Exchange City
Comments
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Dancingveggie: About that nose ring - well - it might be a nice addition if part of your dancing veggie routine involves a pole and a nightclub frequented by Harley enthusiasts. [I think you were joshing us....right?] Ditto what FACECRAFTER said. There are a number of women who have had rads and have silicone implants. Your PS might be thinking he will help reduce the risk of capsular contracture [higher risk with post-rads patients] but only minimally actually. That said, many women are perfectly happy with saline implants - and for some reason - there are some plastic surgeons out there who only use saline implants, rads or no rads, and yours might be one of them.
Celine: One question you posed did not get a good answer from your PS!
"What I have under my armpits are annoying. Will the pocket be revised at the time of the exchange? "
Answer: It will be the same but softer.
He is not answering your question about REVISING that area! Is he going to pull that excess in and suture down the pockets laterally - on the sides near your armpits? Tell your PS to do what he needs to do to get you to AT LEAST a 550 cc implant. I know you want HP's but I think that moderate plus - not MODERATE - but the moderate plus - would be nice also.
I do not know what vertical scoring is either!!! Where did you get this term Celine?
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Yea Traci!!!!!! How are you feeling? How long was the surgery? Can you tell I'm getting nervous? I am so happy you are doing well!
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I had vertical scoring -- actually cross scoring (XXXX) to release scar tissue that was causing an indentation in my implant.
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Hi Traci and swest!!!!! I have the same questions. And I want you to know my excitement to get these TE's out far outweigh my nervousness about this Friday!!! Much different feeling from my first experience where I was just a nervous wreck!!!!
Honestly, my biggest stresser is about missing my sons open houses at school. It will be the first time I have ever missed one!!!! The open houses are 6 days after my surgery. And I have to spend the night in the hospital Friday night so he can check on me Saturday because I am having alloderm and he says there is a chance of rejection or infection with alloderm so I definitely need to spend the night! RATS!
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Cheri - You might be up to by next Thursday. I hear it's not as bad as mx. I'm so nervous because I want this done right the first time. No revisions! I'm trying to get everything done within this years deductible. I think I'm more excited than nervous. I can't wait to be soft again. I'll be able to drive my car without feeling these rocks rubbing on my arms.
I'll make sure to be back to cheer you on!!!!!Thanks Robin! That makes sense.
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traci: Did you get the "C" cups you wanted? I would imagine so - with 600 cc's!
RE: What I mentioned previously: DREAM ANGELS BRA WITH MEMORY FOAM FIT...
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Cheri ~ It sounds like you are being taken care of very well right after surgery. I had drains for 4 days and a lot of pocket revisions and I could have gone to an open house for my kids 6 days after surgery. Open houses can be a short swing through their class to see what they have done and be on your way. The exchange is SOOOO much easier.
Angel ~ Don't buy too many bras. I had my exchange in May and already some of the bras don't fit as well anymore. I have fluffed and settled. I had the same problem initially - I wasn't quite a "C" cup , but I found some bras at Penneys called Ambrielle that I was able to fit into and I bought one in every color. Well, now 3 months later they aren't comfortable. I do fill out most "C" cups now. Kohl's was a good place to go too. The Warner bras are very comfortable and -YES- the one style I did buy in every color.
Celine ~ If you do not want to feel the TE's under your arms anymore - make sure and let your PS know. That was a deal breaker for me. I told him even if it meant less cleavage I COULD NOT live with my implants under my armpits! He did pocket revisions and I believe stitched it internally. He even put it in his pre-op notes.
Best wishes to everyone and good healing.
Peg
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Traci.. glad to see you home and recouping!
I am going to but the Angel Bra... Warners is what I wear now.. but it really makes me look like a large B cup...
I had the cross scoring too...XXXX it releases the scar tissue from rads too. They do this in a capsulectomy.
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Deborah... just had to say......
I love seeing your smiling face ...... I just do! It is like a warm fuzzy on BCO!
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athena: According to Mentor's website re: tissue expanders:
"Leakage from injection dome can result from use of improper size of injection needle, injections outside of the palpation ring, or excessive pressure on the overlying tissue at the expander site, resulting in back pressure directed to the injection site."
Mentor does not mention failure of the device itself, but apparently this is a rarity.
I think I would have your PS go in and see what is going on with that TE and exchange it out if necessary.
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swest- yes please get back on ASAP to let us know how you did!!! You are in my thoughts and prayers, especially since we are week sisters!!! (not weak though!!!) I know you must be getting excited.
