Exchange City
Comments
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Lilah: They used the numbing spray and lots of it but it did nothing this time for the pain, which I am assuming is because the area was so effected by the exchange surgery. I won't let them access the port with out the spray, I learned that after chemo #2 when I thought I would try it with no numbing and found out that I won't do that again.
mbtlscw01: Thanks for sharing and helps to know not everyone feels like they look great after surgery. I see the PS on Wednesday and he did say something in the hospital about massaging but we would talk about it at the next apptointment. I have decided I am not going to look at these girls again until I have to and only can hope that they start looking like they are matching up better soon.
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Lizzie and Whippet, Thank you so much for the info. Good luck Lizzie on your surgery next week and I know you will be happier than you were with the expanders. They feel so much better. I have only had mine a few days so I really do not know what they are going to look like. I am always so miserable when I have drains that I can not concentrate on anything else
I think I like them but I won't know for sure until they settle in. I do not want a do over either. I am sick of surgery. I truely feel for the further staged ladies that are constantly in treatment. It has been a year of treatments with time off in between and I am exhausted. I am putting off the nipples until some time next year. The last time I had anesthisa was when I was 16 and had my wisdom teeth extracted. I have had it three times this year. I know I am preaching to the choir on here
. Good advice Mary about the holidays. Thanks for giving it. We all deserve to enjoy the holiday season stress free! Peace to all. 0 -
Thank you Lilah!
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Ladies.. I will update since Teresa cannot.
Dr's do not think she has Cellulitious. Her CT showed fluid around the implant, She is coming back to KC and Dr. R. is going to put in a drain tube...
So.. this is good news.. and bad...
Good that her implant is probably safe.. bad that she needs a drain... BLECK!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers for her... she seems good.. just irritated with it all... and ready to be done!
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Blessed -- so sorry to hear that; hope you are not feeling so bad for the next one. I have to say, as one who is also getting Herceptin every three weeks until next summer, it's not fun -- though it's a hell of a lot better than chemo and, for that matter, Her-2-Neu without Herceptin.
Kimberly -- any time
My wish for everyone as this (horrible for me anyway) year comes to a close: clear sailing for the surgeries to come, happy results (both re: cancer and plastic surgery), and an end to the endless surgeries. I too had my first and last surgery/anesthesia when I was 16 -- and have now had three of them this year. One more to go in the spring (I hope the last one).
Getting my drains out tomorrow -- woo hoo! I could have waited two days for my PS follow-up on Thursday but hell, if they were willing to see me tomorrow (nurse will do it), I figure that puts me 2 days closer to a shower
My PS is one of those who does not permit showering until 2 days after removal of drains.... wow I can't imagine what that means for anyone who has to have drains for weeks at a time. Am having some itchiness right at edge of tape (no redness or rash, so not a big problem, I think it's just my body's way of saying "get this OFF of me" A change of bandage and removal of drains should do wonders for me tomorrow!Cheers,
Lilah
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Lilah: Yeah for you getting your drains out! I would have jumped on getting an earlier doctor appt. if that meant me getting my drain out. Wed. will be my day to get mine out. Yeah!! They are such a pain!! Herceptin for me also until next July but yes, your right not as bad as chemo at all!!!
Teresa: We are praying for your quick recovery from all this!
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In less than 12 hours I will be under and getting my exchange. Hard to believe the surgery is already here. I hope that I don't have any itching as I am ALLERGIC TO BENADRYL! Crazy, huh? I didn't have any issues with the bmx or my augmentation a few years ago. I'm actually glad I won't have as much projection. My augmented foobs were too projected (and I had moderate profile implants). My PS is doing Mentor HP's - either 550 or 600 cc's. I'm kind of getting boobie greed, but will contain myself. I got this way right before my aug and was glad I talked the PS into doing 375 cc's and not 425, as I became a DD.
Good luck to everyone else having holiday surgeries!!!
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Blessedby4 ~
Upon Estepp's recommendation on topical anethetic creams to someone else, I decided to have some on hand when PS fills or unfills through my port for my augmented side. Since this side is not "numb" like th MX side, I was not looking forward to having any "pokings". Estepp suggested a Lidocaine/Prilocaine Topical cream (EMLA?). It is used 30 mins. prior to procedure. I asked my dermatalogist & surprisingly she Rx'd me with it.
