One step implant procedure with Alloderm - Anyone?
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Hi Cucho,
So glad to hear you are doing well one month out and happy with results. I am just over one year out and have had no complications, recon holding up great, no sign of recurrence. Very happy with my decision. In regards to your question about physical activity...I went back to my very active job as Fed Ex courier at 10 weeks post-surgery. I had to return to work able to lift 75 lbs and be on my feet all day. I was sore the first couple of weeks back at work -- and extremely fatigued for awhile -- but is was manageable. The one thing I couldn't do until about 9 mos post-op was pushups. There was a lot of discomfort and things just felt "weird". Then one day, I tried again and now even that is back to normal. I'm so glad. Maybe someone else will reply who goes to the gym or whatever but that's my feedback...
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Thanks so much for sharing your experience Jen42. I am glad to hear you are 1 year out with no complications!! Yay!! Keeps me thinking positive.
It is also encouraging to see that you are able to lift 75lbs at just 10 weeks, that is a huge amount of weight to lift after having major surgery on your pectoral muscles. I went back to the gym at 3.5 weeks just for cardio, and am planning to start weight training with 3lbs or under at around 5 weeks.
I will share more on how it goes trying to get back into exercise- I could not find any information out there on what to expect in terms of fitness or rehab w one step direct to implant alloderm reconstruction, so I think it is good to start documenting this somewhere
If anyone else has had one step surgery please post how your recovery was, especially in terms of physical abilities!
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hi ladies ... looking for a little info - I had my direct to implant done August 1st (just right side), so am just over a month out... went to see my PS again last week and she said the implant is riding high and I should wear a tensor bandage over it to press it down into place... has anyone had to do this? It's still quite painful and tight around my chest with some swelling, and I'm very worried on 2 fronts - 1st that I have capsular contracture (I had several large hematomas and a ton of swelling after surgery) and 2nd that I'll have to have revision surgery, because as it stands right now it is significantly higher than the left and quite noticeable...eek. Did anyone else's PS recommend this type of squich it into place treatment?
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Hi OM12 (Lesley) -- I have been thinking of you and wondering how things were going. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about what your PS said to do regarding implant riding high. I hope someone else responds. I sure hope you do NOT have capsular contracture or have to have any revisional surgery.
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OM12, I had a high one and actually wanted the strap. PS didn't think it was necessary. I hated that high square boob, so I searched until I found just the right massage technique. I found this one and done right, you can actually feel the implant moving (gross). It worked really fast for me.
Warning: naked augmented breasts and vulgar (of course!) comments
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Thanks Crescent... I'm not sure if it's because it's not dropped yet or if there's a bigger problem, but there is zero movement with my implant. It is rock solid in place with absolutely no give, even if I try to manipulate it. I really appreciate the link though and am going to try a modified massage. I'm also going to see a PT this week so maybe she can give me some ideas.
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Hi OM12- My implants dont move at all either, they are like totally rock solid in place as well. Seems very odd. Let me know what you hear about this.
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Also, my implants get freezing ice cold!! Does anyone else have this?? It is so creeepy...
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I had one step implants with alloderm and they are very soft and natural feeling, I may have revision as they ate not perfectly matched. I have lost 12 pounds and I am working on losing 30 more when I get there and feel up to surgery I might do the revision, but it has taken about a year to feel comfortable with them. I always wear a bra for support, because my left one will get a little ache in it without support.
Everyone is so unique with heir bodies and the outcome of healing and surgery so I think revision is almost a given...
Amy Lynn0 -
Cucho - mine does the EXACT same thing... so cold, I feel like I need to have a shower to warm up... and if I drink something hot or cold I feel it in the implant too...
So the physiotherapist is using tape (like the stuff olympic athletes wore) to try and pull the implant into place. Seems to make alot of sense actually... I'll keep you posted. She has recommended gentle massage of the scar (mine runs vertically down the front of the new boob) as well as massage of the skin on the implant (so imagine trying to move the skin around on top of the implant) and gentle massage of the whole implant back and forth. This is to try and keep any fibrous tissue from forming and keeping it hard/high. She said that while mine does indeed feel high/hard - it's not the worst she's seen. She wants to see me twice a week for the next 4 weeks.
