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Exchange City

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Comments

  • Jan1
    Jan1 Member Posts: 281
    edited December 2009

    Val61,  Yes, it is so odd that we know how cold it is by our foob, my natural side stays nice and warm.  It always looks like I am pledging allegiance, backwards with my left warm hand placed patriotically over my right foob.

    Patti, My heart goes out to you, that meltdown during the first week post op can be very hard, but know that you can vent here and the sisters here understand.  

    Bonnie,  Great news and I am so glad that you shared it with us.

    Firn,  I am so happy for the new job.  I did family council when I worked in LTC, you sure are a trooper for doing this on your first day back, then during the week having your nip surgery.  Let us know how it goes as I am having mine on the 21st.

    Janet, Friday will be here before you know it, I can remember it was such a relief to have it over with.  Keep us posted and know that you will be in my thoughts

    Colleen,  I have to go back and look at Jazzygems picture, pole dancing?  You are too funny

    Jan

  • Kristinka
    Kristinka Member Posts: 223
    edited December 2009

    Best wishes, Janet!  My your recovery be swift and lovely.

     Kristen

  • cnemeth
    cnemeth Member Posts: 136
    edited December 2009

    Had to check back in and see if Jazzy gave us the poledancing scoop.  Oh well,  nothing to report so far I guess.

    I fought the expander discomfort with wine and advilPM (or was it excedrinPM)?  Whichever one you can take with alcohol and not kill your liver.  Also had my expansions in the afternoons so I slept through the worst part.  Didn't feel too bad waking up in the am as most of the stretching happened in my sleep.

    Okay, done for the night. Back to the poledancing saga tomorrow.

     Colleen

  • dani42
    dani42 Member Posts: 206
    edited December 2009

    Good luck to everyone having surgery this week.  I had my pre-op testing done today.  It is kind of depressing because I feel young and healthy until I see my doctor!  Nothing says your old then adding an EKG to your pre-op testing.  Never had to have it before...

    The screening list gets longer and longer.  I feel like I have aged so much in the past year.  I am getting perky boobs and by body and mind is turning 90 ish!

    Anyway, I wish all of you ladies great success this week and very strong pain killers!  Not that you will need them but they are always good to have, just in case!

    Dianne 

  • Jazzygem
    Jazzygem Member Posts: 125
    edited December 2009
    Colleen you are too funny...YES I'm pole dancing!!  I had my LAST TREATMENT last Wed and I just had to pole dance before I was done.  Kiss
  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 2,966
    edited December 2009

    GCARTER... Bless you tomorrow!

  • musiclovermom
    musiclovermom Member Posts: 245
    edited December 2009

    Geena!

    Thanks for the tips! I have one glass of wine in me and it feels much better.

    The extra strength tylenol did nothing for me at all.

    I sat in the recliner for 4 hours with the heating pad across my shoulder blades.

    I have back pain instead of the inframamory fold.

    My plastic surgeon did such a great job, I have not lost feeling in any part of my breast skin.

    I think it was the skin sparing procedure they did - going in through the nipples and not cutting anyplace else.

    It was arm movement and I could move my arms in front of me but not out to the side.

    After one glass of wine I can move my arms with minimal pain.

    I have a few more fills to get through and plan on having a fill before I drive to Savannah for Christmas. Can't drink and drive, so I might ask him for  something to help for the drive. If there is such a thing!

    Thanks again! New England??? I grew up in Maine!

    Kimberly

  • musiclovermom
    musiclovermom Member Posts: 245
    edited December 2009

    Colleen Thanks!

    OH - I wish I still had excedrine PM!

    Must pick some up tomorrow!

    For now it is going to be a second glass of wine!

    Kimberly

  • rockwell_girl
    rockwell_girl Member Posts: 517
    edited December 2009

    just went through these quick was hoping to see if Theresa posted anything

    I hope she also post on the vegas thread just so many post here

    I hope everyone is doing GREAT : )

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

    Ladies,,, if I can,,

    We all.. here at EC.. are preparing for our new implants.. we are sooooooooo ready to get rid of our TE...