Val1 & Mykidsmom ~
I guess I was not explaining it right...about my breasts feeling warm. My MX foob does feel cold to the touch atop the mound. My aug. side has normal body temp. I just feel like I have something on my chest...it still feels foreign to me. Sometimes I feel like I am "bundled" up & feel "warm" with all this added "package" on my chest.
The more I read everyone's posts I am finding that it will take time for these new breasts to settle . I am hoping that my MX foob drops alittle like my aug. side has done.
Nae
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Okay girls, I understand what dropped is but "fluffed"? Are they going to look a "little" more natural, or like the expanders? Right now my expanders look like a hard softball. I don't want to look like a porn star, but would like to hold my 3 month old grandson to my chest and not be afraid he'll get a concussion if his head bumps my foobie.
thanks nene for the support. My PS didn't feel like I would have to have drains, so hopefully I won't. I'm doing this during my school's Christmas break.I am out of sick days, so didn't want to miss work unless I had too. PS said nips in March or April, then tattoos over the summer.
I'm having flashbacks of mx, PS assures me I will just be sore. Hope she's right.
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To all those getting drains out - YIIIIPPPPEEE!!!! My PS allowed me to shower with the drains - after my MX I had 4 drains - they would get slipppery in the shower and once in a while I would drop one. Since they were only held in with stitches (no tape no gauze around the entry point) it would hurt like heck!! My son came up with the idea of tying them up with a string around my neck. That way I had my hands free to soap up and I wouldn't drop them. It made showering much nicer.
I am 4 weeks past my exchange - I am sooo much happier than I was with the expanders and my energy level has increased 10 fold. I may not really like the results BUT they are sooo much better than the expanders.
Allison
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I have a questions for you lovely girls. I had chemo and a fill done yesterday. I am now at 350, she said I will most likely be expanded to 550-650 to make room the the implant. BUT, now they think I might need radiation after chemo. Will that be done before or after the exchange? I am sure this is a question for my PS... but I just was so looking forward to getting these metal mosters out by the end of March, now Rads will push me back another 6 weeks or so if it happens. I am also having the BRCA testing done as I have a 15 year old daughter I want to know her options. I have no family history. But am 42 and my cancer was aggressive. So they will do it.
Hoping everyone here is doing well and happy with their exchanges and surgeries. I cannot wait to be at this part of my journey with you all.
Hugs ~
Alicia
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i saw you ladies talking about viewing pics of your 'after surgery". Where can you view these at?This would help alot!
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My plastic surgeon didn't want to do the exchange until 6 months post radiation. But others have a different protocol. The one thing I wish I'd done is insist that my radiated side be expanded one more time before the exchange so that it was slightly larger than my unradiated side. Perhaps then I wouldn't be quite as tight.
I had to look on the card they gave me to know which implants I received: the Natrelle 45s -- 400 ccs. I have a little too much "poof" on the side of the unradiated side, but I'm hoping it will even out over time. Meanwhile I keep massaging the radiated side several times a day.
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I'm getting nervous about my exchange on Thursday. I've been reading the posts, some are happy with their surgeries and others not. I feel so badly for those who are not pleased and am hoping that things resolve for them in the coming weeks. I guess the implants take some time to get used to. I'm just wondering if there's any last minute advice you can give me regarding which questions to ask my PS the day of the surgery and what points should I make clear to him while he's marking me up. I can think of the obvious things to ask but maybe there are things that aren't so obvious I'm forgetting in all this excitement? Any thoughts would be appreciated....
Best wishes for great results and a speedy recovery to:
12/15 - kittycat - Exchange surgery
12/15 - 2xsenough - Exchange surgery
12/15 - Mai605 - Exchange surgery
12/16 - Dee1961 - Exchange surgery
12/16 - samiam40 - nips
12/18 - yasminv1 - Exchange surgery
12/18 - Delilahbear - Larger implants and nipsTerri
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inlove: FOR ENTRANCE TO THE PICTURES FORUM
PM Timtam. She maintains the forum and will issue a password.
