Exchange City
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my implants are larger than my expanders were. They take up more space too. I got 655cc hp round smooth sientras. Expanders were filled to 750cc but were football shaped. I love the projection and symmetry. Can't wait to take off the surgi strips and see them without the tape.
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Byebye, I would think that if the implants are a lot smaller than the pocket created, then there would be a greater chance of rippling. I had 650 ml te's filled to 700 ml. Then was exchanged 6 months later for 700 ml smooth round silicone. I only have a few ripples on my right side with certain positions, not visible most of the time. I am almost 6 months out. It's less stressful when you just leave the tough decisions up to the pros;) The biggest decision is finding a ps that you can trust.
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I looked for a thread on bras..but didn't find one so will post this here. Just wanted to share about a bra I found that I absolutely love.
Went to Nordstroms for a fitting and w/ Mentor 500 cc round implants I'm a 34 D. I bought Natori bras and was pleased. (Thanks to Divecat I realized I was no longer a B or C cup and got a proper fitting.)
I'm 10 months post-op and a few months ago went to Soma and tried on one of their 'Enhancing Shape' bras and was blown away by how much I loved it. It has slight padding in the upper pole of the bra and it fits like a glove. I've since bought several. It's like nothing I'd tried on before.
I've recently noticed Soma is doing TV ads for this exact bra.
They offer free shipping (also free shipping on returns) if you don't have a Soma shop in your area. Soma also does bra fittings.
I am so pleased with this bra.
Btw, am 5'5, 120 pounds, a 34 D and again have Mentor 500 cc round implants.
Just wanted to share how much I like this particular bra. Soma also sells post surgical bras and prothesis bras, although I have no experience with them.
Good luck with your exchange surgeries and new bras!
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Hi all you new squishy people! Just wanted to let you know that 2 or 3 weeks out is not time enough to judge the final results. What we call drop and fluff hasn't had a chance to settle in. Those hamburger buns will drop a bit and more tear drop shape will show up. Gravity does still work! LOL your breasts will never have the projection though. So one bras will have too much space in the front. Look for ones that will look full. I had good luck with a BAli bra. Your P'S does is for iving. If most people were not happy, he wouldn't be doing sx. Please be patient. I know it's hard but give it time.
Much love
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I am really grateful for everyone reminding me (and us) to be patient. I am avoiding the mirror as recommended and coming to accept that nothing will be the same as it was before all this started.
I think that when I woke up from exchange some part of me expected to be "normal" again, to look like my old self somehow. No logic to that thinking but I believe it's part of the process of acceptance of losing one's breasts. I'm almost two weeks out from exchange and the past few days have been an eye opener and actually pretty difficult. The reality of this "new normal" sort of sunk in and I found myself feeling sad and blue. Sort of like grieving for this part of my body that's been removed. It's weird because I expected to feel so happy post-exchange. TEs out, new boobs in. Get on with life. It's just not that simple though. There is this moment when I said "this is now me" and I had to let go of what once was.
I am enormously lucky and try to keep my focus squarely on the fact that I'm healthy. But this stuff is not simple. As a said to my husband yesterday during a sudden burst of tears, physical discomfort is definitely easier to manage for me than this ongoing emotional roller coaster. I thought I'd be off the "ride" when i woke up after my exchange surgery but that was clearly unrealistic.
Thank you for allowing me to share. Warmest wishes for healing of both mind and body to you all.
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Marketing mama, what you said is EXACTLY how I'm feeling right now. I'm so trying to focus on the fact that I'm healthy and NOT on the fact that I do not feel normal. I think I was honestly happier with my TEs because I knew they were just temporary and in some respects, they looked better but this is it and now I'm "fixed and all better" and it's time to move on and I'm having a really hard time with it. Thank you for sharing how you're feeling and know you're not alone. I keep saying "thus too shall pass" and hoping it does. I'm grateful for so many things but I thought this recovery would be easier and I'm finding its not. (Hugs)) to all of you.
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I agree with you both. It must take a long time to get used to the new normal. I'm 6 months out, and these implants only annoy me about 30-40 percent of the time now (instead of 80-90 percent). I think it's because they are just hard to ignore, and feel awkward. Implants have much improved over time, so let's keep hoping for continued improvement in medical technology;) I think grieving this great loss is totally normal...I know I did. Take care brave warriors.
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Ladies, I just want to share a bit from my 5 week post EX appt. First my PS was cracking up when I told her I really like the new girls b/c they're bigger than I was pre-BMx, I had to buy new bras b/c the old ones are too small and I can wear a bikini top without any scar showing. She was laughing b/c I stopped my fills early due to nerve pain and told PS I didn't care about my final size.
She asked again if I want nipples made and I was like. . .heck no I can wear a tank top without a bra, look good and no one can tell. Let them wonder if they're fake. Well they are.
