Exchange City
Comments
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I'm going to look into scopolamine patch. The 6hr drive back home always Botha my stomach and that's at a normal office visit. I can imagine how it's going to be the evening following my exchange surgery.
My docs prescribed Ativan before my BMX for sleep & anxiety back in Aug. I continued to take it for muscle spasms afterwards & am grateful for it now! My nerves are starting to climb the walls again, with my exchange scheduled a few weeks away. Id say, take whatever they will give you, whatever will work to get you through this chapter of your life. God knows, it's a difficult one to say the least.
Prayers & love0 -
Aviva
My pre-op is Thursday and Im getting very anxious. Will ley you know what Dr. Madry says about exchange.
How did your appointment go today? Are you done with fills? How much?0 -
Today I discovered by accident a good thing about having a fat, full TE sitting on my chest. I have "shelf" now, big enough to balance a red solo cup on.
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Sandra they must be big! I talked to one of my BCO local buddies today at our Memory and Attention Adaptation Training course at our cancer agency. We both have the same PS and he says 4-6 months post rads and/or fill. Any of you heard that? I will be close to 5 months post last fill and 6 months post rads. She is waiting until April so she doesn't miss ski season! She is also a lot younger than me though I am so glad to be getting it done Dec. 6 because I am leading a trek in Nepal in March and want to be well healed.
Marian0 -
Sandra, I was LOL trying to picture that...
Marian, You should be fine by March.
Catey, my pre op is Thursday too. Guess we will have a lot to talk about.0 -
Marianelizabeth - It looks like Allergan 410 tear drop type is what my PS has in mind for me, according to her nurse. I can't wait for my pre-surgery appt to ask questions and hear more.
Moonflwr - I understood the PS nurse to say that this time I would not have drains. Your comment makes me wonder if I misunderstood her. I had 4 drains after BMX... Seems like I should have some this time too. One more item for my list of questions.
TinaT - Glad to read your post. Now that I am on Arimidex and having no SEs from it (yet) I would not want to make any changes to my routine. Of all my docs, my PS who also did my BMX makes me feel the safest. I am going for my transfer with much peace of mind.
Hugs, Nisa0 -
Nissa, I am going to have pocket work and side book age removed on my right side. He said I might not have any drains. But call me paranoid. I expect them. And if I don't have any, think how happy I'll be. ( he also said he reserved the right to put them in if he thinks it will lead to a better outcome.) So i plan on them and am exquisitly happy if I don't get them! LOL0 -
sandra - my shelf wasn't big enough for a solo cup but I do know what you mean!
marianelizabeth - my PS requires a minimum 3-4 month wait after last fill (I didn't have rads) for exchange. As he says, there's no time limit on performing the exchange but if you do it too soon you run the risk of various complications related to scar tissue maturity level.
nisavilla - my PS does drain tubes for exchange as a standard practice. My exchange drain tubes (1 each side) came out after three days, though, so that wasn't too bad. After my BMX I had 6 tubes for 2 weeks. Exchange was a walk in the park compared to BMX/TE placement.0 -
I know that radiated skin is very delicate so that must be why there is such a long wait for the exchange. They want to make sure the skin is in prime condition. I didn't have rads so I only have to wait a month after the last fill. Some others on this thread wait much longer even if they didn't have rads. Guess it's just PS preference.0 -
I have my final pre-op visit with the PS tonight then it is officially countdown time to surgery. I sure hope there are no surprises or changes!!!0 -
My PS is similar to Sandra's - I only had to wait a month after my last fill (no rads). For scheduling reasons my exchange will be 6 weeks after my last fill on dec 6. I am not looking forward to another surgery but will be happy to have the TE removed.0 -
Am done now, 100cc overfilled on each side, so Im at 400/500. He says that he is going to use Allergan 410 gummies-- 300/400 (just a difference in how my right side healed after bmx). Ill get on the schedule for about 8 weeks from now, so mid January. He showed me the round and the teardrop, and we agree the round isnt quite right for me. He claims no drains, which would be awesome, but Im keeping an open mind that it might happen anyway. I know Im really filled pretty small, but I joked that the Natl Automobile Headlamp Assoc has contacted me to be a spokes person
