Exchange City
Comments
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LRGO2016 and Sanfrankitty
Yes! Swelling is all part of the game! Especially if you had pocket work. It takes months for things to settle down. They have to settle in place and depending on the type of implants you have, drop and fluff. I have annatomicals so they don't drop or fluff, but they do soften. Give it time and remember, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should "
Blessings, Robin
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Wow, thanks for all the replies ladies!. I'm guessing the "girls" are swollen - not too surprising given what has been done to them. I think I'll get out my tape measure and track the swelling. My seams leaked a little blood for the first day, I can't do surgical glue so they are stitched only. My stomach is definitely swollen from the lyposuction. The pain has diminished significantly today but I'm stiff and still sore, and favoring my stomach enough to make my shoulders and neck fatigued.
What does drop and fluff mean? I got anatomicals too so guess drop and fluff won't happen?
Thanks for the replies. Communication is not my PS's strong point. I've asked repeatedly when I should change the bandages on my foobs. He has not bothered to answer.
I'm encouraged that the pain level is dropping fast. I'm almost back to using regular tylenol now.
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I don't know anything about "drop and Fluff" yet. But I am curious since I have round saline implants.
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I have my exchange surgery next week - 9/7. I'll be having some fat grafting and my PS's assistant said I might want to get some spanx or other type of compression garment to wear after my post-op. I see a few people mentioning different things here for compression garments. Can anyone recommend a brand or style?
Currently the plan is to remove fat from my upper butt and lateral thigh area. I was wondering if there would be a compression garment better depending on where the fat is harvested from.
Also, has anyone had fat taken from their upper butt? I was so surprised to hear her say that. I had my thighs in mind the entire time.
Thanks
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Drop and fluff involves the relaxation of the pocket a bit post-surgically which allows the implants to look less flat and move forward and look softer. Anatomicals do this less because they are form stable, but that is not to say that the look does not change over the period post-surgically as swelling subsides. One thing that some do is take a weekly photo to track the changes.
Jessie - I have had a number of fat grafts and at one point my Ps used the "muffin-top" area - sort of the flank at the hip. The best compression garment for this area - or upper butt and thigh, is Spanx-type shorts as long as there is no donor area above what would be the normal waistband. Unfortunately, this type of garment doesn't lend itself well to having a snap crotch - so you may need to pull them down to go to the bathroom, and it may be a bit uncomfortable for the first week or so.
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Glad to hear from several of us going through this at the same time. I am very small chested (A cup before, now only 280 cc implants), so I probably didn't have that much fat added. But I will say that my abdominal swelling was pretty much gone after about 7 days. And I already feel and look great from the liposuction! I wasn't sure I would see a difference, but I do. But I'm still wearing the Spanx.
SpecialK -- how long in between time were your fat grafts? I know my PS said I might need more, but I don't know yet. Also, is it less recovering for the subsequent times when it's just fat grafting and no implants? I really don't want to do it again, but I'll have to wait and see how it goes.
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Thanks for sharing ladies, and happy that surgeries and recoveries are going well. I have my exchange this friday morning. Trying to get psyched up for it. I have three teen-agers and the oldest just left for college, its not just my emotions that i am trying control. Cant wait for this part to be done.
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My current plan is a December exchange...no other procedure at that time -- no fat grafting and only doing Left side...given weight gain do not want to reduce native R while still overweight and then find I have shrunk too much!
My question is about the compression garments that have been the main piece of discussion lately...before the MX surgery my PS sent me to the MX bra specialist for a surgical bra and camisoles to wear...with "simply" an exchange surgery will I be in a compression bra? or is that for the fat grafting part that for me will be later???
PS hasn't said anything about needing new post-op items...
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Jessie, my PS said he was going to take fat from my belly, but my love handle area ( close to flanks) is really bruised up, so he seems to have gone in there too. I am fairly lean at 5'6 and 117 lbs and an ectomorph body type. I think he didn't find enough on my belly so he went for the love handles. I have stitches on my belly button and hips too. I haven't seen him yet to ask, just the PA when I got my tubes out.
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TrmTab, You will need some type of bra after exchange. They gave me a horrible hopital issued surgical bra at the time of exchange. I left the hospital is ace wrap and was supposed to switch the the bra after 48 hours. However when I went to see the PA to get my drains out I brought a bunch of bras with me and she said that a few of them would be appropriate to wear instead of the surgical bra.
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I only wore the surgical bra for less than one week. Then I just moved to a sports type bra. Honestly it felt like more support than the hospital one. The compression garments I've been mentioning are for the fat grafting from my abdomen. But I am small on top, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
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I'm going to have to find some time to do some spanx shopping before next wednesday!