She did say though that I still have some swelling and I have to wait at least 3 months for the final shape. I hope they don't change much b/c I like them now.
When I rage at the continued nerve pain, the aches etc from my anti-cancer meds and the fact that I'm still dropping and fluffing, I just have to remember my new manta. . .Anything is better than cancer.
Scottie and her new girls
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Well put, Marketingmama, and thank you for sharing. I'm experiencing much of what you are. I can handle the physical, but the mental kicks my butt at times. I am ready to get on with life!
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marketingmama, hummingbirdlover and other ladies - you are expressing so well the way I feel too. This is by far the worst part emotionally, at least for me. I don't want a new normal, I want the old normal! I think I spent so much time and energy fighting the infections and multiple problems that I never really let myself grieve, and now I'm trying to come to termswith the whole thing.
It really helps to know I'm not alone. Thank you all for sharing.
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Hi there,
Can I add my name to the list?
My surgery for exchange of my TEs with mentor anatomical gummy bears is 29th October 2015.
I'm going to be having Mentor CPG 333s which are tall, high profile as well as fat grafting.
Has anyone had experience with the tall, high profile CPGs? I haven't been able to find much in the way of pictures or info/before and after stories because they're not yet available in the US. I'm in Australia. I also believe that they're available in Canada?
I'd love to hear from any Mentor CPG 333 ladies out there 😊
Suzette
Ps. I'm currently at 450cc and due for my last fill of 50cc next week. I've just noticed several stretch marks on the under side of my bust that weren't there before. I was only an A cup prior to my NSBMX and have 350cc expanders in which my PS is overfilling. Are the sudden appearance of multiple stretch marks a warning that I should stop now before my final fill?
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I have had my implants for two years now and they still feel foreign to me. Now I am having issues with scar tissue forming underneath from my last surgery. Hopefully massage therapy will be able to break up the tissue. If I had it to do over I probably wouldn't have gone through reconstruction. It has been one problem after another. Not to mention the toll it has been on my family. I just didn't want to believe the statistics that I might have complications. On the bright side they look great and are the perfect size. I was able to actually fit into my old bras
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At my 5-week EX followup, PS showed me how to massage my implants and said I would have to do so every day for rest of my life to prevent scar tissue from forming. My initial reaction to cancer was BMx no matter what they found on the other side and when asked about recon, I said I didn't care. I am thankful that BS insisited that I at least talk to a PS and referred me. In the end, I'm happy with the girls so far and the nerve pain that I'm still fighting has been present since BMx. so not due to the recon. We all go through so much here and it sux. But, I am sooo grateful for these boards so that I can read and share experiences and know that I'm not alone.
Scottie
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I will be celebrating my two year anniversary of being cancer free this week! What a journey it has been. I don't like using the words "new normal" but that is what happens. After breast cancer, treatment, reconstruction, etc. life is a bit different. I understand how all of you are feeling. I believe it does get better with time. I am so happy to be healthy but that does not negate the fact that I had my BMX. My implants are great and fat grafting worked really well (no lumps). The best part was getting 3-D nipple tattoos from Vinnie. They are amazing.
Do your best to stay positive and take time for yourself. Remember all that you have been through and it is ok to be sad. Even after two years, I am still recovering emotionally. Thoughts and prayers for all of you.
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Welcome Suze72! I have the Allergan 410 gummies 475cc FF. i am 6 monthes out today! I love them. They are quite firm and don't move much, but I am happy with them. I like the natural looking drop they have. No ripping at all. The textured exterior helps with that. Hope all goes well with your surgery.
Robin
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My exchange is in three weeks......already getting nervous! Scottie, when you say massage your implants, what exactly do you mean? Under, over and all around? Just rub? I never heard anyone mention this before. Oh, boy!
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If you are reading, Audrey, are you doing this? No, your guy probably is! LOL No, really, did your PS discuss this with you?
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mysunshine. . .PS actually showed me how to do it. Gental massage all around including whole front. She suggested Shea Butter or the like to keep skin soft and to minimize the scars. It doesn't hurt,in fact I thin it helps the nerve pain because I'm also massaging the peck muscles. DH said he'd be more than happy to help. LOL
Scottie
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LOL Yes, I use coconut oil daily on my expanders. I just ordered a big chunk of Shea butter from Amazon. I was thinking about melting it and whipping it together with coconut oil. Saw that on Pinterest.
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Hi Robin,
Thanks for your reply :-)
It's great to hear that you're pleased with your Naturelle 410 Foobs. The natural look is what I'd love to be sporting soon too.
I'm so very uncertain about what the 'right choice' is. These TEs look like two half oranges and they're very far apart. I reckon that I could almost fit a third one in between the two of them!
