Exchange City
Comments
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Well I'd wait awhile. So the implants don't move over to the armpits. Ask your PS.
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Sandra--Your PS should be proud; the monkey thought they were real! You should also feel good because the monkey was paying you a compliment too! So glad you had a nice time on your cruise.
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mnmbeck - my PS will do my mud flaps with an excision rather than lipo. My PS does the mud flapectomy at the time of nipple reconstruction. In my case, since I don't want nip recon, he'll do the mud flap thing on it's own. I think he doesn't do it at the time of exchange because as the implants settle in and find their home the appearance of the mud flaps can change and be less noticeable. He wouldn't do it until at least 4-5 months post exchange. I see him next Thursday and hopefully the procedure will be scheduled shortly after that. He prefer excision rather than lipo because he feels you get more consistent good results that that method.
Piano-girl - yes, check with your PS, they all have different instructions and ways of doing things. I personally was able to lay on my stomach comfortably within several days of exchange. I had drain tubes for 3 days but soon after they came out I didn't have any trouble with side or tummy laying. It's a bit different because it's not your own tissue your laying on, doesn't hurt, just feels different but you get used to it.
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mmbeck, if you have a skilled PS, it will be fine. I was freaked too but bruised after surgery. You just ice it like when you got your biopsies and then try Arnica gel. Mine are so nice. I even got gas at Sams Club cause the guy there let me and I am not even a member...so I still got it going on even tho fiancé bailed on me first of yr. I am thkg of joining tho. And I got kids at the Univ!! go figure...
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I just had my exchange surgery yesterday - yippee!
TE exchanged on mx side, lift and small implant on native/natural side. One drain on mx side.
PS left instructions to sleep with my head elevated for the first week. Any idea why I can't sleep flat on my back?
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Dayzoo - congratulations on crossing over to the squishy side - yay!!!!! I have no idea on the head elevation instructions from your PS.
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Congratulations, dayzoo! Isn't it great getting rid of the TE? My PS didn't say anything about elevating my head, so I don't know why he wants you to do it. Rest and heal well!
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YAY, dayzoo! Welcome to the squishy side of life!
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I think perhaps keeping your head elevated also keeps the chest elevated and likely helps keep the swelling down.
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I have been instructed by BS/nurses/PS post EVERY surgery related to BMX, tissue expander placement surgery and all my foob surgeries to sleep with 2-3 pillows.....I do not sleep with pillows, but have an adjustable bed that hasn't been flat since Dec 2012 (except when I change the sheet)....still not flat 4 week post most recent surgery......now I prefer to sleep elevated.
Saw PS today and he still sees the chemosis(post lower eye lift) , a hematoma under the incision between foob where a lump was removed, hi/lo nips hi /lo foobs.........he is now contacting my eye Doctor about my chemosis . Agrees my nips are not even and then started being a "surgeon" talking out loud about injecting alloderm tissue in my (carcinoma) dent/ reducing tissue ridge above dent, doing this that and the other....getting very sugically technical, like teaching a class in PS...(which he does at a medical school and in his operating suite...I had the Chief Resident with him during) my face lift) he wasn't even facing me as if he was dictating into the empty exam table, I was sitting in a chair....when he stopped, I said I guess you have a plan.....he then said, YOU deserve to be satisfied.....I will see him again after my 10 cruise to Sea of Cortez/Mexico.
Di
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Dayzoo, I found it very uncomfortable to try to sleep flat after any of my breast cancer surgeries. Perhaps that's what your doctor was saying...he just didn't tell you why. I tried to sleep in my bed when I got home each time, but soon moved back downstairs to the recliner. After a couple of weeks I could sleep fine in my bed, even on my side, but had to have plenty of pillows - small ones under each arm and big ones tucked around me.
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I too slept in my recliner. For one thing sleeping slightly elevated felt better. For another, you can't roll onto your side even by accident which may be the real reason. They want the implants to settle in and not get pushed to under the arm. Much love.
