Exchange City
Comments
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Remi50,
I was pretty happy from the beginning. The placement is right, and the shape is pretty good too. As I said above, I went smaller which made me happy. I very much like the way I look in a bra and clothes (I'm a fan of the Genie bra); I also like how I look in a nightgown. I'm not quite as happy with naked: there's a little extra on the sides. However my scars have healed very nicely, and my PS did a good job on my origami nipples and tattoos.
This is quite a challenging process, isn't it?
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hi janett,
It's great to hear a positive outcome. It really helps to hear positive stories.. I have my follow up wed. Hoping when the tape is off and the bra is removed I will feel better. But I don't even look like I'm a b cup . I just sympathize with all the woman that wake up from this exchange surgery hoping for a half way decent result.. Very overwhelmed but will continue to be hopefully optimistic. I took so long to have this exchange fearing that I would not have good results. I just want to feel like I have a perky breast with a nice shape..all I see is a flat droopy breast. My inclination was to go with a textured round .. Maybe they would have ended up flat too.. I have to do more research and talk to more b reconstruction patients.. I'll post again..
Remi5
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hi huskerfan ,
Let me know how your follow up goes today. Pm me if you want my number to chat later..
Remi50
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How annoying. I just tried to post a minute ago and my cat jumped on the computer and deleted it!! Bad kitty.
How is everyone doing? I am 1 month post op today! My chest looks pretty good except it's still fuller on the outer edge of one breast. I'm not sure if it is because fat did not take there, or maybe some saline leaked? I will be able to address my concerns next Tuesday at my appointment.
I tried on bras at Nordstom and Victoria's Secret. My two favorites were the Wacoal how perfect style and the VS easy plunge. I'm measuring at a 32D. I had expected a C. But I'm okay either way.
Wore jeans for the first time since my surgery. Yay! Getting back to normal.
Remi, you have your big reveal coming up right? Good luck!
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hi there SanFranKitty,
Lol about the cat..glad you had a great shopping trip. How are you feeling as far as implants go. Do you feel comfortable with implants and do you feel like you did prior to all the surgery?(as much as can be expected) Besides feeling a poke here and there I hardly felt my TE's. I was never comfortable sleeping on my stomach with them. I'm curious to hear what your surgeon has to say about the side that is not quite right. I still have so much anxiety. I have spoke with quite a few other woman on different threads and a majority were not happy with the 410's. I will pray for a good outcome but will prepare myself for a redo as a lot of other woman changed from theirs pretty quickly. I hope that is not the case and they morph. I am so tired but have not taken any pain pills today so that's a good thing that pain is subsiding. I will catch you tomorrow and let you know how things go. Thanks for your support!!
Remi50
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Hi Remi! My cat tends to have incidents like that a lot because he has been blind since he was a kitten.
My implants are comfortable so far. It's the new normal as people say. Mostly I forget I have them. I was actually not too uncomfortable with TEs either, and didn't mind the way they looked under clothing. In fact with a padded coobie bra they looked pretty good. But my new implants look more REAL, except I always look like I'm wearing a really good bra, ha ha.
I don't have all my feeling back. I think I only have about 50% back. which isn't great. So my mastectomy must have done some serious nerve damage. I'm still being kind of careful with what I lift, and stuff because I haven't been given the go ahead to lift more than 9 lbs yet. But I bet at my next appointment he will okay lifting, and hopefully side sleeping!
Awesome that you are feeling good enough to go without pain pills. Hope you are happy with your results.
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Hi SanFranKitty,
glad to hear all the good details about your exchange. Like your kitty we will adapt.. What kind of kitty is she? I have a 14 year old Pomeranian that I just love too. I love all pets. Enjoy their company so much. Cooper, my Pom has not left my side since surgery.. Loyal he is..so great to talk with you. I will let you now how tomorrow goes.. Fingers crossed.
Remi50
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Animals are wonderful support. My kitty was by my side during both my recoveries too. They just seem to know somehow. T.C. is a skinny 9lb tabby cat. My mother in law has a pomeranian. I call him my dog in law. He likes to come over and eat our cats food!
