Exchange City
Comments
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Ronna hope everything goes well on Monday! Have a great weekend!
Cindy
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Cindy, thank you so much.
You also have a great weekend.
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Judy, Wow, I'm almost as excited for you as I was for me. A year of TEs, you are an amazing woman!!!!!!!!
Julie
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Judy, you sound very well prepared and ready for your exchange. Since we share the same PS, can't wait to hear how things go for you. Also, funny thing, I have the opposite situation with my TEs where my rad side is lower by about an inch. My prophy side has been really high from my first fill. Weird, huh? We are all so different. I did have Lat D so maybe that is a factor, I don't know.
Wishing you a great outcome and min. discomfort! deekaay
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Luna: I second the statement that whippetmom is a genius. She just held my hand through my little panic moment with truth and sensitivity. Kudos to you my fellow English major, whippetmom.
Whippetmom: by the way what are you reading these days? And my mom thanks you for getting her daughter through a time of worry.
fairportlady: I remembered again! Thinking positive visions of successful surgery and textbook recovery. Beautiful boobs to boot!
Kristinka: I keep forgetting to tell you something. 5mg of valium is my friend in the evening as well. You are not alone with that. I take it for the tightness in my chest (which i am hoping is not a CC already) and for my back which plagues me most nights.
Kristen
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Kristinka, I sent you an email. Sorry it took so long, let me know what you think.
Julie
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Thanks Julie- I guess we are as strong as what is given us...
And thanks Deekay- I'll let you know for sure. JUDY
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Judy, I'll be thinking of you Tuesday! Thank YOU for helping so many of us. What a road we are travelling. Healing wishes to all who have surgery this week and next. I'm seven weeks (maybe now 8?? good sign I'm not counting??) out from my exchange and 1.5 from my nipple surgery and I played football and frisbee with my boys on the beach this week without worrying too much. I write this just to tell you there's HOPE and that the reconstruction process does eventually get easier. Maggie
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Thanks Maggie-- I'm waiting for a big YAHOOOO
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LADIES ( OLD TIMERS OF EC MOSTLY)... DID YOU NOTICE EC got a " bump" on page 402. ROFLOL.. in the HISTORY of EC.. no one has ever ever EVER " had" to bump EC.. I found this so funny for some reason...lol lol lol lol
anywhooo.. wanted to share my giggle... I do hope whomever did bump EC helped some sister get here for help.... (((hug)))
JUDY... you know it.. you know it... you know it girlllll.... your day is a comin' ..... your day to fly high and feel the freedom sister... wahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
Your day is a coming.... OH YEAH!
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Judy... it is WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOT YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Cindy hugs and good luck!!!!! Kathy
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CDB and FairportLady: Good luck today! Woo hoo!
I had my big unveiling of my nipples. The symmetry wasn't fixed as much as I'd hoped BUT my PS managed to get the nipples so that they looked relatively even. The nipples look big and misshapen (thanks to all you ladies who had warned that they would so I didn't panic). I'll live with them a while before deciding if I want to put myself through the revision surgery.
Overall it was quite a thrill to see breasts where there were just mounds before! Happy day!
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I saw that bump too & thought it was a HOOT! Someone must of made a mistake!!!!
BTW - I think it's regional cuz here in MD it's WooooHooooo! Not Yahoooo (that's a search engine) or Wahoooo! Those are country people!!!! Hugs to all!!!!
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It's Wahoooo on EC...It's a Laura Wahooooooooooooo! (I typed it wrong!)
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I will be having my exchange on 4/19 and was just wondering if any of you girls who have already had yours have been able to start sleeping on your stomach? That is how I always slept and it is so annoying to have to sleep on my back. I have finally been able to do a little side sleeping but was just curious if stomach sleeping would be in my future or not. Sure hope so because Ambien has become my best friend each night and I don't want it to be my BFF.
Thanks!
Becky
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Becky, I started sleeping on my stomach as soon as my incisions healed.
