Exchange City
Comments
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sounds like you will sleep well tonite Lori, I too have a difficult time sleeping after surgery but have found out if a take a couple of Benadryl it helps, it is safe to take with the vicodin Ill be taking both tonight my surgery was last night.
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I am one week away from my exchange surgery. I am looking forward to it, my experience with my TE's has been very easy. I had no recon done when I had my BMX as I was happy to be flat.. Sadly flat turned out to be very concaved and I spent two years trying to work out what I wanted and finally settled on TE's and implants.. I had no pain after my fills, we did 50cc each week until my last three fills where we did 75cc. I am now filled to 875cc and my PS is planning to use 800cc high profile rounds. As I am a plus size lady my TE's don't look that big and I am slowly loosing some weight so my belly does not look like I am 8 months pregnant.. I am also having the mud flaps removed from under my arms and I understand this will extend my scars around to the back but I can live with a scar. The hanging skin and fat under my arms is bigger than my new boobs so it has to go.. I am hoping this coming week will pass quickly and I will be done..
Kathy
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Lori1020 - Welcome to the squishie side! Yes, insomnia is quite common due to surgery, surgical menopause, trauma, stress (...pick one). Also, the swollen sternum is quite normal. I didn't think I had much swelling after my exchange, but I was wrong. I look back at pictures from right after exchange and I can see it now - then, not so much. Now remember to take it very easy for a while, even though you feel good, because all of that 'invisible' stuff internally needs a chance to heal too! Heck you'll probably feel good enough to go see the Brewers on Opening Day!
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Lori happy for you that your on the squishies side.
Rosebud we will be in u our pocket in a week with our best wishes. You need to stop in at the TE primer board and let them know it really can be easy.
Oh, and myers, the craft filling is what is in the foobs in my cami. There is a thread on here somewhere about swimming poofs. You make them from scrubbies. You take them apart and re roll yhem. They make a light foob fir swimming that doesn't get soggy. Just put in swimming poofs in the search. They have instructions. Much love
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Rosebuds, sounds like you are basically having the same surgery that I had 2 days ago! I had my TE's exchanged for silicone implants (650cc). I also had liposuction on both sides. I'm sure you have already been told that the liposuction part isn't fun, so I don't need to go into that. I did post pictures on the picture forum. I have read a thousand times that they will "drop and fluff" over time...but, don't you know....I didn't expect that "I" would have to wait! I was sure I would come out feeling a little "big" more than anything....since I did go bigger than I ever thought I would. Thank goodness for whippetmom, though. I followed her advice, going a little bigger than I thought I should, to what she called the "minimum" I should be at. I feel flat...you will see it in the pictures. SO thankful for the advice in advance.....I will step away from the mirror, as I'm told!!! Best of luck, lots of prayers, and gentle hugs to you!!
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Lori...I am a day ahead of you. I did sleep the first night....kept myself pretty loopy from the drugs :-). I planned to nap today, but today is the day I'm feeling kind of wired. I was concerned about sternal pain when I first woke up. I described it as feeling like I was having a heart attack, or severe heartburn. But, I had the exact same feeling after my BMX. I am guessing it is just the pulling on the sternal muscles for these procedures? And, although I would say that most people wouldn't look at my 'cleavage' and say there is swelling....there is definitely something swollen there. Foobs feel closer together, and the area is very tender to the touch. PS says that will be better when the swelling goes down.
Rosebuds...in case your PS hasn't told you, yet. Get some bags of frozen peas, or some flexible ice packs for the liposuction area after surgery. That has given me MUCH more relief than anything else...including pain meds, I think.
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Ah yes the mighty Brewers....another year, but this time we have Hank the dog. If he's not at opening day, I will not be a happy camper. I am justs nuts about the pooch. Thanks for the reminder to take it easy, Az... I am feeling good and have been doing a little picking up around the house. And its hard to let DH do the cooking...I was convinced he was going to burn the pizza tonight... Another night on the sofa recliner and then I am able to sleep in bed. Whats this drop and fluff business that a few are talking about. Hope things go well Rose...it is a relief to have this overwith....with the exception of the nipples and aerola, which will come later. As my son said, I am slowly being put back together....
