Exchange City
Comments
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Still scheduled for Wednesday. Haven't cancelled yet!!! Insurance still has not given authorization yet. My instructions say i need to bring two bras.. as is sports bra type, with velcro/velcro straps with me. Don't they put you in something from the hospital. Where am I supposed to get this? Did anyone need to bring bras with them to surgery?
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thinkingpositive - In all three of my surgeries they gave me a velcro strap surgical vest and an extra to take home. I don't know why they are telling you this at the eleventh hour and or why they wouldn't have received authorization yet. This wasn't scheduled last minute, was it??
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Thinking positive , I was given two Marena post op surgical bra. My revision was may7 th..
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Kazzy115, Are you getting a revision because of the size difference or because they are too large? I recall being told that no changes would be made until at least 3 months after surgery.
My guess is that because I have put on a few pound over the last year (I am the biggest I have ever been) is the reason for the size of implant. However My goal is to lose the 50 pounds I have put on over the last 2 years and then my guess is I will end up being top heavy.
Thinkingpositive, I think that is crazy that they want you to bring in a sports bra.. how are you suppossed to know what size to bring in?
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I was sent home in a velcro strapped and front surgical bra both times!! Can't imagine this is expected! You need to call on this one.
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Thinking positive, that is ridiculous! I was given a fresh surgibra with zip front closure and hooks for all 3 surgeries. My surgibra cost $163 though, so if I happen to need another surgery, I will ask if I could bring one of those. ( I paid 10%) BTW I don't think that surgibra was worth that much $, it has Velcro shoulders, but plastic feeling mesh material, yuck! Definitely call and ask. Also, hound your insurance company daily or even more frequently.
Minivan, my ps said "saline is no good for reconstruction". I think that the saline implant would feel much like the saline expander, and who wants that? The breast mri was not fun, but I think it beats the alternative. I think saline ripples a lot more as well.
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Thanks all... I am going to call today about the bra. Also I have had our companies insurance broker try to get in touch with someone at the insurance company to help. The surgery was scheduled two weeks ago. Ever since then, the office has sat on the phone on hold trying to get someone for 45 minutes at a time. i confirmed this by calling myself a few times. The insurance broker spoke with the doctors office and got all the info. They called the insurance company and then they got in touch with the doctors office. They kept asking for clinicals in addition to medical codes but yet they have all the info. This is breast cancer reconstruction not just that I want new boobs.. the office keeps telling them that, but still no authorization yet. Looks like I will be spending alot of time on the phone today instead of cleaning up work. How long was it before you were all able to return to work? I have a desk job... just curious. I said 2 weeks max.
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I awoke from surgery with a velcro-strap bra on. But it doesn't really do much for me because it's too big.
Not providing you with a bra is akin to airlines no longer giving you meals on a long flight--cutting corners wherever they can!
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My surgical bra also was placed during surgery and provided by the hospital. More of a vest, than a bra, with the Velcro shoulder straps. The vest was charged as a surgical supply and paid by the insurance company. Please check with your PS
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Hello Ladies! I am 12 days post exchange surgery and really like the results so far! I have 2 questions:
1) I think I see rippling on my right side but can I say that it is rippling so early on and do I have to wait for the "drop and fluff" to happen before I call it?
2) Is it okay to wear a zipper front sports bra that is designed for high impact exercise?
Thank you!
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I called the PS office and questioned it.. they told me that they will wrap me at the hospital and put something on. But I should bring a sports bra with me the next day for my check up. I guess I will bring the sports bra with the front closure that I have been wearing from right after mastectomy until now. I bought several. My surgery was also authorized... finally. It took a few phone calls this morning and getting to the right person..and within 15 minutes the doctors office had the authorization. Amazing. Hoping tomorrow goes without too much pain... !!
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And many of us awoke in an Ace bandage wrapped around us like a mummy. Some were advised to wear bras immediately, and some weren't supposed to wear a bra for at least a few weeks. The bottom line is, do whatever your PS advises for you and your particular surgery. And if he / she doesn't give you any specific instructions - you or (preferably) whoever is with you should ask about aftercare. (You probably won't remember, but they will...)
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ThinkingPositive- Great news on the insurance authorization! I awoke with an ace bandage and brought my zip front sports bra to the post op appointment.
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thinkingpositive- glad you got the insurance all straightened out. It should be against the law for insurance to give BC patients a hard time. Good luck tomorrow!!
tailrose - you still have drop and fluff to do so don't get too concerned just yet. It can be early signs of rippling but your swelling is probably just starting to go down now and there will be many changes in the next month. Even if it is rippling, there's things they can do but not for at least three months.
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What is drop and fluff..?? Do you feel anything afterwards on the mastectomy side? How long will it take before my shoulder blade and back pain to go away? Also anyone have reconstruction done to the good side, please honestly tell me what to expect in the way of pain and discomfort? Drains? Showers? I have in my mind that this is going to be worse than the mastectomy as it is both sides that they are messing with this time.
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Drop and fluff is what the implant does as it heals and settles into position. At first there will be swelling, but as that subsides, the implant will have room to go within the pocket. This can take 3 monthes or more. EX is easier than MX. I had a BMX with both reconstructed with TE placement so can't tell you about lift or augmentation of one side.
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Thinkingpositive, I had a drain for a week and couldn't shower as long as it was in there. I wore the ace bandage that I woke up in for three days then switched to my mx bras which I will have to wear for a month. I had a littel fat grafting from my tummy so I have to wear a binder around my abdomen for a month as well. I some considerable pain after wards for about 5-6 days. I just returned to work on Monday and I feel better every day. The EX is easier because the recovery time is so much shorter. I wish you speedy recovery!
