Exchange City
Comments
-
urbanmom no not everyone needs lipo or fat grafting. it is used to improve the results. I have these like flags on my sides under my arms so he will use lipo to get rid of that, and the fat grafting to help fill in any low spots on my breasts. My doctor warned me from the beginning that he does all the fine tuning at the same time that he does the nipples.0
-
Carrol2, that was me asking about fat grafting. Thanks -- I will ask my PS about it since he never mentioned it to me. But like yours, he did say fine tuning would be done after initial exchange when they have settled. Such a process.
0 -
How soon after the exchange can one go swimming? I will be having mine in June and hate the thought of not being able to go swimming this summer.
0 -
JoanQuilts, the answer to your question probably depends on 1) how quickly you heal and 2) how strenuous your swimming would be. Just getting into the water would be as soon as your doc gives the ok based on your incisions, maybe within a week. But as far as actually swimming or any other exercise that involves much upper body strength - there is a great amount of variability. At 5 weeks, my PS gave me permission to "do everything" .
(However, I think he wildly underestimated my interpretation of the phrase "do everything" !!
)0 -
Urban Mom - thanks! My definition of swimming means getting in the water and cooling off, so I am greatly relieved by your response!
0 -
Interesting about the scars and activities. I had my exchange March 15. I asked my PS about anything to help with the scars, he said only time will make them fade. If they stayed really red, we could look at lasering them but that would be way down the road. Not sure I like the idea of lasers.
I am back to full duty, no restrictions at all. I bought my first post exchange bra 2 weeks after surgery and by that time my PS said I didn't need to wear one 24/7 anymore. He wasn't very specific about what I should be wearing other than cotton preferred, supportive, underwire ok as my insicions aren't in the IMF. I went to a shop that has a lot of bc patients as customers so they were really helpful.
Funny how different docs recommend different things. Good luck to those with surgeries coming up. Happy healing to those already post.0 -
I am about 5 weeks post exchange and really am happy with everything. I can finally not think about cancer or my breasts 24/7.
My PS recommends Kelo-Cote on my scars twice a day. He says that Mederma strips away layers of skin, and that makes him nervous since there is so much work done under the skin. I have been using Kelo-Cote for about 2-3 weeks now, and I do notice a slight fading of the scars in some spots, so I am hopeful. The only annoying this is you have to wait for the gel to dry, which can take up to 10 minutes, so I end up walking around topless a lot!
For massage, he recommends just pulling my breasts together a few times a day, that's it. He also says wearing a bra is a good idea, expecially in the first year, to help create a nice pocket. So, I bought 2 new underwires, one of them already bothers me in certain areas, so I think bras are difficult to find ones that fit just right.
0 -
LaurenCollins - Thanks for the info on Mederma. My PS had recommended Mederma but I'm finding it causes some itching and looks like "flaking" sking. I'll look for Kelo-Cote!
0 -
I had my exchange surgery on March 5th. A week later, I needed 10 stitches in my right breast...apparently I popped some. Most of my pain seems to come from the pectoral muscles. But I am completely exhausted.
Can anyone tell me how long the lack of energy lasts or how long it will be before I am pain free with simple things like making turns while driving, or opening car doors? I'm starting to think I might want to see my PCP and have some blood work done.
0 -
Nottuffenough I am sure the answer to your question will vary greatly amog the ladies here. I can only tell you from my experience that I was pretty tired after my surgery for about 2 weeks. After a month I got a sore throat as a reaction I think to the antibiotics but I was able to go back to work in retail where I am on my feet for 5-7 hours at a time. After two weeks the pain was almost gone and I felt well enough to drive etc. Give your self a chance to heal but I am a big advocate that if you have questions call your dcotor.0
-
I saw my ps this morning. As far as I was concerned, I was done. I figured it was a matter of me getting used to the heavier and tighter breast. And like many of you all have said it gets better. But, to my surprise my p.s.heard me and is willing to make the adjustments to make the implants more comfortable. I ask for a smaller, size B implant with fg around it and the good breast to match. He said ok. Yea! So, I'll go back in early May to talk more about it.
0 -
Bellamax, I had a davinci Hysterecomy the same day as my TE's were replaced with implants. My worst discomfort came from having my abdomen filled with gas so they could do the hysterectomy. Also, one of the robotic arms is opeated by a human and not the machine, so that side and incision were quite sore for a while. I took two weeks off work...probably could have gone back a little earlier than that, but I knew once I came back I would be swamped so I took the extra time to just rest. I am 8 weeks out from surgery now, and just in the last 10 days have started to feel "normal" again. My dr. told me I could feel strange aches and pains in my abdomen for up to a year, because it takes that long for it to completely heal. YIKES. Feel free to PM me with any other questions! I will be thinking of you on the 18th.
0 -
I saw my ps this morning. As far as I was concerned, I was done. I figured it was a matter of me getting used to the heavier and tighter breast. And like many of you all have said it gets better. But, to my surprise my p.s.heard me and is willing to make the adjustments to make the implants more comfortable. I ask for a smaller, size B implant with fg around it and the good breast to match. He said ok. Yea! So, I'll go back in early May to talk more about it.
