Exchange City
Comments
-
rose..hope you are doing well! Its so nice to feel squishy and not had... THe first post I see today was about implants being smaller than expanders, that is so true. I have to watch my weight so I look at least a little curvy.
My ps said I do not have an infection in left breast, and said the reason my right breast is bigger is because he had to do more work, and even had a hard time getting the expander out. I have another appt in two weeks, hopefully by then they will be the same size.
I just have to have faith in my ps, and remind myself he is one of the best in this area. I am now one week post opp, yesterday I went grocery shopping, but I really need to chill and not overdo it.
0 -
rose and jackie - hope all is going well for you today. Rest and heal and let us know when you can how you're doing.
0 -
just home from the hospital, PS ended up using Mentor 350-7004BC smooth high profile gel on the left and 350-8004BC smooth high profile gel on the right , my PS also extended my scars out under my arm pits to remove excess skin ans fat.
I did not realize just how much of the TEs were in the underarm area but now I don't feel like I have very large obstruction under each are. My PS has sent me home in a surgical Bra that I am to wear 24/7 (except for when I shower) until my follow up on April 17.
I am not in too much discomfort I have Dilaudid for pain meds and clindamycin for antibiotic. Going to go had a nap and sleep off some of the drug they gave at the hospital ..
0 -
YAY, RoseBuds! Welcome to the squishie side! Yes, I remember losing that always-under-the-arm feeling with exchange! Now take it easy and drink plenty of fluids to flush that anesthesia out of your system. Sleep is a very good thing at this point! Check in later to let us know how you're doing.... Here's hoping you have an easy and complication free recovery!
0 -
Rosebuds...glad to hear are not in a lot of pain and that everything went well. Get some rest and will check on you later
0 -
Cool Rosebuds, welcome to the ahhh feeling. Rest and relax (and as my PS reminded me after each surgery, plenty of liquids and stool softener. Sorry to be graphic, but she was right as anesthesia messes with the system)
0 -
ditto to what everyone else says. Hope it's a stress free trip on the squishie side. And time to repeat the mantra: JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD!!!
Because this is an easier surgery sometimes we forget because we feel so good and do more than we should. Please take care!! Much love.
0 -
Yay Rosebuds! Welcome to the squishy side! Keep us posted on how you're feeling (after you're up from your nap anyway). You've got a lot of ladies here who can help you with just about any question you need answered for this part of the journey. Happy healing
0 -
YAY Rosebuds!!!! Ahhhhh.....home, sweet home!!! Get lots of rest. I am thrilled that you are on the other side!!!
0 -
great news Rosebuds. You sound great for just coming out of surgery. Rest relax and make sure others look after you.
I will be joining you on the squishy side soon. (9th May) Can't wait.....
0 -
Rosebud, you win the prize for most coherent post in the shortest amount of time after exchange surgery. Goodness girl, I was in the hospital four days and not even capable of carrying on a conversation for the first day and a half! You rock!
0 -
Check out these saline rounds. Thank goodness I have a lot of "meat on my bones" and will never look like this. Can't believe this woman goes out in public like this.
0 -
Sandra, omg...LOL...I just threw up in my mouth!!
It's so nice to see some of us are coming over to the squishy side. I am getting even more excited for April 9th my exchange date. Reading all the posts I think I am prepared. So thank you to everyone for sharing your wisdom and experiences.
0 -
Sandra - How in the world did you get that picture of me? LOL!
0 -
mnm - you should make an affirmation recording that we can all listen to on our way to the hospital! Love.
When I saw my PS today, I found out my time is 8:00 am on the 24th.
I also found out that since I had radiation she'll do a few things differently. She won't use my BMX scars for the incisions. She'll do them in the folds under my breasts instead. It's two sets of scars, but if it lowers the risk of problems, I'm all for it!! Also - as far as long term plans - she said that she doesn't recommend doing nipples with irradiated skin. It opens the potential for too many problems, and the outcomes aren't good enough to justify the risk. Which is fine because I was leaning toward not getting nipples anyway. But I didn't realize rads would change so many things.
Thanks for all the great advice for recovery time - I'll line up help for two weeks then and see how it's going.
And one funny - my PS was wearing a boot so I had to ask her what happened. She fell when running several weeks ago and broke her foot! But get this - she had surgery the next day so instead of spending the night in the ER, she got a good nights sleep, limped into the hospital, borrowed a pair of crutches, did the surgery THEN got her foot X-rayed and treated. I'm so thankful for crazy, dedicated doctors!!
0 -
Sandra that's a very, um, interesting picture. LOL
McCatherine, that is one dedicated doctor indeed!
I am planning on 3 D nips instead of trying for sx. They look so real. And P'S said I have enough tissue for it. Even though I didn't have rads I had 7 sx on the left side. MCk, try going on Vinnys Myers site if you want to see the 3D nips.
Happy spring you really are getting close to the squishie side! Yay!
Much love to all.
0 -
Vinnie is who my ps recommends! Thankfully, he's just up the road from us.
Maybe we could plan a girls weekend and all meet up to get ours at the same time.
0 -
Sandra,
That is an amazing picture. Thanks for sharing. PS gone wrong.
I am going to see Vinnie and get 3-D tattoos. I talked with his office yesterday and will be scheduling something for November or December. Looks like Baltimore but would rather go to New Orleans. Hopefully it will be a sense of completion.