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well, after 3 nights of sleeping semi-upright, I am totally exhausted. Maybe tonight I will sleep better, being so tired. Also, I find that because I haven't been doing much during the day, I'm not as tired at night. Looking forward to getting back to my normal activities!
Took my dressings off yesterday, and although everyone says not to peek, I did. And I wasn't as mortified as I thought I'd be! I had a lift and a small implant put in my native side (and no drain). This side is slightly larger/more swollen than my lat flap/implant side (with drain). I'm not stressing about it, but I'm assuming the swelling will go down a lot and they will even out?
Otherwise, I'm pretty happy so far! Thanks everyone,
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Hi everyone, I have a quick question; does anyone know if a Mentor expander with a capacity of 270cc's can be overfilled to 400 cc's? It is my understanding that TE's can be quite oeverfilled, but would that be too much? Thanks!
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Camillia - I had 600cc TEs that were overexpanded by 150cc to 750cc. They were pretty 'bulbous' and hard as rocks but I got used to them. I exchanged to 750cc implants that are the perfect size for me.
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Camillia - You might want to check out the thread called "Breast Implant Sizing 101". There is a ton of info in the discussions and a lot of helpful text right in the thread header. Tissue expanders are discussed as well as implants.
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I have 450 cc expanders. I asked the nurse if 450 was the max, and she said "oh no! You could fill that thing to 900 if you wanted to!" I don't know if that is actually true, but she made it sound like the capacity of the expander was nowhere near the limit. I know many people here have had their expanders quite overfilled. I currently have 500 in my 450cc expanders.
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desperately need to talk to gals in the know about my distress. It's been a Hell of a year and I remain emotional, freaked, and uncertain.... Pre surgery chemo 14 dose dense IV sessions.... Double mast w TEs, lots and lots of fills, and then two weeks ago my implants. Having a hard time finding someone with my situation, no tram, no flaps, no diep, no fat grafting, blah blah.... Just TEs, then exchanged them for 650 cc high profile silicone mentor implants. They start right UNDER MY COLLARBONE! They look ridiculous there, and would never fit in any bra with cups! How long til they drop? I'm discouraged and a little depressed. I told my rather great PS, a woman who is supposed to be the BEST, that I wanted huge boobs w major projection... I told her I want to look like I used to work a pole and kept reminding her I expected "Playboy tits!" Will they get there?! When? I know I should be grateful things have gone smoothly and that I'm reaching the end of this nightmare, but I really need someone who had ONLY TEs to talk to! Any help appreciated.
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46 so sorry you are unhappy but the good news is they can be fixed (revised). When was your exchange? I had my 1st exchange (yes I have had 2) the end of October of last year, my PS at the time (yes I got a 2nd opinion after exchange) put in 700 cc's high profile I however thought they were incredibly too large. After my 1st exchange it took until about 2 1/2 months before they dropped and when they did only the left side dropped and fluffed. The reason for my 2nd opinion was that my left side had neurosis that my PS at the time wanted to solve by taking out my implant and leave it out for at least a month until the skin healed. I found a PS through recommendation from wonderful ladies on this site and I had my 2nd exchange Jan. 10th bumped down to 600 cc's. At my follow up my new PS talked about another revision this one to make them "look better" more symmetrical. The moral of this story is get a 2nd opinion, revisions can be made and you can get what you want.
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Amy -- So glad to hear that you are happy & things are going well!!
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Hi ladies. I currently have TE in place and went in for a second opinion for my next surgery. I am post RADS 7 months. Both PS agreed we could try silicone gel implants. One said definitely NO to alloderm being used and the other one said it is possible. I am very small framed and the PS opposed to alloderm said I am at a higher risk of infection.......any thoughts??
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You have very fragile skin because of the rads. Implants do not always "like" radiated skin so make sure you do your homework before you decide. My plastic surgeon says the rate of failure can be 50% so make sure the PS you choose has some tricks up his sleeve and a boat-load of experience. There are women on BCO who've been in your shoes and had good outcomes.