Hi Peg! Thanks for that- I am keeping my fingers crossed- if I miss it, I miss it! Oh well! This has to come first because these TE's are so annoying I can not wait an extra week to get them out!!!
Traci I am so glad you are doing so well!!! Gosh! It sounds so encouraging!!
athena- my thoughts are with you. I have not had any of that happen but just wanted you to know I am thinking of you!
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wow Athena....sorry to hear of your travails! I have not had such a problem, and Deborah is our breast whisperer....so you probably got the most accurate possibilities...but good luck on Friday!
God Bless!
Deb...did I get that right this time?
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Thanks Peggio on the shopping advice!
God Bless!
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Laura - I love seeing your pretty, smiling little face too! I will not have trouble recognizing you in Vegas!!!
As I have mentioned before, VS does have wireless push up bras - and so if your PS is against wired bras or if you are just not accustomed to wearing them - I would try the wireless versions first. I am wearing a Natori bra which does have underwires, but the wire part is under my IMF - it really is not rubbing against my breast much at all. For anyone who has a problem with the implants migrating towards the armpits - or "laterally" - there is a bra which is made to keep the implants moving towards center stage. The one that probably would work best has some side "stays" which might be more appropriate six months or so after the exchange. But there is a wireless version which might do a sufficient job of compressing the implants towards the cup and encasing them for a better silhouette in clothing. This one has the side support "seams" or stays...
http://www.bella-jane.com/bra_side_support_stays_3013_543_prd1.htm
This one just has side seams to compress the breasts away from the armpits:
http://www.bella-jane.com/bra_side_support_seams_3013_534_prd1.htm
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Thanks Cheri! I'm off to go grocery shopping so I'll have food while I'm home. I'll be home by myself on Thursday and Friday so I thought I'd get easy fixin foods. (Not healthy but convenient). My neighbor is fixing dinner for me on Wednesday. I'm so lucky to have great neighbors!
Does anyone think I'll have trouble going back to work on Monday? That would be 5 days out.???
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Well, Athena, we do not really know for certain that your tissue is causing back pressure. There seem to be four catagories involved here....two of them operator error - meaning that the PS is using the wrong needle, he might not be finding the port and he is injecting outside of the self-sealing area around the injection port - or also - there might be some defect in the TE itself. But I agree with you about addressing whatever is going on - if indeed there is some tissue swelling or scar tissue impinging on the expander matrix. I have heard about TE's needing to be removed because the PS could not properly fill the device due to port locator issues - and then of course there is TE removal required b/c of infection, etc. Incidentally, are your TE's completely submuscular? Is the lower 1/3 under musculature also or do you have partial pectoral placement only? Do you actually SEE the tissue expander enlarging with the fill BEFORE it leaks or does the saline just immediately expel and the TE remains deflated? I wonder if there is any way your PS could determine if there is some mechanical reason this is not working before you go through an invasive procedure....
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Deborah - you are not only the "breast whisperer," but a web genius, to boot! Thanks for all the links - it would take me FOREVER to find those! (I love the "fashionable housewife" one! LOL)
Swest - Good luck tomorrow - more soft Texas foobies! You, too, Believe1! Cheri2 - THREE MORE DAYS, girl!!
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LOL....Athena - I'm with you sister! Keep up that good attitude about the goal of getting the best result possible from this messarooni! There is no "best" method for breast reconstruction with TE's. It is more intensive of a procedure and requires more expertise to employ the complete submuscular technique, but I would say that the majority of of here have partial "unders" - the top portion of the TE is partially under the pectorals and the lower pole is directly under the skin. Some of us with partial unders have Alloderm and Alloderm seems to point most obviously to the partial method of placement.
The benefit of complete submuscular placement is reduced risk of capsular contracture, more tissue [muscle and skin] coverage of the TE and subsequently the implant and reduced "animation" of the pectoral muscles. There is reduced liklihood of rippling of the implant with this placement method. There is often more post-surgical pain associated with complete muscular TE's. Plastic surgeons who use this method also feel that complete submuscular placement will prevent bottoming out of of the implant and will be more enduring in terms of staying in one place - i.e. no drooping....no need for a mastopexy/lift down the road. That said, I do NOT have complete submusculars. Just wondered if you did and if the muscle was compressing the TE within the pocket around the port area so severely that this was causing the backpressure leakage. Just thinking out loud and trying to let you know that it is likely nothing at all which will compromise your eventual outcome.....
