Exchange City
Comments
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Thanks. I never knew there were different kinds of MRIs. We learn so much!
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Joan, I had no discomfort after 3 days and I had a LOT of extra suturing but I must say, a week out, I get tired easily. For me, its more about recovering from the anaesthesia.
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LovesDogs - I went to my night class 3 days after exchange (meaning that I was driving). I pretty much didn't take a break although I tried not to do anything strenuous. In hindsight, I feel I should have taken 3 or 4 days of just sitting around the house.
GreenMonkey - TOTALLY agree. Now, a week and a half out, I think I am still feeling the effect of the anesthesia - I feel very good but not "quite" as strong as before exchange (I am 11 weeks out from my last chemo and had been recovering well).
That said, I am THRILLED that the exchange is over and happy with what I see so far. I wish the same for all of you!
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mercyforall- did you get drains after exhange? They help with removing fluid build up. That may be what your hearing. I had that sound with first lumpectomy. It was reallly strange. BS said it was fluid and normal to happen.
LovesDogs- I felt fine after two days. Just a little sore. Went back to work after a week. I have been avoiding lifting anything heavy or running.
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oh.... and here is something exciting... I noticed last night that I can FINALLY SLEEP ON MY SIDE! I didn't stay on my side because its only been a week and I was afraid I'd mess things up but now I know I will be able to sleep on my side again. Oh...how I've missed it!!!
I didn't ask my doctor if I can sleep on my side. I only remember he saying don't sleep on your stomach. Does anyone know if its safe to sleep on your side???
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Good question Green Monkey! I can't WAIT to sleep on my side! I kind of do now but it's not the same. And it's really hard to believe that I'll be able to and that they'll be soft but I trust all you ladies! 6 more sleeps til I get the exchange. Whoo hoo!!
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Grrenmonkey- How funny, I know just how you feel. That was my first question to my ps. He said after drains are out you can sleep on your side. My drains were removed two days ago and its so nice to have a good nights sleep again.
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I have been sleeping on my side for quiet some time now with no problems. I was never a stomach sleeper so that has not been an issue. I have had so much anxiety this week about what size I am going to be after exchange. I am scheduled for Aug 21st. DH says I think way too much!!!!!!!!!! I spoke to my PS nurse and I feel much better now. PS is on vacation and will be back next week. She will talk to him and call me back. When I go for my pre-op appt on the 6th I think I'll need to bake her an apple pie. She has taken care of a couple of things for me at the PS office that was not really her responsibility but she is one that always goes above and beyond the call of duty.
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I would really like to sleep on my stomach. Is that in my future?
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dipad, you had drains after your exchange? I didn't.
I had 4 drains after my BMX but none after that.
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My PS is going to do a little pocket work on me at exchange and he said I would not have any drains. I think all PS's are different. I know a BS how uses drains on all his lumpectomy patients. I think all Dr's are just different.
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I'm 9 days out, still bruised...and in the lower left quadrant where my PS loosened the pec muscle, it is friggin SORE. I'm talking, bring me to my knees sore by the end of the day.
I saw the PS Tues. He said he had to do quite a bit of work in that area......I'm hoping the pain will fade with the bruises,,, and weird thing, when I go without a bra...it feels better...still hurts, but feels somewhat better....
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Exchange Surgery scheduled for August 2nd - Yay! I'm ready to get rid of these TEs. Dear Husband says that he's getting squishies for his birthday
My present anxiety - will they be too big? too small? not even?
Actually, reading the implant sizing information just caused me more anxiety...
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Hi green monkey, that was my 1st question to my ps after surgery, his reply: I don't see how sleeping on your side can hurt anything'. So I have been sleeping on my side from day 1. Hope it helps.
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I just had another MRI today to follow up on some post-exchange lumps. It was my 4th MRI in 18 months so I've gotten used to the routine. However, I was in the scanner an extra 15 minutes today because they were having trouble getting good tissue images for some reason. Somethng about having to tweak the technique to separate the implant from the thin layers of tissue where the lumps live. I felt like the tinman...almost asked them to give me a few squirts from the oilcan to maneuver off the table - ouch!
I was told I could sleep on my side as soon as it was comfortable to do so, but each PS is different (as we all know!). It's also OK for me to lie on my stomach, but I find it rather uncomfortable, like I just can't get things arranged right.
