed into my expander tabs and connected to my muscle.

I felt my foobs and could feel my magnetic port at the bottom of my left one – my right one was exactly where it was meant to be. All of my tabs seemed okay and there was very limited movement on my left side – I was so confused.

I fired off some messages and made calls. By Monday morning I was calling plastic surgery over and over to get someone to get me in to be seen. My doctor told me it happens and typically they could be shifted back into place and that I was scheduled to see Megan Thursday. 

Thursday rolled around and I was excited to see Megan and see if she could work her magic. It was wonderful to see her, but she couldn’t get it to shift. It was the weirdest sensations – having someone essentially lift your expander while it’s still in your body and trying to twist it. She had to call in reinforcements – had a reunion with Rich. He had never done this and I told him I would gladly be his guinea pig because I trust him completely. He tried and he did get it to budge a bit but it slid right back. We had Tram come in and after trying she said at 700 that thing isn’t going to shift back.

Now I have a loose left expander – I told my friends I do party tricks now – and a magnetic port that is in the wrong place. I have weird pains on and off, but I was reassured it’s okay. 

I see my plastic surgeon on Wednesday to discuss swapping out my expanders for my implants and we will take it from there!