In the end I'll be taking that leap of faith and trusting in my PS. I just wish that I had a crystal ball right now.....the suspense, and these TE's, are killing me!
Suzette 🍊 🍊
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Exchange Day is October 6th!! Yay! Nervous and excited all at the same time.
Many thanks to the ladies who responded to my earlier question about how the implants sit and feel on your chest. Had a few good laughs - - which are always welcome! ;D Still undecided on general guidance to give my PS regarding size, but guess there's not much choice at this point since TE's are filled. Just want the new girls closer together than these TEs. Looking forward to the perky bit!
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My massage instructions did not involve any rubbing but actually pushing very firmly at the noon, 9, 6, and 3 o'clock positions in whatever the opposite direction is from that clock hand. So, at noon you are pushing down pretty hard, at 6 pushing up, at 3 and 9 to the inside and outside - all of these holding for a count of 20, several times a day. Not all PS advise massage so you will not find consensus on doing it, or on how to do it. This type of massage is specifically for the purpose of controlling scar tissue and capsular contracture. This is not the same as rubbing the skin surface with any type of moisturizing lotion or cream, but I would recommend this also.
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Hi Special, You have offered me (and others) good information on other sites, but on this thread, since it is about exchanges, I have a question for everyone who has had exchange. IF I have divits and gullies (as I call them) looks like a ditch at the top of my left expander.....actually two...... Does that mean I will have this after the exchange? Would I see it immediately or do these show up later? I did not have these gullies until after my fourth fill. Then, I had none during chemo and that is when they appeared. I was hoping for just one more surgery.
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mysunshine - I had them almost immediately after I started fills, and also after exchange, but it depends on your individual body, what type and size of implant is used, and how the implant sits. My implants sat fairly low, but were also fairly large for my frame, so the shelf appearance was still there. Since you will generally lose volume and change from the hard expander to a soft implant the divot you see now may not be as noticeable after exchange.
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hi ladies, has anyone had experience with radiation and then implants? If so, how did it work out for you? Thanks!
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Suze -
I'm not a 333 girl, I'm a 323 girl (they were approved in the US this past June/July), but I do really like the feel/shape of my Mentor's. I'm not very far out from my EX, so they still feel strange, but I feel as though they're settling in nicely. I don't feel as though they are overly firm or heavy and they do have a nice natural look to them (they don't look fake, they closely resemble the shape I had before). No rippling, but I did have fat grafting which did not take.
As for the stretch marks, one of the ladies in my support group here also got those, and her PS slowed down her fills and gave her a little less each time. He also gave her some Vitamin E to rub in, although I'm sure you could use cocoa butter, olive oil or coconut oil as well. She said in doing that, once she had her EX the marks weren't really visible!
Good luck ;-)
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Chantal10, I had radiation 14 years ago after my first bout of breast cancer. I'm definitely having issues with the implant on my radiated side. The stitch burst and I had to have the expander replaced. Now my PS is taking the fills very slowly and we're hoping an implant will work because the skin is a lot thinner from the previous radiation. If it won't work, then I'll be looking at a Lat flap (from my back) or DIEP. So far so good, tho. We're at where the stitch popped last time and it seems to be holding okay.
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To Chantel 10
I had neoadjuvant chemo that was stopped due to bilateral PE's, left lumpectomy Aug 2014 with clear margins and radiation in Oct 2014. I decided to have bilateral mastectomy with 500cc tissue expanders at the end of March 2015. On the radiated side, fills were done with small amounts of saline. At my last fill I had rib pain especially when I took a deep breath, coughed or sneezed. Two weeks later my PS took 30cc out of the expander on the radiated side. That was back in August 2015. I saw my breast surgeon last week and told him about my rib pain. I had a bone scan and chest X-ray the next day which was inconclusive for mets vs rib fractures. Very scary. I was convinced I had bone mets. On Sept 3,2015 I had a CAT scan which showed NO mets, only healing rib fractures. I have 4th rib fracture on the radiated side and 3th & 5th rib fractures on the right side (non radiated side). I was really surprised that I had rib fractures on the right side. I had no injuries so I am guessing these fractures are due to the expanders.
I really wanted to try an implant only reconstruction on the irradiated side but it looks like I will be having a flap.
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Jencine, are you able to get implants in even with the rib fractures....at least on the one side? I have had a bad cough cough due to damage done to my esophagus from chromo. I also had a chest CT scan and it showed inflamation on my ribs in the area behind my left expander. When I cough, still am, it really hurts. I am scheduled for exchange surgery on September 25. I meet with my PS this Wednesday and I hope this does not cause problems for getting these expanders out!
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Mysunshine,
the cough would be a problem for your up coming surgery....I had my second exchange cancelled once due to a bad cough......
As far as getting expanders out, the PS pop them with a scalpel before removing.
Here are my deflated expanders:
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