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I have not been on the board for a while. I had my exchange on 3/16. It was a bit more painful recovery than I anticipated and the constipation from narcotics about killed me. I just sat there and thought "I cannot go to the emergency room for constipation but neither can I die from it." Colace, prunes, whatever wasn't working for days. I had to cut off the oxycondone and live with that pain to eliminate the other pain....anyway, I'm good now and my DH is taking me bra shopping tomorrow!!!! I've gone from a small B to a big C and wow, what a difference. And the PS said I could quit wearing the ACE bandage wrap too! Nipple recon and tatoo to come in the summer. I am going to quit worrying about this disease for at least six months.....breast MRI will surely bring me back to reality. But till then...woooohooo, I've got BOOBS!
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Judy, Woo wa and yahoooooo to youuuuuu! We're so lucky to have you and all our ec friends who share so much!
Ronq, you've had so many good wishes, you're going to do great!!
Mississippi queen, you know what I mean!! glad you're coming along. I still can't get used to my new look and size, amazingly great isn't it!! For anyone about to go thru pain meds, it's good to start even before surgery with the softeners.
Maggie, frisbee on the beach... what a nice day and picture you gave us
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binga - I have had a much easier reconstruction than others, and I was able to sleep on my stomach less than a week after my exchange. I just woke up that way and was fine! I love these implants and felt normal the day after the exchange. YIPPEE SQUISHY!0
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Wow, you miss a day of reading and it takes forever to catch up!
Jenni: I was considered "peri-menopausal" before my mx. My last period was in either March or April of last year (I was bad about keeping track of that stuff). Then right after I got home from the hospital in January I had one. Of course my husband had to go to the store since I didn't have anything at home (their favorite thing to buy!) and I certainly wasn't going out in my condition the day after surgery (I went home next day). I figured it was a hormonal/stress thing. I've not had one since but started on tamoxifen the end of Jan. too.
Fairportlady, Ronna and mississipiqueen: Congrats to all of you.
Facecrafter: WOW!!!! YIPPPEEEEE for you to have TE for a whole year! I'm already tired of that rock in there and how it moves around and yanks on those muscles. Bless your heart! Congrats and you definitely deserve an EXTRA speedy recovery!
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Good Morning:
I have been a registered member since last fall, but a lurker to this thread since my BMX on Jan 12. I have gained so must from reading this (and sizing 101) thread and thank you all so very much for your sharing of ...well most everything.
I am 5'7' and currently weigh 111 (although my pre-cancer healthy weight was closer to 120) My rib cage measures 28.5 relaxed. I live in Longboat Key, FL (near Sarasota) which is on the west coast of central FL.
I started my journey with a 2 cm lump IDC in my left breast, two lumpectomies in Sept and commenced chemo with dd AC on Oct 1. I am node positive. I was then diagnosed with an ILC lump in my right breast in Jan and I interrupted my 12 weekly taxol chemo at week 5 to have a BMX. I have been struggling to get back to a weekly chemo infusion schedule since surgery as my blood counts have bottomed out and neuprogen shots and blood transfusions have become the norm. I have managed 4 more Taxols over the past 2 1/2 months and have 3 more infusions to go. Arimidex and Fosomax is the plan thereafter.
I had TEs put in at the time of surgery with a fill of 150cc. I have since expanded to 475cc. My last fill was Mar 23 and I believe that we are happy with the size and will now wait for exchange. My PS does NOT want to overfill as I was a DD prior to diagnosis and I want to be a C...so there is more than enough skin available. I believe we have decided silicone 500cc would suit my frame but the plan is to bring a few sizes in at exchange.
Binga/Becky - It seems that you and I have similar size plans and I look forward to hearing about your satisfaction since your exchange will be before mine. I do not have any idea when I will have the exchange as I still need to finish chemo and then I believe wait about one month before exchange. I have only two nodes positive and I have decided against rads as my tumors were not near the chest wall (both were by the nips and on a DD there was plenty of room) and the concensus of my BS, PS and both onc and rad onc is I do not need it.