    We are preparing for our 1st or 2nd exchanges.... ( thus... EC)

    If I can... humbly ask for your prayers and/or thoughts for our " sisters" having their mastectomies this week.... and beyond...........

    My exchanges.. personally.. were exciting... and... something I looked forward to... even if afraid.,

    My mastectomy... was a nightmare. A huge loss... something I will mourn forever.

    Let us take a moment of our time.... here at EC.. and say a prayer... or have a thought ... for all the women that come after us... to have their mastectomies....

    For some.. it might be ok.. for others.. ( like me) it might be the lowest time in their lives.

    I pray.... all women.. after me... who have mastectomies.... will feel freedom ... not loss...

    In Jesus name. Amen! Laura

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

    Ladies,,, if I can,,

    We all.. here at EC.. are preparing for our new implants.. we are sooooooooo ready to get rid of our TE...

    We are preparing for our 1st or 2nd exchanges.... ( thus... EC)

    If I can... humbly ask for your prayers and/or thoughts for our " sisters" having their mastectomies this week.... and beyond...........

    My exchanges.. personally.. were exciting... and... something I looked forward to... even if afraid.,

    My mastectomy... was a nightmare. A huge loss... something I will mourn forever.

    Let us take a moment of our time.... here at EC.. and say a prayer... or have a thought ... for all the women that come after us... to have their mastectomies....

    For some.. it might be ok.. for others.. ( like me) it might be the lowest time in their lives.

    I pray.... all women.. after me... who have mastectomies.... will feel freedom ... not loss...

    In Jesus name. Amen! Laura

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

    Sunshine... Teresa is doing ok.. having some pain... but ok.. I will not steal her glory and post anything.... she looked GREAT after surgery today.... I was amazed at how her HP implants looked... so much higher... and prettier......She will post when she feels ok...

    :)

  • o2bhealthy
    o2bhealthy Member Posts: 1,089
    edited December 2009

    Blessedby4 - I had my Herceptin the day before my exchange and all went well.   My only se's with Herceptin are headaches if they try to drip it in too fast.  I did have some discomfort near my port...more so because my TE's were shaped like a crescent moon and I had no stretching in the upper pole, once the implants where put in the HUGE step off disappeared and my upper pole filled in and stretched.  I hope this information helps!

    Best wishes!

  • KEW
    KEW Member Posts: 450
    edited December 2009

    Amen, Laura.  Hugs and prayers to all the Sisters dealing with mastectomies.  Lucas and I were just talking tonight as we decorated our tree that neither of us can even remember Christmas last year.  I was weeks out of my BLM, in terror, pain, shock, and confusion and Lucas and his brother were in fear of losing me and angry that they couldn't change what I was going through.  We've come far, but should never forget the Sisters behind us starting down the road.  Thank you Laura for reminding us.

    Hugs to everyone...

     KarenW

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

    Denise:  There you go!!!  So you decided on the 1200's!  You go girl!

    Julie: Sorry for the delay....but WELCOME!  Could you get some additional information for us:

    1.  Your tissue expanders.  Are they Mentor or Allergan [or other] and what style - in Mentor it would be low height, moderate height or full height - in Allergan there are like 6 styles - so you need a number, such as 133 MX-500 - something like that....and then the actual "volume" or recommended volume of the implants.  You might have been given a little plastic card with this info after surgery....

    2.  Ask your PS if his "method" of expansion and exchange is to put you in implants with the same or greater volume than the tissue expanders, or if he typically expands and places his patients in implants with less volume than the TEs.   This is a very important question - perhaps the nurse will know the answer and you can call tomorrow and find out.  We need to know what his modus operendi is when it comes to your end result with the exchange.

    4.  Right off the bat, with your small ribcage [you are probably about 29 or 30 inches in circumference?], I would think that around 550cc's to 600 cc's would be the range you want to be with implants, but it all depends on your chest wall, how tight your pectorals are, how taut your skin is....it is better to go for what looks good to you, rather than focusing on a cup size.  Cup sizes are far too difficult to assess.  Typically, you hope to get your tissue expanders to a place and size where you say this is a good size for me - and then you look at the implants which will closely match the dimensions of your tissue expanders.  I can tell by your tissue expanders though, once we determine which you have - where you will be within a range of 100 cc's in implants.  Most TEs have a recommended volume in even numbers....so I am just interested in width primarily - I want to know if you have a 12.0 or 13.0 cm width TE.