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Other women here are MUCH better at explaining "drop and fluff" ,so I won't be offended if they chime in and correct me. But, as I understand it, Drop and Fluff refers to the process of the implants settling into the pockets (drop) and the pectoral muscles relaxing, allowing them to appear to fill out a bit (fluff). I'm told it can take weeks...even months to see the final results of this. I could use a whole lot of 'fluff' right now!!! LOL!
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had a rough nigt again...went back and forth from sofa to the bed, hard to get comfortable. I did fall asleep in bed but ended up on my back, and woke up to a horrible back ache....At least today I don't feel wired, but more tired. Im going to be taking a shower shortly, time to see how they look. Its good to know to expect swelling and with me, the sternum is quite swollen and tender... Seems like I am finding out more from this site than my Dr.....Its a sunny day, and going to hit 50ish, woo hoo. I think I might putter around outside for a bit. Anybody know a good naturual laxative? So far its been milk of mag, bran cereal, senna, and colace...and nata.Sure wished the pain meds didn't have this lovely side affect....
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Lori,
Colace after about 3 days works for me so I would suggest keep taking it. That vicodin should help your back. Don't do too much putzing...lay low, watch a movie, read a book let you foobs heal = )
Enjoy the sunshine it should be upper 50's here too!
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or as we like to say repeat the Mantra:
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
You may feel pretty good but you are still healing inside, so don't do too much..
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So I did the official unveiling today...and discovered a very noticable puckering under my left breast. I called the Dr. and he said this is from the ryan suture, and it should go away in time. Did anyone experience this? It looks bad and is hard to look at, but I just have to be patient. I didn't expect this, and wished I could of been given a heads up. I guess they don't see the need to say the things that might occur after the surgery?? I am trying not to be negative....thank goodness for this site and I have to remind myself that the PS is suppose to be the best in this area....
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I never had a name for it, but I definitely had a big pucker under one side. I convinced myself to just ignore it (or TRIED to!) because it did not show unless I lifted my arms a bit.
Then...one day I checked and it was gone!! It may have taken 2-3 months. Hang in there!!
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Moonflwr - what a great idea for swimming! I had TEs inserted on Feb 25. How safe is it to swim in public pools after that surgery? We will be heading north to visit grandkids this summer and I was wondering if I should just sit on the side of the pool. Thanks!
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I have a photo that illustrated how you will change after exchange surgery. I'm a week out from my last surgery where one side was opened back up for repairs to the pocket, and the implant replaced with a new one - same kind of implant, same size, same style. I have a lot of swelling now that will go down and my tight chest muscles will relax soon. Here is the difference between a brand new implant and the same one nearly four months later.
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Sandra....I am assuming it is your left that is new? The right is the older one? What a great picture! Thank you for sharing it!!!!
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Sandra - You've become a flasher!
Seriously though, that picture is a great visual to show the difference.in old versus new. Well done!0 -
Any suggestions how to tell my 3 sons that I am having my exchange surgery? They are 20 (away at college) 15 and 11. We had told them about the mastectomy but never gave a lot of details. They knew I had had several biopsies and a lumpectomy. So when it came time for the mastectomy we never told them what was being done just that I needed a surgery to stop cancer from becoming invasive in the future. They didn't ask and we didn't say anymore.
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Jackie - so your kids don't know you're in the process of reconstruction? Everyone's family dynamics are different, but my kids (DD 22 and DS 24 at the time of BMX/TE placement) would have been pretty upset (aka: pissed) with DH and me if we hadn't shared openly right from diagnosis. They have been 2 of my 3 best cheerleaders through this whole process (DH is the other). So, I guess my first question would be.....why can't you just tell them? Not trying to be nosy, just trying to understand.
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My daughter was 14 and my son was 19. We told them the basics. (Mom has cancer, but it was caught very early. Having surgery to remove it. The surgery will remove tissue from both breasts. Then they will do reconstruction.) Later they asked a few questions here and there and we answered them as they came up. They've been helpful and supportive. For my kids, knowing what was happening took a lot of the fear out of it. Knowing they could ask IF and WHEN they wanted more info seemed to make it easier to adjust. I don't know how I would have handled it if they were younger. NOT an easy answer to this one!!
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My son was 28 at my diagnosis. He is uncomfortable with a discussion of Mom's breasts so we don't talk about it other than the facts. I had breast cancer, mastectomy, and am now going through a series of reconstruction surgeries. He is, however, comfortable with talking about the basics...how am I feeling? Am I in pain? He watches my husband care for me and I think it's been good for him to see the "for better and for worse" in action.
