LisaEllen

Laura,

Can't you stop your fills until after chemo?  I can't imagine being even more uncomfortable because of the tightness in your chest.  After chemo, can't ps resume inflation?  I would want the scar to heal before rads.  Am I correct in this line of thinking?  Postponing the final decision would allow you to read everyone else's story for a few months.  We are same weight and height.  I was also Acup before and am going for full B or small C.  I have my exchange at the end of June, I'll post results.  My expanders are almost up to 400 now and are not big enough.  Perhaps I am bigger framed.  Perhaps I got used to bigger boobs quickly!

I am also wondering if anyone can tell me if the contoured teardrop implants look smaller than the round, high expanders.  Surely they must.  A contour 450, I think, would not stick out from the chest as far.  How to decide?????!!!

Rshat-I choose to have the oopherectomy in May 2007 when my port was installed.  My oncologist felt that we could oblate the ovaries medically during chemo but could not convince us that the medicine was 100% shut down.  We used Natural Family Planning before the Dx.  I sure didn't want to abstain or get pregnant during the sixteen weeks of chemo.  Having my ovaries out was the assurance that I needed.  If you can take the anti-hormone therapy, why do you need your ovaries out? It is a personal decision sometimes.  I also wanted to have my cervix and uterus out.  My oncologist and Gyn convinced me that I would take longer to heal, start chemo later, and could always go back to get them at a later date.  The uterus and the cervix are the innocent bystanders, they told me, not the hormone producing organ.  The whole body is implicated as far as I am concerned.  The whole thing has betrayed me deeply.  Luckily, I am learning to forgive.  I went to a cancer conference last May and saw the most wonderful performer.  Her show is called "Jonna's Body, Please Hold".  I laughed till I cried and boy did that hurt!  Now I am in Menopause.  Why call it a pause?  Gee, as if we needed a monicker that sounds like "time to stop."  I vow to be in better shape than ever soon and never take a day for granted.  The hot flashes are extreme for about three months then, they eased off for me.  It gives me that "I just exercised look" without trying.  I use a sleep aid or I can't sleep.  I prefer the anti-anxiety med. to the Lunesta-types.  Perhaps you will have to get to know me better to realize why.  I am on Arimedex for 5 years to stop the estimated 5% hormone production that comes from the fat cells.  I am dry from my nose to my toes and inbetween.  That's OK, lotion's cheap. Today is a new day, my friends.  I'm hoping that if you are hurting that it is physical only. Here's hoping the pain is soon a distant mammory!!lol, Lisa

Also keep in mind that you can use the stick on heating bandages sold over the counter for the back pain.  One right between the shoulder blades made sleeping easier!  My husband also bought me the biggest lazy boy we could find to sleep in.  With all of the chemo and surgeries, I've been there for months.  Hey, (for the future) does anyone have cohesive gel implants that they can exercise with?  I'm not exercising yet but would like to get back to it when I am healed.  It might impact my decision on size to inflate to if someone felt that a C implant hindered them from aerobics or running. Anything more than walking hurts right now and my expanders are only at an A cup!  A good bra should be enough right?  Lisa