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Ladies - I see the PS tomorrow!!!!
Finally!!!!!!
Now maybe I can get an exchange date....SOON!!!!!
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TinaT Great love the visual of the tinman! I feel like a couple squirts of oil under and around my TE's when I get up in the am would feel pretty good lol. Out of curiosity when they do the MRI with the inplants, is it the regular breast MRI where you lay on your stomach and put your breasts in the cup thingy? Still having these TE's that are so hard and unmovable and not knowing how the implants are or much the inplants will move, it's unimaginable to me right now.
Blessings- It's great getting close to an exchange date isn't it? You have been such a help to me in my saline/silicone decision. I hope that your exchange is before mine so that you can give me more tips!
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TinaT - So sorry you had to be in the scanner for those extra 15 minutes. I count my breast MRI as one of my BC OMMs (Oh My! Moments). I didn't know about the lying on my stomach with my breasts hanging down until I got there. It seemed to go on forever. When I have another, I'll be more prepared. I used the description from a yoga teacher to help me through - pretend to be a stick of butter on a beach.
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I had my bandages removed yesterday. I had saline implants 450cc. They feel so real and the tightness from teh expanders are gone. They fitted me with a supoprt bra that I have to wear for 4-6 weeks. But they said you can also buy a good one if you prefer. I have to wear it 24/7 other than showering, and no pool for 4 weeks.
VERY IMPORTANT- The ps said during the process to do one more fill after you are at the size you want, because when they remove the expanders they will go down a size. My breasts looked huge with the expanders in and I think it was hard to judge what the after effects would be in sizing. To me they are two sizes smaller than I wanted. I wanted to be a c cup but feel I am a large B cup. My final fill was at 480cc and the implants were 450cc. So it really isnt much difference, but for my height and weight 5'5 135lbs I think I could have gone to 550cc. Oh well. They are still firm and perky. Havent seen that in 20 years!!
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Dipad I am so glad that they feel real and that the tightness is gone. Thank you for sharing that as I am getting pre-exchange to saline implant anxiety so hearing that they feel real and that the te tightness is gone is very helpful. You do have me wondering though if I should get one more fill. My surgery is scheduled for the beginning of September and I stopped the fills because I am happy with the size although the tes are so weirdly shaped. I would think I could still call sometime in August to schedule another fill if I change my mind. I wonder how many weeks you need between final fill and surgery. Do you remember when you had your final fill relative to your surgery date?
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I am scheduled for exchange Aug 21st. I am currently at 400cc. I am 5'3" and 117lbs. After reading the mentor measurements I decided I really wanted the 450cc implants. I like the way I look right now and do not want to look smaller, I am currently a large C. Anyway PS was out so I spoke to the nurse. She talked to the PS and called me back and he said he would have no problem using the 450 without me being expanded any further. If I had wanted to go up to the 500 then I would have needed another expansion. All PS's are different in how they like to do things, but I was glad I will not have to do another expansion. DH already thinks I am huge and I think he would have thought I had lost my mind.
Dipad so glad the tightness is gone.
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All PS are soooo different. My PS says you overfill by 50% . I want to be smaller than i was. I had implants 6 years ago and was a DD. he said to tell him when i was the size i wanted. When i got to 480 cc i said i am there. He filled me to 720cc and my exchange is 8/21. They are going to use a 475cc implant that can be filled if i want more. Then on 11/13, i am going to have revision on the other breast. I currently have a 420 cc implant plus my breast tissue. Now i am nervous that 475 cc wont be big enough. I am excited for the end result, but now anxious about the size.
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Moleen,
I have a 475cc high profile, and my TE was only filled to 400. I had enough skin to not only cover the implant, but for him to excise my old scar and sew the new tissue together.
I am 5'3.5, 115 lbs, and wear a 34D.
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SherryC, I am 5'3 and 130 lbs (oh, those 10 extra pounds)... have you seen my pictures on my last blog post?
my implants are 475's - mentor, smooth, round, high profile. I'm a full B on the right but shy of a B on my left. My right projects larger, not sure why, but if I push my left in a bit (from the outside) they look the same.
Call me crazy, but I'm going back for 550's and nipples in September. Want them a tad higher, closer, and bigger.
