Expansion Process

Ripken's Birthday! One year ago I got my lymph nodes out. What a year! I finished the expansion process on March 23. For anybody that is going to go through this I just have to say, be prepared! For some reason I thought it was going to be easy, it is anything but! With the mastectomy the surgeon basically put a balloon with a port in my chest wall. Every week I go to the plastic surgeon and he fills it with fluid. The first month wasn't bad. After that, it felt like a mini boob job every week. It is painful, and you can't sleep. I try to take pain pills, but they make me sick. It took about 4 months while the muscle slowly stretches I hated it. I guess radiation tightens the muscle? I have reconstruction on April 30th. Maybe then it will be done! Right now I have two extremely lop sided boobs, and one feels like I have an immovable tennis ball partially under my arm pit. I try to wear clothes that are loose, any bra hurts. I know, too much info again, I just needed to vent again, and thought anyone that is going through the same thing would appreciate knowing what to expect.
Signing out until another vent is necessary!