Exchange City
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Good thing that happened just before the exchange. I had to have my left TE replaced at week 6 after my bmx. I had fills on Thursdays, but by Saturday I was flat:( But that's all behind me now. A lot of stuff can go wrong in breast reconstruction. It's tricky. The bottom of my expander was covering the fill port. I think breast reconstruction comes with a lifetime of maintenance. But I do want to look and feel as good and fit as possible😃
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ThinkingPos I had my ovaries and tubes out when I had my MX. They were able to do it laparoscopic so I had two tiny incisions. I literally had no pain at all from that part of the surgery. If you can coordinate your drs to do things together I highly recommend it. My drs do these procedures together routinely. Since you are doing exchange, it should be even easier, as exchange is a LOT easier than MX and TE! I'm 5 weeks out from exchange and although there is some fat grafting in my future, I'm very grateful that it's mostly all behind me. Best of luck to you!
Side note - once you have your ovaries out you will go into surgical menopause. The drs have all kinds of things they can do to help you get through the symptoms so don't be afraid to ask about it
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Thanks AlexaP, can I ask what your recovery time was? Did you have any reconstruction on both or just one?
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Leslienva--you make a good point about the Motirn. To be honest, I don't remember being told anything about anything after my surgery. I will call and ask about the Motrin. I took Percocet yesterday and felt nauseous and weird all day.
Also--I ended up in the ER last night because my right drain was leaking a lot from the point of entry, Doc told me he didn't think it was anything to be concerned about. Great (but not great because there's a hefty charge for ER service).
I have my follow-up appointment later this week.
Kingster--I hope it's not always true about the lifelong maintenance.
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I'm also hoping that the life-long maintenance thing isn't always true! My sister just told me that she finally feels like she did before she ever got cancer. I am not sure if I will ever be able to say that. She had TE's and now implants too, but no radiation.
Exchange scheduled for 7:00 am TOMORROW!!
I am so very excited! But I really don't know what to expect. I know doc is adding more alloderm on the left (radiated side) and removing some skin on the right to make it even with the left. He is also likely doing some fat grafting. It sounds like most people have the exchange first and fat grafting is in a different surgery. That makes me think that I may have a little more pain than what people are describing here. Can anyone chime in on that?
I'm getting 500cc high profile silicone rounds.
Jen
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@leslienva: Motrin is not recommended if you just had your surgey. It is ok to take a couple of days later, max dose of 800 mg per day (take it with food).
@Iwannacookie: sorry to hear about your leaking drains and expensive ER visit. If percocet makes you feel weird, you may cut it in half and see how that makes you feel.
Best wishes to everyone.
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Jen- I haven't had FG but my PS does lipo every time. I have had 4 surgeries in all with him. My last being 11 days ago with a revision. You will be in pain so take your pain meds as scheduled. You will probably be in a sports bra for a while as well. The bruising hurts worse than the surgery. I had to stop taking the pain meds about 3 days later because I could feel the effects of the meds. Be careful when lifting your arms because it will hurt as well. By day 11 it's not so bad trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in is your biggest problem
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Jen - Good luck tomorow.Hope your new girls are beautiful. I can't comment on FG as I haven't had it done yet, but I know a number of our sisters do it at the same time. If I had a choice, I would do it at the same time this way you don't need to have presurgical testing again and anesthesia and additional time off. Also, try posting on fat grafting pros and cons if no one else chimes in here.
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Hi all, are drains always put in with exchange surgeries?
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No. More times than not they are not put in. Depends on PS, how much pocket work is done and what type of implant. I didn't have drains but was told it was a possibility. Woke up happy no drains!
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Thanks Robinblessed54, I just want to move through the TE's a quick as possible to the exchange. I went for a reduction so I don't have far to go.
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When my surgeon replaced my expander due to the infection, it seems she made another incision under my breast. It's pretty painful and now I'll have yet another scar. Has anyone else had this happen?
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I had drains w/exchange even though no new pocket work & I was glad I did. All the fluid drained out instead of backing up inside. Yes, they're a pain, but really useful.
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fe princess - I think drains depend on physician preference. I did't have them in my exchange or in my revision. I just made sure I slept slightly elevated for first week and didn't have any problems.
leslie - glad you got the TE replaced. Don't know why your PS would have made another incisiosn but would love to hear her answer when you ask especially since she didn't talk to you about it beforehand.
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Jen, good luck tomorrow!! From what I have read, FG makes you more sore at the donor sites. I don't think the chest is supposed to be very sore though. Check out "fat grafting pros and cons" on this site. Many ladies have had more than one FG, so they can give you advice. I think the more cutting involved, the more pain. Actually, my chest is about 3/4 numb, so if you're is like mine, then maybe it will be ok. My exchange surgery was a relief (until I went back to work). Anyway, nothing could be much worse than those expanders.
Leslie, I don't know about making another incision. My ps went through my bmx scar with my exchange, but only about 2/3 of it. So sorry about your infection problems. Radiation makes things very complicated with implant reconstruction. I hope you heal well with no further infections.
And about the life time maintenance...I just think that follow-ups, implant replacement every 10-15 years, occasional tweaking may be necessary. My friend follows up with her ps yearly, and her implant reconstruction was 10 years ago. But, we do that with everything right? Physicals, eye doctor, dentist, gynecology stuff. It's all maintenance. Didn't mean to scare anyone.
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Hello mjhi, can you tell me how long between your last fill and the exchange surgery (I know it's different for everyone). I take as much fill as I can because I want the TE to be in there the shortest amount of time possible. They are giving me really bad muscle spasms. I still have a hard time standing for too long. I wish everyone here to best of luck. It hurts to read the troubles being had. I must count my blessings. We are a tough bunch of women though. Let's not forget that. I have found so much care, support, relief and advice just when I need it on these boards. I am moving out to the country so I am little freaked out that I will run out of time.