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swest- I wish you weren't going to be home alone!! If I lived near you I would check on you. My PS says to eat lots of protein to heal fast! So when you are at the grocery store get lots of protein stuff!!! I am planning on drinking milk with muscle milk mixed in (protein shakes) 3 times a day!!!
val- can you hear me chanting-3 more days-3 more days- 3 more days!!!
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My PS said he will give me a patch to wear before the day of surgery but he didn't mention the name. So when I see the next time I will ask him what the patch name is.
I think my PS is going to 550cc implant because he wants to give me another fill. I am at 550 cc already. It is very uncomfortable now than before. My chest is very tight. My next appt with him is next month after my vacation 9/23. I will ask him again what he would do to my side of my implant that keeps annoying me.
I read this to one of the post awhile back that was done by the PS to remove the scar that had built-up during the expansion process. I placed this question in my list because I was afraid I might have some scar encapsulation and he said that the way my incision was made horizontal, he could not do the vertical scoring (which is removing the scar that was created inside just above the expander).
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Athena: : You have to start out from the get go with complete submusculars - the TE placement determines where the implants will be placed. You cannot exchange out to implants which are completely submuscular, because the submuscular pocket has not been created and expanded. Do you have access to the picture's forum yet - to see what breast reconstruction with TE's looks like? You frankly would not be able to tell the difference between partials and completes..0
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Swest- I had my exchange on a Wednesday, (2 weeks ago tomorrow) and I was home alone the next two days as well. I was perfectly fine, and enjoyed the peace and quite. You'll be fine. I definately could have gone to work 5 days out. I was a little tired, but not hurting. I drove on day 3. You're in my thoughts!!
Deborah- Thanks so much for all of the bra information. My family thinks I have lost my mind because I have purchased, ( and returned so many bras in the last two weeks)! My implants are tight in my chest so I am just having comfort issues. I didn't expect to feel tight after the expanders were out. They are soft yes, but still as tight as the expanders origonally were. I guess I still have some stretching to do. And. I need to be more faithful with the stretching exercises.
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Has anyone had their PS fix that annoying excess under our armpits by suturing down the pockets laterally - on the sides near your armpits? Did your cosmetic outcome look good on the sides? I asked my new PS if he would do fix my armpit issue at exchange time. His answer was no- It would cause an result that would make the side of the breast look flat/square and that I won't notice the implant being in my armpit as much since it will be softer than these TE's.
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Has anyone had their PS fix that annoying excess under our armpits by suturing down the pockets laterally - on the sides near your armpits? Did your cosmetic outcome look good on the sides? I asked my new PS if he would fix my TE's in the armpit issue at exchange time. His answer was no- It would cause an cosmetic result that would make the side of the breast look flat/square and that I won't notice the implant being in my armpit as much since it will be softer than these TE's.
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Packergirl - I must admit, the implants are MUCH less noticable under the arms. I think my implants look fine from the sides.
Linda - I LOVE your new picture. You and your husband are beautiful! What a couple you make!
Karen (KEW) - When do you get your scan results. We are there w/ you sister!
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Traci26 - What a great update. I am so happy things went so smoooooooootthhhh.
Saintmelissa - Let us know how you did. Your expanders looked so amazing- I can't wait to see how the final result looks.
Believe1 & swest- Best wishes for your exchange surgeries tomorrow!
Cheri2 - Friday is going to be a great day for you!
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((DancingVeggies)) Your piercing post was a hoot! Just make sure they don't mix up procedures.
((Deen)) So the nipple addition didn't fill out the end of the breast? I have the same issue and was hoping that with the addition of the nipple would make up the difference. Oh well, no biggie, literally and figuratively.
((Karen)) God bless you! You are a very special talented lady and I keep you in close thoughts. Take care, keep us posted sister friend and know that you are never far from good thoughts.
((Traci126)) Great news, I am so happy for you and the "adopted twins".
((Deborah)) I learned 2 new things today from reading your replies.
Jan
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BELIEVE AND SWEST............... GOOD LUCK TOMORROW and HUGE wahoooooo
You are gonna do great...
Packer... I left you a note on the Vegas thread....
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Kew/Karen...
I have not seen you on facebook today..
I am praying for you sweety...
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swest you should be just fine by Monday. I would just suggest not to lift anything over 15lb for the 1st couple of weeks. I hope your work doesn't include heavy lifting...
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