Exchange City
Comments
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Lilah- thanks for replying! The hard spots are on the breast.....the outside & under (where extra pocket work was done) the breast mound. There was no alloderm used or fat grafting done.
My ps just said it feels fine & I didn't think to ask about any leftover hematoma until this week & it hasn't softened....that was 2 weeks after exchange....it's 4 now.
I don't see him for another 2 weeks...maybe I'll call & ask about massage. Do you mean normal massage or that hardcore moving the implant in the pocket kind? I'm healing well....all incisions closed & have been putting my lotion on more vigorously.0 -
Anyone that's had exchange, how long after exchange until you started massage? And does it do anything other then preventing capsular contraction?
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tlc40 - At my first post-exchange appointment (10 days post op) I was told to start massage as soon as it wasn't uncomfortable to do so. So I started at about 2 weeks after exchange. But, each PS seems to vary wildly with their rules and regulations
so always check with your own if you have questions. It's my understanding that it is done to prevent capsular contraction and I don't remember any discussion of other benefits from it. That's enough reason for me to do it! 0 -
Hi ladies....I have a few more questions for you! My husband and I are hoping to take a ski vacation about a month after my exchange. Do you think that's enough healing time or should we plan it for a little bit later on? I'm a pretty careful skiier and stick to the easy slopes.
Also, I noticed some of you mentiong "massage"....is this to "massage" the reconstructed area? Or is this the good old fashioned massage that requires lying face down? Sorry if it's obvious to the rest of you. I blame my chemo brain!
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kk11: I would ask your PS about how soon after your exchange is safe. I asked mine today if I could ski without danger of harming the new foobs, (our trip is after the new year, exchange was in Sept) and he said that's fine. It all would depend on your healing process, I suppose. But PS is best one to ask.
My PS told me to massage the implants daily.
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kk11 - It's the unexpected things that pop up that can hurt you. You are a careful skier, but you can't control what everyone else is doing. Personally, I think a month is too soon, but I have had a bumpy breast cancer road so I've become a bit over-cautious. As HeftyLefty said, it's best to check with your PS.
The tissues react to the implant as a foreign invader (which it is) and will contract and tighten around it. Implant massage helps to fool your body into thinking that the pocket is a little larger than it actually is so it decreases the chance of capsular contracture. I was instructed to put my hands on my breasts and to move them up and down three times, then side to side three times and to do the massage at least three times a day. I was told to massage each time I used the restroom. My brain usually remembers (but not always), but I do remember to massage at least three times per day.
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Angelique- so glad to hear that everything is great; very encouraging news.
TinaT-I will have to ask at my exchange consult next week about massage. Have not been told anything about that yet.
I really want this exchange to be easy and get on to the ooph with nomore breast issues getting in the way!
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TinaT: Thanks for the massage "how-to". My PS told me to do it, but failed to tell me how to do it.
Thanks, Ginger!
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Angelique it is so weird with you just ahead of me and us having the same PS! I will enjoy reading your posts.
It is just about 3 days out for me. I showered yesterday and took off the dressings. Kinda freaked me out I would have preferred not to look right away. They look SO much different than the TEs but with a lot of swelling. I am surprised by how much swelling on my sides/below the armpits. Can't say for sure what else is swelling vs. the new look... It all feels so tender and susceptible to...??? I don't know, falling, migrating, uni-boob...
The pain went down a lot in the past 24 hours so I just took 1 percocet overnight. It's already easier to sleep, move around bit.
However this am I feel uncomfortable, not too bad, but it's rainy, hubby is at work and kids at school.. What the hell I am taking some percocet and spending the day on the sofa. Got the remote and a decent book. Life's good at the moment!