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Thinkingpositive, I had bilateral mx with expanders placed and had those for a few months. I am 1 week out from the exchange and I have to say it was so much easier than the first surgery. I did have 1 drain on each side (removed today) and was placed in a bra and advised to wear it always ---for now only to take it off to wash it and shower. I was allowed to shower after 3 days. The pain was so minimal, I only took two pain pills within the last week and those were mostly because of the drain sites aggravating me during sleep. Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll do great!
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Thank you mjh1!
ThinkingPositive- The EX is so easy compared to the MX. I have a friend that had MX on one side and a lift on the other side. She said the lift just bothered her a little but the MX was definitely painful. My PS has me with my arms by my side for 3 weeks total and showers only from the waist down, no drains had to be placed. I only took pain pills for 2 days and don't even think I needed them to be honest as I just experienced minor discomfort.
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Thank you all for your responses and good wishes. Trying to stay calm. Of course my sister calls to wish me well but then starts questioning me as to "do they test you?" "do they test you for cancer"... just what I need to start thinking of. Ever time she calls she asks questions like that, "how do they know they got all the cancer?" "is there any cancer left, they why did they did they do chemo?" Don't need to think about that now...what possesses' people to ask things like that? So now that I am thinking of it and its on my mind..how do they test moving forward? I had no scans done after diagnosis or before chemo. Not sure what they do afterwards, the only thing I have done is blood work. I guess MO's are different in how they test and follow up on you. Can anyone share info?
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So, I have this awful pain in the left side of my back. It hurts when I move a certain way, and it hurts when I take a deep breath (it doesn't feel like lung pain). If I have to sneeze, forget it, I tense up because I know it's going to hurt and pretty much end up not sneezing. I keep yelping - I can't sit still - and the pain keeps catching me by surprise.
My exchange was two weeks ago yesterday.
My reasonable side knows it's because, hello, I just had surgery. But of course, there is that little other voice in my head that says something else....
seeing PS tomorrow.
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Jenwith4kids...I know that feeling..all along I have had the pain in my back and shoulder blade that comes and goes..its not constant and is more after I sit for a period of time.. attributing it to the tissue expander as its on the same side as the pain..but that little voice says the same thing to me... hope everything is okay with you.
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Thinkingpositive- I had a BMX almost 3 years ago. Left side cancerous, right side benign mass but wanted to have an even perfect set of "girls". The day after my BMX I had a drain on each side and was wrapped in an ace bandage. I had my drains in for 1 week exactly. I had delayed reconstruction due to not knowing if I would need chemo/radiation. Three months later I had my TE's placed and was filled to 150cc's at time of implantation as well as a drain on each side. I was filled every week until I reached 850cc's of saline. I was getting filled between 50-100cc's at each fill, my choosing since I had a deadline of when I wanted to have my exchange surgery. Right around week 6 of my fills I developed what I call the red boob from hell. It was a reaction I had from expanding too quick in a short amount of time (still worth the pain from it) the drains were still in place during all this I kept drains for almost 6 weeks.as well as being off work that whole time. I had to wait 4 weeks after fills were completed then I had my exchange. woke up with no drains (hallelujah) and I was back to work 3 weeks later. I sleep in a cami bra every night, it's comfortable for me. I just had a revision 3 weeks ago and exchanged to the Ultra High Profile implant and I love them. More projection and not as flat as the High Profile implant, I'm on the heavier side of the weight spectrum and so the HP implants looked so small. I love what I have now and my PS was quite impressed with how they looked on me when he put them in. He wasn't sure about putting in the UHP implants because I have a broader chest width.
Go in with a positive attitude, ask for help and accept it when someone offers.
christy
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ThinkingPositive - continued testing is yet another thing about this journey that is different for most every doc so you'll need to check with your MO. Some do mammos. Some have CTs or MRIs or PET CTs and those are maybe every 6 months or maybe every year or maybe every 5 years, or only if you have symptoms. Most of it depends on your doc but also probably some on your individual diagnosis. You're right - put it aside and tell everyone who calls you that it's not on your radar right now.
If you go back and read earlier pages of this thread you'll find different answers for every question depending on the situation, the part of the country, the doc, etc. Lots of good reading when you have time.
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Hello sisters: I haven't been on in a long time. In late October 2014, I had the implant put in the right side and a reduction on the left side. I have since developed a capsular contracture, and there is still a dog ear between the breasts and a horrible dog ear under my arm that is red and big. the implant is almost to my neck, and it hurts. Next week, I will be getting a revision surgery.
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Has anyone had trouble with nipple recon coming apart and Turning black and scabby? I've also read that the projection doesn't last. Ugh!
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sandgar, did you have a nipple sparing mastectomy?
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I had my exchange threeweeks ago. When I had my expanders I had one move a little to the side after I began working with a pt and got back to living and using my arms. At my exchange my ps fixed the pocket but I am now hyper focused on whether thus may happen again. I am wearing a Genie bra during the day and my surgical bra at night. Anyone had the implant drift happen after exchange? Ps said it shouldn't happen again but I am feeling that it might be on the move. Thanks
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just had my surgery today...had to stay in recovery longer than expected...wasn't breathing when I constantly feel asleep and my bp was way low..not sure if I remember correctly what they told me but sounded like 74 over something.. Thats low. Felt quesy on the ride home, but they did inject me with lots of Valium for the pain? it stated to wear off last night and had to start taking pain meds. Left side where TE was is not really that sore, but the good boob where I had small implant to lift and slight reduction hurts..and is sore. I figured that would be the case... no back pain but I guess that is being taken care of by the pain meds so it will be difficult to determine for a while whether is was attributed to the TE. They have me in a surgical binder...and I have to go back to the doctor today for him to look and check me out. Not looking forward to that at all.
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thinking - glad surgery went well. Just try to relax and take it easy
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