Exchange City
Comments
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Mine are never cold & no fat grafting. But I have read other women who say theirs are cold.
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Mine do not feel cold, and I have not had fat grafting, but I have heard many women say theirs are cold. I am that person who wears sweaters in July, and live in Canada where winters are long and harsh, so believe me if they were cold I would know about it!
Sandra, I think you are one of the more unusual ones for not having any maternal matrix with direct to implant these days, but as I understand it you started out with more skin and such to work work with and went a lot smaller so that could be why. You are quite honestly the only one I know that did not have it with direct to implant, and I know quite a few who have had direct to implant as it is a lot more common in the PBMX/BRCA+/high risk crowd like on FORCE than on here. There are some known advantages to it, including to allow immediate placement of implants without TEs in certain women, to allow rebuilding and shaping of the IMF that is usually destroyed in removal of breast tissue, and to lower risk of both lateral and vertical displacement as it acts like an internal bra right from the start, and basically has been the more standard practice for direct to implant since Dr. Salzberg started doing it in the mid 2000s or so (he also went on and trained many others to do it). When you go with TEs, there is less immediate stress placed on the tissues so Alloderm is not "needed" as often.So while NOT having Alloderm with TE's (or even at exchange) is the more common practice, having Alloderm (or other Strattice) is the more common practice when it comes to direct to implant.
I should clarify that Alloderm is not HARD, but its initial state when they put it in your body is firmer since it is not "part" of your body at that point (I am not sure if you were able to see it before surgery, it's expensive stuff so there does not tend to be a lot of samples laying around, but it is firmer stuff than your own skin is) and it does soften and stretch over time as your own body integrates with. Amazing really, as even your blood supply starts to integrate into it. Ideally in time it becomes part of your own body, though for whatever reason some people's bodies reject it. It also does not change your size or anything, and that is not its purpose, but some PSs do use it to help cover rippling in either reconstruction or augmentation revisions with success. Strattice is known to be a firmer product than Alloderm, and some PS prefer to use it for certain applications. There is actually a study out there compared resorption of about 4 different dermal matrixes, and Alloderm was noted to become the softest, possibly as it also had the highest resorption (integration) rate (ETA here is the study summary...they did not use Strattice though http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21813881
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divecat thank you for your support about the inappropriate touching I will deal with it when I get back from work.
Ojoyjoy hope you are doing okay
I am sure it was a long evening. I ended up throwing up from the pain meds so I am trying to get by on extra strength Tylenol. We shall see. TV
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Happyteacher--please keep us posted about your implants. My PS hasn't used the new Mentors yet and she didn't want to use me as her guinea pig so she suggested we wait to do my exchange until she had some direct experience with them (which means someone else gets to be her guinea pig, lol).
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lulivsay- everything went well, yay! I'm so glad to it went well with you too. I'm sorry you were getting sick in the car. That happened to me after my BMX so I know how unpleasant that is. Lucky for me I don't have any nausea this time because my anesthesiologist hooked me up with the patch that goes behind your ear and gave me the perfect drug combo. I had a real hard time after my BMX with nausea for three weeks so I made sure the doc knew that and whatever they gave me before didn't work. I'm feeling so good I can see where one could overdue it. What size and style implant did you end up getting? I ended up with style20 HP 500ccs. Hope you were able to get some sleep and the nausea has subsided.
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I had strattice (spelling?) put in at the exchange, but not at the mastectomy. I think it is dependent on individual cases if the PS uses it at all, or when it is used.
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My implants at this time are perpetually warm- but I am less than a week out from exchange.
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ojoyjoy that is awesome news! Glad it went well for you! You know I got the patch too but still ended up sick. What pain meds did they send you with?
I go see the PS today and will get a peek they feel lighter for sure. He went with Sientra 545 HP and I think he moved one down a bit so they are more even. Let me know how it goes at your post open.
