Exchange City
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Yay, Rachel!! Congrats!
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Rachel, we're all waiting with baited breath for you. Congratulations!
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crawfish and sitti Hi there fellow NC ladies! I’m just north of Raleigh. Glad the storm is over and ready for some sunshine!
My implants are sub pec. Never even discussed pre pec because I’m so small/thin to start my doc said that we would go under muscle. I had exchange the end of March and nipple reconstruction 4 weeks ago. It’s getting there, but feels good.
Sitti, I have to ask. Are you at all middle eastern? Sitty is what I called my grandmother. When I see your name it makes me think of her. Just curious.
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UGh. They look like flat pancakes. I don't like the way they look. I know to step away from the mirror and give it a month or two to fall into place. I'm so happy to be over for now. Time to heal and get back to my job.
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Rachel, I’m sorry the “unveiling” today was disappointing. I can empathize though. I’m one month out from exchange and they still look like pancakes. My PS said it can take 6 months for the healing and settling in. Did you have fat grafting, too
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Rachel, hang in there! It takes lots of time for them to change. There is a lot of swelling and depending on pocket work, for them to heal and find their place. It took a year for mine to really become part of me and to look "normal". It is a new normal. Would you be willing to put your profile below your messages so we can see your diagnosis and treatments? It helps us give a more informed response. Did you get smooth rounds or textured anatomicals? They have different recovery times and looks.
I have the Allergan 410 gummy bear anatomicals. under my pecs. That wasn't even an option to go pre-pec. Do step away from the mirror and give yourself a chance to heal. Take care, Robin
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Thank you Robin.
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I see a few posts from NC. I’m from the Charlotte area and was praying that the hurricane would not delay my surgery. Prayers were answered and my exchange surgery is on for tomorrow as scheduled. I have TE in my right breast which will be replaced with silicone implant and will be having a reduction and lift on my left healthy breast. My PE will be fat grafting to fill in around the silicone implant. Has anyone had fat grafting and if so, were you happy with the results. My PE advised me that the area where the liposuction is performed will be sore and will be bruised. Has anyone had similar procedure? #CarolinaStron
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Gram- I’m scheduled to have a similar surgery but both sides on oct 8. I can’t aoeak from experience yet but I was told the same thing as yo
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Gram, hope your surgery today went well. Check in when you’re feeling up to it. I had my exchange with fat grafting 5 weeks ago. The swelling and bruising from the liposuction has been the uncomfortable aspect of this recovery
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TaRenee - Yes I'm half middle eastern. I also called my grandmother Sitti (not really sure how it was spelled). When my 1st grand child was born I wasn't ready to be called grandma so I opted to use Sitti.
Rachelcarter - as Robinblessed said, it really does take lots of time for things to change. My PS had told me at time of exchange it could take 6 months or even up to a year for the implants to completely settle. I've found that to be the case although it may have taken longer because my expanders started prepec and at exchange the implants went subpec requiring all the stretching to happened after exchange. Just want to encourage you that it takes a while for things to change and settle.
Gramto4 - I'm from Charlotte area too. I had a small amount of fat grafting done at time of exchange. The donor site was sore but not unbearable. I hope your exchange went well and you are home recovering.
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My surgery went well. I’m really sore all over and have quite a bit of bruising from the fat grafting on my stomach and sides. The area around the implant breast is bruised from the fat injection also. Today is day two and I’m feeling better than yesterday. It’s painful on my left side where the reduction and lift was done and much discomfort to bend over / getting up out of bed and a chair. I have a surgical bra on that I will need to wear until I see my PS in 10 days. It’s not the most comfortable thing and I’m looking forward to taking it off tomorrow when I’m able to shower for the first time.
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Why fat graphting vs. alloderm? Please forgive me if this is a really stupid question.
My exchange surgery is scheduled for this coming up Friday and I’m just losing it a little I have not asked enough questions, among other things.
I feel like cancelling the whole thing, anyone felt like that?
Keep healing Gramto4!
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CBK- fat grafting is used to help soften the edges of the implants so they look a little more natural and a little less like implants under skin. From what I’ve been told aloderm is used to help form the pocket on the inside and gives little extra layer between implant and muscle and implant and skin.
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SLL101984
Ahhh thanks for that explanation fat GRAFTing vs, AlloDerm. I hope my PS isn’t holding out on me needing fat GRAFTing until the 11th hour. I’m NOT in for any surprises.
Thank you SLL
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Fat Grafting is often done down the road 6 months or more if it is needed. It doesn't need to be part of the exchange surgery.
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CBK
As the others before me stated, the fat grafting is to fill in and for contouring around the implant once placed in the breast. My PS explained it like this: during the mastectomy all the breast tissue is removed so there would be no natural tissue around the implant and the transferred fat cells act as a cushion to help keep the implant in place too. They help cosmetically to round out the breast with a fuller appearance. I will have nipple reconstruction in December and he will do more if needed then
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Thanks Minus 2 and Gramto4-
I bet I have a lot of tissue already to work with plus a flap so I may not need to graft. However they can hit me up during the nipple construction if need be. My plastic surgeon was saying they may do that procedure with a local anesthesia but that’s not happening if I need fat GRAFTing.
Thanks Ladies for your responses I’m feeling a little more at ease this am.
How you feeling Gramto4? What pain meds are you taking if you don’t mind sharing? I can never do diluadid that they always insist on giving me, makes me sick. Finally had to put on my chart im allergic so they wouldn’t give me in recovery.