They looked perfect after the exchange but they've settled a bit.
http://greenmonkeytales.blogspot.com/2012/07/monkey-me.html
Even so....ohhhh they are so fabulous! soft and squishy, I can't stop touching them!!
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My PS is using a Mentor moderate profile smooth. Right now with my TE filled to 720 cc, my breasts look pretty even, fitting into my DD bra just fine.
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WooHOO!
Saw the PS today....he is SO pleased with the weight loss (his comment was "Wow, these expanders look really big now that you're so much smaller!") ****basking in the glow of compliments*****
He is very pleased with everything, and my ANTICIPATED (ohpleaseohpleaseohplease) exchange date will be August 22nd.
My 700 cc TEs are currently filled to 620ccs. He asked me a ton of questions (after I went through my 10,000 questions,LOL) and he will probably go with an Allergan Smooth Saline High Profile implant, either 68HP-650 or 68HP-700. Both of those can be overfilled if needed.
He said that while a saline implant filled to the max might be firmer, that was no guarantee there would not be rippling, and that it could happen with any volume implant.
As for the width difference between my TEs and the implants (could be 2 cm) he said that would be one cm on each side, and that there should be movement of the implants (not immoveable like the TEs) However, one cm would not be much, especially since right now my TEs touch in the middle, and that for him to suture the muscles together to make a whole new pocket would cause more pain, a longer recuperation, and possibly more muscle problems down the line. He said they would move, but that when I was lying on my back, they wouldn't point east and west.
He also said that as everything heals, scar tissue tends to make the pockets smaller anyway.
He will make one minor adjustment - he will release more of the pectoral muscle just above the IMF. Right now I have a good looking IMF, but I do have loose skin there, and he thinks it's because the muscle is preventing the TE from filling out the skin completely. He will make sure that the implant fits perfectly into the new pocket without compromising the existing IMF.
Let's see....about 2 hours for the procedure, general anesthesia but no intubation, just a laryngeal mask airway, about 2 hours in recovery, a big Ace bandage (NO DRAINS!), and home I go. Three or four days later I can switch to a sports bra, then we'll talk about the underwire bras that he says will help support the noobs.
I am now wearing my surgical mask whenever I go to the hospital or the doctor's office. I am planning on being there for that exchange surgery, healthy and ready to go!!!
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I think I was prepared for the MRI position because of the sterotactic biopsy. I don't have a lot of medical experience so was mortified to find out about the biopsy table!
dipad - so encouraging. I can't remember, did you have saline or silicone. Mine will be cohesive silicone. My exchange is 8/24 and some days I feel like I'm getting tighter. I guess that could make sense since the fills have ceased and the muscles are not constantly be required to change. I am concerned about the outcome. PS continued to tell me that they would be smaller and to go larger. I, too, feel huge right now at 500cc. My implants will also be 500 but he ordered a 450 as well depending on what the pocket will accept. I was a small b and don't want to be that small after all is said and done.
2fried - I believe your surgery date is relative to your initial surgery. Since fills are spaced two weeks apart I'm sure you could have another. Have you checked in with Whippetmom? I e-mailed her a pic of the "before" me in a sundress, sent her my measurements and explained what I was after. She gave great advice and I've used that to check my fears and judgements. Sounds like you might not even need another fill from Sherryc's post. That would be good too. You would certainly think that's possible when people without cancer receive huge implants with no stretching??
Mooleen - Wow. That is surprising that he went that much over. But true, every PS is different. I actually think an overfill like that causes them to look more natural like the natural droop but still perky! Sounds perfect to me. Wish I was going with you. I would've had to have taken a lunch surgery to go on the 21st. Since I'm insulin dependent I opted for a morning surgery and had to be moved to th 24th.
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2fried eggs- my last fill was two weeks before exhange. My breasts looked huge with the expanders in, and yes they were shaped weird. I looked to be a large C. Now I am a small B. I am wondering, if I want to go a size bigger would I have to have expanders in again? I know how sound vain, but damn after all the crap I went through with the bc I wanted something good out of this.
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My last fill was about eight weeks before the TE exchange. I think the PS had said a minimum of four weeks but the holidays and other things made the longer time better for me.
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2friedeggs- my PS insists my exchange be 3 months after the last fill. No less.
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