Oh and I LOVE that the silicone does not have the hard edges, crinkly pop feeling when touched. I am nervous about the overall look after having gotten used to coconut boobs but these are way nicer!!!0 -
LMichelle: Congratulations! That's right, you take it easy for a few days. If you read my earlier posts, you will see that I OVERDID IT last weekend and I was almost 10 days out from surgery. So even though you might feel good, be careful with doing too much. Trust me on this. It is a false sense of complete recovery! It will take awhile. LMichelle, I was swollen also, not just in the boobs, but my whole trunk area was swollen. I didn't notice this until I compared photos before and after exchange. 2.5 weeks out, I though things had gone back to normal, but when I saw the PS yesterday, he said I was still swollen a little bit. I took comparison pics (days 3, 8 and 15) and I can already see the difference. I know they will continue to change over the next couple of months, so I am patiently waiting. You really can't get freaked out at the point where you are. It's too early to make any judgements. What's important is that you are happy with the overall look of things. Get lots of rest this week-end; right now perfect weather for doing nothing but recuperating.
Oh, one more thing, did you get a flyer for the HUP cancer symposium (I think it's Living beyond Breast Cancer or something like that) at the end of the month? If so, are you planning to go to that? I can't because I have plans, but I am really bummed to miss it. Sounds like a lot of good info will be presented there. If you go, would you let me know what I missed?
Also, who was your BS?
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I am 4 days post-op and feeling pretty good. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when I took the wrapping off to take a peek. I was told that I would be a big C cup and it looked more like a large B. The PS office called me on Tuesday to see how I was and I asked about it and she said that they take awhile to "drop". I then went through some posts on here and realized that I had to be patient. I am thankful for this thread!!! I was able to shower the day after surgery and took the ace bandage off and was told to just wear an underwire bra 24-7. I can tell that I am swollen a little so I am sure that it will take awhile to heal. I have not had to take any pain meds and I am at work today for a few hours. I hope everyone has a nice weekend and good luck to those have their surgeries next week. It was definately not as painful as the BMX...Teri
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TerifromOhio:
Glad you are feeling good. I'm a couple months away from surgery. What size implants did the PS use? Just trying to decide myself. Pretty sure I"m going to ask for the 550's just like whippetmom suggested.
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tlc -- it's hard to really know without seeing it. If you are really concerned because of your experience with the hematoma it's worth a call now instead of waiting 2 weeks. With that said, it could be scar tissue. It depends how much work is done inside (some call it pocket work but that just means work inside the cavity). Massage could soften it if it is scar tissue but might not be recommended if it's a hematoma. So my default is to say: see your PS and ask him to look again. Use that visit to also ask about massage.
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Hi Jenny: My PS used 492 cc's and said that was a big C.
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Thanks Lilah, I already changed my appointment to asap(Monday) as I relized it is getting harder & not softening up. I feel more relief knowing what is going on, even if it's something bad, then at least I can have a plan to fix it...hopefully!
I'll let you all know what it is in case it happens to anyone else. I know I learned a lot on here just reading about what others have been through.0 -
Teri, congratulations! Wow I can't believe you didn't use any pain meds at all!
Angelique, can you believe her PS called to check on her? I'm a bit jealous, I never even talked to doc at all after he marked me up pre surgery. And his office was cranky with me when I called to ask a few questions yesterday. I'm not 100 percent happy with the way things seem to run at that office... Though the results seem to be turning out finel... My BS is Sataloff. Yourself?0 -
Sataloff, also. I know what you mean about the office, but I have learned to become pushy when I need something from them. It's the only way. I really like the doc, though. He did a nice job on me, so I am happy. How 'bout you. Do you like what you see so far?
Hey, any time you want to go bra shopping at Nordstrom's KofP, let me know - I'll meet you there. I have been wanting to go for a fitting with a MX specialist, but I know I have to wait til things settle in.
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Hefty lefty and LMichele - will be 3 months or more behind you for exchange 1/9/12, I am at Jefferson here in Philly. Any insight on fittings in the area would be great. I know it is a ways off for me but on my to do list, just to feel like I am moving forward will waiting for final fills and exchange.
