Exchange City
Comments
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We all love you Laura and we know that anything you say is not meant in a bad way. You are wayyyy too sweet for us to not know that!! Also Vegas is gonna work we just have to come up with a date and a hotel. I am thinking the last weekend of Sep (Fri-Mon) anyone else have a better date?? So glad your scans are clean!! YAYYYYY!!!!
Tracey
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Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great news Laura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to insert a dancing banana, but I am technically challanged and couldn't fingure out how to do it! I am glad you had a donut! - Jean 0 -
Hi. I had a Double Mastectomy on 8/30/08 with immediate expanders. The expanders have been causing alot of pain so I am having them exchanged on 3/19. I am not sure if I should go with silicone or saline. I just want thes damn things out. Any suggestions as to where I can do my research on which to get?
I have been having awful nerve pain so my Oncologist put me on Neurontin b/c the reconstruction doctor said my pain isn't from the expanders. Of course it is.
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Hi Ladies. I had lobular carcinoma in the left breast, but decided on a Double Mastectomy done on 9/30/08 with immediate expanders. They're awful so I am getting them exchanged on 3/19/09I am leaning towards saline as I have bad allergies and am afraid of being allergic to the silicone. I also am having alot of nerve pain from the expanders. I am still unsure of what to get. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Nancy
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YEAHHHHHHH Laura!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best news today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Nancy - Welcome. I am sorry you are dealing w/ all this, but wanted to give you a special welcome to this group. I will add your upcomng surgery to our growing list. I am sorry that you are having so many problems w/ your immediate expanders. I don't know too much about allergic reactions, but hopefully someone will post soon. Take care. - Jean
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Welcome Nancy! I hope you exchange goes well!
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Ladies.. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
Nancy, welcome! I have not had exchange soon.. but someone will pop up here and give advice.
Tracey... I pull for the last of Sept or first of Oct. My sons b.day is Sept.25th.. I have never missed my boys b.days...eekk...LOL..... I personally will be able to fly out on a Friday or Saturday.. and fly home Monday sometime...:)
Hotel wise... I have no idea... not to pricey. so many of us ( or just me...LOL) are still paying max pay out on their insurances. I pay about 4500 a year... and I know there are others like me.
Anyone else??
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Laura --Oh, I am so happy your scans are clean!!! I am doing the happy dance for you, and I will eat two doughnuts in your honor tomorrow! What wonderful news!
Annie - Good luck for your surgery Wednesday. I pray for easy surgery for you, and clean scans!!
Diane
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Hi, Nancy, welcome to the group! I just had my exchange two weeks ago, and I just love my new silicone girl. She is so soft (especially compared to those horrid expanders!), and feels quite real. I have been told that saline implants are not as soft, but I'm sure the girls with saline implants will chime in and tell you what theirs are like. I agree that allergies are a very important concern; hopefully you are not allergic to silicone, because I've read that the outer shells of saline implants are made of silicone. This is a wonderful place to get answers to all your questions!
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Oh Laura Laura Laura.....kinda like Marsha Marsha Marsha.....LOL....Gawd am I happy for you. Some good news amongst all this change....or exchange should I say.
Prayers to all. There are so many lovely women going through such difficult, sucky, cancer crappy times. I admire you all and give you all a big gentle cyber hug.
xxoo Kathie
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Laura...........yay for you......so happy to hear some good news!......god knows we need some.
Annie......Here's hoping that all goes well for you on Wednesday......I will keep my fingers crossed that you can have the laproscopic surgery.....or at least quick healing.....and as little pain as possible........
These damn fingers are getting tired of all the crossing.....lol.......
So how about some more drama.....you all know I haven't had enough yet.......I woke up this morning with a hole in my incision...about dime sized.....and it looked like black behind it.......very similar in appearance to when my expander was exposed.......I thought........are you f*cking kidding me.......not again........jumped in the car with DH for another 2 hour drive to the city.......PS saw us right away........but thank god.......she is very optimistic that this should be OK.......muscle was still intact........incision opened from tight skin......due to her having to remove the old wound when the last TE was removed.......she put some heavy duty stitches in place and says skin condition and everything else looks great.......please keep your fingers crossed that this is the case.......I don't think I could handle losing another one.
Vegas can't come soon enough........I need a vacation from the doctors.......If it's not my far too frequent trips to the PS.......it's a drive into the cancer centre for scans or my Herceptin treatments......I can't even imagine how many kilometers we have put on my car this passed year......I stopped looking a long time ago.
