Exchange City
Comments
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Scary - if your reconstruction surgery was just 10/29, the changes will take at least several weeks if not several months. Be patient. The mirror is not your friend.
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MinusTwo is correct...it can take weeks or months. This soon out you still have a lot of swelling and your pecs will be tight again over the implant. It takes time for the swelling to go down, and the muscles to soften and relax.
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Scary, it's not like you are going to notice it anyway. You don't feel anything. It's just one day you happen to see that one side or both sides (yes, each can have their own schedules) seems rounder (fluff) and if they started out really high, you see they are a bit lower (drop) or you notice some ptosis. (natural droop) It's way too early. Maybe in a month or two. You are fresh out of surgery now! Also if you have shaped implants, you might not notice anything. With regular rounds, the pecs have to soften up to allow gravity to move more of the silicone to the bottom of the implant so it looks more like a natural breast and less like a hamburger bun. Be patient, grasshopper.
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I saw my BS for my every 6 month check up, she does a physical exam and an ultrasound. I'm about 4 months past exchange. BS told me both breasts are kind of "boggy and a little swollen". She said it might be due to the Herceptin, which I'll be on until February. She also said it wasn't too concerning, and by my next 6 month appt with her I'll have been off the Herceptin for a couple of months so we'll see if they have changed. Anyone else have this? Forgot to ask her if it could be residual swelling from exchange surgery still. My insurance just changed and my PS is no longer in my network (which makes me so sad, I love her!) or I'd make an appointment to see PS and ask her opinion on it.
Kendra
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thanks so much ladies. this board is great, since we're all going through something similar, so i get the best advice. I am mostly pleased with my appearance in clothes since I was rebuilt small, except for the dog-ears on each side, and I am very proud of my smaller left breast and my "eventually to be dropped into place" right breast, ha ha, i will be patient now that i hear it's common for this to happen.
But naked, in the mirror, I look like Bride of Frankenstein with all the horrible scars. I don't know if Medicaid will cover the dog-ear removal, or if they will just shrink on their own. I'm losing weight, which is great, but I hope that if there is extra skin that needs to be removed after the drains are done doing their job, that Medicaid will cover revision surgery. they do actually hurt, so it's not just a vanity thing. i'm not too worried about the scars themselves, since they will fade in time, and even if they show forever, at least they won't show with clothes on.
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Yes, medicaid will cover dogear removal as a "breast cancer surgery revision"
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thank you so much Noonrider. In the meantime, I hope they will go down as the fluid goes out through my drains. currently, they are each putting out about 80 cc. per day. I notice a reduction in the amount put out each day. my follow-up is this thurs. i know that it has to get to 30 cc. per day to remove the drains.
My question is, will the fluid drain out more quickly if i massage the dog ears?
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Scary, nope. The fluid isn't from the dog ear. It's the natural result of your surgery. Think about what happens when you have a new pair of shoes and get a fluid filled blister on your foot. The fluid is essentially the same, although yours has some residual blood products because the injury to your body was an awful lot bigger than irritation from a new shoe. As the fluid amount goes down it fades to an orange color and then finally to a clear yellowish color - though usually the drain is removed before you see that light color.
Two weeks is about the average time to get drains removed. Sometimes sooner, sometimes longer. It's common for one to decrease sooner than another. It's also common for there to be a decrease one day but an increase the next. My doc takes them out when they have put out 30 cc's or less for two consecutive days.
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I just looked in the mirror and I have a bunch of ripples in the inner lower side of my profolactic side. The skin and underlying tissue is hard. The other breast is really soft. Can you develope capsular contracture at 6 weeks post op?
I'm really freaking out right now. I have an appointment with my ps on Wednesday but that seems so far away now ( I know it's not, lol).
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Mommyathome, i am behind in reading, and i just saw your post. In answer to your questions, i'm sure the circumstances vary with the patient, but here is what they did with me:
I had just a bit of fat lipo'd from my belly, they went through the bellybutton, and a bunch of liquid leaked out post-op, which they said was normal, and it only happens for a day or two. It didn't leave any noticeable dents on me, but it could be different for you.
I had drains under each arm, but none in the tummy, but again, that could be different for everyone.
I am 5 days out from my surgery, and i am starting to move around more, but these darn drains are making me feel like an elephant with two trunks. I refuse to go out in public until they are removed (but that's just me). Some people are able to hide them in their clothes. I have some other health issues too, which make healing and getting around a slower process.
Your PS and maybe even the nurse will have better answers that would apply more individually in your case. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Thank you Sandra. My fluid is getting yellow, so i guess that's a good thing. But damn, i hate these drains and dogears.