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Aviva - congratulations! Make sure you PM mykidsmom when you get your exchange date so she can add you to the roster at the top of this page
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will do!0 -
And here comes Aviva:
Just kidding 0 -
darn. We really need a LIKE button! LOL0 -
Ladies, just wanted to let you know I had my tissue expander/implant exchange yesterday and all went great! I had TE's in for 13 months...put in during BMX, had 5 months of chemo and then 6 weeks of radiation; my PS makes you wait six months after radiation before he will do surgery, which is why it took so long. Anyway, I feel wonderful and had immediate relief from the tightness. Best of all, I had no feeling in the top of my right arm for the last year. I assumed it was from having 12 lymph nodes removed. Well, now that the TE's are out I have feeling again. Maybe it was pushing on a nerve or something? I also can raise my arm and have more movement than I've had all year. I got Natrelle Silicone implants; 550 cc. They seem fine already even without "drop and fluff", which I know comes over the next few months. They look very aligned, feel soft and are the size I wanted. I have little pain; it really was so much easier than the BMX so please don't worry ladies. No drains either. They sent me home in a big bra like before, but today I was able to put on a soft sports bra and it feels fine. There are thin gauze bandages over steri strips. I am allowed to shower tomorrow. What a wonderful end to a very long year!! Best to everyone waiting for surgery. Hope you have a good experience like I did.0 -
OMG...I am so excited about all the positive posts today. There are going to be quite a few exchanges in early Dec. Girls, we need to stick this out together!!!
Mainegirl, you exchange sounds perfect!!! I am so happy for you. Did you have any fat grafting? I love that you upper arm feels better. I have strange sensations in my upper arms too. Also glad to here you had immediate relief from tightness. I hate feeling like I always have a tight bra on. You go girl!!!!! Happy Holidays!!!!!0 -
Hi Aviva
So happy for you! I am having my exchange Dec 3rd. I have a question for you. I am expanded to 500 and my PS was suggesting 525 gummies, which I think would be too big for me. I was a full B before my bmx, and that is what I would like to be again. I hate the way the expanders make me feel so wide on top, I guess because they are stretching the upper pole area, but I really don't want that area so wide, I just want a slow natural slope down to my boob. What worries me is that when I want to push up the gummy to make it look a little fuller on top, I won't be able to because they are so stiff. I guess my question for you is what size were you before, and what are you aiming for with your exchange?0 -
mainegirl - so happy for you! Exchange surgery, at least for a huge majority of us, is sooooo much easier than the MX/TE placement process. My favorite things about exchange (besides getting rid of the rocks!) were the total lack of any pain after the procedure and having total range of motion immediately. My range of motion after the BMX was so limited I refer to it as my T-rex phase (short, stubby upper arms with almost total lack of ability to separate my elbows from my sides). You are just more proof that there's light at the end of the tunnel
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Goldie4040, no fat grafting done.0 -
Mainegirl, thanks for your positive story - I am very happy for you! My exchange is coming up on Dec 6 and am starting to feel the anxiety build. It really is great to hear it went well for you.0 -
Hi Goldie! I was a droopy 38dd before, Im 502, 125...Im aiming for small, not sure that means a b? I havent tried looking at bras to "size" how I want to be, just kind of want to be small now. I thought the silicone implants he showed me had a good squishy feel- he said thats how they will feel inside, so that seems to me like theyll be pretty move-around-able. He said to keep filling till when I looked at myself in clothes, I was where I wanted to be, then he over fills by 100. Thats my ps tho.
Maybe people who have had the exchange could talk more about how they feel/move afterwards, My te are pretty large side to side, and more square with rounded edges than circular...BUT I am not looking in any way at their shape for how Ill look later...only projection for how big theyll seem? Not sure that makes sense. Im just trusting my ps will insert and place them so they look sort of natural. Will deal later with how they slope from the top etc....0 -
Good news from everyone today! Mainegirl, so glad it went perfectly for you. Keep us informed as your healing progresses.
