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Exchange City

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Comments

  • Tinkerbell99
    Tinkerbell99 Member Posts: 193
    edited November 2009

    firstmate..why have u had so many problems?

    When u do have surgery w/ Nipple Sparing..i have read that they take samples from the nipple to patholgy & if its cancer they remove it..so this is NOT done while u have ur masectomy is it the patholgy? 

    Rockewell: i saw the video (i think) the one u r talking abt & that is what made my mind up for silicone

    i keep seeing all the posts abt the pix u ladies post & i am sad that i cannot view them.  Anyone here know when i get accepted to view them..how long does this process take?

     who wears a bra here w/ ur implants?  what kind?  my friend said she does not wear one ever!!!.  lucky her...

    Good luck to those of u who r having surgery!!  i read all the posts here & on many other boards b/c i get them by e-mail & am reading them all day long on my bb. 

  • rockwell_girl
    rockwell_girl Member Posts: 517
    edited November 2009

    I think this is the u tube video I was looking for

    http://www.ask.com/bar?q=looking+for+u+tube+video+comparing+silicone+and+saline+implants&page=1&qsrc=0&dm=all&ab=0&title=YouTube+-+Breast+Augmentation+with+Breast+Implants%2C+Silicone+vs+...&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D3foE2sh65UI&sg=eIdAjM5XdgAWKIWp2OrbQT1Ga0RbDjNwyxgoz99z3V8%3D&tsp=1257735384080

  • Tinkerbell99
    Tinkerbell99 Member Posts: 193
    edited November 2009

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFyAEgqJSw&feature=player_embedded#

    i dont kknow if this is the same video that rockwell posted..but just in case if it isnt..heres the one that i watched!!

  • rockwell_girl
    rockwell_girl Member Posts: 517
    edited November 2009

    I will delete my link because it didn't work

    I hope shoshi's does

  • rockwell_girl
    rockwell_girl Member Posts: 517
    edited November 2009

    this is the one I tried to post

    thanks to the link above I  found this 2 minute video back

    I hope this link works

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CukDVUYt-eI&feature=related

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited November 2009

    Dearest Angel and Baxter.... GOOD LUCK tomorrow.... my prayers are with you !

    Jean,,, your friend... have her come to EC... My heart is heavy for her.

    All ladies.. I hope your week is wonderful.

    I will take pictures this week and post...:)

    TERESA... my cell phone's voicemail is not working... I did however, see you called... Call tomorrow night.. I will be here at home...after 7pm..:) I will post my boobs on the pic page soon,. Dr. R. did really good!... I do have pics over there now in my bra...

    I miss chatting with you all...Life here is full and TOO busy again.

  • CoolBreeze
    CoolBreeze Member Posts: 250
    edited November 2009

    Welcome firegirl.  I'm so sad this happened to you.  I hope that there is a resolution and this doesn't affect your cancer treatment.  Keep us informed, okay? 

  • Tinkerbell99
    Tinkerbell99 Member Posts: 193
    edited November 2009

    Rockwell.. ur last worked & it is the same one that i posted...great minds think alike :-)

  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 2,631
    edited November 2009

    Thanks Firni and Dani for the info about textured vs. smooth... I will discuss with my PS.  Anyone have thoughts on teardrop vs round?  :)  Sorry I guess I should have asked both questions together.

    Cheers,

    Lilah

  • KEW
    KEW Member Posts: 450
    edited November 2009

    Welcome Firegirl--Many hugs will head your way from this site, and lots of wisdom if you desire.

     Shoshi--I didn't really understand your post but, when one wants nipple sparing and BS and PS agree, you go under knowing you may not wake up with your nipples.  While the mx is being done frozen sections of the tissue adjacent to your nipple is assessed by a pathologist, if it is clear and all else is OK they will leave your nipples, if cancer is detected or if the tumor is very close to the nipple area you will likely wake up without your nipples.