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Scary - I also had my exchange surgery, both sides, on 10/29. Went to my PS today, & she removed both drains & bandages. She now wants me to wear a support bra to help settle & mold implants, & of course have restrictions for the next 5 weeks. I am very pleased w/ results, much better than I expected. I had a bmx w/ nipple sparing & double LD reconstruction back to back in April w/ TE's for past 6 months. I see her again next Monday. I'm working from home right now, but plan to make a trip into the office on Wed, if only for a half a day. I'm thinking I'll be back in the office full-time by next week. I do get tired, & I'm still sore, but very manageable.
Soft hugs to all...
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DPiggy, that's great. Sounds like you are progressing nicely. I have my follow-up Thurs., so i will report back here. Hugs.
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I am so, so. so bummed. Fours week out now from the exchange and one of the implants was removed today. I was so happy on the squishy side and everything seemed to have worked out well. I was starting to feel pain last week, and after an almost full week of antibiotics, there was no relief. Apparently the radiated skin was not accepting the implant - it was removed. Now I don't know what to do. PS suggested Lat Flap in about 3 months. Anyone familiar with that, are there other forums I should look? Thanks
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and to add insult to injury, I didn't have drains after the exchange, but now I do. Is it supposed to be painful? It stings where it feels the drain may be in the skin.
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Calibea - sorry to hear about your implant. I had radiation on both sides, & the only surgery my PS recommended was the Lat Flap. I had BMX on 4/15 & double Lat Flap on 4/16 of this year. I had 8 drains following the surgeries in April, & 2 w/ my exchange which was last week, 10/29; both of those were removed today. Yes, the stinging feeling is normal for drains, & the area is somewhat tender when they are removed. The LD flap was not an easy surgery, but it was definitely the best option for my radiated skin. Without the muscle, the implants were a sure failure w/ the radiated skin. Nothing is a guarantee, but it was the only course for me.
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Calibea
Sorry the implant had to be removed. I had my left TE removed due to infection after my last fill. (So close and yet ___) I decided against LD and had 2 fat gratings instead. I had direct to implant on the left on 10/17 and thus far all is good. The other times, within 10 days I got an infection. Maybe that could be an option for you-it's less intense a surgery. Speak to your PS to see his/her feeling on fat grafting.
Babs
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I am having lat flap on my left side on Dec 29....due also to a very radiated masectomy breast.
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Thank you Babs and DPiggy - a lot to think about!
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Calibea, sorry to hear about your implant. I had the lat flap on 6/25/14, due to rads and being thin. There is a thread "Latissimus Dorsi Breast Reconstruction" under the Breast Reconstruction Topics, there are a lot of us there. I will get my exchange in January, just waiting on the scheduler to call me soon. Best of luck with your decision, keep us posted.
turtle42, keep us posted on your dr. appt tomorrow!!
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Noon sorry to hear about the expanders but so glad you are feeling much better.
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Scary, This is not my thread...I had immediate implants put in a week ago but I wanted to share something that really helped with the drains. It's a must have imo. If someone sews they could make these to go under clothing etc, but for at home these are the best...No safety pins.
And here I am wearing them over pj's in our back yard.
http://www.marsupialpouch.com/#!
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That marsupial pouch is great!!! I wish I had that! I want to do a blog post titled, "How many ways to catch your drains."
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Oceansky, thank you for sharing. that is a wonderful idea. much better than hiding them in my shirt or wearing a bulky sweater in warm weather to hide them.
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I used little pouches that attach to my soft zip front surgical bras with Velcro. I only had one drain for this last surgery, but have had as many as four. You can make your own with some tube socks. Cut off the ends, slip in the drains and attach the "sock pockets" with safety pins to a lanyard around your neck or to your bra or clothes. I used a long loop of dental floss during showers, took the drains out of the pockets, and used the plastic loop on them to attach to the dental floss loop.
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Calibea, I'm sorry your implant had to be removed. I had rads too and the implant on that side is always uncomfortable or painful. The skin is very thin and often feels like it's going to tear. I'll be doing a lat flap next year, and it scares me too, but reading the latissimus dorsi thread has helped me feel more at ease with it. Hugs!
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Exchange surgery done! Now I get to have my "friends" jp's for a week or so. I see the surgeon today in the afternoon. Doing pretty good sore rather than pain this time. So happy to be almost done ... again!
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Kaos, I'm glad to hear everything went well! Looks like you're in the multiple surgery club with several of us. Rest up and happy healing!
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I have two of those marsupial pouches (each with 2 pouches). They were great after surgery, I found them much easier and more comfortable than pins and such and could leave them on when getting dressed or undressed (I would also bate with one on then switch to dry one after). They were also pretty easy to hide under a longer shirt, sweater, or PJ top. The belt is super stretchy too which is nice. I intend to donate one or both in time, but might need them for a revision yet
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Question for those of you who had fat grafting from your tummy with your exchange....Did you have lumps n bumps over your tummy...fluid collections?? How long did they last and any tips to help them resolve on its own? How long did you wear the abdominal binder and or spanx...and did you wear at night?? I am only a week out so I am sure I am being a little impatient
Thanks in advance!!0