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Clyday, s
What Sandra said. I'd ask my P'S why no alloderm? Because the give support to the implant and the skin doesn't do as much. But maybe it's hard to find good anchor points with the rads fragile skin. So Def ask.
46, you are only 2 weeks out of exchange it can take up to 2 months before you really the surgery effects. The "drop and fluff" is when the settle in the pocket and get a bit wider and mot quite as high. But every one is different. So give it some time. Then get a 2nd opinion. You may have to have a revision but those are usually quick healing. As you know everyone has a slightly different healing experience. So we can tell you what happened with our body but can't tell you what your body will want to do! LOL
Sandra, how the heck are you? You had such a rough time I feel guilty! I am doing very well right now. Except for my knees and the ever present GI issues I am great so far.
Hi Amy!
Much love to all!
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my PS doesn't use alloderm because of the high problem and failure rate... But that's him
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Hey Moon,
Faithfully was asking about you on another thread. I told her you were doing GREAT and it sounds like I was right. Nobody deserves it more, girl.
I'm ok but not where I thought I'd be as I see the 2 month mark coming up next week. Depression is too often getting in my way. It's the old vicious circle - I'm depressed because I'm still experiencing difficulties. <sigh> I see my PS next Thursday to discuss surgery #4. On one hand, I want it OVER. On the other hand, I cry inside when I think about more months of recovery and pain. I'm physically strong enough to deal with it, but my emotional coping abilities seem to be diminishing the further down this path I go.
The PS has suggested a latisimus flap procedure where the transplanted muscle and tissue from my back will help correct the damage done on my left side by the infection and subsequent second surgery. The repaired and shortened muscles on that side are pulling and causing deformities in the foob. (Instead of ripples, it's more like rows in a farmer's field that go in different directions.) As usual, the other side is just fine.
The cruise last week was nice. We've always loved the experience and this was no different EXCEPT that I could only take the noise, people, and colors in small doses. Although I loved meeting new people, the cabin was my refuge every few hours. Mike was wonderful - not pushing me to do anything but what I wanted to do at each moment, even if that meant taking a nap...again. (Being inside for a year has made me more of a hermit than I would ever have believed.)
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Clyday, I was exchanged to implants 7 months after ending rads. My PS didn't use alloderm, but strattice to reinforce the thin skin. I did not experience any problems healing. However, I was not happy with how it looked, and I had a tight, uncomfortable area to the side of the implant. Last week, which was 6 months after my exchange, the implant was exchanged from a 350 to a 325 silicone round, a lot of scar tissue was removed, and the PS did lipo to a large fat bulge at the top of that breast. I'm still really sore, and am hoping I heal as well as last time. I've decided this is the end of my surgical journey. I don't want to push my luck.
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Andrea, I hope your pain starts to fade doon!
Sandra, who boy. With all my infections, I was lucky it was caught it fast enough so no muscle was damaged. I don't know if it would gave made a difference If my PS would have tried to save them. But as soon as infection set in , out they came. Just his preference.
Much love to all.
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I had my exchange three weeks ago (just one side as UMX) and now I am a bit sore under my armpit...wasn't before...
I am worried that I lifted my bookbag (it is on wheels) into the car with that side (I figured it was better to do it than on lift/reduction side) and it was too heavy.This week at work, I will divide my work things into two smaller bags and make two trips across the slushy icy parking lot into the school.
Should I be worried that I pulled something? Thanks.
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I had my exchange 3 weeks ago tomorrow and I am hurting under my arm on the right side. I went to my doctor Friday and he says it is my Pectoral Muscle and possibly over use. I had no restrictions. PS told me if it hurts do not do it. I cleaned house last Saturday and that is when it really started bothering me. It feels like fire under my arm. I had actually emailed my PS Thursday night. He sad I scared him. He thought I might have an infection. He looked at my breast and said it looks great!
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oh that is so comforting to hear, algranna...that doesn't sound right bu you know what I mean!! Thank you for your reply and I guess it is really take it easy and let us heal from here on in!
K
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