Exchange City
Comments
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ChiSharona good luck and healing prayers coming your way. Im so sorry for all the crap you are going thru.
Christinabelle, is there anyway that a radiated breast will ever look the same as the non radiated breast. Im so starting to worry now. My breast are so hard from these d*mn te's. Im in so much pain. I have burning pain down my arm to my elbow an my dissection and cancer side. I have shooting pain under both breast. Argh im so sick of it. Anyway my only prayer is that it wont hurt anymore after my exchange. But now I am worried that my right breast will always be hard and different from the left. I guess if it quits hurting than I should be thankful. Oh thank for letting me blow ladies.
Oh and I took my first picture to show my hair growth post chemo. Now that I look at it I will take another one when I have makeup on and without my reading glasses. I realize I look kind of freaky in this one but it was just to show hair. Lmao.
Healing hugs to all
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melmcbee, I am about 3 weeks out from exchange and my radiated TE is definitely still harder and more painful than the non-rad side. I have a lot of discomfort and tightness in chest, side and underarm on that side as well as some cording. I am hoping that exchange will lessen this, and hope that both sides match in the end, but try to be realistic with my expectations. I hate to complain because I live a very active lifestyle and push the envelope which I am realizing probably contributes to my aches and pains.
Gail
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Melmcbee... Cool new photo! Am only 3-4 weeks from exchange - SO much less pain, more like discomfort. Instant relief after surgery. Not much longer for you to see the difference! Hang in there
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Hey there Chi, you're probably already done this morning but YAY!!!!! Best wishes.
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Iatigger and Chi....thinking of you both this week.....Welcome to the squishys.....
MNSusan....you are almost there.....will be thinking of you too on Thursday....
I know of some ladies who will be doing the "Happy Dance"
Di
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Tangles,
The exchange surgery was so easy for me....I stayed awake all day after my surgery, tried to take a nap, but after an hour, I gave up....was up from from 4:30am to 9:00pm
Was cooking, and doing normal stuff the next day and was wearing clothing which I slipped over my head....so it was so NOT A BIG DEAL for me, other than I felt really relieved & good, and just a little tight at the sides, no real pain.
(I am an "oldie", turning 66 today.)
Di
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Di2012,
HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! So glad you are able to celebrate it on the squishy side!
Tangles,
I sent you a note on our January thread, but because you are having lymph nodes removed during your exchange, your recovery may take a little longer than a straight exchange. Your restrictions as far as arms over your head should be more along the lines of the mastectomy. Sorry to say that, but I know you want to do everything you can to prevent lymphedema. Best of luck to ya!0 -
iatigger and Chi, welcome to the squisy side! I hope you're feeling better each day. Sending you gentle hugs!!
MNSusan, you're almost there. I'm hoping all goes well with your surgery on Thursday!!
Di, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!
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2nd time- I had my exchange done on May 2nd. It was WONDERFULLY uneventful! No drains, little soreness, still have a couple stiitches to have clipped this coming Thurs. and then she said I would be "cut loose" for awhile til I have my nips done. I got the Mentor High Profiles and couldn't be happier. They look wonderful as my scars are actually under my breasts and barely noticible! I am shocked at how well everything looks, right now I have a blank canvas but once I have tatoos and nips it will be difficult to tell I had anything done!! Now...if I can just grow some hair!
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Hi everyone! I am in my lovely hospital gown, hooked up to an IV and waiting for 4PM on the clock. My wonderful sister-in-law Carla is here with me, just like she was back in March when I had my BMX and ever since my diagnosis...I do not know how I would have gotten through any of this without her love, support and understanding - she is an angel on earth and I am so lucky she is part of my family.
Thanks to everyone for sending positive thoughts and support my way!
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CHI, jumping in your pockets, glad you have a great support person.
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Hi Romey... Somehow, I missed it listed above, my bad! I got Mentor HP's too, not sure how I feel about the girls. They're so much flatter than I was hoping, BUT, if I keep in mind that I went for many years with a uni-boob, it's a totally different story. About the hair, looks like its growing back! Any surprises there? (My straight-as-sticks came back with a curl, consider it my gift for going thru chemo)
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Di - Happy, happy birthday to you! Looking ahead, it's possible I could get squishies for my 52nd birthday in August! And, btw, 66 is NOT old! It seems younger and younger as each year passes
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Lisa Jayne... A friend of mine had a goal to get "birthday boobs" which she did get not too long ago. What a great gift to give yourself!