0 -
McKatherine - I didn't have rads but along with Moonflwr I've consistently leaned toward no nip reconstruction. If I do anything it will probably be 3D tit tats with Vinnie at some point in the next year or so. Just wanted you to know you're not alone if you decide against nip recon. I can be very happy with smooth as a baby's butt boobs. They may or may not end up as a canvas for a 3D breast tattoo artist, we'll see
. 0 -
hello ladies,
I had a good night last night, I was able to sleep flat in my own bed and was even able to lie on my side for a while. Things look a little swollen today but its very early days. I have not had to take any pain meds today so at least my head is not feeling in the clouds like it did yesterday. I am going to do some photos later today so I can use them to compare when the girls drop and fluff. At the moment the are looking a bit square and flat, but thanks to everything I have read on here i was expecting them to be a bit odd at the beginning.
My PS had to do some pocket work on the right side as that was where I had had the reds done and the skin had some scar tissue that was not allowing the TE to sit in the right place but I can see today they are about the same size and both sitting in the right place for them to drop over the coming weeks. It is so nice to not have that ultra tight feeling that I had got used to with the TE's and I no longer have the bulging feeling under my arms.
I am allowed to have a shower later today as long as I just let the warm water run over the chest area without soap or rubbing. I am hoping all the purple marking my PS did yesterday will come off in the shower. I went out for a gentle walk in the fresh air this morning, i just wanted to get everything moving as I felt very sluggish and I think it helps with getting the meds out of your system quicker... I have to continue wearing the surgical bra until my follow up on the 17th then I will need to find out what sort of bra I should be getting.
0 -
Hi Ladies: I'm new to this thread, mostly posting on the January Surgeries Sisters thread. My exchange is scheduled for next Friday, 4/11 and I'm encouraged by your posts. Rosebuds...so happy that it went well for you.
My PS said yesterday that he wants to wait and do the fat grafting with my nipple recon, because the right BC side is really tight, and he wants to see what we have after the implants settle. I was hoping to be almost done, but he's really good, so I trust that I'll get a better result this way. We're going with 600 cc high profile silicone implants.
He says no driving/work for 7 days, but I can so mild exercise after 10 days. I'm looking forward to getting rid of these bricks and joining the squishy club!
Diane.
0 -
RoseBuds - So glad that things went well for you! Now comes the hard part - taking it easy. Even though the outside will heal quickly and you feel good, you have to remember that the inside needs a chance to heal, too! So baby steps for the first couple of weeks. We're all thrilled that you're doing so well!
0 -
Dtkd - Hi, Diane and welcome! Wishing you the very breast of luck on 4/11/14! You're going to love the squishie side!
0 -
Dtkd - welcome and how exciting to be so close to exchange! I'm one of the ones with an exchange that was a piece of cake so I hope you are fortunate in that way also. My PS told me I could walk all I wanted to for six weeks but required 2 weeks of no work and no driving, and then another four weeks of 'no working out', period. Doing things around home and work in the course of a day was fine after those first two weeks, but no targeted upper body because of internal healing that takes time. He didn't give me any specific weight limit, he just said 'If you lift or pull something too heavy, you'll know it. Just don't do it again.' Spend this next week excited and enjoy the anticipation for the change to the squishy side........YAY!!!!
0 -
Welcome Dtkd. This is an outstanding group of very experienced women here who have helped me and many others. You don't have long to wait. I know you are excited.
0 -
Thank you al for the warm welcome! Did any of you have to wait on your fat grafting? I'm trying to get a feel for how common it is to do it after the implants have settled.
"Breast of Luck"...LOL!
0 -
I'm having to wait for fat grafting. I'd hoped the surgeon would do it in my last surgery 2 weeks ago, but he was reluctant to put my body through any more procedures. (It was my 4th surgery in 7 months.) Too many incisions and chances for another infection this time, he said. So it will have to wait until I'm healed from this one, the swelling has gone down and the replacement foob area has healed. Makes sense. Mine will be June I'm guessing.
0 -
hello ladies
I had my exchange yesterday I feel pretty good i am sore but managed well with pain meds. I'm very surprised at how much smaller the implants are compared to the TE. I was expanded to 535 and had 550 high profile saline implants. I know everyone says to not worry about them now but I am curious about 2 things. How long does it take to make a fair judgement? And will they project more in the coming months? They are pretty flat now. These implants are supposed to have the highest projection avaliable.
0 -
dtkd.....my PS said he suspects I will need fat grafting, as "rippling" is a common poblem and he will likely need to fill in later. I am 9 days post exchange and if they stay this way, there is no need for anything. However, I know they will change over the next weeks and months. Maybe this is why no fat grafting right away???Rosebuds...I am SO JEALOUS you slept flat in bed...and even a little on our side!!! I am still on the stinkin recliner...sore neck and I can barely remember wha it ferls line to curl up and sleep...I havent done that since Oct. 23....the night before my BMX. I had no idea I would be so long until I could sleep in bed comfortably. Excited for that day!!!
0 -
Hi ladies. I'm new to this thread, as I am getting closer and closer to my exchange. I've gotten so accustomed to feeling uncomfortable and tight for the past 6 months that I forgot what it feels like to "NOT" have these expanders. I'm afraid that the implants will not be soft. (No, I have not held one in my hand yet). Will the difference be worlds apart? thanks for reading......I'm a bit anxious....
0
