Exchange City
Comments
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Kingster, I am glad we can talk about our experience. No chemo or rads either, such a blessing! I was a 36B now might bre a C, time will tell when they settle. They are very even and since they are anatomical they are not flat. I will were the sport bra for 6 werks. I assume that in time they will become softer, but so glad TEs are gone!!! They were rocks!
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Kingster, I forgot to tell you no nipple sparing either, ILC too involved in lobes and ducts.
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I am having my tissue expander exchange surgery for my permanent implants Wednesday. Same day surgery; and home the same day. I am a nervous wreck. It has been over a year since I had my bi-lateral mastectomy and had tissue expanders placed. (Had to wait a while due to radiation)
I've had so much pain and a pocket of puffiness under my arm in the breast the cancer was in. Physical therapy and lymphedema therapy have not been able to alleviate this. I truly hope my permanent implants will alleviate this pain and help the puffiness go away. It seems that the tissue expander is pushing right up into my underarm, I'm hoping my permanent implant will not do this.
I've gone to work in pain every single day for the past 8 months, and I need this surgery to relieve it. I would like to hear from anyone who may have been in a similar situation, and had replacement surgery. Also, I will be having liposuction to remove fat from my stomach to fill in the space that the permanent implants will not completely fill where the tissue expanders were. Has anyone had liposuction in the stomach for this purpose, and what does it feel like? Help anyone, I am very nervous.
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Cannoli, I just had my exchange surgery last Friday. It was seriously a huge relief of the great amount of pressure from those hard tissue expanders. It was seriously the easiest surgery I have ever had! My ps plans to do fat grafting after 4 months or so. He did not want to do the fat grafting at the same time. There is a thread on this site "fat grafting pros and cons". I believe the donor site is painful, but not so much in the chest area. I believe that you have already been through the worst of it with the mastectomy surgery and treatments. This is another step closer to being done! I am finally able to sleep since the exchange. I am hoping for the same relief for you:)
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amieclemens - it is probably the most frusting thing to have your PS say "give it time, wait three months". Can't they come up with a new line?? Sure, to them time doesn't matter because they don't look in the mirror everyday and see what we have to see. Know you are not alone and we all here!!!
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sherry67 - yes, I had the Mentor Memoryshape 525 cc implants placed as part of my first revision surgery to correct severe rippling that I had with the Mentor Memorygel round smooth 425 cc implants. I am almost 3 monthos post-op and can say that while I now love the left breast and it is perfect in my eyes, it looks like I will need another revision to the right as the rippling hasn't changed even with the new implants and having alloderm placed on top. Don't know how this will be accomplished as of yet but do know that overall I do love the shape, feel of these new gummy bear implants. Good luck!!
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stephaniegee - I think it all depends on what's going to be done in the TE exchange. My TE exchange really was a breeze because all he did was open up the IMF and take out the TE's and put in the implants. Was sore for two or three days, but other than that it was fine. I was harder telling myself not to do anything strenuous for two weeks even though I felt fine.
However, I had a revision surgery to correct severe rippling three months later and that surgery was a different story just becaue of some the work that he did. I was in pain from that for two weeks. it felt like I had bruised ribs. Take the pain meds as prescribed if you need to. Good luck!!
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I had TE exchange one week ago. Surgery was a breeze and no real pain. However I was disappointed with the size and look of my breast. My ps needed to raise one breast as the TE were not even. I feel like breast do not look the same size...I know there is some swelling and maybe too soon to tell....but I have to say very hard to stay positive. I just thought the final implants would project out further.....will this get better with time
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mjh1,thanks for responding
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cannoli1 - don't be nervous. look at it as the process almost being over. the TE exchange was a breeze compared to the BLM with TE. I had pain and discomfort for two months after the initial surgery just with the TE's trying to settle in my small frame and then another four month of changing gauze pads twice a day and applying bacitracin nursing my skin back to health (nipple-sparing mastectomy). I. like everyone else, couldn't wait to get the rocks off my chest. Best of luck!!! Keep us posted.