0 -
I had exchange Wednesday. On my bc side I feel like a ridgy area in my pit near the SNB scar. I see MO in 2 weeks. Would it be common to have scar tissue in that area that could be the ridgy think im feeling? Its not round & doesn't feel like a lump. Im thinking I will see what MO has to say & then call BS since im not scheduled to see him again until sept.
0 -
kelo coat is what I am using
0 -
Shore1- I have the same issue on my BC side..I think it is scar tissue as well. Also..who know what the PS had to do to get the implant in there..especially if there was a lot of scar tissue to begin with..I am 4 weeks post exchange and I still feel heaviness and tightness on that side..I am also very numb there so that may be contributing to the heaviness.
0 -
Kelley - thanks for reply. It almost feels like muscle. Im not too panicked (relatively speaking - you know how the panic guage is out of wack these days), but I will drop back in and let everyone k ow what my doc says in case anyones experiencing similar. Please do the same - thanks!
0 -
Hello all! I am scheduled to have my exchange surgery April 25th. My plastic surgeon done nipple reconstruction at the same time as the exchange surgery. I had met with another PS who said she would only do nips as a seperate surgery, after I healed. That seems to be the standard, but I was wondering if anyone else had theirs done at the same time of their exchange??
0 -
Kim- hooray for you..my nips will not be done until after radiation.
0 -
Hello, a couple more post-exchange questions im hoping someone can help me with.
I know about the drop/fluff that is supposed to happen, but as the weeks go on post-exchange, do they start to look bigger? Or is what I see one week post-exchange the final size?
Also, is twingy pain in foobs normal after surgery ? I feel little twinges and know a lot of us have said on other threads that pain did precede dx even tho most doctors say cancer doesn't hurt.0 -
Shore- Mine dropped and fluffed and I think they look bigger and more natural than they did right after the exchange. I do get twingy pain now and then. Someone on here said that it can be nerve regeneration? mine is kind of like pins and needles once in a while. I am not too worried about it.
0 -
Mine def looked bigger after about 2 months. It's like when I first got them they were kind of contracted up inot the chest wall and then they relaxes and fell forward like a tennis ball in a sock.
0 -
Kim - Im scheduled for exchange on June 6th and my PS said he wont to the nips until a few months after the exchange. He wants things to "settle" first.
I have a few weeks, but does anyone have any advice/suggestions/etc for someone about to have their exchange?
Thanks, and I know I'll be around her a lot in the coming weeks.
0 -
Lauren Your doctor should tell you your restrictions but most say no lifting anything or raising arms above head for 2 weeks. So I put my big gallon jug of milk into smaller containers, and reduced my 40 lb bag of cat litter, and put dishes and glasses on low shelves and get a little step stool in case you need to get something higher. I also did a lot of cooking ahead so my husband could just defrost and heat for me. I had drains so I got the "Softee" camisole to wear cause it has pockets that conceal the drains. I pillow for the seat belt for when you start driving is good too. I also like to ask my docotr for and scripts I need filled after surgery ahead of time so it's there when I get home. I felt very good after a week so it's hard to remember to take it easy. Hope that helps. I am sure others can chime in with more ideas.
0 -
How many weeks after exchange did you resume exercise? I want to get back to pilates - I have been seeing great results and don't want to be off for too long. In my first week after surgery, I have only taken long walks, but no arm pumping.what did your PSs say?
I have also read some posts that mention massaging implants. That was not part of my discharge instructions. Does anyone do that? If so, how, when, how often?0 -
Thanks Carrol. I will definitely look into the cami. I hear those are quite necessary after the surgery. I love the idea of putting milk into smaller containers. Why did I not think of that after my MX?!?
I still have 2 more fills and can't imagine what I'm going to look like after that. I'm already much bigger (with better cleavage) than before! I guess there is some upside to all this...0 -
Blessings 2011: I am just reading your post that was written at the end of March. What a great idea to have adjustable saline implants for people like us that need to loose weight. I am encouraged to hear that as you are loosing weight your TE's are looking bigger. That really motivates me to start loosing weight. Thank you so much for sharing.
0 -
Do most women have drains post-exchange surgery?? I was hoping to avoid those dreaded drains again!
0 -
shore1 my docotr said I could exercise a month after my exchange but do be sure to check with your PS we are all so different.
Kim137 No I don;t think most women have drains after the exchange surgery. I was hoping to avoid them too. My PS said 20% chance I would need them and I did. But I only had them for about 5 days unlike the 2 weeks I had them before. My doctor tends to like to use them more often than. Better to have the drains than to have a hemotoma or serotoma (sp?)
0 -
Regarding scars - I was told by the PA that the best treatment was either the silicone sheets/strips or manual massage and that the massage needn't be done with expensive oils or lotions. According to her it's the actual massage that does the work and that any lotion or oil already on hand (such as Vit E oil) simply makes the massage easier to perform.
My scars have healed really nicely doing both. If I don't have time to do the massage I use the silicone scar strips. I got C-Section strips and cut them in half lengthwise and widthwise. They did cost a bit, but I found a good deal on Amazon and they last a long time if they're cleaned according to the package directions.
0