    Hugs--KarenW 

  • Liz000
    Liz000 Member Posts: 28
    edited November 2009

    CoolBreeze, Whippetmom and KEW, thanks a lot for your suggestions! With help from all the experts here I feel much more comfortable of making a decision in two days.(Will see my PS on Tuesday, 6 days before my mx/reconstruction.)

    Rockwell_girl and Shoshi, thanks so much for posting that very imformative video. That did help me understand more about different implants. 

    Thanks again Ladies! Your kindness made a big difference. I would totally go insane without this wonderful site.

    Liz

  • Linda54
    Linda54 Member Posts: 509
    edited November 2009

    Thoughts and prayers for Baxter and Angel as they go into surgery today. 

    Welcome Firegirl (Jeans friend)...so sorry that you are having to deal with BC surgery and the loss of your job.  Sometimes it seems like everything falls on us at the same time.  You are in my prayers.  This site is a Godsend.....Don't know what I would have done without these girls.

  • Fifi100
    Fifi100 Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2009

    Hi Everyone,

    Ive been reading this amazing thread since March when I bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (family history if BC) I havn't posted before but the thread has helped me through so much I feel I know some of you.... I have just been to my PS and was told that my new boobs had bottomed out so much due to soft skin that now I need further surgery to remove skin and lift my boobs back up. I will have new scars underneath and cant be guaranteed symetry in fact my nipples will be lower. This will all happen when I go for in for my exchange surgery. I'm a bit freked out as this was the one thing I wasnt perpared for  and I have lost some trust in the PS and the process. Anyone else had this kind of skin stretching?  

  • Fifi100
    Fifi100 Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2009

    Hi Everyone,

    Ive been reading this amazing thread since March when I bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (family history if BC) I havn't posted before but the thread has helped me through so much I feel I know some of you.... I have just been to my PS and was told that my new boobs had bottomed out so much due to soft skin that now I need further surgery to remove skin and lift my boobs back up. I will have new scars underneath and cant be guaranteed symetry in fact my nipples will be lower. This will all happen when I go for in for my exchange surgery. I'm a bit freked out as this was the one thing I wasnt perpared for  and I have lost some trust in the PS and the process. Anyone else had this kind of skin stretching?  

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited November 2009

    Fifi:  Welcome~~~~glad you are joining us!  Bottoming out is something which can happen - but I am confused...when you say it will be corrected "when I go in for my exchange surgery"...are you stating that your tissue expanders have bottomed out?  Or, have you already had your first exchange surgery and this is for explantation of the implants?  My skin is also very thin....I wear support 12/7 for my implants....Bottoming out is really not much of a risk for reconstruction patients, as we all have at least partial submuscular placement - the top 1/3 of the implant is under the pectoral muscles.  Bottoming out is more likely to occur with augmentation patients who have subglandular [over the muscle] placement of the implants.  So this is something we really want to clear up for you.  Do you have Alloderm...an Alloderm sling in the lower pole of the pocket?  Let's figure this out before you go back to this PS...

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited November 2009

    KJBELL... Karen... GOOD LUCK TOMORROW! Come chat with us about it. I think of you often..:)

    Actually.. I was told by my PS that bottoming out.. or falling south implant is a common issue with reconstructed breasts due to the thin skin. Amazing how we all hear different things huh Deborah. I know of at least five of us on EC that had surgery to lift  ours back up.. ( capsulectomy).... and some that are going to have the surgery soon...

    Welcome to ALL the new EC sisters! Sit back.. read and learn.. and become a Ta Ta Sister.! We invite you all! ((((((Love)))))))

    Angel and Baxter... praying for you...

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited November 2009

    I suppose we need to define "bottoming out."  I also needed a lift at the time of exchange surgery, as my TEs had dropped so low and even afterwards, my implants do droop more than I would like - with insufficient upper pole fullness.  My understanding of "bottoming out" is that the breast implant drops below the inframammary fold.  Here is a photo and better explanation...

    http://www.breastrevisionsurgeon.com/bottoming.asp

    Who knows....maybe there are degrees of bottoming out...

    ..