I'm having some trouble with all this massage as I still find touching it makes me feel queasy. She said that the more you touch it though, the more you will desensitize... not touching it will likely make the whole thing worse.
Thatsvanity, good to hear, maybe with time ours will soften up too, fingers crossed
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I am 3 years out from one-step. At first my right implant was higher than the left, which looked more natural. The right is still a little higher but not as much. There are also some imperfections like a divot in the left cleavage area. I'm sure my ps would gladly have done a revision. In fact he said early on that I should have these implants exchanged for larger implants. But I'm in my late 60's and really can't be bothered to undergo more surgery for appearance in the nude.
It's my belief that those of us who chose one-step were probably misled into thinking we wouldn't need additional surgeries for improvement. I'm still glad I chose one-step now that the whole experience is behind me and I'm focused on living my life day to day.
Good luck to all of us!
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Thanks for your comments Carole, at 3 years out how would you describe your implants? Still firm or softenened?
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Mine are softened and they move in the pockets if I massage them. From the beginning they moved with massaging.
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My plastic surgeon in del mar, ca who did my one step alloderm implants prescribed singular an asthma allergy medication to help prevent capsular contracture and to keep them soft. He never told me to massage them, but I too need a revision surgery but I will not do any surgery until I lose weight. A healthy weight for me is more important to me right now than achieving symmetrical breasts. But I think when I first had the implants implanted they were much more firm and high. I also had a slow healing left breast. It was a nickel/quarter size hole where the anchor incision was. It finally healed but my ps removed the implant while I was awake sterilized it created a larger breast pocket and put the implant back in within one hour. After that the implant was fine and I healed quickly i think maybe the alloderm cellular matrix sling was too much I don't know but it was quite a journey it took about 4 months of a lot of watching and appointments until it was healed. Now they are soft and fine, but I agree with Carole's post above mine the phrase one-step is misleading it's a long surgery with lots of follow up appointments and quirky things can complicate healing and symmetry so it should be called one step if you are lucky! But I'm glad I did it.
Amy Lynn0 -
Also I think it is kind of hard to achieve perfect symmetry in reconstructed breasts, even breast that are not reconstructed but just have implants can look a little odd shaped. :-(
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Thank God for nice shaped pretty bras!
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I will always consider myself VERY VERY VERY lucky. It was truly a one-step process for me, with great results. 7 hour surgery. Three follow up consults, to check on healing and whatnot. Very symmetrical. No complications.
I guess if I did any nipple recon, that would count as two-step for me. But I'm not interested in that.
Have to say, though, with the nipple gone, my foobs don't have "projection" or whatever it's called. Out of a bra, they kind of resemble hamburger buns (in shape). But whatever. The implants are there because of BMX, not for cosmetic reasons, and I think my PS did an excellent job but LUCK also had a lot to do with it !! Whew !
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Hi Jen,
That's a good point to make, if a woman decides not to have a nipple sparing mastectomy it is way easier to have great symmetry, and your right it isn't about a quest for perfect implants it is about staying alive.
Amy Lynn0 -
Another strange thing I notice about my one-step implants is that now my breasts change colour when I exercise...like they get dark red/blue...I spoke with the PS's nurse and she thinks this is normal, but to me it seems very odd. Has anyone else noticed their breasts w silicone implants and alloderm changing colour when body temperature changes? Another thing is that now, at 7 weeks, my breasts move a lot more and are a lot softer, it seems they are getting closer to a "normal" breast as time goes on..
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Hi everyone!! Does anybody remember me? :-) I started this post 5 million years ago. I am amazed that some of the originals in the group are still posting. It's nice to see and hear that many of you are doing so well!!! Wow! That's very nifty. I don't have much to report, just that I've been taking classes again. I rocked a 4.0 in Algebra last semester and am taking Biology this time around, just for kicks. Two freshmen on the football team are my lab partners. It's a hoot. Go Big Red!! I have adopted a Maine Coon cat whom I've named Jet and he's lovin' life. XXOO Love to all my girls!!!
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Cucho, I do not have color change when I work out. Are you only 7 weeks past surgery?