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fe princess - it was about a month between my last fill and surgery. Every PS is different in this regard. My PS pratice was to overexpand and let it sit for a couple of week so it would give you a more natural looking breast. I also only had 50 cc at a time every two weeks because he wanted to do it slowly as I had skin necrosis after my MX in some areas that took 4 months to heal, so I didn't have any muscle spasms. if the muscle spasms are that bothersome, ask him to give you something. As far as the TE, I told my PS that they must have been created by a man because no woman would ever create such painful and uncomfortable contraptions. Hang in there. You will be so happy when they're finally out.
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my PS likes 3 months post fills. That way the pocket and skin stretch properly to take implants. It was 6 months post BMX.
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ThinkingPos I had my first MX 19 years ago and had a TRAM flap reconstruction.
I had my other Breast MX this past November with TE and 6 weeks ago had exchange to a saline implant (because volume so large trying to match the other Breast it is 950cc which is much larger than silicone will go).
Recovery from the MX was pretty good except the TE became a problem because it was so huge - filled to 900cc that thing was pressing on a nerve and I had severe back and arm pain. Once I had the exchange all the pain was gone. As far as the ovaries, I never had any discomfort from that at all.
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all done! Killer sinus headache and pain at drain but other than that I am totally happy!!!
PS used my belly button to get fat, how cool is that? No pain there (yet).
I love being squishy!!
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I saw the PS today. She said she made the lower incision because she had to restitch the original incision that popped open last month after the fill. She said my only options now are to go with a very small implant (which would also mean deflating my "good" side) or going with a tram or Diep. Before I do any of that, I'm going to get a second opinion. I really don't want to come out of this even smaller than I went in. And I definitely don't want to go with tram or diep. She also left in a drain. I'd like to go back to work this week, but I'm not sure how to hide this drain...
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Jen
I had fat grafting during exchange. The donor site was definitely worse than chest. Very sore for about 2 weeks. PS took from my abdomen and I hurt everytime I got up and down, but was OK sitting. I didn't take anything and just bit the bullet for the brief pain when moving around.
The incision points on my chest were NOT in the numb area but it didn't hurt. It was a bit uncomfortable where the fat was put, but bearable. PS said I could gently massage but I've heard others say definitely not!
PS. I'm 12 weeks out and donor site doesn't look any different. Very sad...I was hoping for a flat belly but they really don't take that much 😢
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Leslie-To hide my drains and I worked with 3 at one point-I wore two layered type tops that were kind of flowy. Id pin my drains where they all would land somewhere different as not to create a buldge. I sometimes would even tuck them into the waisband of stretchy dress pants.
So...three day count down to my last revision/nipple reconstruction, lippo on my lat flap hump. Have preop tomorrow. I got a call late Friday afternoon from my PS. They said that they had received a call from a supervisor at BCBS that now says my hospital is in network and they will pay. They said they are in negotiation until Jun 1. I still feel a little leary like I dont 100% believe them as my hospital is still not showing in network online. I have been told tho if the hospital tries to collect money from me to immediately call my PS office...so fingers crossed...this would make me very very happy if I am indeed covered. Pre op is tomorrow so we shall see soon.....
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leslie - another reason for doing an IMF incision is that location is fed by the blood supply on the abdomen and will heal better than an incision on the face of the breast. Because of the removal of tissue from the breast in mastectomy your skin has to form a new blood supply with your pectoral muscle. Repeated incisions, and non healing incisions, on the front of the breast - or across it - risk having healing issues because of that compromised blood supply. I am thinking that your PS used the IMF in an effort to make sure the incision stays closed. I had skin/nipple BMX so all of my incisions, with the exception of necrotic skin excisions, have been in the IMF. My left side IMF has been cut into five times already, with BMX and TEs and implants in and out, and has always healed beautifully. I will have at least two, possibly three more incisions into the IMF on that side before I am done. For what to do with the drain - at one point I had a TE on one side and nothing on the other side so I used the drain to fill the other side of the bra by turning it sideways and putting the concave side toward my skin. I wore something loose and flowy and used a looped scarf to disguise. It was good because the drain was held firmly in the Genie bra and less likely for the tubing to get caught on something and it was sort of a prosthesis.
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I am 5 days post-exchange and feeling well but today woke up feeling numb under my arms. Kinda like after a fill. I had none of this in the previous days. I know my nurses said they gave me long -acting pain medication but could anything last this long? My incisions look fine. No fever. I thought maybe I did too much and did fold laundry and make cookies because I was feeling so well. Any thoughts?
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Some people have arm issues for a number of days due to having them in an unnatural position for the duration of the surgery. You may be feeling numbness after the pain med has worn off.
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vettegirl - with BCBS your PS needs authorization to admit you for ambulatory surgery. A letter should have been sent to you from BCBS with either approval of the admission or denial with a cc going to your PS and the hospital. Check tomorrow in presurgical if they got the approval.
SpecialK - That's ingenius about the drains in the bra. Never thought of that. I just wore mine hood to a lanyard that I had around my neck.
newgirl - I had numbness and tingling down one arm that would come and go and that did eventually resolve after three months Try massaging under the arm.
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SpecialK, thanks for the info on the IMF. It does make sense. I'll also see if I can find something in my closet that will cover this darn drain!
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thanks ladies ! I must be feeling guilty for doing the laundry and bakingagainst doctors orders. I neeeeeded the warn chocolate choppers!
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Jen, so glad you did well. I like the belly button donor site:) Things are going in the right direction! Hugs to you.
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