Facecrafter/Judy - congrats on your soon to be exchange. WOW, such a long wait. I understand that you went to Moffitt? I stayed local with Novak as my BS, Adamson as my PS and Silver as my Onc. (consults with Patrice for rads) I interviewed docs at Moffit and also spoke with ALOT of their patients and found many returned to Sarasota docs. It is preference and I am extremely pleased with my choices, as I am sure that you are too. I do hope to have tats at the end of this journey and would love to meet you sometime.
Positive energy and results to those having surgeries in the near future and thank you again for all of your selfless sharing.
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Katey is dead on about starting the softeners before surgery. I knew better but the Valium I took to relax me prior to surgery must have made me forget about it. (It's either that or blame my DH for not reminding be and I'm not about to blame him for anything. He's been to absolutely every appt.)
My PS says I can wear underwire too. It it hurts, just quit. And he didn't prescribe any massage techniques. His bigger concern was my body trying to push my implants up too high, not sagging! Anybody else have this concern? I'm on Flexaril to combat muscle spasms that supposedly can cause this.
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Regarding constipation and pain meds -- try not to laugh to hard, but look for Smooth Move tea. I think I got it at my naturopath's office, but it's sold elsewhere, like Whole Foods kinds of markets. My family thinks the name is hysterically funny; actually I do, too, but that, together with daily acidopilus (a probiotic that aids in digestion by promoting helathy bacteria) made it so that I didn't need any stool softeners or laxatives. Really gentle. That whole constipation after surgery thing seems as mean as not being able to sleep right before you have a baby if you know what I mean. Yours in moving smoothly (I swear I've turned into my grandfather!), Maggie
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Alicia, how are you feeling? Thinking of you, Maggie
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judgejacklyn: 500 ccs - high profile silicone rounds - sounds just right to me! Perhaps 550 ccs...if you have fairly ample skin flaps since you were a DD.
Laura: I missed the "bump"....whoa...that is amazing!
Kristenpink: So glad to help!
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Jaclyn, I'm so glad you are getting close to your exchange. I just wanted to let you know that you might end up as a D or more with the 500ccs. I am 5'7" at 120 lb with somethng like a 30" rib cage. I have 400 cc implants (moderate profile) and I wear a 34D bra now. I'm sure the 500 ccs will look great on you, no matter what bra size they turn out to be. good luck to you,
Kristen
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Judy ~ from me it is a woo HOO for you ! Your day is almost here ~ I am so happy for you.
To all that have had surgery this week I hope you are feeling good.
My exchange was 3/16 and I am sore at the bottom and across the rib cage, really don't want to WEAR a bra because it hurts.......... guess this too shall pass ! Thanks for thinking of me Maggie. I am familiar with smooth move tea... sometimes it is rather explosive. LOL
Have a good day all !
Alicia0 -
JustmeAlicia, I had that soreness problem and found the Warner Element of Bliss bra to have a soft enough band to wear.
Here is something I just found while searching for answers to my shakiness after exercising (anyone else??)
This is on the mentor site, I'm sorry to bring it up again, we are all told such different things and just shows how we need to ask our ps's what is right for us:
http://www.mentorcorp.com/breastsurgery/reconstruction/FAQ/underwire_bra.htm
Most doctors ask that women wait 3 months before wearing under wire bras after implant surgery. Your body will be forming scar tissue around the implant for 3 months. During this time the pressure of the wires could cause the scar tissue to form in such a way that an indentation from the wires could become permanent. After this initial healing time under wire bras should be worn intermittently to avoid permanent indentation.
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Thanks for the welcome. As for size, I do fill out a C cup bra with my current size - and also can fit into a 34D. I am not really too concerned...just prefer not to go back to 50 year old skin saggy DD's (despite having a lift 10 years ago) I actually would feel odd not having a lil' something something on my chest. I went from being the long haired blonde with big boobs to being the bald flat chick so I am excited to be getting some hair growth (albeit gray) and also chest growth. I will post photos to Timtam's site soon so that I may impose upon Deborah to comment as to size. I have finally gained back about 6 lbs (I went down near only 100 lbs) as so I do not look "sickly", just a bit skin sag on my once very toned arms.
Again thanks for all that everyone shares. It is not as frightening to go through the steps of reconstruction when I have advance info from women in the know.
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