For my lat flap I only needed Tylenol after the first day and my surgeon says no drains this go around. 🙌
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I just discovered this group. I had my exchange surgery on September 4th. I did not get alloderm after my mastectomy so got it during this surgery. The PS also found that the right side had encapsulated and the was a lot of scar tissue from the radiation. I came out of surgery with 3 drains, got 2 removed at day 9, the drain in the area where she did all the repair was not ready so had me go back on Sept. 17th to get it removed. On Sept 15th my right breast was quite sore, I figured I had over done it, pain was worse on the 16th but when I woke up on the 17th it was horrible, I was glad I was seeing the PA at the PS office. The PA told me it was just the drain and I was going to feel better after she took it out. I tried to get her to understand the level of pain but it didn't risk. Monday night (17th) I skipped a dose of pain meds so I could time then to be at bedtime in hours of a little sleep and my temp went to 101.9. Tuesday I called the PS office. They got me in and pulled her out to see me between surgeries, I had cellulitis and they started me on IV antibiotics right away with an appointment for Wednesday for another dose. By Wednesday I struggled to keep my eyes opened I was so sick. She sent me right to the hospital to be admitted. I was put on Vancomycin and ceftriaxone and had a great doctor who told me he would give me whatever I wanted for pain...of course the are very few things I can take but he was so good to me. By Friday I was not feeling any better, my head had been throbbing since Monday and it was so bad i could barely own my eyes, i was in so much pain that pain meds only have me slight relief for a half hour to an hour. The PS said she had to take me back to surgery and she would hopefully be able to put an expander back in. I woke up from surgery flat on my right side, my husband had to break the news to me. He held my hand as i cried, i don't know why, but this is so much harder to handle than the mastectomy and radiation. She will dry too put another TE in one I break, but it may not be possible because this is the radiated side. I know I will see what it looks like on Thursday when she takes the bandages off, but I don't want to see it... i am sure it looks awful.
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Dlpaquette: I am so, so sorry you got cellulitis, especially after exchange surgery. I felt absolutely LOUSY both times I got cellulitis - I've decided that fever is the great equalizer and will sideline even the most resilient people. It is very deflating (literally and figuratively) to have a setback with reconstruction. I had cellulitis in July and was hospitalized but PS did not remove TE at that time - just put me on 2 antibiotics for several weeks after I got out of hospital. I don't think I ever fully kicked the infection - I think it was dormant for 6 weeks but still there. The cellulitis flared up again, 4 days before exchange surgery which was the same day as your surgery, Sept. 4. Instead of exchange surgery, PS took out the TE and I am flat on that side for the next two months. I found a new PS (long story) and will try another expander in November, but I've already told my husband that if I have more problems on that side, I will opt to go flat on that side. I'm so tired of dealing with this - I was diagnosed Feb 1st and I remember thinking that I would be all done with treatment by late April for the New Orleans Jazz Festival; I chuckle at that unfounded optimism now. I'll be honest: it's not easy to look at for the first few days - if it's anything like mine, it looks like a breast imploded and caved in on itself because they don't remove the tissue so all crumples up. I don't think I let my husband see it for 4-5 days after surgery and I still take great care not to let my 16 year old daughter see me without a shirt on. Try to think of this time as a thin slice of your otherwise hopefully long life - in the long run this is a drop in the bucket and we can do hard things. My mother is in the late stages of Parkinson's and what is she is going through is infinitely harder and sadder than anything I am dealing with.
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Thanks Ready About, I hope I will be able to get another expander. Did you have radiation in that side also? I was diagnosed in December and originally told no radiation so I thought I would be done months ago also. To make matters worse I need knee surgery and was hoping to get all surgeries done this year as I have got my out of pocket for the second year in a row and can't afford a 3rd. I am a bit discouraged right now. This is not the worst thing I have been through, I watched my precious son go through hell for years, so much pain, and held him in my arms when he took his last breath, that will always be the worst day of my life.
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ReadyAbout: love this "Try to think of this time as a thin slice of your otherwise hopefully long life"
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I recently discovered the site and group as well. Had my double mastectomy 8/31/18 and have had one fill thus far.
I am so sorry to here about the cellulitis. That must have been incredibly scary and also distressing😔. It goes to show how tough this process can be. Hang in there and know you are never alone, especially with such a wonderful forum and site
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hi everyone! my exchange surgery for the prophylactic side is scheduled for mid-January. I plan on having my ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed as well
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I'm almost two weeks out from my exchange and am still sore where the surgeon did revision work on the outer part of my breasts under my arms. I wake up in the middle of the night needing another Tylonal. I already forget how long the incisions took to heal from the mastectomy. I thought I would be healed by now.
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rachelcarter35
Sorry to hear that your still sore. What type of revision work did your PS do
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My expanders had moved laterally towards my armpits. They were also too wide for my frame. He moved them back inward and narrowed them a little....actually they still feel too wide but I'm going to hold judgment and am unlikely to go under the knife again. I want to get on with my life.
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For those of you that had just a successful exchange surgery; no fat GRAFTing or revisions could you let me know how long your recovery process was?
I understand you need to lay off lifting and weight bearing for some time so implants don’t migrate but I want to get back to modified exercise as quickly as possible.
Thanks!!!
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I was on a walking only exercise program for 5 weeks at which point I resumed my yoga/pilates classes but in restarting after 5.5 weeks I had to build back into them...so no planck on the first day!
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CBK:
I started gentle walking and gradually began my daily routines probably about 7 days. I was careful with lifting and started with small items. I waited maybe 5 weeks or so until I lifted groceries bags or gallons of milk.
I can't remember how long recovery was. I did everything slowly and built my strength up gradually.
I did have a revision for capsular contraction in June, 2017. I have just started lifting weights, push ups, and planks, and probably could have started much, much earlier.
Ask you PS for guidelines. Your body will tell you as well.
Best wishes
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