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Chi - hope things go, are going, or went well for you today (not sure if you already had surgery or just got your IV prior to surgery)
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2nd_time: If I do get 'birthday boobs' it will only be because that's just the way it worked out, but it would be pretty cool. In December I thought I'd have the exchange in April because I would hit TE capacity in late January. Not to be, however, because I decided to over-expand. Good thing the TEs got less uncomfortable as they expanded (except for the firmness now).
You're only a month out, I hope you get some more drop and fluff as time goes on
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2ndtimearound---I also have the Mentor High Profile implant and like you, I'm not real sure how I feel about it (I only have one). It's flatter than I had hoped and seems to be quite a bit wider, feels like it expands under my armpit. I saw my PS today for a followup visit. I'm 7 weeks out today. He found it funny that I thought it was wider than my native breast. He said most of his patients complain about bumping their arms on their new boobs but it will fade over time. I bitch about it so much to him that he actually measured my 2 boobs today just to prove to me that it's all in my mind!! Implant side was 15" wide and native side was 16" wide....so I guess I'll shut my mouth! He also said that he thought I would see more drooping and rounding out over the next 2 months which would be 4 months out of exchange. He even said that many people will see changes up to 6-8 months out! So maybe that will give you a little peace of mind. I really don't like this hamburger boob so here's hoping it will get better looking. He also said massage will go along way toward getting it to drop to a more natural shape. He's usually not the most reassuring man so it was nice to hear this. Of course, he probably just wants me to shut up and go home!!
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Hi all, I have a funny little story to tell. My daughter came to visit this weekend from Seattle for her birthday/Mother's day, and for the first time ever she reached out and grabbed one of my skin covered TE lumps. She was shocked and amazed and exclaimed loudly with a house full of people "DANG MOM, THOSE ARE SOOOO HARD!!!!!" I told her to come back in a few weeks and check em out after my exchange. Then, she apologized for curiousity getting the best of her and just grabbing my breast, and I laughed for hours
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lori that is funny and your daughtershould be glad that you arent jumpy. If someone grabbed me I would probably knock them out just from nervous reflex.
DI HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Chi. healing hugs. How are you feeling.
Romey your hair is beautiful. MIne is taking forever to grow too and it has body in it now and sticking straight up. lol
MnSUsan. Good luck and healing prayers.0 -
ChiSharona... Check in and let us know how you're doing.
Di... happy birthday to you. 66 wonderful years, so many ahead of you!
Lisa Jayne & Lala... Thanks, nice to know, so I'll be patient. My PS doesn't believe in drop & fluff, she says to just let them settle. Not sure what to do correctly, so doing nothing. Have another appointment Thursday, we'll see what she says (think I'm spitting a stitch, time to get it checked out anyway).
Lori... That's funny! Cool that your daughter feels comfortable enough with you to do that. Mine, who wants to be an oncologist dealing with breast cancer doesn't ask and wants nothing to do with this surgery and cancer journey.
Susan... Almost there!0 -
Ladies,
Thank you for the birthday wishes....I received my "birthday" squishy F
Bs almost a month early.......My 94 1/2 year old Mom called me today and sang happy birthday to me, but hesitated when she got to my name, she FORGOT my name! (her first of her 3 daughters!) I have white/gray hair, and my mom still colors her hair.
Lori....funny "touchy..... feely" story.....my daughter did not want feel my HARD expanders
I also have Mentor HP 600cc .....loved them at first....then ???? slightly flat....but after using the positioning strap my PS gave me, my cancer side looks really looks natural with a slight crease in the upper part, mainly because my skin is attached to the muscle so every time I lift my arm it scrunches up.....other side is still sharpei a big fold front and center and a deep crease from center down the outside.....hope this is all fixed up before they put me in the old folks home!
Melmcbee....love the spiked hair!
Di
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I just lost my wifi after taking close to 30 minutes to type brief note and was about to submit..I am okay for most part, but incredibly tired and felling way ouy of it and spacey. Will wtite more and give details tomorrow, as I do have, loTs to share.