Cheers to all!
Jax
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JAX... OMGosh... can it ever go smooth over there... poor lady!!!! FINGERS and TOES CROSSED!!!!!!!
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oh Jax!! you poor thing! I am a pretzel right now, everything is crossed for everyone this week!! there is power in numbers people, we will get through this, damn it!!!
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I'm having my exchange on May 4th, I had a bi-lat on Nov 17th. Natrelle 700cc silicone round high profile. I'm pretty tall, and right now expanded to 725cc I'm a full C-cup (in one of my old bras). I'm also having a hyster/ooph at the same time. I'm looking forward to the exchange, the fills didn't bother me until the last two and now I wake up at night, aching, and they are so darn hard. PS promises the implants will feel better. I'm also looking forward to getting my ovaries out, I think I'll feel better, hard to explain. I've heard the worst part of having both done at the same time is it is hard to move, we'll see.
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Laura I think you are the one that's misunderstood. I can't imagine you being in a room and it not helping someone. You just have that kind of personality. You may not realize it but YOU were helping them just as they were helping you : - )
Annie prayers are going your way also
Nancy/boyzbeebs I put this on another thread...
when I had my 1st exchange I choose saline because I didn't realize silicone implants changed from years ago. After not being happy with mine due to not wide enough and were very firm I think because my PS filled them to the max. I decided to get them exchanged when I had my lift and implant done on my healthy side. After seeing this video I decided I was ok with going with silicone implants. I just want to add everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. I don't want anybody to think I'm pushing the silicone implants but for me that's what I chose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFyAEgqJSwjust so you are aware both saline and silicone implant both have a silicone outer shell to hold the silicone or saline. There are several thread that talk about this subject.
For Vegas I say end of Sept beginning of Oct would be great. My B-Day is Oct 9th so it will be a pre B-Day gift to myself. I sort of prefer one of the hotel in the middle of the strip. We won't spend loads of time in the hotel so it doesn't have to be super nice. But having a pool is a very good idea for those that want to relax by the pool. Staying 4 days 3 night is really perfect. If some want they can spend one day going one way on the strip another day going the other way and a 3rd day checking out downtown. Or at least that's what we did when we went several years ago.
Jax my fingers and toes are both crossed : - ) (lol after typing this in word perfect on my computer as reading through all the post I see Laura said the same thing when I got to her post)
Kew as long as you don't get pocket work done your exchange should be a very easy surgery
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Dani42 - What a nice note - thanks! I'm doing really well; went back to work today and did fine.
Anniealso - I'll be thinking of you on Wednesday. I pray you can have laparascopic surgery, as open abdominal surgery is a little more challenging recovery-wise. I'm sure you have plenty of help ready - it's a good time to have someone stay with you for a few days. Will you be put on replacement therapy?
Ladyredlocks - SO sorry you are dealing with disappointment! I don't know for sure, but I wonder if those who are exchanged within 6 weeks of their last fill experience more of the "hamburger bun" look waiting for their muscle to relax more. I had to wait 3 full months for my exchange, and I think my muscle was well prepared and doesn't seem to be fighting to go back to its former state. Do you think in time your skin and muscle will relax more and your implant will "fluff" as everyone calls it? I hope so. It might be a good question to ask your PS. As for the hot flashes, I experienced more of them in my late forties than I have in my early fifties. Don't know why... I am kind of curious, because I still have regular periods at age 53 and haven't started slowing down, yet all through my 40s I had symptoms of menopause. I'll probably be the only old lady in the nursing home with a supply of tampons.
Firstmate - hoping you do the Sandy's happy-dance with your next revision!
Yvonne - "Boobz 2 Foobz" it is! Great band name, you should be our agent.
PinkyLee & Fairy - We'll all cry with you, okay? Hormones, surgery, the residual effects of anesthesia, and stress are a potent cocktail! You've racked up the stress points lately, and all that stuff has to come out somehow. We're only human.
Laura - [Sounds of an entire Stadium cheering!!!] Yay! We are SO happy for you - CLEAR SCANS! (chant it with me) CLEAR SCANS! Whoooo! Praise God! And my thought about your "helping" the stage 4 people was more along the lines of encouragement. Your time and presence in their life - in any form - is a gift that they surely value and appreciate. It's cool that you are helping them with wigs.
Tracy - Really nice picture!
