LauraR

I had my exchange surgery on Monday Jan 14th.  I drove that Friday and was back to work the next week.  I never had a second of pain with the implant side.  I also had a lift on the other side.  I did take pain pills some for that but not until the second day that I was home.  I didn't have any of the problems that I had with the  Mastectomy surgery such as not being able to bend down.  The PS put me on a 10lb weight restriction for while but I was raking leaves within 2 weeks.  I did go back to sleeping on a recliner for a couple of days because I was supposed to sleep on my back for about a week and I find it very hard not to sleep on my back in a bed. 

I had no drains.

I had my reconstruction surgery last week.  A gummy bear implant on the mastectomy side and a lift on the other side to make it even.  Ok, so today I went back today for my follow-up.  The surgeon had sent in a section from the lift side in for testing.  He said the test results showed that some cells were "atypical".  They are going to schedule me an appointment for my oncologist to review the lab results and go over with me what it means.  I really don't think I can take anymore.  If I had to do it all over again, I swear I would have had a mastectomy on both sides.  I thought maybe after the reconstruction surgery that life would begin to look up again.  Guess I was wrong.  Did anyone else have this happen to them?  Anyway, I'm really down in the dumps tonight.  I tried to sleep but I couldn't so I'm up posting here.  Guess I'd better try to get some sleep since I have to go to work tomorrow.   Thanks for listening. 

One more question, do you have a drain with either a lift or the implant?

Thanks for the responses.  I am really beginning to dread having another surgery.  What about sleeping?  Have you'll had any problems?  After my mastectomy last spring, it was months before I slept normally.  In fact I slept on a lazy boy, until November.  Have you'll been able to sleep OK?  Did you have any trouble getting in and out of the bed?

On Monday I will be having my fourth (and hopefully last) surgery.  I will be having a implant put in one side (I have expanders from Mastectomy).  On the other side I am having a lift.  Right now I am not symmetrical at all.  The side with the expander is much higher, the lift is supposed to correct that.  From what I understand the lift is more painful than the implant.  I really really do not want to go through that pain again that I had when I the mastectomy and those fills.  One of those fills (100cc) was horrible.  For the past 4 or 5 months I haven't had any problems.  Has anyone else had a lift?  Was it painful?  How long was it before you were able to drive again? If you were not symmetrical before the lift, did the lift even you up?  Thanks

Has anyone had a cohesive gel/gummy bear implant?  If you have did you like it?  I'm scheduled to have implant/lift surgery in January.  My choices are the saline, silicone, or the gummy bear.  I'll see the PS at the end of the month but I was wondering about your experience with one or the other and if you had to do it all over again what would you do?  Were you happy with the way it looked?

Guess it's too late for me but just in case anyone else is a member, I'll post here what I was told.  The manager told me that they cannot (maybe it's a will not) go back in time and give you credit.  I was told if I had asked for it in advance it would not have been a problem.  I have a reconstruction surgery January, so if I'm still going to Curves then I will find out if they will accept a doctor's note in advanced or not.  At the time when I found out about the cancer I was just too stressed out to worry about Curves or anything else.  I just quit going. 

Is anyone a member of curves for women?  I've got a question.  I had my last fill put in about a month ago.  I went back to Curves this week after not going for a few months.     My year membership is going to expire in mid October.  When I found out about the cancer I never said anything to them, I just stopped going.  I have had 3 surgeries since then.  When I went back they didn't say a word about me being gone.  No, how are you, where have you been etc.  I just went in and starting doing my thing. 

My question is, I paid for all those months that I couldn't go but I never told them why I wasn't there. In your experience, do you think they would give me credit for the time I was gone?  I will also have to have another surgery in a 2 or 3 months, if I ask in advance would they give me credit for that time?   The 2 girls working at the Curves now are very young and do nothing but sit up front and don't talk to the customers except for a hello or goodbye.   I hate to bring it up to them unless I know what their policy is.   I will probably quit Curves this month if I know they won't give me credit for my upcoming surgery but I would like to stay if they would.