Exchange City
Comments
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Because I have been concerned about discomfort issues I have been having since my exchange surgery a little over three months ago, I saw my PS today. He said what I expected to hear--what I am experiencing is normal. Studies have shown that up to 50% of women who have implant reconstruction have pain for one reason or another for up to a year or two and possibly longer. Unfortunately, I may be one of those 50%. Time will tell. On a good note, my implants have not turned or rotated and my incisions are healing well. I do not need to wear a bra if it causes me discomfort. As far as exercise is concerned, he said to be sensible and listen to my body. I now have no restrictions. I will see him again in four months.
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Bummer!! I was scheduled for exchange on March the 3rd......ready to go!!! But my precious grandchildren came to celebrate my birthday on Valentine's Day and snuggles with my 3yo grandson resulted in Bronchitis!!! Now my exchange is scheduled for JUNE 2nd :-(....my PS is very busy!!!! It seems as tho I have no recourse but VERY bummed out.
TE's seem softer but moving toward my underarms....my TE's are 500 and filled to 375 so they are quite wrinkly....wondering if I should have another fill to fill them up more for more comfort during this ridiculously long wait!!! (My BMX was Nov 14)
Should I wear a bra more so TE's won't move....haven't been wearing one much since exchange was imminent or so I thought!!!
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BBBBun, YES! Wear a bra. I wear a sports bralette from Victoria's Secret. It is the Pink brand and pulls over the head. I couldn't wear this one until about January. (I am due for exchange 3/5). I always wore a bra day and night until about a month ago, leaving it off at night. I wore the Wear Ease Allison style bra. Zip front and very comfortable. I like to keep my babies close and tight during the day. My TEs don't migrate though. They are pretty rock solid on my chest. Looking forward to having the gummy bears that won't be so high up on my chest.
I know all about how those grandkids can lure your heart into a big hug! I am seeing mine this Saturday for a day at a desert zoo. Hoping being outside with the fresh California desert air will keep any bugs away from me. I work as an office manager at a high school, so dodging germs is a constant battle! I hope you can get a sooner date. I am having mine coordinated with spring break for recovery. Love and blessings, Robin
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BB, I too now what you mean. My DGD Gave me a bad cold that I'm sniffling at right now. Not to mention a cough. My DD has strep if DGD does I'll get tested and my March 9 date for cataract sx will be moved. LOL it always something.
But I had only one half inflated TE and a fully deflated one for most of two years. I wore a soft poof that i could fill more or take out as needed during those two years during reconstruction efforts til they finally took. I wore a camisol with pockets as it was very comfy.
To all, much love
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Hi All: posting to let you know that I had my exchange surgery this morning. Surgery stated around 7:15am and I was discharged by 12:30pm. PS says everything went well and she was able to use the Mentor Ultra HP 590's ( which was the recommendation of our very own guru, Whippetmom). I have 2 drains, :-( , though I knew I would ahead of time. All in all, I am thrilled so far by how much better this is pain and function wise ( course,that could just be the Percocet talking). I already feel so much relief having the TE out.
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Hi everyone! Well, it has been a week since my exchange. I went back to work yesterday. I work in a clinic and I vacuumed, ran around all over the place on my feet, answered phones, etc. I still feel like I have 2 Sponge Bob Square Pants sitting in my chest. I am afraid I am going to have to spend $600 on a bra to be specially made for square boobs.
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Eek, I can't imagine vacuuming a week out of surgery (nor was I allowed too....that was one restriction I was totally okay with!)
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on goats sugartoes! And time to repeat our Mantra here. Come on now, everybody join in. "Just because you CAN, DOESN'T mean you should!!!!!"
Please everyone take it easy to avoid pulling on the internal stitches.
Much love.
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CONGRATS sugartoes! And time to repeat our Mantra here. Come on now, everybody join in.
"Just because you CAN, DOESN'T mean you should!!!!!"
Please everyone take it easy to avoid pulling on the internal stitches.
Much love.
