Exchange City
Comments
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Hi Fe_Princess- I would imagine some aching after running is normal since it really is so soon after surgeries. On June 11th I go to see my PS again so I will ask him about the square look on the sides closest to my underarms. We just need more time for things to settle. I ran a little with my TE's but didn't experience pain. Other than that I still see a little ripple on my right side and am waiting patiently for more time to go by! I've been going out and doing some fast hiking which as you know is not running but it will do for another 2 weeks. Do you feel cold on your implant side more than on the other side? I get cold so easy it's crazy!
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Hey Trailrose, do you think they will fill out on the sides in time? Did you PS tell you that? Do you have massaging excersized yet? I wonder why I got the green light to run before you? Is the ripple from the implant? Yes, I feel much colder on the mx side but since I am in surgically induced menopause (don't be jealous!) I get a bit of hot flashes.
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3 weeks now since exchange and reconstruction on other side. Exchange side still feels tight but not really that swollen. Feels like something is on my chest..just like the TE. Really no difference except not hard like TE. The other side where I had reconstruction done with implant is still swollen..especially on the side by the underarm area. I still feel it when I put my arm down by my side. Saw the PS last week, and he said everything looked good. Wonder how long the swelling on this side should be there. Any possibility that the implant shifted to the side??
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Fe_Princess- My understanding is that they will fill out on the sides. When I saw my PS 2 weeks ago he said that they will keep changing in appearance and that this is not the final outcome. I have been massaging my implants 3-4 times a day as instructed. He asked me to put the palms of my hands on the outer sides and push inwards. At first my PS said I could run 4 weeks post exchange surgery but wanted to extend it by another 2 weeks. He's very conservative and strict on instructions. My steristrips are still in place from May 1st! He still won't allow my chest area to get wet either so I've been waist down showers and washcloth baths for my upper portion. I can tell the ripple is the implant showing underneath the skin. My sister went through a surgically induced menopause since she's BRCA 1# and says it's very hard! I am going through perimenopause (I'm 43 yrs. old) so I get occasional hot flashes. Maybe the implants feeling colder are good especially for running since maybe we'll never overheat!
ThinkingPositive- I can still tell that something is under my pec muscle but not like the TE's. It definitely feels better going on 5 weeks out. There has been a couple of times that I didn't even notice them.
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I had my exchange on May 18th and was surprised how much pain I was in. I thought it would be a piece of cake, but the PS did a lot of stitching inside me - had to raise one side and both had to be brought towards the middle. Still less pain than MX but more than I thought it would be. I was off painkillers after a few days and was driving 5 days later. The stitches are healing and the skin and muscles are loosening up now. I think they look good in clothes and my PS seemed to really listen to what I wanted them to look like. However, I'm upset to see more (new?) stretch marks on the cleavage side of my breasts. I asked the PS about it and he said that it's stretch marks that were previously there, but I definitely don't remember seeing them and my PT today said the same thing. I also asked my PS what I can do about them - lotions now and/or some kind of laser later on. He told me that nothing will really help! He said there are lasers that claim to help but he doesn't thik they do. Has anyone heard of something that will actually get rid of or reduce the appearance of stretch marks? It's clear that my skin does not stretch well - I have a lot of stretch marks from pregnancy, but my breasts looked nowhere near this bad before exchange or MX. I'm starting to feel a little depressed about it. I now have nice, perky boobs, but they don't look good in a bikini b/c of the stretch marks!
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jabec - if he had to raise one side, then he probably had to do stitches to rib cage which is why it's more painful. I had the same thing done and it felt like I had bruised ribs for two weeks. A lot of people swear by Bio oil and others don't think it works. You have to use it at least twice a day for a month to see if you notice any difference. Send a PM to downdog or post the question on April & May 2015 Surgery Sisters. Like our whippetmom is the implant whisperer, downdog is the guru of all things related to breasts.
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jabec,
It is still early. Try to step away from the mirror. You have to give your body time to heal. It takes at least 3 months to let them settle and since you had so much pocket work, you are healing inside and probably swollen. I have been using Bio Oil for almost 3 months since my EX and I can hardly see my stretch marks around the scar area. The scar is also getting flatter. Hang in there. Robin
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I used Mederma and you can hardly see my scars. Also says for stretch marks.
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thanks everyone!! I'm going to try to think positively that all the oils and lotions will make a difference. I also go back and forth with my thinking about whether the shape of my boobs looks great or whether they look a little too full at the top (I did ask for that fullness). I know that I have to wait for them to settle before making any determination and I'm sure that ultimately I will be happy with them. It's hard knowing that this is it - what you see is what you get, unlike the TEs when I knew that I could fix things in the exchange.
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Hey Robin, where do you get bio oil?
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You can get it at any pharmacy like Walgreens, CVS and I found it on Amazon a lot cheaper. I paid $13.00 for the small size. Can't remember the price on Amazon, but almost 1/2 price. I have been using mine for almost 3 months and it is only half gone. I not only put it on the scars and massage it in, I put it over the entire boob area.