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my560sel: So much of what you are reading, I believe, is our emotions in dealing with this all and all that we don't know and expectations we may have. I don't mean to scare anyone with what I have said but yet I hope it's a place where we can share our misgivings/frustrations/sadness of all that is happening in this journey. I hope most of us in the end our happy with our outcomes but yet I know I had expectations of things looking "back to normal" quicker than what was experienced. I am still trying to be hopeful that in a few weeks or months my new foobs will look more "normal" but again all a waiting game and a process. I don't have any advice to give you on what to ask, I felt that my PS was the expert, so like you didn't know what to ask and didn't ask anyone for ideas. Hope your surgery goes smoothly and you can count this as one more hurdle you have passed!0
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Before I knew I had breast cancer, I visited a PS and wanted implants. He suggested a mammogram. This is how I found the lump. I am only 37 and this was my first exam. I didn't mean to scare anyone about the exchange results, but I'm not happy right now with the results. I look like I am smaller than the real boobs. I only told him that I wanted to be at least a large C. I think I shuold have done more research on types and sizes. I left everything in the PS's hands. I'm still hoping for the DROP& FLUFF! Maybe its just to soon to tell since I had the surgery 1 week ago.
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Hi ladies,
I dont even know where to start. Thank you Laura for updating everyone. Im sitting in a hotel room in KC thinking about this last week. I just saw the PS. He said my breast looks great except for the obvious fact that it is so very swollen. Its not red, hot or anything to indicate that I have infection. That being said, I was released this morning from the hospital in Wichita, they ran lab first. My WBC went from 10.3 to 17.4. That says not good. I dont know ladies. I just cant seem to stop crying. I dont want to loose this implant but I dont want to get more sick. How the heck does your WBC go up when they have you on Clindamycin and Vancomycin IV for 2 days! My veins are all blown, my right arm is black and blue, I cant eat, I hurt, the hospital thru my Blackberry down a laundry shoot and then I had to fight with them to get it back, I haven't slept at home in five days, its getting close to being Christmas and I still have lots to do!
I JUST WANT MY LIFE BACK. I wanted even boobs. Thats all. PS says its a 50-50 shot whether I will wake up with my implant gone. He wont know until he sees whats going on. So I could possibly be starting the new year like I did this one!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok Ok Ok Im done. Now that I have stomped my feet and pitched a fit. I will try to eat something and relax and know that whatever happens in the morning....it will just be the best for my health and Ill go from there.
Teresa
****for any of you getting ready to have your exchange, dont worry...my first one went perfect. dont listen to me...Im just throwing a fit, you will be fine!****
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Teresa: I know this is a HUGE, unexpected, nasty blip in your reconstruction. I remember sitting with you in Vegas three months ago. You told me how you had been crying before the trip, not able to fit into any bra and hating your breasts. I was equally as disappointed with your recon results. I knew - just KNEW you could have a better result. You would have been miserable if you had NOT gone through this second exchange and revision with Laura's PS. So you bit the bullet and you took the risk and you have this wretched complication. But you have gorgeous breasts!!!! I am praying, along with others, that you do not lose the implant. You could have an underlying infection which happened to foment because of surgery and impacted the implant. But please hang in there. It just is as upsetting to all of us who know you and know Jazzy and SusieZee that you have had to suffer so. Just try to remain in a good place....Christmas will take care of itself. Everyone understands what you are going through there at home. You just need to heal and rest and have some measure of acceptance that there is nothing you can do right now and just let the doctors figure it all out.
Hugs.......
Deborah
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Teresa: I am so sorry you have to go through this. I think I can say we all understand the emotions of being tired of all of this and wanting your life back. I sure hope that you get this taken care of and you can get back to your home and own bed and start 2010 with this behind you!
Thank you all that we have a place to vent our feelings and know that we can come here for encouragement, compassion and someone else who might understand what we are going through.
Hope all the surgeries that were today went well!
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((((((((Teresa)))))) Hang in there, sweetie!! We're all praying for you!!!
LizziesNuNu - welcome to EC, my fellow North Texan! Feel free to PM me and I'll give you my phone #. Don't be too nervous about your exchange next week; it's absolutely worth getting those darn TE's out! I'm actually in Ft. Worth, so maybe you're coming up here to the "big city" for your surgery?
Lilah - Boy, do I feel for you and the drain situation! My ps also doesn't let you shower with those suckers......and I had my mx drains for 11 days and my exchange drains for 8! That shower will be the best......