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Divecat and Moonflwr912: I know, I am to not do much at all. I went back to work 3 weeks after my double mastectomy and drove a car. I received the okay from my PS because how well I heal up. I was raising my arms and doing laundry 2-1/2 weeks after my DMX. I had my exchange last Wednesday, drains out Friday, and got the approval to return to work Monday, but I waited till Tuesday. I did laundry Saturday and exercised my lower body Sunday. I have to work, to pay the catastrophic approximate $18,000 for my ugly boobs because of a $10,000 out of pocket max deductible to meet 2014 and then another $10,000 for 2015.
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I went back to work 3 weeks after BMX, but still do not do vacuuming and it is 5 months out. My DH does it for me and sometimes my DD does it when she can get over. I am having my exchange in a week and that starts the 6 months no vacuuming over again. I don't lift things I am not supposed to and I am generally very careful with what I can do. I have had a very good experience with my TEs and expect a good outcome next week. I will be bound for a week in a surgical bra and ace bandages. I just keep that mantra in my head, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Follow it, I know that it works. I hope you see some improvement as you get out further from your surgery. Give it time and remember, you have to be your own advocate, talk to the PS, Robin
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bbb - surgery gets cancelled all the time - can you be on a short list at your PS office to be advised if someone else cancels and you can grab the spot?
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TODAY was my surgery day, for exchange from HP Mentor rounds to Natrelle anatomicals, BUT yesterday, when I saw my PS to get marked, he cancelled my surgery because I am sick with a cold and nasty cough! I am sad & down in the dumps.....but hopefully things will turn around quickly and get back on the PS schedule, as he knows that I want to be done so so bad! (last night one "wandering foob" itched so bad in the IMF.....I had to get up out of bed to put hydrocortisone and lidocaine on it....I was about ready to amputate it....
This is NOT the first time I have had a cancelled surgery on my BC journey.....but the FIFTH TIME
- BMX cancelled due irregular EKG (which was done at pre-admission 4 days prior) surgeon and anesthesiologist said no go (I was admitted and in a hospital gown) Rescheduled when cleared.
- REVISION #1 cancelled due to EKG indicated I had a heart attack, had to see my PCP and Cardiologist and have a stress test. Rescheduled when cleared.
- REVISION #2 cancelled due to a another surgery I was having (cosmetic/ NOT BC related) running too long. Reschedule
- REVISION #3 cancelled due pain/lump on chest wall....had to see BS and have a ultrasound, a small cyst found. Rescheduled 26 days
- Revision #3 cancelled due to my cold and cough....waiting to get better so I can wait once again....
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di2012, so sorry about all the drama and stress. Hope you get rescheduled soon. As for vacuuming, I had to laugh at my post-op instructions of no pushing, pulling, reaching, lifting....and to make sure I understood he added, no mopping, vacuuming or ironing. The last thing I felt like doing was any housework.
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I dont feel as upset as Sugartoes but I am having feelings of disappointment , almost depression. I thought I would go thru all the surgery, and chemo, and at least have J Lo boobs to show for it. But I can't go without a bra. I have pectoral animation which produces divots where my nipples used to be, so no clingy fabrics. And one side is sagging a bit lower than the other so my cleavage looks uneven. Next week will be 4 months post EX and I will discuss options with PS. I should feel fortunate that I Don't have issues like infection or migrating implants. And I Look OK with a bra. Oh great, a commercial for Victoria's Secret swim suit program just came on.
Diane
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I'm a little depressed too. I'm 2 weeks out and still bleeding. I think I need a couple more stitches. And it burns. Percocet takes the edge off but I feel like I'm going to lose it if it doesn't get better soon. I've been doing barely anything and just taking a shower makes it bleed, and so does changing my abd pads they gave me to stuff in my lovely surgical bra. I just can't believe this is such a production. I think I healed faster from my bmx! And I'm not sleeping. That doesn't help. Thanks for letting me vent. I feel like a whiner today.