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hi Huskerfan,
Hope you are ok. I know your follow up apt. was yesterday. Looking forward to catching up and seeing how all is going!!☀️☀️☀️
Remi50
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Hey exchange sisters! I got great news today. My drains have been removed, I'm out of post lypo compression, I am cleared to return to work (no restrictions ) next week, and I can sleep on my sides again! Tonight I will try side sleeping with a hug pillow and see how it feels. 4 months sleeping on my back...I think I've forgotten how to sleep sidewise!.
I still have a 10 lb weight limit. And won't be allowed to start workouts until after my followup appointment with my PS but that can wait.
I can see that more fat has vanished - I think it has moved back to my sides, I am seeing some rippling but it is minor. My PA said they can fat graft again at the same time they origami my nipples. Has anyone else heard of these two surgeries being combined? I'm thinking I'd prefer to finish the fat grafts prior to making new nipples... but that would delay things by months. Boy is this process complicated but good news does happen. So far I've been very lucky!
Good luck on all your various procedures ladies! I hope everyone is successful!
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hi SanFranKitty,
Looks like your up late too. Lol... T.C. Sounds pretty special too. My Pom is 7.5 lbs. sounds like TC is bigger than my Cooper. My friend says my Cooper is just like a cat... Lately he is so fussy about eating. He will absolutely not eat dog food anymore. I have tried to hold off on feeding him so he will be tempted by the dog food but at 14 I found that he was off balance and I think his sugar was low. At 14 I think that he has decided what he likes and prefers to eat.. And that is what we are eating.. He is my little Romeo .. Love him to pieces so I will continue to spoil him and give him his ice cream occasionally!!
Remi50
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that's one lucky cat, Remi50! Spoil away! ;-)
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hi LRGO2016,
Thanks for commenting.. Love my Cooper. He has been loyally by my side and literally at my feet the last 18 months +. I have had such an awful time through this crazy roller coaster ride.. Hate is a strong word and I hate roller coasters For every reason imaginable. So I have got to know my bed and couch well.. Thanks to Cooper I have an amazing cuddle bug.. They have such a strong sense that something is wrong because his behavior has absolutely changed since my first surgery back in Feb 2015. How lucky am I to have him by my side!! He helped me through very sad times.. So I think he deserves whatever he wants these days!! Feeling grateful!!
Remi50
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I agree. Cooper sounds very sweet and deserves to be spoiled!
LRGO, Congrats on getting those drains out! I know you have had them for a long time and have been very patient. I think I would want to do the procedures at different times too.
The fat can move back to the same place? Bummer. I thought I'd gotten rid of that stubborn belly fat for good.
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ha ha... SanFran, Just joking about the fat moving! My sedentary phase while recovering from surgeries has me feeling flabby and I've gained 10 lbs back of the 30 I had managed to work off prior to getting on this roller coaster! Seems it is regrow in on my waist! Erg.
Remi50, our furry friends do know when we are under the weather. They are much more in tune to physical signals than we are and they respond accordingly to comfort those they love. I have 3 Golden retrievers (two are 2.5 years old and one who is 14). They have been so focused on me since this all began and gave been extra gentle with me, even though it is NOT their nature to be careful. They are so perceptive and I'm so grateful for them and their unconditional love.
Life is simply better with fur on top of and in it!
Guess I'll always be sieving fur out of my dinner, off my clothes and out of my car! ;-)
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LOL.. yes, to love our furry friends..Awesome you have triplets like I had. I used to breed the pomerainians when my kids were smaller and could help with some of the work. We always had large dogs and we rescued a Pom and we fell in love from there. Off to hopefully get my drains removed too.. Off to Boston to have follow up from exchange. Very nervous because I am not happy so far with the results although I know it's early,,,I will be posting when I get back. Maybe a stop at Patriot place at express with chair me up...Lost my good white cotton dress up or down pants..Everything feels ten fold these days.. I need a good walk.....Catch you on the flip side because I would like to know about your oophectomy,,maybe be in my near future and again I need to get all my ducks in a row...