  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 347
    edited November 2009

    Hi all!  Back from revision/nipple recon surgery and still feeling a bit woozy.  Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers...they mean so much to me!!

    I go back to the PS tomorrow for a bandage change.  My PS said all went well and that I will be pleased with the results....but I did not discuss with him how it was accomplished! I am going to be anxious to see and discuss exactly what was done today!  I also had "bottoming out" on one side that was worked on. In actuality, I thought that the implant was drifting down and outward as opposed to just south....I felt like I did not have enough support on the side (this was the cancer side so I realize more work was done on this side by the BS than the prophy side). The net effect was slightly uneven. I too have thin skin so rippling was becoming a problem and he was going to cut and tighten that up, too.  Will give you a report out on what and how I was worked on sometime tomorrow.

    So post exchange ladies...how long do you figure we need to wear supportive bras overnight?  Do you think we will ever go braless to bed again?  I know I haven't tried to yet, and not sure I will want to mess with the girls after all this....but darn!!  I will be interested in hearing what others are doing....and if you are going braless...when did you do so and what size implant, please?

    Deborah...as always...a plethora of info and support! Thanks for the website, and your time and commitment!

    God Bless!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited November 2009

    Angel - Oh my...It is not MY website...I take no credit for this thread....Jean started it, with Laura's prompting as I recall.....Smile   But we are glad to hear from you.  Cannot wait to see what has been done for you!

    But referable to your question, I will always wear a supportive bra to sleep in....my skin is thin and my implants are large.  My sister, who has similar volume, has completely submuscular placement and she will never need a bra....Cry 

  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 347
    edited November 2009

    Deborah,

    I was actually meaning thanks for the the bottoming out website you linked us to....but you are an invaluable resource to this thread!  Invaluable!!

    And yes...many thanks to Laura and Jean for their creation and faithfullness to this thread, too. It is truly amazing just how many are helped here.  Many more than just actually post I know for sure!!   May God Bless each of you abundantly! 

  • janloy
    janloy Member Posts: 32
    edited November 2009

    Angel10: I'm going bra-less. I took my bandages off from my exchange surgery yesterday and have not put a bra on. PS told me I could wear a sports bra but it wasn't necessary. Perhaps because I have the lat dorsi support on both sides?

    Wippetmom: My implants are not very big maybe that's why I don't need the bra.

    I'm tired today. Seems like I shouldn't be. I certainly don't think I'm doing too much. Heck, some of you were back to work at this stage of the game. Little soar and swollen tonight.

    Jane

  • val61
    val61 Member Posts: 969
    edited November 2009

    Warm hugs to all our new Ta Ta/ EC Sisters!!  You will love it here!!!!

    whippetmom - so glad you're back and happy with the results - yippee!  Also good to hear you escaped the din of the Notre Dame game.  Your dh would be jealous - I was just there a couple of weeks ago on a college visit with my youngest son.....a true "reach" school.....    As for the bra/sleeping issue - does having complete sub-musculars (like me) make a difference?  I just can't imagine not wearing a bra with my thin skin, either.....  guess that's one more question for the ps......

    coolbreeze - hang in there, girl - it WILL get better.  I felt really crummy for at least three weeks, probably longer if I really thought about it.  Sleeping was a problem for a long time - I bet it was several months before I quit sleeping nearly sitting up and with the little beanbag pillows (the kind from the bc boutique) under my arms.....  As for fills, Iike rockwell girl, I felt better after I had a few of them - especially if you were left unfilled (like me) at surgery or had just a little to start with.  Those edges of the TEs can poke you in all the wrong places!

    ilovehorses - my dh says the same thing!Tongue out

    janloy - you have every reason to be tired - you just had surgery and general anesthesia!  Besides, from your pic it looks like you have little ones - that's more than enough to make you tired!