SFKitty, I had to look up what ectomorph meant! LOL, I never though to call myself "delicate", though, but at 5'7" and 110 pounds I guess that's the only type I could qualify for in the list. Are you sore from the fat harvesting? My PS is concerned because of the process of going in for the fat is pretty intense. She simply shook her head when I tried to show her my supposed saddle bags. There is nothing to be had on my stomach and I wouldn't have thought the top of my butt was an option! She is concerned that I won't be able to sit in any position. I said I'd use an inflatable pool ring! It's kind of embarrassing to think that they will be starting my surgery with me on my stomach to do the harvesting and then flipping me over. Ugh, not a pretty sight in my mind! I'm sure they are quite used to it, but glad I will be completely out. Sounds like you had drain tubes, too? My PS said only a slight chance and her assistant just said no, there's no where to hide any fluid on me. We'll see...
Hope you are continuing to heal well and thanks for sharing.
I was also told I could probably move on to a sports bra after my post-op. Still have a few weeks before that, though. The surgical bra they said I'd get is the same as the one I got at my BMX which was too big. I was told they may pad it to create compression. I should look lovely.
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JCS - I had one fat graft done bi-lat when I had two implants, one year after exchange, for aesthetics. I did well with the one - didn't need more as I retain very well. I subsequently lost the left side implant after a disastrous allograft repair surgery, so had two FG done to the flat side to improve skin integrity, done 6 months apart. I just had the fourth FG done with exchange/implant swap surgery this past May. I will probably have the last FG done in December, so six months later. The idea between allowing time between FG is to let the vascularity take hold so the fat stays. If you disrupt that too soon by repeating FG at a shorter interval you risk losing the grafted fat. It also depends on your donor site - it takes 6-12 months for that to return to normal.
trmtab - I have not been in any garments post-surgery on the breasts, but some have ace wraps or surgical bras put on right after surgery before you wake up - definitely no compression on the chest after FG as you don't want to squish that area. Most of the compression discussion here has been in regard to the donor sites for FG.
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Jessie, yes I'm still sore where the fat was taken and even the areas around that a week later. As far as finding fat, they can get pretty creative. I think the compression on my abdomen is creating acid reflux. Ugh. What type of implants are you going with
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I wore the surgical bra and ace wrap after EX for one week. Then had to wear a sports bra 24/7 for at least 6 weeks. I wore one most of the time because with anatomicals, they have to adhere to the chest and muscle so rotation is not an issue. I just felt more comfortable in a very lightweight sports bra and now love to wear the bralettes. I found a really nice one at JC Penney for $12 on sale. It is their brand. I am almost 18 months post EX and when I hit the year mark, I finally felt like they were a part of me and not a foreign object! You will get used to the "new normal". You must be patient and not obsess in the mirror.
Blessings,
Robin
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Okay, thanks everyone. I am still wearing the "sports bra styled" hook-in-front bra from the MX, really more of a leisure bra than snug sports bra to me...but I have worn this or camisole 24/7 since surgery. Guess I should get used to it as the new normal.
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My PS put me in a surgical bra after EX, with a healthy amount of gauze over the incisions. The surgical bra is not nearly as confining as my sports bras and is not providing much compression. From there down is a different matter! I was wrapped in a surgical compression garmet made of stiff elastic and velcro. I'm short waisted, so this garmet was folding and puckering uncomfortably by the time I got home. By the second day, there were large areas of my (very tender) sides that had no compression at all because of the creases. So I swapped it out for a corset I bought at Macys. They carry an extensive line of Spanks and spanks-like compression garmets.
The corset is much more comfortable, does not crease (has stays) and is providing even compression. I must say that it was very uncomfortable not to have the compression, even for the few moments it takes to spong bathe. So you will definitely want some form of compression garmets.
Fat was taken from my "muffin-top" zone and a bit from my stomach. He filled all the deep divots, put in 495 cc implants in my 450cc pockets, and with the swelling, my boobs look huge. By comparison my waist and sides look amazing! Even though I'm obviously swollen, my figure hasn't looked this good in over 10 years! My husband has nicknamed me "Barbie".
I laughed harder than I have in months at that!
I am curious if anyone else has numbness at the donor sites? Is that a normal and hopefully a temporary state after lyposuction?
I already have large areas of my torso that have limited sensations (hysterectomy bikini area, both breasts BMX, and now sides from lypo ). I'm hoping some feeling returns so I don't have to look/check every time my Dogs scratch me when we wrestle. Not that I'll be playing rough with them for a while...
