Exchange City
Comments
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Amy, I too think the insulation your PS refers to is either alloderm or stratice. My PS used alloderm when my skin was very discolored in the bottom pole due to thin skin and muscle. He put the alloderm between muscle and skin to strengthen the skin and pocket for the implants.
It worked for the skin as he just went back in and sutured my pockets, which had stretched and bottomed out, to my ribs but he said the alloderm made a tremendous difference in the skin integrity.
Good luck with your exchange.0 -
Amy- sorry to hear the redness came back and hopefully you will not need "emergency" exchange. Your exchange is scheduled the day before mine.
I am curious what are you expanded to now? Jenn- I have another follow up with Dr. Madry this coming Thursday, so curious what he is going to say as my pre-op is scheduled for Nov 14th.
and Ladies it looks like all three of us will be "Thankful" for Squishys!!!0 -
Not sure why I cant put spaces/paragraphs in my previous post????0
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I am not sure where I am at, he has deflated and filled me so many time I stopped keeping track. Another reason I stopped keeping track is because my ps said it is the width that matters on the exchange I am at 13 cm on both sides and I guess that determines how many cc's you can put in at the exchange. My surgery will be THIS month probably on Friday the 25th, he wants to get the TE's out ASAP.0 -
Cateyz-I don't like the changes for posting made by BCO, no smileys or anything!
Amy- Your exchange will be here before you know it, such a difference it will make. Best wishes for a great result.
My swellling is starting to finally go down a little, depends on how much I do around the house. Will be seen by LE specialist this week, so may get some help there as well. Still a little flat but very soft and much much easier to sleep. Sleeping on my right side some but not on the left due to the swelling and underarm boob. More to come, but all is looking and feeling really good.0 -
Hello everyone, its nice to meet you. I THOUGHT I'D NEVER BE ON THIS THREAD!!!!!! But I actually have a tentative date the second week in December. I just need confirmation. I am still afraid to even think it but its my goal. My PS thinks ill be ready this year and said pick a date as they will be filling up for the end of the year. Lets just say its been a loooong two years. Sandra I am glad yours is coming along to. Mamasixtas nice seeing you here! Myers I hope things will go the way you need them to go. I am so excited to think I may have this recon job on its last ride. I am up to 700 in both. I will need 200 more. Ill try 100 next time after that 50. This last 100 was tough. I just have trouble seeing that it really is true. Much love.0 -
I want to say hi to everyone and it's been awhile since I have been here. Welcome to all!
I am 3 weeks post op and feel so much better, I wish the same to everyone!
Mamma ~ I happy to see that there is some improvement and the swelling is down. Hopefully every day will get a little easier.
Moonflwr ~ I hope all works out with you for a Dec surgery!
Myers ~ good luck to you as well and anyone else I missed!0 -
Welcome Moonflwr! So glad to see you here, FINALLY!!! YEA!
Katlebbie- Glad to see you back , how was your surgery?
Hope all are recovering and feeling well this week.0 -
HI all, found this on Youtube. Thought you all might find it interesting. Notice the shape of the expander at the beginning of the video. It is not round, but anatomical.0 -
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Hello ladies! Its been 3 weeks post op for me and im starting to feel almost human! Except for all the frankensteing scars/holes crisscrossing my chest. I have most of the surgical tape off, which was inasanely itchy, but still have my nips fully taped(you remember those guys, the ones I did not want anyone cutting/messing with) Im still getting conflicting info from both of my PS's about fat grafting and what to do with these huge areas of fat necrosis, and who is to blame for it. uggg. So if my healing continues well I will not see anyone for 3 months! A nice little break of worrying about boobs all the time. Thankfully ive healed extremely well from BMX and this exchange surgery despite my radiation from 3 years ago. Its healed just as fast, so I have high hopes for the implants to work out. My new PA said they have a 50% failure rate-yikes! I aksed my PS and he chuckled and said no no no , more like 15%. I sure wish these people would get on the same page and share correct information that patients need. Im always triple checking these guys! geesh. I was told to use paper tape daily on scars, but I cant stand it. Also to wear a bra all day and a sports bra at night.(PA) I asked my PS and he said Eh, wear what comfortable. hmmmmm...???? 2 more weeks I can use the scar gel strips on my raised scars. two weeks left to go to get back to normal/sorta activity, cant wait, I think im turning to mush.