    Well, this morning I taught my first jazzercise class after my exchange, and boy was I sore - and not in a "good" sort of way.......  I've been back taking my (equipment) pilates class for three weeks, and although I'm not  yet doing arm weight-bearing exercises, I felt like I was at least stretching...  My soreness is pretty much exclusively medial - where my ps moved my pockets inward - and to be perfectly honest, has been fairly constant with upper torso movement since I was allowed to start moving again....... I spent about an hour with a heating pad on my chest - don't worry, I was EXTREMEMLY careful to monitor the temp!!  Anybody else have issues this far out (7weeks) from exchange?  

  • Jazzygem
    Jazzygem Member Posts: 125
    edited November 2009

    Hey Val I didn't know you were a Jazzercise instructor!!  I was a Jazzercise instructor for 21 years!!!  I retired about 4 years ago.

  • Mykidsmom
    Mykidsmom Member Posts: 448
    edited November 2009

    Angel - I often go w/o any bra - day and night - I had my exchange in April.

    Firegirl - Welcome. And HUGS! Do you want me to post your upcoming surgery dates for your mx and tram flay reconstruction? That way we can all send healing thoughts on those dates.

    Baxter - We are thinking of you!

    Best wishes to our other sisters w/ surgery dates this week:

    11/10 - kjbell - silicone implant on the right and an implant and lift to the left

    11/10 - Judy56 - nips

    11/11 - Volleygirl - Exchange surgery

    11/12 - O2bhealthy - Exchange surgery

    Hugs ladies! - Jean

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited November 2009

    oops Angel....I see what you mean! 

    You know, I just realize that my skin is very thin and stretches so easily....so I am trying to guard against requiring another lift down the road by wearing support as frequently as possible.  In the summer I did wear my strapless sundresses -  but the tube top type portion of the sundresses did have sufficient compression support.  

    Val, I cannot imagine your implants ever going south because of gravity....not at all....

    I also wear a bra at night because I want to avoid chest wrinkles!  Don't you all know about cleavage/chest wrinkles?  Ha!  That is why I sleep with a rolled up sock as a wedge between my breasts.  My DH gets so mad at that sock!  Sometimes I will forget to take it out in the morning when I wake up, and when I pass him on my way to the bathroom, he just yanks it out and heaves it as far as possible - out on the deck or in the family room and then the dog thinks it is a fetch toy.  There are bras actually made to prevent chest and cleavage wrinkles....I just cannot bring myself to buy one...

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited November 2009

    Judy56.. good luck to you tomorrow also!! :)

    Deborah.. I see the bottoming out difference. As for most of us... it is like... our entire breast goes south... even the top... my right side implant fell below the fold, but the whole implant was lower, even though I had AlloDerm . This is the same way with Teresa .. and I bet with Val too. It happened to Linda54. So... I am not sure what we call it.

    I do have thin skin I suppose. I do not see that I do. It just feels normal to me. I am SCARED to not wear a bra to bed though... as I do not want my implant to fall again.

    I go back to PS on the 17th to check my eyes.. I will be asking him if I need a bra at bedtime, or, did the capsulectomy fix that??? On my rads side.. all is fine... A RADS BREAST WILL NEVER GO SOUTH.... and, if all goes well.. the rads boob is PERFECT...LOL... firm.. high... and beautiful....hehe.... but if it goes wrong... EEEEKKK... heres praying!

    Deb, The visual you gave of Dh... priceless!

    Angel.. I AM SO GLAD you wrote in and feel pretty good! WONDERFUL!

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited November 2009

    Okay, so you remember me telling you I met Peg for breakfast the other day?  Well, she ordered eggs benedict.  Now I ask you, don't you agree that the cook at Ruby's did this intentionally?  Who puts olives on an eggs benedict?  We had a hoot over this....and good thing I had my camera...and what if someone had been offended by this?  Sort of risky, eh?  Maybe he saw us come in the restaurant...Wink

  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited November 2009

    OMGOSH

    THAT is priceless.... PRICELESS.... that soooooooooooooo needs to be a mascot picture for EC somehow....Laughing

  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 347
    edited November 2009

    He definitely saw you both coming...

  • Angel10
    Angel10 Member Posts: 347
    edited November 2009

    By the way...they look uneven...did they bottom out, too??

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