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here is a picture and brand of what I found at Macys.
Thalia leonisa product line. The one I bought is not Latex but does have hook and eye closure.
I'm sure there are other options available. At other stores, but I have not looked.
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i am numb in my abdominal fat grafting area too. At first I thought maybe it was just because of the compression garment being so tight I guess I wasn't expecting that numbness . It's not as numb as my boobs from MX or my toes from chemo.It seems it isn't as much as it was last week so I'm hoping it's still going to improve.
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I have had multiple FG and the numbness from the donor sites did go away for me - it should be a temporary disruption of the nerves.
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I have numbness where my fat was taken too. I figured it was because of swelling.
I am wondering how you are doing ( or have done ) with slowely trying to get back to your regular schedule pre surgery. I am still sleeping in every morning but have promised my husband I would start getting up with our daughter this Friday again like I normally do. I am already meeting her school bus in the afternoon and doing homework with her and stuff. I'm not cooking or cleaning because I'm trying not to lift anything heavy. Last night I cut back on pain pills in the evening and had a terrible night sleeping. I have been using tylenol or ibuprofin during the day and just my narcotic pain reliever at night. It's had me sleeping like a baby. Stopped last night and things didn't go well. Now I'm stressing out about getting it together for Friday when I'm not sleeping well I'm supposed to drive her to piano that day too.
I am 8 days post op today.
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SFKitty, I am getting anatomical implants. I don't know why I didn't ask for the manufacturer name while I was there on Monday. Although she might have been talking very generally to me, she said she'd probably be using a 250-300cc implant. However, from the implant sizing thread, it sounds like the options for the anatomical are measured slightly differently than that.
My implants will also be above the muscle, too, which will be different that many.
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How long is recovery if you don't get FG
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Molly50: 2 weeks. I probably could have returned to my desk job sooner.
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Great! Thanks, Reckless!
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Above the muscle. I think that is different. The nice thing is that we do have options with size, the type of placement, type of implant etc. There was a time when none of this was possible and we would all be having a radical mastectomy whether we liked it or not.
BTW I hate my spanx everyone. Hate it. is there anything out there that is sort of comfortable?
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had my 4 week follow up today. There was still a lot of glue still on my incisions that looked pretty nasty. The nurse used adhesive remover and tweezers and got most of it off. They look so good now. My cancer side looks perfect, my non cancer side not so much-but not terrible. My incisions are vertical and there's loose skin at the bottom of my non cancer side ....I guess what you call a dog ear. Also my incision scar from mx is puckered a little at the top (swap surgery incision wasn't as long). Doc said he could easily fix it later in clinic. My next appt is in 5 weeks. So perhaps the implant will drop a little smoothing the skin a bit. If not, he will nip it.
I never had any numbness at the FG sites. I switched to a snap crotch tummy smoother that had shoulder straps but didn't cover my chest. I found those easier to use the bathroom with.
For the first time in a long time I felt somewhat normal today . I told the nurse that and she said ...they look completely normal! My normal I guess since I have no nipples....yet!
I start back to work tomorrow. Feeling like I'm getting close to being ok finally. Don't know how I would have gotten through this without this group of amazing women
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wow, sounds like numbness after FG is the norm. Wish they would tell us these things. I'm glad to hear that it is fading for some who are further along in the healing process. I'm rather bummed that so much of the front side of my body no longer has any feeling (other than deeply sore). I'm hoping some feeling will return. I know not to expect all sensations to return.
SanFranKitty I'm with you... I hate these compression garmets. At the moment, I'm struggling with the corset pressing directly on my drain wound. I have to move it several times daily to shift it down so it is not resting exactly on the exit. Seems the perfect spot for the drain exits is the natural position for a bra band or a high waist band. Erg!
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BethL, A month is a big milstone
. Congrats and I hope getting back into the swing of things at work comes easily!LRGO. Yes that is the issue, it presses against some very tender areas, and it hurts. I may have to go back to my giant ace wrap in order to sleep tonight.
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If you guys have some sore spots - specifically drain exits you might fold up a telfa pad or some gauze and place it between the area and the garment - sometimes padding it a bit is more comfy.
The numbness should be temporary if you have it, lipo is actually kind of a violent thing and does cause trauma. That is the purpose of compression on the donor site so the tunnels made by the lipo cannula don't fill with fluid and/or form a seroma, which happens when there is surgical trauma. It is not surprising that you have some short-lived numbness where the fat harvest was done.
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