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jnccobb - it really is to early to tell. I can unerstand your initial disappointment. Your emotions are just a roller coaster right now which is normal. You go into surgery thinking one thing and then when you don't see it when you come out it certainly does put you into a tailspin. I would tell you to stay away from the mirror because they will change from week to week for the first month, but I know that you just can't help yourself. Just know there will be many changes and you really won't get a good sense of your final outcome for 3 months. Revisions are quite common in reconstruction I've read on this forum so at least know that if you are not satisfied after 3 months there are options. Stay positive and keep us informed. Best of luck!!
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jnccobb:
You need to give them time! After exchange, you are going to be swollen and your pectorals are going to be tight all over again. It takes TIME for the pecs to relax and the implants to drop and fluff into position. They are sisters, not twins, and can do this at very different rates. If one side needed more work, it is going to be even more traumatized and will very possibly take longer.
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Divecat and mjh thanks for the encouragement.....I feel so vain for having the feelings that I do. I just felt like the one positive would be a pair of breast that wouldn't sag and I could be pleased with I am just such an impatient person....I need to relax and let everything settle. I hate the loss of control.....it's been such a long process.
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jncobb, hugs. Waiting is your only option right now so just get on with life. I know it's harder to o than say, I really do! But what's the alternative? There is some dropping into place into the next we months. Then on can judge. But at least they are not he TE rocks. And of look pretty good in clothes. And when he lot he's cone off you till Ave bumpouts. All better than before. So not perfect but then what is.
We do try to warn people about the projection loss. They just don't have the normal shape. Try looking at minimizer bras. They don't have the cone shape and so fill out better. Also you may only need sports like bras to look good they also don't have extra front space.
I know this is a reality check for most of us, but we usually do end up at least a little happier.
Hugs to all.
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jnccobb,
For me the Genie bra with inserts gives the illusion of projection. At first I didn't really fill them out, but it has been eight months and now I do.
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I had my exchange March 6, and I think I am flat on the bottom. My ps is planning on doing fat grafting to improve the contour if it still looks flat. The new breasts look good in clothes I think. I think it is normal to look flatter. I don't know why implants are like that. But it better than the alternative I suppose. My implants are to settle now for the next 3 months, so I'm just going to enjoy the spring and summer off from reconstruction. It's good to know that maybe they will look more full later.
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jnccobb - don't feel at all vain. You have a right to have your own perfect boobies. That's why we're all here. Waiting is the hardest part and patience is a virtue I wasn't born with either. I'm in the waiting game with you. I'm two months post revision and it looks like I'll be looking for my second revision as soon as I can find a PS in NY that can actually tell me what will really work. Keep us posted!!
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Mjh1, why did you need a revision only 3 months post initial implants? Which type of implant did you start with and which type do you have now? I have mentor memory gels 700ml. The upper part is full and the lower a bit flat. Do you think fat grafting is a good and safe option? My ps seems really excited about it. I have read a lot of good benefits to fat grafting. But, I can live with flat because I was never that big to begin with. Hope all goes well for you:)
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Is revision an option just because I am unhappy with the outcome? Figured there would have to be a medical reason. I think for me I have to sit with things for a bit and talk with my ps at my next visit about my feelings and as many of you had told me I won't really know for three months what they will really look like.
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@jnccobb, I am not sure if it is different based on your insurance but I have a friend who changed out her implants with a new PS about a year later and it was covered. I am sure someone on the forum who has done so will chime in. As someone who will be 3 weeks post exchange tomorrow, I do see definite changes in how I look each day. This forum has been a great resource to help me learn that I need to be patient. I am reasonably satisfied with how I look post exchange. It is fine in clothes but there are some things I don't like. My PS has said we need to give it a few months and then we can discuss what revisions may be needed. Hang in there
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Seems like reconstruction can be tricky. Sometimes I wonder how long will it take to be completely happy with the outcome. I just don't want to keep having surgeries. One thing for sure, any implant is better than tissue expanders:) I don't believe any reconstruction can be compared to the natural breast. Trying to have realistic expectations and accept the new me. I am thankful for no signs of infection and incisions healing well. Take care everyone.
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You can get a revision for cosmetic issues for sure. I just changed implants as I was not happy with some rather bad rippling/denting on my right side. No "medical" reason. I only had a revision after about 11 months though. You really, really do need to give them time. The bottoms are going to be more flat only a week or so out of surgery, it takes months for the implants to drop and fluff into place! My first implants changed dramatically between Day 1 and about Month 6. My PS prefers to wait around a year before revisions as he sees women having changes up until around then.