NAE - Oh....I understand what you mean now......Mine felt EXTREMELY foreign to me, given the fact that I went from a flat-chested AAA to a DD! I'm now 12 weeks post-exchange, and I think I'm finally starting to acclimate to having them around.....though I do still bump into things all the time with them!
nene2059 -regarding the Allergan Style 20's.....I have them and absolutely love them! My ps did take in the Style 45's as well, but in order to get the width he needed, the volume was way too big for my pockets.....I couldn't be happier, though.....hope you will be, too!
I'm still making cookies......LOTS of cookies....so many neighbors, friends, and doctors to thank!
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Teresa- I feel so sad for you..... Things always have a way of working out for the best. I will keep extra good thoughts for you.
Allison
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Teresa:
I am so sorry you have to go through this.
Wendy
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Theresa- I know going through this far from home is extra challenging, but the trip to a wonderful doctor is worth it. I am so sorry our dealing with this. We are with you!!!!
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(((Teresa)))) We are all there for you my dear!
I am another style 20 Allergan sister. And I am happy w/ my results too!
NAE - That's interesting about being warm. I can't say that I feel warm w/ my implants, but they are certainly different than having breasts. So perhaps that's the feeling you are having.
For those going in for their exchange, best wishes for all you wish for. No matter what - the implants (at least the silicone) are SO SOFT and SO MUCH more comfortable than the TEs. They look flatter than our old breasts, but they do settle and look more natural over time. Hugs to all of you!!
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(((Teresa))) I don't know you like many of the others do but I do feel your pain. It is so disappointing to have this happening now. I will pray with the others for a good result. It sounds like he is going back into surgery with you -- hope that he finds what is wrong, fixes it, and that you wake up with your implant still in place and the swelling on the mend. I agree with Packergirl -- having to go through this is bad enough, going through it while far from home just makes it harder. So more virtual hugs for you : ((((Teresa))))
I did have my drains out today, ladies, and what a relief! I was lucky to only have them in for about 6 days (my surgery was last Wednesday), though I suspect the shorter stint was due to the fact that I had my axillary node removal last June with my second lumpectomy, so there was less of me to drain. It seems somehow wrong but I am happy! No drain! No more itching! And I got to see the results for the first time and I was quite pleased! I have decided my PS is an artist. I learned that she put in 180cc's to start, which was a surprise. It actually already looks like a boob (well a mini-boob). Nothing by comparison with my DD left breast (which will be lifted and reduced at exchange) but really, under the circumstances, I thought it looked attractive. So I am looking forward to the fill process, to watching it grow, etc. All that I have now is a crampy feeling under my arm, which is from the TE (which I can feel and the nurse confirmed that a bump I feel is in fact the TE poking a little at my underarm -- bleh). I can live with it but I'm already looking forward to exchange.
Oh and my thanks to the person who recommended the Underscore sports bra from JC Penneys. I did go and buy one (with zip front) the week before my surgery and am wearing it very comfortably now! Not bad for a $12 bra!
Cheers,
Lilah
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Teresa--You are being so brave and I admire that you are handling all of this as well as you are. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. Deborah is right, Christmas will take care itself, this time is about you.
Hugs--Karen0 -
Teresa- I am so sorry you are dealing with this. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Val- so good you sound so great! Just don't knock the tree down with those things!
Jean is correct!!! The implants feel sooooooo much better than those TE's, anyone having surgery this month- get excited!!! You are almost to the finish line.
I meet with my PS tomorrow to talk about my next surgery in April (to rid myself of these odd flaps under my arms) Not too excited about this procedure but loving my boys this Christmas. This is the first time ever I have not sent cards nor ran around like a chicken. I am truly enjoying quiet times with my boys and it is very nice.
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Lets all pray Teresa does not loose the implant. I have talked with her daily. She told me today that the implants look amazing and all the repositioning the Dr. had to do is great. She is so happy with all that... she just need there to be NO NO NO infection... and just fluid.
PLEASE PRAY FOR HER... that she wakes up with a boob.. TWO BOOBS!
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Teresa, praying for you and hoping that everything turns out the way you want it to. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that you don't have an infection and that you're on your way back home as soon as possible. Know that everyone here is rooting for you and you are in our thoughts...
Hugs,
Terri
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