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Bleeding two weeks out of surgery is not right. A properly closed wound should not be bleeding, but if anything small bleeders should close on their own within 48 hours. What likely happened was that when you went to that urgent care to have your wound closed--they closed the skin over but there was probably a vessel that also opened up inside which also needed to be closed and now that's still in there. I hate to say it Maiden but its possible someone may have to go back in.
You may want to consider seeing another plastic surgeon. Because if it does come to you needing another surgery, you may also want to consider meeting with a lawyer. So far, your PS had you under anesthesia without the proper implants available--indefensible, sent you home with a wound that opened up--bad technique, and now you are two weeks out and still bleeding.
I had my exchange on 2/6. My wound is fully closed over except at the medial end where there is a stitch that popped through --maybe 3mm long. I think that will fully extrude and close over. I still have some tightness reaching my arm back and lateral, and the inframammary fold stitches with bother me if I try to bring my knee up straight to my chest, like putting on a sock. I did lie towards my left side without discomfort last night. I had Natrelle 410 placed--it looks great, very natural shape and size is spot on to my right breast, which now looks REALLY saggy next to it even though its not that bad. In a bra they look like a pair again. And I think it does feel a little bit softer than it did two weeks ago.
My PS was very good about keeping my expectations low, which was a good thing. There is nothing he can do to make it a real breast he said. But it would look a hell of a lot better than the TE and feel better too, which it does.
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I consulted with three different PSs, and I think that all three doctors, in their different ways, were clearly trying to manage my expectations about how this is going to turn out from a cosmetic standpoint. It seems that most women headed into a reconstruction with implants after a mastectomy expect - or at least hope - that they will get "perfect" breasts. They all said that most women end up going bigger than their natural breasts were, and they also expect to get their ideal shape. However, this surgery is very different from a typical boob job, because most of the breast tissue that normally would cover the implants is gone (one even said that with my BS, even less tissue is left than with some other surgeons, because my BS is so good at mastectomies). They all said that the implants will be much more obvious than they are in a normal breast augmentation. More than that, one said that women scrutinize their reconstructed breasts in a way that they never would have done with their natural breasts, and therefore are much more likely to find fault with them. I was really grateful to have that perspective going in...
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As I mentioned in a previous post, my incision started oozing yellow junk several weeks ago (five months from my mastectomy/TEs) and even after a 2 week course of antibiotics, it is still oozing a tiny bit. My PS told me to put saline on it and a gauze pad and she just prescribed a stronger antibiotic--clindomycin 300 mgs three times a day. This doesn't seem right to me and I'm wondering if I should consult another surgeon. Has this happened to anyone else? It seems it should've healed by now...
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Les, after 3 months there should be more healing. Since you had rads, that's probably the reason. But if no progress on the I feel to on ask for your P'S to consult with the infectious disease doctor. They really know their stuff.
Hugs to all and much love
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Hi everyone!!
I had my expander swap on Feb 20th, and I have had a VERY easy recovery so far. My plastic surgeon knew that I wanted larger breasts, I had implants previously and I did not want my final outcome to be smaller than what I had before. I am 5'6 134 lbs. I had 685cc Mentor Memory shape high profile implants placed.
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Just in case anyone ever wondered...
The game "trouble", with the little pop-o-matic button that you press and it makes your die bounce around...definitely a bad idea. Who would think pressing down for a kids game would hurt so bad.
Before I quit though, I whipped off my shirt to show hubby and daughter what it was doing to my pec(and implant). Yeah - that's the kind of family we are
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I am finally at a point both emotionally and psychologically where I feel I can post some photos on the picture forum (same user name as this forum). This takes a lot of courage and I commend every woman who has shared their most personal journey. It has been so helpful for me and it is now my turn to help others. I have been very open with my friends and co-workers through this awful breast cancer journey and have always said that if my approach could help just one woman facing this disease, then I would feel vindicated.