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Iwannacookie-
I will post an update every so often for sure. My PS had only put in about 6 prior to me, and that was a little unnerving to say the least. In the end, I decided that he was super experienced over all, and working with the anatomical shape and such at least that part was not new to him. My swelling has changed a bit since I looked a few days ago, and holy snot are there a lot of lumps now! I am so grateful that I came to this thread and read a few days ago, and saw warnings to not freak out immedialtly post op and that it will take a few months to know what you are working with. I am pretty sure that what I am seeing is the tubing from the drains, but not certain. The pain was significantly less this morning when I woke up. I now don't even feel a need to take aceitiminophen! This exchange was weird- a lot more pain at first then expected, but once the pain started to lessen in just a few short days there was a crazy amount of improvement. I'll take it! As the pain drops, I am starting to get more of a sense of what the implants feel like- and it is getting better and better. I am starting to think that once recovered I will not have any pain associated with them- perhaps just a feeling of heaviness. Too soon to tell though.
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Thank you, DiveCat, for that great explanation! That is super helpful!
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lulivesay- They sent me home with Percocet for pain, valium, a antibiotic, stool softners and ondanse for nausea....just in case. Post op appointment and the big reveal is tomorrow
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It's the night before surgery #6 and I feel the thundering hooves of anxiety about to overtake me. Usually it hits sooner than this, but I've had a distraction. My husband was taken to the ER yesterday morning after collapsing in the elevator (he works at the hospital.) He's been fighting hemolytic anemia for eight months since being bitten by a brown recluse spider in April. 30% of people develop the anemia. Lucky him. For the last two months he has looked worse and had little energy. He has resisted my nagging to ask his doctor for a consult to a specialist. So it was a blessing in disguise to have the episode while he was in the building. Now he has been admitted and has had blood transfusions plus a hundred kinds of tests. Tomorrow he will have a bone marrow biopsy. It's still a puzzlement at this point. So here I sit, worried about him and not looking forward to surgery in the morning, even though it will be the last one and I should be celebrating. I'll be on the 2nd floor and his room is on the 6th floor so I may not see him tomorrow. I will be attached to heart monitors and other sensors for 24 hours afterwards so I won't be able to go see him and he's not allowed to get up without someone with him. (sigh) Guess there won't be a party at the hospital tomorrow afternoon.
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Oh, Sandra, that's so stressful--I'm so sorry! I hope you and your husband both are feeling better soon so you can have a proper, albeit belated celebration! Sending good, healing thoughts to both of you.
MJ
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Alloderm is also used when you get tissue expanders but need more structure to create the pocket. I have alloderm, and TE's in both breasts.
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Sandra, - I send BE WELL wishes to you and your husband! May you both be home and feeling BETTER SOON!
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Take care, Sandra! Hope your husband is fine and you can have your hospital party. Otherwise, we can do a cyber party for you here!
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Oh, Sandra, that's incredibly stressful. I wish I were your neighbor to hang out with you at the hospital today. And maybe help wheel down your hubby to your room for a visit. I hope you and your husband both are feeling better soon so you can have the celebration you both deserve! Sending healing thoughts. Hugs, Nisa
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A little late to the warm/cold party but thought I'd throw in that my implants are almost always cool if not cold to the touch. The TEs were always toasty warm so I wonder if it's the difference between saline and silicone? I think saline would warm more quickly and easily than silicone. I kind of wish it were the other way around (TEs were cold and implants warm)........sigh.
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had exchange today and lift on the natural side. I worried and worried about this and so far, no pain at all. Slight burning feeling on the natural side but mastectomy side, nothing. Doctor said you will be most unhappy about how it feels where I took the fat for fat grafting but so far, no problem. Mine was taken from the sides, right about where your bra comes around. Can't tell what they look like or feel like really because they are all taped up, but thankful to say, no PAIN.
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Angelia, glad things went so well for you I agree w/ the doc about the FG areas. My right upper breast area is almost a black as the keys here on my laptop and it stings badly if I move the wrong way.
I had my sx today, too. I ended up with Mentor Smooth Round Ultra High Profile 700cc. On a 5'4" 215 lb woman, that's not very big, LOL. Hopefully when I lose soem more weight they will look a little bigger. My original bra size was only 44A, so it's not like I packing much to begin with.