I did really think about revision as I do not want repeated surgeries, and this also guided my choice of surgery for revision.I've had great recoveries so far, but I do not want to jinx it and end up with complications or have more downtime and recovery time. I did not expect perfection, but the contour deformities were severe and visible enough during some of my activities that I felt I needed to try. I am only a few days out from revision and am pleased, I may still have some rippling, time will tell, but I was looking for improvement rather than perfection...my skin is very thin and unfortunately that just makes me more prone to some rippling. Even thin skinned augmentation patients can have rippling, and I am starting out with less!
It is definitely important to have healthy, positive, but also expectations...you can have a very good outcome, but they will never be like real breasts....which aren't perfect either. For example, even with a high projection implant they probably won't have as much projection as you would expect as you are lacking the breast tissue to give them that "look" you might be used to seeing in a natural breast. It is very rare to have perfect symmetry before surgery and so rare after...that is why I referred to them above as sisters, not twins.
By the way, for those who need a visual representation of "drop and fluff", I like to post the following image now and then! Obviously the lady in the photos is an augmentation patient but the implant does the same thing in recon patients, unless you have anatomicals of course as they already are shaped like the final image, but we don't have that padding of breast tissue over top, so this graphic also serves to show why recon patients don't end up with a lot of projection...just imagine a very thin layer of tissue and skin over top of the implant shape.
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How long after glue flakes off can you start putting oil on scars? 11 days out from EX and I am very happy so far! So glad I went with gummy bear anatomicals.
Hugs to tomorrow 's surgeries.
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Kingster - I had my revision surgery three months after my TE exchange because I had severe rippling medially (cleavage area). The left side was mild but the right side was horrible. Plus, I also had what's called window shading on right boob which has to do with my pec muscle that was almost hanging over the implant on one side. I originally had Mentor Memorygel smooth round 425 cc. My PS said to switch out the implants to a more cohesive implant and put Alloderm on top becasue of my thin skin and he would cut open the pec muscle in two places to release it. We switched out to Mentor Memoryshape (gummy bear) 525 cc implants with Alloderm over right implant. My left boob that had mild rippling is perfect and there was no Alloderm placed on that on. However, my right boob basically looks like nothing was done except I got bigger and a nicer shape boob. My rippling is just as severe and still have the window shading, although that is a little bit better. I can live with the pec muscle deformity because that's not really noticeable unless I flex my muscle and I can had it in a bra or swimsuit. My biggest issue and what now seems to be my Achille's heel is the rippling medially. You can't hide that. I know I have a manmade boob so I expect there to be imperfections which is why the muscle deformity doesn't bother me and/or the scars becasue those I can hide. By the way, this has all been covered by insurance. I think the running total from the day I was diagnosed is now $280,000 for hospital fees and PS fees. Luckly, my deductible has only been $1,100.
I first noticed the rippling starting to appear two weeks post op (same as first time), so I sent a picture to PS with the caption deja vu. Of course, his response was just give it time, you're skin is so thin, don't worry about it too much, we can fine tune it. I finally saw him almost two months after exchange and his jaw basically dropped. I asked him about fat grafting since the only thing that bothers me is the rippling and he said because it was so extensive and becasue I don't have much fat to begin with it wouldn't work. He was honest with me and said that although he thinks he knows what we can do he will swallow his pride and get other opinions from peers and the chief of his department to see if they concurred. I saw him a week later and he told me that the chief of his department did concur with his thinking but wants to get me to see the chief of plastic surgery of the hospital I was at and would get back to me. I haven't heard anything yet. Although I did look up the chief's name to see his creds and he doesn't take my insurance so that wouldn't help me. The thought of looking for another PS after a year of being with one who has basically saved my boobies because of the poor skin healing issues still puts a lump in throat as does looking at my rippled boob. But now I'll be starting from scratch because I can't go in for a 4th surgery just because the PS I'm with thinks he knows what to do. I just think I'm not the typical text book reconstruction patient so now I'll have to fine a PS that can think outside the box and takes my insurance. If you know of any great PS's in NY, please let me know.