    Deborah

  • blessedby4
    blessedby4 Member Posts: 117
    edited December 2009

    o2bhealthy:  Thanks for your response!  My concern was that I am having treatment 3 days after my exchange surgery and wondering if it will be a problem due to the surgery and swelling and whatever else goes along with an exchange surgery. 

    Laura:  Thanks for your prayer and concern for all of us who have to walk this path.

    I agree that we are all ready to get rid of these expanders and love hearing that those of you who have already experienced this, have great things to say about the new feeling of softness and not these hard rocks on our chests.

    Thanks for the encouragement!!

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

    Laura darling:  What a wonderful prayer.  I add mine to yours....

    I am so relieved and happy and yes....elated to hear the preliminary news about Teresa's outcome.....thanks Laura for sharing...

  • Jan1
    Jan1 Member Posts: 281
    edited December 2009

    Laura,  You are a blessed woman and I am so touched by your prayer.  The powerful words you wrote touched a deep place in my heart and brought back those memories of loss.  I too grieved the loss deeply and then had the "meltdown" in the days after surgery.  I think I held so much in before the mx that it all came out at once.  I don't think I was connected here at the time, I just felt bereft, despite having a great family around to help me.   The ladies here (the famous Ta Ta Sisterhood) are what anchored me when I was struggling.  There are no words for the gratitude I have for all of you.  God Bless all of these women here. 

    Jan

  • firstmate
    firstmate Member Posts: 153
    edited December 2009

    Laura  -- yes, I continually think of all the women that are now going through the sad process of a mastectomy, and the long, slow process of reconstuction.  The entire process was very traumatic for me, and I have cried a bucket of tears,  I wish that all the Ta Ta sisters find peace as they go through this process.   The sense of loss may never go away; but time, and the wonderful support we all recieve on this site, does heal.

    I am on the last legs of my reconstuction.  I have a busy day tomorrow -- I see my surgeon for a follow-up appt.  Last time I saw him, I cried through the entire appt.  I beleive I will be able to handle it much better tomorrow.  Then, I see my PS for a follow-up and to schedule a nipple revision on one side. After that, I am having more tatooing on the areola on one side.  The nipple and areola tattoo look great on the other side.  I seem to always have one side that is a bit funky.

    Best of luck to all the surgery girls this week!  Thinking of you all!

  • KEW
    KEW Member Posts: 450
    edited December 2009

    Thanks to those who've asked about my shoulder.  I recently was given a tens device by the PT and it has made a huge difference.  It shocks me--gently and blocks the pain message to my brain, so it isn't helping me heal, but it is nice to be out of pain most of the time, for the first time in 2+ monthsLaughing Also, got results of second lung scan ( I will have them every 3 months for 2 years) and I still have 3 nodules in right lung, but they are still 2mm, nobody seems worried since they don't seem to be changing and are very small.

    So many surgeries this week--good luck everyone.  I look forward to hear how you are doing.

    Hugs--KarenW 

  • packergirl
    packergirl Member Posts: 81
    edited December 2009

    To my TaTa Sisterhood- Thank you so much for being an amazing group of ladies who help eachother out, encourage eachother, cheer for eachother! What a blessing to have our own breast whisper and cheerleader. So exchange day is almost here. It has been a sore and sleepless 8 months with expanders after waiting a year to begin bi-lat reconstruction. My new PS has his work cut out for him. We will be moving both sides laterally and medially so I am told I will be sore. And mother nature is going to throw a blizzard in there to make things a bit of fun! ---Like I said months ago-- All I wanted for Christmas was my two front teets---- I just didn't realize mother nature needed them to come via dog sleed instead of Santa's sleigh... Tongue out

    To my fellow sisters going through surgeries- best wishes for wonderful results.