Remi50
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Hi Sanfrankitty,
When do you go back to the docs to find out about your unevenness? Sounds like it will be an easy fix... Hoping I get my drains out today too but I don't think it will happen as my out put day/ per a.m. & p.m is still hovering around 30..I would be very surprised if I get them out...Well, here is to wishful thinking once I get to remove the comp bra..All day affair to travel to Boston for me. Worth it all day long..Awesome docs..well worth it. Hubby should be home soon to take me..gotta love him! He is amazing and very supportive over everything..Catch you all later.. Hope you ladies have a really good day..It's a beautiful fall New England Day!! Fall is in the air here!!
REmi50
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Good luck today!
I go next Tuesday. Hopefully they will know what is causing it, and how it can be adjusted.
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Hi Ladies,
LRGO - Yippee for getting your drains out! and no compression?!? and side sleeping?!??! It's like you hit the jackpot. Jealous here. Do you feel so free, though? Remi, I hope you get good news on the drains today, too. I didn't have them with exchange but I when I had them after BMX I was basically bedridden (or couch/lazyboy-ridden) until they were out so I sympathize greatly.
SFKitt, I think I missed your post about being uneven. Shoot, I'll be curious to here if they know the cause. I talked to my PS's nurse yesterday about the ridge line running across the bottom half of my implant and she really didn't have an answer except to say it could wait until my Oct. 5th appointment. I thought she'd be able to give some good guesses at least. I could tell near the end of our conversation she has thought I was referring to my actually incision and I had to re-explan that it was about 1 1/2-2 inches above that. I think that confused her but since there's no sign of infection, etc... I'll wait until my appointment.
I ordered up some bras from zappos the other day. I think a total a of 7. I found two that I think will work (and learned about bra sizing, too). Calvin Klein likes people to have shoulders, I don't so my daughter got a new bra yesterday. It appears we are kind of the same size - ironic. Someone on here recommended Natori (Thank you!). Zappos carries every imaginable size and Natori seems to know if you're ordering a 30 it probably means your shoulders aren't so big. Hello, 30DD (runs a little small compared to the CK). Oh, and then I bought this sport bra by Anita which kind of looks like a cross between a sport bra and regular bra and holy cow, it fits like a dream. Like someone made it just for my foobs. My PS had said a sport bra with a good tight band/support would also work in lieu of an underwire and this thing is unbelievable! It was just a shot in the dark but it's like someone tailored it onto my body. I kind of just want to wear it around and have people admire me and my foobs. So, although Nordstroms used to be my favorite retail space, I just want to send them a big F U again for my experience there last week. and thank you Zappos
So, all is pretty well post-exchange here at the moment. My one month visit on Oct. 5th with discussion of the odd ridge I have and a second round of fat grafting may change things. I have some unevenness between sides. I suspect a minute difference in height, too. I think the left still has some upper pole swelling that is gone from the right. I like the left better so I'm not sure if this means fat grafting is needed or possibly this is how it is. I think with my body frame the natrelle 410 is working, but I'm getting the impression from reading posts that perhaps there are only certain body types that it will work on.
Have a great day!
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Hi JJ!
Thanks for your detailed bra report. I am still in search of the perfect bra.
My 410's are pretty much good, but with issues. I have height asymmetry, a big "Alloderm ridge" near the cleavage on Lefty and Righty is becoming a drifter toward my armpit. It's like the right pocket is too big and loose in general. I wear a bra 24/7 as I don't like the feeling when Righty is free and I sure don't like seeing her and her "droopy drawers" in the mirror! I am hoping a consult with someone new will help me to feel better about things-one way or another.
Thanks again for the update.
C
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Yes, Carla, even before implants/reconstruction, I don't know how people ever found good-fitting bras. They run crazy different even within the same size!
Did you ever feel the alloderm when just had your TEs? That ridge I have running horizontally across righty wasn't there before. I had plenty of other points and folds I could see and feel with the TEs, though.