I know that was a really long story and only answered your question as to why I had the surgery. As far as fat grafting, I know there's another forum here called fat grafing pros and cons that only talks about that and from what I've read it has helped many people that have had mild rippling or no upper pole fullness or divots in their breast. I don't know why you have lower pole flatness and upper pole fullness. Check the other forum and maybe you can find answers there.
Will keep you all posted when I finally start going for my consults with PS's to see what they have to say but I have to wait another couple of weeks before I can even do that because I hear PS's won't even see you unless you're at least three months post-op.
If anyone has any other suggestions and/or comments, I would love to hear them. I just want to get off this emotional rollercoaster!!!!!!
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robinblessed - my PS told me after each surgery not to rub the incisions until after two weeks because that's how long it take for your skin to fully close on the outside even though it looks closed. My steristrips were stuck to me like white on rice and I finally peeled them off after week 3 because they weren't budging (that's a no no by the way and yes, I showered every day). But in any event, I am a firm believer in moisturizing the scars and have done so every day twice a day when I finally got the steristrips off after each of my 3 surgeris and my IMF scars are hardly noticeable now. So start moisturizing in a couple of days my tata sister!!!!
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mjh1, thanks! No steristips just glue. So that is 2 weeks after glue or 2 weeks post surgery? What did you use? I didn't put anything on them after BMX. They never told me to use anything. But I have read so much here that want to make sure I make these babies beautiful! I have heard coconut oil is good .
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robinblessed - I'm not sure about the glue because I had dissolvable stiches and steri strips over them which is why I peeled them off cause I knew the stitches were healed after two weeks. At first I was using Bio Oil (expensive) because I had read that that works good on scars but now I am just using Oil of Olay. Yes, I'm an Olay woman only because I've bought all kinds of expensive face creams over the years and found it was just hype and the Olay worked best for me. Aloe is also good. But I don't really think it's what you use as opposed to how dilligent you are about using it and how your scars have healed in the past. My friend had a breast reduction and has what I call Frankenstein scars because she never took care of the scars. You don't need to rub and rub for very long. As I put lotion on the rest of my skin I just run it over my scars morning and night. Let me know how it works out.P.S. My PS had told me that if my scars were ever an issue there's things he could put on them to help minimize them (forget what he called it) and it is covered by insurance but that was never an issue for me.
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I'm 4 weeks post exchange with Mentor saline implants. Does anyone else have these? And how long does it take those to settle in? I have upper pole fullness but but bottoms are kind of flat. And the skin is a bit saggy on bottom whereas the top skin is smooth and tight. I have scars across the middle of my breasts and the skin below the scar is what bugs me. I know he removed some excess skin but I wonder if they will just fill out once the implants settle. Mine are under the pectoral muscle and alloderm so maybe they won't drop at all? I'm large framed and had the 800 cc' s overfilled to 960cc. Sounds like a lot but I think I look pretty flat compared to what I was. Does anyone else still have pain after 4 weeks? I had a lot of trauma with the cancer side busting open and having to be restitched but it looks like it is healing good now. Still hurts though. Maybe the herceptin is slowing down healing process? I can see I'm going to have some divots as the fat that was left under the skin is uneven. Oh well, I don't expect perfection but I do wish they looked a little nicer.
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mjh1, thanks for writing me back. Wow, that rippling problem sounds so complicated! I don't know any new york plastic surgeons, but "roadrash" might know as she is from NY and recently had her ex surgery. Maybe you can pm her? I wish you all the best.
Maiden, I have mentor memory gels 700ml. I am also full on top and flat on bottom. I had alloderm placed during my initial surgeries. My ps says fat grafting to help fill it in. I will not do anything now until summer is over. Maybe it will look better by then. I know how you feel, because reconstruction is so much effort and pain that we all want to look nice when it's done (so we have something to show for all that we have been through). This Friday will be 2 weeks post ex for me and 1st day back to work. Hoping time heals. Take care. I do have random pain and a weird nerve sensation on my left side. I guess pain can go on for quite a while from what I understand.
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I'm taking my kids to Disney in April. I'll be 11 weeks post exchange. I've had a smooth recovery with no healing issues. I asked PS about Florida, and he said it was fine. However, I didn't get into specifics about what we were doing and I don't see him again until May.
Do you think It's OK going in the water at that point? Or riding roller coasters? The kind with the pull down harnesses?
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