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My PS said it is the massaging motion that helps the scars and not necessarily the oil. He said any lotion or oil will work. I got bio oil at Sam's club. But I saw it at wal-Mart and giant eagle. My friend told me to use 100% cocoa butter sticks. I got a bunch of those at the dollar General for $1.30. And they make you smell like chocolate...what could be better? 😄
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I'm five weeks post exchange surgery and notice more rippling on my right side than 2 weeks ago. I know I'm supposed to give it a full 3 months before I can say it's here to stay but does it get worse before it gets better? My PS was originally going to put in high profile smooth round gels but ended up putting in moderate plus smooth round gels. If I remember the TE's were ones he put in with high profile round implants in mind for the exchange surgery. Can that make a difference in rippling? He said I was expanded to 500 cc and put 400 cc implants in. Should I have gotten bigger implants?
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tailrose - being that you are 5 weeks out and seeing more rippling I can say from my experience that it probably will not resolve on its own. I'm sorry. My TE's were expanded to 490 and I had 425 smooth round implants put in originally. My rippling started two weeks after and progressively got worse. Three months later I then switched to 525 cc gummy bears and they definitely do look a lot better than the rounds did (in my opinion) because they fill the pocket more. I also had alloderm placed over one of the implants in the revision. I have one boob that I think is perfect and the other one still has some rippling and some other problems that I'm hoping will be resolved in my next revision. Don't despair. There are always things that can be done. If it's just rippling and not a pocket issue, they can do FG which I know has helped a lot of people and is the least invasive. Also, please keep in mind these are manmade and therefore are subject to imperfections. Nothign will ever compare to our natural breast as far as feel wise, but lookwise a very skilled PS can make it look pretty darn close. If after 3 months you are still completely unsatisfied, see what your PS has to say about a fix and I would also go to another PS for a second opinion.
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mjh1- Thank you for your reply and sharing your story. I'm scheduled to see my PS next week so I'll get his opinion on what he thinks. I'll have to research other PS in my area too. I thought my TE's were at 440 ccs since I was keeping count but I guess not.
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trailrose - Go over to the 'BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101' thread that's run by our beloved implant guru, whippetmom. Not only does she give wonderful advice as to implant size and style, but she keeps a list of the 'good and great' plastic surgeons all over the country. She can give you some solid recommendations if you send her a PM and let her know where you live.
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Hi Trailrose, I am thinking that maybe my implant side looks "box like" on the armpit side is that I only had the TE in for a month? Is that even a logical explaination?
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tailrose - PM whippetmom. She keeps a list of PS that our other sisters have used and she may have someone in your area. She gave me a whole list of names and after weeding them out to see who's in my insurance and going on 4 consults, I have finally decided on one.
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AZ85048 & mjh1- Thank you ladies! I will do that. Besides the rippling the cleavage and roundness on the underboob is beautiful!
Fe_Princess- My understanding is that the "box" shape you are seeing should go away after the 3 month waiting period. Maybe longer. The TE was there just to stretch your skin to give room for the implant but I'm not sure if it being in there only one month made the difference.
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justajen - good luck tomorrow in your exchange. I hope your new "girls" will be all you want the to be. Warm hugs!!
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What is rippling? Its been 3 weeks for me since surgery for exchange. Both sides still feel sore and swollen..reconstruction side feels worse than the MX side. Feels like my boob is too swollen on the side. The MX side looks like its more towards the side of my body than towards the middle. Like its not centered right. Does this fix itself??
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Thinking - oh oh. You're looking in the mirror again!! When do you go back to the PS? Remember, 3-6 months not 3-6 weeks, but you can start a list of questions for the doc.
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Hi SpecialK, did you have the fat graphing done after the exchange was finished?
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thanks mjh1- laying here sleepless and thought I'd check in. Reporting for surgery at 5:45am! Nervous, want it over with. I'm doing a lift on the healthy side and they will biopsy the tissue they remove. Fingers crossed all is well. It's time to move on!
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JustaJennifer - Wishing you the very best of luck tomorrow!
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MinusTwo - Thanks... and yes looking in the mirror again. I guess I will take your advice and write my questions down, go back to the PS on the 17th.
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I am home and happy on my couch. Exchange and lift went well from what I understand. I woke to more pain than after MX, but I think that was due to my anesthesia choices. We got it straightened out.
My implant is Allergan Natrelle 410 FF 740cc. It has a smoother slope than the high projection of the TE. At first look, I'm worried that the breast doesn't fold over but maybe this is swelling? And it seems low on my chest. My PS warned me the lift side would be higher and more swollen than the implant, and that's true.
The lift side is giving me more discomfort than I anticipated, mostly on the side boob. It is quite black and blue, and the incision under the breast is much longer than I expected. The exchange incision line is strange- she didn't fully reopen the horizontal scar, just a section on the inside and a section on the outside.
The mirror was scary, I think I'll stay away for a bit, and try to remember all of your good advice to hold judgement.
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justajen - glad all went well. Rest up and take the pain meds as prescribed for the first few days. We all can't help ourselves but to look in the mirror. Unfortunately, every time we do this gives us more emotional turmoil as the girls are settling. Put a jar next to the mirror and every time you look, throw a dollar in. You'll be amazed as to how much money you'll save up for those new bras.
minustwo - that goes for you also.
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mjh1 - I will be 4 years post exchange this fall. I have Allergan 410 anatomical implants & I have always been very happy with them. When I had my recurrence 1-1/2 years post exchange, the BS was able to scoop out the new mass & the lymph nodes w/o having to remove the implant on the right side - hooray!!. The only difference is my right side is now a little tighter due to radiation fibrosis. Unfortunately I have truncal LE & pretty bras are no longer in the cards since I need compression 24/7.
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Fe - I had FG a year after exchange.
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