Did you have a lot of restriction after exchange or just discussions with your PS about allowing them to heal in place? I'm just curious - my PS said, in her words, "I'm kind of a Nazi about this - no physical activity for 4 weeks." Pretty much just easy walking - they even showed me how not to swing my arms to vigorously if I was walking quickly! I'm finding it hard to be very inactive. Just doing simple things that cause me to reach, stretch, lift. I wonder how much this might affect the ability of the implants to heal "in place". I really feel just fine for the most part so I don't really have any physical reminders like pain twinges to tell me to stop. I, obviously, am avoiding real workouts like biking, etc... but geesh, it's hard when I feel fine. If you recall, my implants are above the muscle but using alloderm. That might be a difference, I suppose. Argh, that must be frustrating to feel your righty is moving!
Hope you get good info at your consult!
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I had very few restrictions: just lifting anything heavy, sleeping on my back only and wearing a bra 24/7 for a month. I did ROM exercises from day 1 and did similar after the BMX. It sounds like your PS is afraid of rotation. Mine was a little concerned and said he'd put in rounds if it happened and I never wanted anything to happen more than rotation so I could get rid of the 410's! LOL. Alas, they healed in place...minus the drift on Righty, which is a skin/muscle issue, not an implant problem.
I did feel the Alloderm with the TE's...but on Righty. Now the ridge is on Lefty. Righty also has some rippling on the outer edge, which goes away when I lift up everything, or keep a bra on all the time. Sigh.
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Hi everyone! Having my implants move is a fear of mine. Carla I hope they can fix it easily. I'm guessing that will mean surgery right?
JessieJake, Yeah one of mine seems fuller on one side, the right. I like the right one more and would like the left to have the same look. Today I'm wearing a loose t shirt with a bra and they look good. I don't think anyone would be able to tell that I have implants. But I want them even. Having reconstructed foobs is not just to look good in clothes, but so that when you look in the mirror you feel okay. Otherwise I like them.
Hope you can get that ridge figured out. That is a mystery. The Anita bra sounds interesting. What model is it?
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JJ, please follow your PS restrictions! With 410, you want to make sure they adhere to the pocket. That is why you have compression bra and wrap for a werk and need to wear a sport bra 24/7 for however long PS ssys.
I did exactly what he said and I have a great result and love my 410s 475cc FF.
"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!"
Robin
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SanFranKitty, the implant hasn't moved, it's just that the whole skin and muscle envelope is loose and droopy as I needed a lift and didn't get it as was planned during the BMX. Righty was a bit larger when I had my native breasts and now it has droopy skin near the IMF. When I woke up from the exchange I could see and feel the difference and was not happy and now Righty sits about 1.5 inches lower than lefty and drifts laterally a bit. I can assume it will get worse with time due to my large-ish implants and thin skin. My current surgeon says as much as he'd love to do more surgery, he's not sure it would help. That's why I want a second opinion.
A few weeks ago I was much happier with the whole deal but now not so much. I'm accepting that this is a process and trying to be gentle with myself and just trying to gather information so I can make a good decision eventually. I know at some point I will need to simply be done. I am just not there yet.
The support here is invaluable! I love it!
C
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hi ladies,
Didn't sign on last night when home from my follow up apt. for the exchange. Reminder: 410 anatomical silicone 360cc. Surgery sept. 15, 2016. Have been complaining about looking down into compression bra and so afraid of how flat looking they are..yesterday was a long day.. It's a good 2 hour drive because of traffic and bumpy roads were a challenge. So, nurse practitioner was my follow up, thought I would be seeing ps. Both drains removed which I was kind of surprised : output for 24 hrs was 30 on both. They say between 20-30 and they are ok to remove. So my list of questions I will save for ps. Well: reveal was unnerving and yes I feel they look flatter than with my TE's but I'm still taped up at bottom where cleavage is to under breast around to outside and over upper breast. So I don't think I can get full gauge of what they look like.