Thanks!0 -
Congrats to all those just finishing exchange! Like HeftyLefty said, take it easy! As soon as I started increasing activity (at 14 days out), I had immediate swelling - so much so that I thought my symmastia (uniboob) repair was failing.
Seeing the doc again next week to make certain things are OK, but I think it's just that my implants and tissue are doing their own thing as I progress. Don't be freaked by wrinkles or indents - just sit back, give them time to settle and enjoy the softness! 0 -
Hi girls, I have not posted on this thread since August. It is nice to see some familiar names, Lilah, Scuba. I am having round #2 exchange in December and hoping that this will be my last breast surgery.
A special shout out to Jean for keeping this thread going! I have it in my favs and never took it out as I like to pop in now and then and check up on my breast friends.
LMichelle, if you do not like your group of docs, I have a great group of docs right in Philly. I am not sure if Scuba told you about them. I made a big mistake in not firing my 1st PS when I first felt that he was not giving me the time and attention that I needed and would hate to see anyone going through this deal with a doctor or staff that does not have time for questions.
Take care girls, will be following you all. And good luck to you gals having your exchanges next week.
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Scuba, we can go bra shopping whenever you are ready! I will let you know the best places to go for that by the time you are ready for fittings!!
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tlc -- glad you moved the appointment up. Here's hoping it's nothing.
Dorthy -- thanks for stopping in! Glad to hear you're going to get the revision you want with a PS team that listens!
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Hello Ladies! It's been some time since I last posted (probably last summer!) Is whippetmom still around? I don't see any posts from her???Anyway, I need some advice...and I know this is the BEST place to turn to! I had a double mast (for dcis) last April and reconstruction (exchange) August 25th. I'm 125 lbs and 5'6". I had 350 TE overfilled (slightly) to 370. My PS used mentor 400cc mod plus profile in the exchange.Here's my issue: I like the look from the front view (naked). They look nice, have a nice slope (no shelf) and are quite even. BUT...from the side they look quite flattish (low projection). They feel a liitle small for my frame. They also have a flattish look when I look down at them (due to no nipples, I guess) and I seem very flat in clothes. Hum. A couple of weeks after the surgery I noticed a couple of small, but annoying, divots start to appear in areas of thin skin from the mast. (on both sides but worse on left).I saw my PS for my 6 week appt and told him my feelings/thoughts. He said that he can fix the divots using fat grafting and, if I want to, at the same time he can swap out the mod+ 400 implant for a high profile implant. To "fit" my body diameter the HP would be 500cc and would have over 1 inch more projection. I'm inclined to do both the fat grafting and swapping of implant but I'm concerned about going to 500cc HP. I'm worried about looking too big and having a "shelf" look as he did say HP tends to look more "augmented". Any thoughts, advice?Brett0
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BrettW - whippetmom is still around! She doesn't post much on this thread anymore, but visit her thread, "Breast Implant Sizing 101" and she will gladly help you!
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Thanks Dawne-Hope. I'll try there as well.
Brett
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BrettW- as I have seen on the picture forum the high profiles can look very natural too.
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....just don't tell Cameron:)
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I'm less than two weeks away from my exchange-10/28-and can hardly stand the waiting. It was REALLY helpful to hear about how to do the massage-as I had read about it, but hadn't heard about it from my surgeon yet (perhaps he will tell me post op) but was wondering about it. Hearing how it's going for everyone post exchange helps me keep my "hope" in check in terms of how quickly I'll be back to "normal"-whatever that is-I don't even know anymore.
Can't wait to be through this and on "the other side". Pat
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Pat- I am doing exchange on the 27th and feel just the same as you. I just want these expanders out with no complications.
For those who have had exchange- How much help did you need right after surgery? Could you stay alone during the day? How long till you could drive?
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I third the motion my exchange is the 25th. Getting nervous and excited at the same time. I can't believe what we have all been though this past year. It seems almost surreal like it is haooenng to someone else. I look at my life and it seems like someone else sometimes.
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