    Hugs! Packer

  • Breastless
    Breastless Member Posts: 14
    edited December 2009

    Hi everyone

    I haven't posted recently but I have been trying to keep up with reading all the posts here.  My exchange was Mar 26, 2009 but right from the day after surgery I have not been happy with the results.  My PS said he would not consider doing anything until a year has passed.  Well I tried waiting but it has been 8 months and nothing has changed.  I went to my PS last week and the visit was terribly disappointing (although I really wasn't too surprised based on my last visit with him).  I broke down and cried through most of the appointment.  He told me that I would never get the results that I want.  He was very negative towards everything I asked or suggested.  He couldn't (or wouldn't) answer my questions to my satisfaction.  His answers were very evasive.  I told him how can I decide anything if he couldn't give me some idea of what I could expect as far as size, shape, look, etc.  To make a long story short, he is referring me to another PS (a female who I hear is very good) but it could take a very long time to get in to see her.  So now I am playing the waiting game.  But at least I will get another opinion.  I don't think I trust my existing PS anyway.  I've really lost all faith in him now.  Thanks ladies for listening.

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

    Breastless - How disappointing for you.  I am so sorry.  At least he has referred you to someone else.  That is something.  We all put our faith in our PS's... to lose that faith is devastating, I'm sure.  I hope and pray you will get to see the new PS soon.

    Cheers,

    Lilah

  • sftfemme65
    sftfemme65 Member Posts: 74
    edited December 2009

    Hi everyone...my surgery today went very well and having Laura there for support was so great (you are the best!).  The PS replaced my 650cc moderate profile silcone implants with 700cc high profile silicone implants.  I was hoping for larger but I guess it was all he could get in. I changed out of the sports bra I came home in a couple hours ago and put on a wire bra per PS instuctions.  I almost started crying like a baby.  I think the anesthesia makes me emotional the first 24 hours lol.  but I was happy not sad because the look even!  I am hoping they fluff a bit but if not thats ok. 

    Packer, good luck with your surgery and I listened to your CD today for the first time and I loved it especially the Lonestar song. 

    I hope everyone has great surgeries this week! 

    Im going to try to rest some more and Ill fill you guys in more later on.

    Teresa

  • Cheri2
    Cheri2 Member Posts: 185
    edited December 2009

    Breastless,  Run don't walk away from that PS!!!!  Don't settle for just one opinion- go to several PS's and you find one YOU like.  Ask for photo's, ask to speak to other patients, ask for referrels!!!!  I, too had a very bad experience with a PS and switched midway TE's.  I hadn't even been filled all the way.  I stopped everything and started interviewing.  I interviewed every PS within a 50 miles radius that does reconstruction and found a great DOC!  I am so happy I switched.  And you know what?  You can have perfect boobs with very little scaring.  

    Good Luck to you! :) 

  • Texas357
    Texas357 Member Posts: 332
    edited December 2009

    Breastless, I echo what Cheri advised: ask to see photos.

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

    Breastless:  I am a bit leary about going to a PS referred by your current PS.  You are likely to hear her concur with HIM!  I would go to someone who is not a good ole' buddy of your PS.  Do you think he would refer you to someone who would critique his work?  I agree with Cheri!

    Deborah

  • NVDiane
    NVDiane Member Posts: 151
    edited December 2009

    Hi Packer--Your day is almost here!  You had to wait sooooo long, but tomorrow you will finally receive what you have been waiting for.  I will be thinking of you tomorrow, and praying that you wake up to beautiful soft foobs, and will finally be able to enjoy peaceful and restful sleep.

    Go Packer go!!

    Hugs,

    Diane

  • whippetmom
    whippetmom Member Posts: 6,028
    edited December 2009
    Breastless:  I have PM'd you....
  • johnson7599
    johnson7599 Member Posts: 10
    edited December 2009

    Breastless, listen to whippetmom she know her stuff!!

    On a different note, I have a question.  I have had a TE in place for a couple of months now.  I have some CC with this TE which is bothersome but not anywhere near being excruciating.  The last week or so, however,  my shoulder has been achy.  Advil helps some.  Its not a shooting pain or anything, just an ache radiating from the shoulder area.  Do you think this is a CC issue or is it a side effect of mastectomy?  My mastectomy was in April and this is just starting.  I have good range of motion etc., so my tendancy is to think this is CC related.  If so, is this indicative of any future problems I would have with implants?  Denise

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