ROBINBLESSED gives good valuable advice. She has been through this and she is way out from we are.. Its so difficult because we just want to be happy with the results and the process is slow and so anxiety provoking. We do seek knowledge from others to make the best decsions then push comes to shove and we are at mercy of the doc/professional in hopes they do everything perfectly. ( I am so tired of making decisions and second guessing and waivering on them) There is always the infamous words.. We'll have to wait to see when we get in there and that will dictate everything. Maybe they have their reasons but then we are the ones that has to live with the results.. I think that we really have to give it some time. There will be things that we find like the eneveness, shifting, etc.. I guess they say it can take up to 6-9 months or longer for things to really settle.. So I have been trying to say to myself wait and see where I'm at in 6 months, revaluate and start inquiring if I'm not happy or there seems to be a big issue like a lot of ladies express on these threads. I can't imagine that we won't have the option of fixing something that's not correct or is physically uncomfortable. We can see the finish line but can't get there. I'm so glad in the meantime I have all of you! I will listen and support you as you all have with me. We are lucky and blessed in so many ways. I have to stop and remind myself somtimes.☀️☀️
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Remi, congrats on getting those drains out. Especially if it takes 2 hours to get to your PS. Wow. I think I am one of the few people that lives 5 blocks from my PS. And his office is upstairs from the hospital that he uses for surgery. When I had my mastectomy and had to spend two night in the hospital, I could actually see my house from the window of my hospital room!
It is too bad that you can't see everything due to bandages. Will they come off soon? When those come off you will get the full picture. And hopefully you will like your results. But at least you can visualize things a little better now.
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hi SanFranKitty ...that's great you live in the city... I love the city too.. I don't live in the city but love visiting.. Boston is actually 50 min away but traffic is the problem.. And it depends what time of day.. I use to take the train a lot for rads everyday.. Felt good!! Gave me exercise to..I have another apt next wed or thurs.. So I guess the bandages will come off then. Otherwise they aren't plump like I hoped for. So if I have swelling I may not be too happy.. I am going to try to remember what ROBINBLESSED said and know that a lot of changes are still to come. I'm kind of looking at it in this perspective.... If it's totally not acceptable at a time that I know has settled I will revisit my options.. I'm going to try to have that attitude because so many things change in a day. I remember how afraid I was to have to have a mastectomy.. I didn't cope well at all and was so afraid... Then I made the decision to have the other mastectomy with nipple sparing and I am so happy I made that decision and I agonized over it. I tried all 3 AI's and I was so sick as a dog I couldn't even get out of bed, had migraines and horrible SE that I had to stop them Now I feel like I have no safety net. I will now move onto alternative options. I agonized over all of that. Every step I have had major issues, I need to take a step back and let this unfold and see what happens. I'm grateful for so many things .. I need to try stop and smell the roses!
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hi again SanFranKitty and ladies,
Next big thing that I had to put aside is the decision to remove my ovaries.. Then I can stop with the lupron injections to keep me in menopause.. Otherwise they think I'm looking at maybe 5 more years on it.. The studies out also show they are not sure how much estrodial levels fluctuate during the month. So with not being able to take the AI's and No tomoxafin because I had the stroke 6 weeks before being diagnosed with bc. there is a mixed view by a few docs about what to do with most in favor of it. That would definitely give me more protection. I got very depressed on the AI meds . As soon as I went off them I returned to normal.. So the question to all the doc was, is it the meds that caused the depression being a SE or was because it stopped the conversion of aroma ties lowering the strodial level? No one can say what it is. I was wondering if any of you had your ovaries removed and suffered a severe depression. I really would like to have it done asap but I'm so afraid of having depression.. Any feedback would be so helpful.
Remi50
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Yeah, Remi, no drains! Sorry you didn't get to talk with your PS. I know I won't be seeing mine either at my 1 month appointment.
I have a friend who had full hysterectomy 3 weeks. She's taking a long time to feel better due to very low hemoglobin on top of that. Then when she starts to turn the corner for better, a staple came open and she had massive bleeding. What a setback. If nothing else, my empathy for people healing from surgeries has increased ten-fold.
In comparison, this is easy healing from my exchange. Robin, no worries on my listening to my PS restrictions! I'm just saying I've got my arm buried into the back of the dryer or over my head in the cupboard before my mind remembers to not do these extreme movements. Aside from strapping my arms down I'm not sure how else to control myself. Ha. I easily drove by the garbage can that needs to come in...amongst other chores that I'm delegating to my family. It just makes me feel quite regal as I "feel" I can do these things and I'm sure I "look" like I can to my children, but I'm just sitting and pointing at what they need to do next.
Enjoy the evening all!
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