With younger kids, I would do the same thing. Here are the facts. If they ask questions, answer them but don't go overboard with too much information.
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Mnmbeck, the smaller, higher implant is the new baby. The four month old is lower and more relaxed.
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My kids are 14 (boy), and 12 (girl). They know everything. Sometimes, they don't want to....I know they choose to block out some of the details, but I am a 'tell all' kind of mom....and since my friends know what is going on, I didn't want them to be in the dark. I told them, "If I had my leg amputated, and was getting a prosthesis fitted, it would be OK to talk openly....what is the difference?"
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My girls are 6&8,. We haven't used the word cancer..
We don't want them to associate our situation to that of another family. They just don't have the skills to think to ask the right questions. As we all know, everyone's cancer and treatment is different as is the outcome.
We have talked about their being bad "stuff" and I had to have surgery to take it out. We also had to talk about meds you can only get in the hospital, due to my mist recent rendezvous there. We are only giving them info as diff treatment/situations arise. We don't lie to them. When they do ask, we treat it like any other "difficult" discussion. Ask questions 1st to gauge how much they info they are really asking for, then provide truthful answers that are age appropriate.
We also are in a position where we will have to discuss that my cousin was a surrogate for my niece; brother an SIL's baby, cousin was the slow cooker. At least there we can say...MD put the baby in and took her out. C-section delivery...
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I'm a new member and will be having my exchange surgery 4/17 I am wondering how difficult the recovery is? How long on pain meds? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Juneyb
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Juney, most people say it is the easiest surgery with a quick recovery and they didn't need narcotic pain meds. Not everyone has it easy, however. A lot depends on what is actually done in the exchange. If the plastic surgeon has to rework the pockets, there could be a longer recovery. You will still have the anesthesia effects to deal with, which affect people differently no matter how the surgery goes. Plan on a week at home. Maybe longer. I had a lot of pocket work and revision so I found it a long recovery. I'm in the minority. 99% have no problem.
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Hi, Juneyb, and welcome! Exchange recovery is very different from BMX recovery. For me at least, it was much easier. Of course you still have to be careful about lifting and overexerting, but essentially it was a breeze. So much so that I had to remind myself to take it easy, because I felt so good. I took pain pills twice and then slept through the next two cycles, so I stopped taking them. Keep in mind however, that everyone is different and it all depends on you and your body and how well you respond to surgery. Some ladies had a much tougher time with their exchange due to unforeseen complications. But those are the exceptions, not necessarily the rule. I hope that helps....
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I often see people mention the picture forum on here and understand you have to ask to see pictures but have no clue who or where to ask. Can anyone lead me in the right direction? Thanks!
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My adult children were told everything about cancer, however they did their own research to find reaccurance percentage. They all seem to handle it well. Luckily my ex was good about letting them vent about it all. The reconstruction part was also shared thoroughly, and like I said, my youngest son said I was slowly being put together...my kids are 34,25,21 and 19.
Sandra- I don't see incision lines, are they on the bottom? Mine are in the middle. Finally took a nap today, and am still tired. I think my body is giving in to all the excitment, if you can call it that. Good night .....
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Juney.....I had my exchange surgery on Thrusday. Today is Sunday. I think everyone saying it is a 'breeze' made me think I would be 100% back to normal right away! Of course....that can't be true. It's still surgery! Wishful thinking on my part, I guess! I took narcotics on Thursday (after I came home) and Friday. I decided not to take them during the day Saturday, but probably should have. I had liposuction, which is the cause of 95% of my pain. If I had not had lipo, I think I would be having a hard time limiting my activity, and would be feeling pretty darn good! Most of the surgery seems to have happened where I am numb anyway! I don't know how the BMX went for you, but I was pretty miserable for a long time. The good news is that, even though I am pretty raw....I can move my arms, I can cough, laugh, breathe, walk around, etc....without added pain. My pain is limited to the place he did lipo. That is the great thing to me! The BMX seemed to consume all of me. This is limited. I am making plans to drive(alone) a few hours and be away for a long weekend 2 weeks from now. Assuming no complications arise, I think this is reasonable.
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