Thank you so much to my bc sisters foR support and kind words! :
PS - iatigger, hoping your recovery is progressing well0 -
ChiSharona... Thanks for checking in, rest up!
Di... My mom forgets my name and I'm her only daughter and first-born! With her Alzheimer's she's thought I'm her mom or thinks I'm still back in high school living with them. She was an RN for many years, she helped tremendously with my first bc, doesn't have a clue what's going on now. Btw, did the crease right away or gradually over time? Think I'm starting to get a wrinkle in the corner (dog-ear?).
Also, now that I'm healing, skin feels really thin under under 2nd mx side. Feels really squishy almost like the TE's.0 -
ChiSharon, hope you are recovering well. I am finally feeling more awake. Pain is getting better, more just aching at this point.
Di my mom always calls me my sisters name and my sister my name has for years but doesnt have alzheimers. We always laugh about it.
Have a good day ladies.0 -
2nd_time: my PS looked at me like I was from outer space when I referred to 'drop and fluff' a few months ago....lol. He then explained that 'drop and fluff' is really nothing more than the implant 'settling in' and that each woman will have a different level of drop and fluff, I think dependent on the implant size, pocket size/shape, etc. I hope I get good drop and fluff with implants because right now, when I look at my side profile in a mirror (naked), it looks like I could eat my meals off my TE shelf!
Lori: I envy the fact that your daughter was able to visit and squeeze your boob. My daughter has been in Guantanamo Bay (Cuba) working as a civilian intern with the Navy since last May with only a few weeks home at Christmas. I had to break the BC news by email and she had a really rough time of it at first, but she and my son both quickly became two of my biggest cheerleaders after the initial shock wore off. I haven't seen her since early January when I was about 500cc, but I recently sent her photos of my 600, 650, 700 and 750cc TE's and she responded with 'DANG, Mom, yer gonna look awesome!'. We have the type of relationship where she and I are totally comfortable with each other's nakedness and for the brief time she was home she saw my slowly growing boobs, including scars and armpit fluff, and also drove me to and observed a couple of fills. She's one of my best friends and I miss her
!!!Chi: glad you're doing OK, get some sleep. Can't wait to hear your story!
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Good luck to everyone on their surgeries. I am wondering now facing the nipple replacement surgery. How long will it take to heal? Why dont the new nips just dry up and fall off? Will it be a constant chore to find a comfortable bra?
I am really starting to get worried. I have a lot of questions for my PS when I get there but she has not been through it! All these young lady surgeons,but they are excellent at what they do. Wonder if I should have tried to find an old man surgeon for the recon?
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Hi Layla.. So sorry you're going thru this, shouldn't be that way. My experience is very different from yours: I have mostly women and they couldn't be better! My PS looks so young I had to check the internet, she looks late 20's, early 30's, but she's in her 40's. She and staff are wonderful! The only down-sde is she takes time with me, probably other patients too (heard rumors others love her too), when I go with my lists of questions she's like "let's answer them all" so she's often running late for appt time. Am willing to be late to be treated like I'm important and I matter. Too bad they're not all like that! Have had some real jerk male docs in the past...
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Hi everyone - what a busy thread this always is! It's hard to keep up with all the exchanges. Hope everyone is doing well. I am now five weeks post revision (second exchange) and doing well. I'm shaped a bit differently than after the first exchange, but the implants are basically the same volume so I think the bras I bought last time around are working. However, off for a fitting today just to be sure. I hope it's not too soon (swelling).
On the topic of plastic surgeons....I gotta stick up for my male PS. He has been great and I feel so fortunate to have been sent his way.
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Your right Tina, I lost track of my thoughts. Was going to add something about I've had a couple male docs lately who really tried hard to understand and were compassionate (meaning they can't quite understand how we women think of our boobs and bodies only because it's different with them). The male PS who shares the office with mine is a real kick! My friend has him and gives him the highest praises so I know there are great male docs. Hasn't always been my experience though.
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When it comes to male PSs not understanding what our breasts mean to us and why we're so anal about reconstruction expectations and such I tend to think of it like this: If a guy had the option of reconstruction after having his testicles and/or penis removed because of cancer I think he would be doing his damndest to make his female PS understand HIS expectations for final results and demanding the best outcome, don't you? Of course, most guys would shrink (no pun intended) at the thought of a female surgeon working on his junk!
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