Wishing everyone a blessed and happy day,
Nancy
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Greencowgirl - I'm glad it's going well for you. I haven't had the conflicting information problems that you and so many others seem to run into, so I'm thankful for that. I wore the surgical bra for just a few days then went to sports bras for a few weeks. My PS was like yours......wear whatever's comfortable. I feel like mush too. I was just getting back to where I felt strong and fit again just prior to exchange and then it was another six weeks of restrictions and no targeted upper body work.....:(0 -
I am so glad greencowgirl that your finally feeling better. Happy for you. My PS said to wear whatever was comfortable until I had that drainage problem then he said a sports bra. I had to buy one it had a panel in front with adjustable hooks to adjust fit so I had it on tight. Because it had hooks in the back I switched to a reg sports bra for the night. I ended up needing that operation anyway but now I have them if needed for exchange. But for my 22 months of TE in and out, fill em up and take them out, I lived in my Amoena cami with the adjustable pouffs. Ie, fill them up take them out! LOL0 -
It's so cool to have your plastic surgeon beam with delight over his handiwork! Even though I am not ready for the exchange yet, today he smiled from ear to ear, said everything looks GREAT and that it wouldn't be long. Beautiful words, especially for those of us whose reconstruction journey did not always follow the map.0 -
goldie4040 Hey that's my PS in the video you posted! I'm doing the experimental AirXpanders. I like them a lot. Hopefully soon they'll be available to more women.0 -
oh thats nice. I had a question. Where does the air they add come from? Got me wondering. If they dont pierce your skin and they are enclosed? Enquiring minds want to know. LOL0 -
Greencowgirl-Great to hear you are doing well. I agree, feeling like mush, not my regular energy level yet, but getting out in the great fall weather walking when I can, seems to help some. That tape is the worst! Not only is it itchy but boy does it leave sticky residue! Still having underarm swelling and seeing a LE specialist tomorrow, hope she can help move some of this fluid out. PS doesn't think it will help, but I want to give it a try. Drs just don't understand it all. My right side is really feeling more "normal", but lots of spasms and pain from the swelling on the left. I too do not see my PS again (unless this swelling doesn't go away) for 3-4 months. It does feel like life can move on beyond appts, treatments, surgeries. Talked about nipple recon and decided to go for it and finish it up. Need to wait 3-4 months till all incisions heal and all is settled into place. Glad you are feeling better about the implants, are they looking better to you? I know mine are flatter in clothes but satisfied with the outcome so far.0 -
There's a lipstick-sized cannister of compressed carbon dioxide in the implant. When you hit the button on the remote it releases the carbon dioxide out of the cannister and into the implant. It's pretty neat. My prediction is that most reconstructions will use these within about 10 years or less.0 -
RLO, that is so cool. It must be so nice not to have to go to the office once a week for a fill!!!! I am jealous BTW..the air expander's look round, but the expander's he showed at the beginning looked anatomical. Did you notice that?
Yeah, Sandra. I am glad everything is going so well with your progress towards recon. I am right there with you!!!!0 -
thx RLO. I was curious. I like that they are anatomical. And that you could add to it a bit every day! That would be amazing. Id try it for sure.0 -
Mama, I hope you get some help and can experience some relief. I wanted to pass on that earlier this week I saw another doctor in my medical team who specializes in post-op pain and rehab. He was fabulous and explained why I was feeling certain things. He talked about how the body heals and what happens when nerves are damaged. He did a thorough exam, gave me some exercises to try, suggested lidocaine patches for those tender spots, and I left feeling SO much better. Understanding WHY is so empowering. Those nerves and muscles are doing the best they can while dealing with a disconnect. I wonder if there is a doctor who specializes in post-op pain in your area.0 -
I am 4 month sout from exchanege. I have nuero pain from multiple surgeries. Any oine dealing with this? that has had the implant surgery? Mine atrated 3 weeks after. It took me a long time to get here 6 surgeries. I do not work I still feel very tired from all this. Sometimes its hard to wrap myhead around it all. Everything that happened u r in survival mode. Anyway I still can not do certain exercises which depresses me I have a pain pill every day Itake.Any one else in this situation. I am also young so it really depresses me. I can not swim or do certain things.
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I am so sorry Orange. I hate that you are feeling so badly. I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. I still have my expanders in, and it limits me a lot. Some woman feel so much better after their exchange, and other's still have issues. I thing you need to talk to you PS and see if there is somewhere you can go for help.0 -
Orange,
Do you still see your doctor regularly now that you've had your exchange? Does he/she know you've had this kind of pain for so long? There are pain specialists who can help you deal with your recovery. Could you call your doctor's office and ask for a referral?0 -
Hi! My exchange is scheduled on 10/30. There are 1026 pages on this site (too much to go through) so I was hoping some of you could help me with some SEs from your exchange to the implants:
pain, sleeping, how long till you could start to do everyday things... anything would help.
Thanks!!0 -
mcgis---->
exchange for me was so easy....wide awake after surgery which was in the PS office surgical suite under iv sedation.....I got home, ate a bite got on the computer....normal stuff.....thought I SHOULD go to bed and rest....took ONE pain pill...stayed in bed for an hour did not sleep so got up and was NORMAL the rest of the day....stayed up later than usual too and I was up at 4:30am....I didn't have any pocket work.....so so easy and more comfortable after the expanders were out....no side effect and only that ONE pain pill which did not put me to sleep. (NO DRAINS)
( I knew I would several more surgeries after the after exchange, and I have had one surgery post exchange....will have hopefully my LAST one which is scheduled on Dec 2 for fat transfer, alloderm, and nips)0 -
mcgis, it is different for everybody. It depends on how much pocket work you PS has to do, if you are doing to have drains, or not, if you are have fat grafts, or not. So many variables. Most people don't have much pain afterwards, and there will be limitations on what you can do for a while. What did your PS say he was going to do other than exchange to implants?0 -
I did not have much done other than exchanging to implants. SE's were constipation from anesthesia and pain meds, weepiness because...just because! I slept in the recliner for a week or two, but returned to my part-time job at about 2 weeks. Had some of the itchy, twitchy nerve stuff for a little while. Restrictions on driving and lifting. Really not too bad! I was disappointed at first because so many posters here made it sound like their TE pain vanished immediately...mine went away gradually.
Like goldie said, SO many variables!! Your experience will be your very own. Just don't overdo afterward!! There's a lot of healing inside where we can't see it.0 -
I see a pain mangement doc
But that's a whole other story
My ps was very rude when I told her about the neuro pain
She said even if I took your implants out u would still have it from multi surgeries
And she goes I'm the boob doc
She's a bitch
Sorry but it's true0 -
Orange, it is time for a second opinion. I hate docs like that. Where do you live? Let's find the best breast center in your area!0