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Straitlover, I just realized those places they took the fat from were leaking or had leaked, so I was going to change that dressing and the bra they put on and mine are going to be pretty small and I'm a fluffy woman myself but I dont' care, just want two that match. I'm a uni, so I had a lift on the other side, so I'm not sure what I'll come out with.
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Each 500 cc implant weighs 1.2 pounds. Perhaps how it feels has to do with not just body weight and height but bone structure as well. Am very small boned and 5'5'' and a size 2. My implants are the same size as my natural breasts before immediate implants (a full B cup) but the implants feel very heavy to me. Perhaps because of my bone mass or lack thereof.
As for Alloderm and Strattice...Divecat did a good job of speaking about it. Sandra, I've pointed this out before and it's on Breastcancer.org. Direct implants are done only on a very specific body type and breast type. Not large breasts and breasts without droop. A PS can't just put them under the pec muscle without creating a sling of some type...That's why Alloderm is used with direct implants. Divecat pointed out that you were larger with extra skin and extra breast tissue, and you've referred to your mudflaps in prior posts. I'm guessing this is extra tissue and/or skin. Perhaps this is why you didn't require Alloderm? I'd be interested in hearing what your PS says about why he/she didn't use Alloderm. Wishing you well.
Btw, on the cold/ warm issue. My implants are warm despite being thin....My skin is thick. Perhaps that has to do with implant temp. Many people with new implants are complaining of feeling cold when they drink something cold. It seems that may also have to do with having thin skin.
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Sandra - thinking of you and sending gentle hugs your way. Nisa
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Sandra so sorry what an ordeal. Best of luck to you both!
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Sandra - I hope everything went well yesterday. Sending hugs. Hope you've managed to see your husband & you have more answers about his issues. Check in when you can.
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Ladies,
I am going to contact my ps to const about having fat grafting in April. I know people heal differently and it depends how much work needs to be done etc.... But what is the healing time realistically for this procedure? I was thinking of having it done during our spring break which is a week. I teach kindergarten. Is a week realistic?!0 -
Mommyathome - I too would like to know the answer to your question, thanks. I have 2 divots that I am wondering if I should get fixed. Is fat grafting under full anesthetia or it varies? Thanks!
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My PS said a week off is good for FG. I'm waiting to be scheduled still. They called a couple of days ago asking if I wanted to do it Tuesday because of a cancellation! I declined. Not enough prep time plus I get 10 sick days back January 1st.
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I'm home after surgery #6 on Friday. The PS did final repairs to my left side which was devastated by infection after my BX & Direct to Implants 15 months ago. Thanks to the wonderful benefits of Exparel, I don't feel any of the incisions and won't for two or three more days if things go as they did the past couple of surgeries. The PS also did fat grafting for the divots and troughs on my chest. As long as I stay still, I feel nothing except an occasional twinge on my upper chest or abdomen where the fat was taken from. PS said he took 900 cc's which is just shy of 1 liter. I was hoping he would take the 4 liter limit but I guess I'm going to have to get rid of the extra fat myself. Bummer.
As long as I keep the Tylenol flowing and sit quietly I feel fine. Otherwise it feels like intense burning across my upper abdomen and chest when I stand up. Goody, goody...it's supposed to be pretty sore for awhile.My husband Mike was released from the hospital last evening after 3 days of testing, blood transfusions, and a bone marrow biopsy. There is still no diagnosis but the hematologist is afraid it could be bone marrow cancer. We won't know for a week because the samples were sent to three different labs for certain kinds of testing, and with the holidays some will be closed or short staffed. In the meantime he is feeling better. His hemoglobin was 6 when he collapsed Wednesday morning but after 2 units of blood it got up to 8.2. It's falling again but quite slowly so the doc said he could come home. What a week!
I have a nice Velcro binder on with restrictions of picking up no more than 10 lbs and not lifting my left arm above my shoulder for two weeks. Shower tomorrow.
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What is the fat grafting procedure like? How's it done? What are the scars like? I'm assuming I'll go with fat from stomach... Is it a problem if I've had 4 c sections and total hysterectomy?!0