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Well God certainly knew Laura's scans would be negative. It was no surprise to Him. So I just say THANK YOU JESUS for such a gift and for her very life being lived as a testimony to Your amazing grace!!! WAHOOOOOOOO.......
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boyzbeebs: You will need to find out if your expander was Allergan [aka, Inamed/McGhan] or Mentor. If Mentor, it might also be called a "Becker" one stage expander. And then get the size - # of cc's - of the expander your PS used. One of us can help you thereafter.
Deborah
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Good luck to all the exchange ladies and Anniealso this week - you are in my prayers.
Laura - wonderful news - so happy for you!
Kris - another good front close bra is made by Enell (1-800-828-7661). Some sports stores stock this brand, or you can order on-line. This is the most "orthopedic" bra I have ever worn, but it did help distribute the weight of my fully expanded chest from December 10 to March 3.
Rockwell girl, MyKidsMom, and Yvonne - thanks for the happy dance and well wishes following my exchange surgery.
Ladyredlocks - I seem to be having more hot flashes since the March 3rd exchange (I am nearly 57, but was still having periods a year ago). My gynecologist recommended Estroven, which I will resume taking (quit before surgery). I can also relate to the hamburger bun image. Mine looked better the day after surgery, when there apparently was some swelling. Now, I can see some ripples and loose skin, particularly in the underarm area. I am wearing a sports bra and ace bandage 24 x 7 and the incisions are sealed with wide clear tape, so any "fluffing" is impossible at this time. I will see my PS on Thursday and pray I hear that my appearance is normal and will get better.
Sharon
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Hi ladies! quick question, how long did all the exchange ladies have to wear their surgical bra? Did you ever take it off for a rest? This flippin thing is horrid and tight I feel like I still have my expanders in, not fun!! Plus when I take a peek its making dents into the bottoms of my foobs, that can't be good can it? Sorry to bug but its driving me mad!!
Lorraine ox
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Sharon,
We had our exchange surgery on the same date (Mar 3) and I am wondering about your discovery of ripples; where are they located? Also, thanks for the sports bra tip! Like you, I am still in a sports bra and bandage, and so far no changes. I keep wondering if I have swelling that needs to go down. Like you, I want to go to Victoria's Secret (I'm a 53 year old grandmother of 4, mom of 2) but keep waiting until things "settle down." Best of luck to you!
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I never had to wear any type of a bra after my mastectomy or my exchange. I asked my PS because everyone here had to wear some type of bra. He said he didn't want anything to rub on the incisions. I hope my foobs settle and fluff properly without one. I am getting a little nervous. Maybe I should go buy something.
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I didn't have to wear any bra after the exchange or my first revision. The PS said he wanted to let the implants drop. Of course, I still need another revision (3/18); but this revision is for scar tissue and thin skin over the implant.
As far as Vegas goes, I am game. I love Vegas. There is so much energy there. It may rub off on all of us!
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Cathee if anying just buy a reg sports bra that will give a little support while everything is healing. If your able to take it easy I could see maybe no bra is ok but if your doing much walking or anything that can strain your chest area I think it's a good idea to wear something until things are healed on the inside and out. I was advised to wear a sports bra 24/7 for 3 weeks after my exchange and now when I do my running and biking I even wear two to give extra support.
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Psalmist - what I think are ripples are near my right armpit. There just appears to be so much loose skin (I was over expanded by almost 50% for almost three months). Maybe grandma skin just takes longer to contract or firm up, so I will be headed back to my powerflex and Zomba classes after I heal up! I hope all my swelling is gone - no more shrinkage, please!
Cathee and Psalmist - YES, to fluffying, firming, and then shopping!
Sharon
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I have loose skin under my armpits that I didn't have before. The PS took some out on the last revision, but there still is more than I would like.
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Rockwell-girl: if you buy an Enell bra, you won't need to wear two when you run. Honest to God, I do not have an interest in the company, but admit that a fellow Montanan developed the bra (I don't know her personally). Oprah W. has promoted these bras on her shows.
Sharon
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firstmate - was the revision done in-office or outpatient? How long did you wait after the exchange surgery to have the first revision work done? Thanks, Sharon
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The first revision was done as an outpatient, as will the second one. I had BLM with expanders in March 2008. Exchange for silicone implants in Sept 3, 2008. First revision/capsulotomy on Nov 24, 2008. Second revision scheduled March 18.
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