I had a revision on 2/17/15 from Mentor Moderate Plus Silicone Smooth Round 500cc’s (14.1 cm x. 4.3 cm proj.--no pocket work was performed at this first exchange) to Allergan 410 FF 475gr silicone implants (13.5 cm. wide x 14.0 cm. high x 5.3 cm. proj.) with lateral capsulorrhaphies as the initial implants were too lateral and slid into my armpits whenever I reclined.
I am ecstatic with the results! I am only 12 days post-op since the revision to the 410's and still a little sore but am healing nicely. The incisional pain in the area where the capsulorrhaphies were performed is still quite tender and tight feeling, but every day, I notice an improvement. My PS advised me 8 days post-revision that I could start stretching. I started seeing my chiropractor/physical therapist on 2/27/15 and already have seen a huge improvement in my overhead range of motion and a lessening in the tightness, especially in my right arm (damn ALND!).
I owe a huge THANK YOU to Whippetmom who helped me through this process! She is truly an angel and gives so much of her time to help women in this unfortunate circumstance.
Pictures are worth a million words and after being on the bc.org forum for a some time (I AM A 2-YEAR SURVIVOR AS OF 2/26/15!), I knew that I should document this with photographs.
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Horsemom - Hahahaha. I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN! I swear I can move my chest to the beat of music.
Violetkali - Are your implants round or the anatomical implants?
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LoriWYN - You are amazing! I am so happy for you and you seem to be doing and handling things very well.
I wish I could say the same thing. 0 -
sugartoes--I was as dissatisfied as you are now about 18 months ago but look at where I am today! Through this forum, I educated myself, corresponded with many women who went through this, and did tons of research. This is where my OCD was actually useful! You need to give it time--I know that you are probably tired of everyone telling you this, but you really need to try to be patient. Use this time to learn and research and make some appointments with second opinion plastic surgeons for about 4-6 months from now. The insurance issues you are dealing with are horrible and should be illegal; I am so sorry that on top of the emotional and physical issues you are facing that you have to deal with the financial issues as well. I believe someone on this thread mentioned that there may be financial assistance for you and you should try to pursue that in this time as well.
My current PS said it best and that is why I ultimately switched to him: "I am a plastic surgeon. I have a huge bag of tricks; if one thing does not work for you, I will try others to make you happy because YOU are the one who has to live with this. If I cannot make you happy, I have not done my job properly."
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Hello Lori WNY,
I just had anatomical mentor 400 cc's put in one month ago. PS did the back flap surgery as she said I had very little muscle in front. She said it would be a more natural look.. and it's true, my right breast looks really good, but it's a bit too droopy for me. I really don't feel I am happy with the results. They are very lopsided. I still do have some swelling in the left underarm, which my take a while to go down, but it's really hard to even find a bra that makes them look symmetrical. I haven't told her I'm dissatisfied yet, as she told me last week the swelling need to go down on the side. The left one is also very flat. It's like it needs to have the skate flap pulled around to give it more shape.. but shouldn't she have known that going in?
So, I'm wondering if I could switch to the rounds? I would even like to go bigger. Would I have to get expanders put back in? Any info you can give me would be so helpful, as I'm so emotionally drained from this surgery. It was awful.
Amie
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Hi horsemom,
It looks like you had the anatomical ones in too. I did as well but the are mentor 400 cc. I am not happy, been depressed. Mine are very lopsided. My good breast is very low, while my bad breast is much higher and looks flat.... emotionally drained from all this.
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amieclemens5--I have no experience with any type of flap surgery as I strictly had implants. Possibly someone else will have some information for you. I am sorry you are dissatisfied but it has only been a month--you need to wait at least three months before you can even START to judge as there is swelling that needs to dissipate and settling that needs to occur. But do not despair because revisions are very common with breast reconstruction.
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amieclemens, are you a uni? I had the lat flap recon plus TE placement to my left breast last June 2014 and then January 2015 had my exchange to Mentor HP rounds, got 375cc on left lat flap side and a small 200 cc implant to good right breast. The symmetry looks really good. When were your surgeries?
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