I went to a breast cancer support meeting this morning and out of 22 people there, I was the only one who had ever had a TE. I thought that was amazing. Most of the people there had mastectomies 1-5 years ago. Only one had a lumpectomy. The majority didn't have any reconstruction and were perfectly happy. One woman is 7 years out and has scheduled a TRAM reconstruction next month because her prosthetic inserts are bothering her skin, are too hot and too heavy. A few were "direct to implants" like I was in the first surgery so they bypassed the TE experience. No one in the room had any infections or complications afterward like me. That was really surprising. Only two developed Lymphedema including one of the newcomers who is only 7 weeks out of surgery. Poor girl is really suffering. There was one woman there whose surgery is coming up and as people went around the room to introduce themselves, every one of them told her that recovery from mastectomy wasn't very painful. That was my experience too but I found it amazing that everyone else said the same. We hear so many people complain about painful recoveries and complications on this forum, you begin to think that's the way it is for everyone. Not so at least for this group of 22. Very unscientific, but interesting nonetheless.0 -
Sandra, my theory is that mx without expander's, or immediate recon is not that painful. I had a lot of pain when I first got home. I couldn't lift my arms, or push myself out of a chair, or wash my hair. I think my expander's and alloderm made it a lot harder. I know for sure that when who had immediate diep are helpless for at least 3 weeks. I almost had diep, but changed my mind. Long story.
I sometimes wish I could have been brave enough to just let it go, and not have recon. But, I just couldn't.
You are lucky to have a support group near you. There is no such thing near me. Very strange. Arlington is a big town. I would have to go into Fort Worth, or Dallas.0 -
Sandra,
I have been going to a cancer support group for almost a year and no one had tissue expander ever until this summer, when one lady who only introduced herself in broken English said she had she had BMX and expanders. (& Lymphadema)
I had BMX only....and it was so so easy....pain was minimal but I was sleepy.
My expander surgery a month later, was beyond a 10 on the scale.....outer space!!!!!! I have had over 20 surgeries and this rated at the TOP!!
Other women have had lumpectomy after lumpectomy....and then the other breast lumpectomy....before Having a BMX....but no reconstruction.
I really felt weird and a bit out of place....but continue to go when I can.
There is one women that goes there that has been going for over 20 years.....I know I won't be going in 20 years...as I would be 86 years old, and WHY WHY WHY would I want to go?
Di0 -
Godie, I lived in Fort Worth until I was 11....my dad graduated from TCU while we lived there.
Di0 -
I'm so sorry for those of you who've had such a tough time. Can't imagine what some of you have had to go through with DIEP or TRAM. It's hard enough to move around after a mastectomy when you belly is working properly. My hat goes off to you tough ladies. Others have had miserable trouble with damaged nerves or TE's that put you in temporary hell. I wish we knew why some of us get through it with minimal difficulty and others are still on Percoset after weeks or months. Let's put some of the "awareness" money towards figuring THAT out!
When I first came here and read about all the problems, I was terrified! It's bad enough trying to adjust to having cancer and wrapping your head around a mastectomy...then you read some horror stories and want to run to the hills. It is comforting to read stories of people who didn't have trouble as well as hearing about possible challenges to recovery and how people overcame them. If something hurts, we should be able to say so. If the same thing didn't hurt someone else, they should be able to say so too. Both sides of the coin are necessary to learn about though.
I was prepared for the worst but knew that most people come through it fine, with minimal pain. If I was destined to be in the minority, I knew what to do. Thanks to this forum, I could go into surgery knowing I had done the best I could to get ready.0 -
So happy for all the good news today!!!
Aviva- congrats on finishing the fills. And he told you no drains? I hope to hear that from Madry tomorrow morning! Are you still planning on the 410's or the smooth rounds?
2JennS- cant wait to hear how your pre-op went with him
For you other ladies on here A/viva, 2JennS and I all have the same PS and we have been comparing notes thru our TE fills and office visits. I will say it has helped me considerably in talking with these 2 ladies
My pre-op is tomorrow morning so will let you know how it goes!0 -
Hey Catey,
Mine is tomorrow afternoon, so I guess we can compare notes. That is great that you have PS buddies. I do too. One had implants ( gummies) and one had a diep and is very happy.0