OM12 & Cucho - I had my BMX in Dec '08 and revision the following fall. The firmness drove me crazy. There was really zero movement, but they did feel fairly soft to the touch. Now they positively giggle. When I jump, they bounce around. I'm glad I did the one-step, simply because I was overwhelmed at the time and I think it made the whole deal much easier to handle. There are so many options now. I still haven't sorted through all the information about the different techniques.
Nancy
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Wow, did I ever check in at the right time! Hi Year of the Hat, so good to know you're well.
To all the other old timers, and everyone really, I am doing well also. I have to admit that I am aware of the reconstruction every day - never forget it. But it is still soft, it jiggles a bit, and is the same non perfect but "fine in a bra" shape. I am immensely grateful my health and for the comparative easiness of the one-step procedure. I am still sort of sad about the mismatch that the unilateral reconstruction gave me, and I whine to my plastic surgeon a bit. He says that the anatomical implants are now available to him and that I could have a "redo" if I wanted. He also says that the enemy of good is better. In other words a redo could end up being worse - not a good thought when you really do look OK.
I am now getting close to 4 years out! - in late January.
I also have no color change with temperature. It would worry me, possible circulation problems. My 'foob' does get colder than the rest of me which I think is very common. Sometimes it itches like crazy and of course sctratching does nothing.
Hello to all. I'll try to check in more often. You all are wonderful.
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Hi Fortunate! I'm so glad that you are doing well.
Our mom's were right. Time heals all wounds. By that I mean simply that I'm in a much better place emotionally than I was right after surgery. Topic members not checking in more often may be a good thing. Maybe it means that we are not consumed by this medical odyssey. It is only one part of our lives. I agree, I do not want to fall down the Michael Jackson rabbit hole and over do it. I'm focusing on the parts of my body which are still fully in tact and am trying to enjoy my body as much as possible, without fretting.
Enjoy life!!!
So nice to see your words, Fortunate!
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Year of the Hat and Fortunate, I'm so happy that you're both doing well. So am I but I miss communicating with my One Step friends who helped me so much when I was going through surgery and recovery. I still check in regularly with a couple of other discussion forums. My dh and I were all packed up for a summer rv trip when I was dx'ed back in 2009. Today we returned home from 3 months of rv travel. I'm very thankful! Best wishes to both of you. And thank you, Year of the Hat, for starting this thread.
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Hi Carol. I'm really glad that you are doing well and were able to rv this year! Woo hoo! I hope you had a great time. You sound positive. Isn't it great to be back to normal? I get so much enjoyment from every simple thing. I'm happy that you checked in. It's so very nice to hear from you. 0
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Hello old friends,
Carol, where did you travel? DH and I will be doing a bit of travel ourselves next semester. I have no teaching and thats starting to feel like a gift instead of a deprivation (except for the money part). So I get to travel instead - to Japan. We're trying to figure out how to do it on a budget. Its possible, I understand, especially if you don't eat anywhere fancy. I'll be in heaven, pots, textiles, architecture, gardens, food!
Nancy, our founder, you sound so happy, and really back to normal. More than me, but I'll follow you. I dressed up a bit for the opera yesterday, looked pretty good. I looked down at my somewhat snug somewhat low top and there it was subtly pulling down and over into my armpit. Drat, not again! I think it's the raised chest muscle flexing and pulling differently. My clothes don't lie the same on both sides. I hope that's the worst BC problem I ever ever have! Let's hear it for little wierdnesses and ZERO actual problems.
Gotta run - and so glad to hear from you both.
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Hello to all the "one-step Alloderm" ladies.....I am 10 months out from my bmx with direct implants after my DCIS, stage 0, lumpectomy which did not get sufficient borders. One breast was "nipple sparing", but, the cancer side nipple was removed and I have since had several nipple tatoos. PS told me, last week, that nipple reconstruction was not a good idea since I do not have much fat left in the breast area to reconstruct a nipple that would last. But, I am scheduled for one more nipple tatoo that will be supervised by the PS, so, that it will hopefully look a bit more realistic. I, also, have a prosthetic nipple just to give me some days with 2 nipples. All in all, the Alloderm implants are comfortable and I am happy with the implants. I do have some trouble finding bra's that fit properly since the implant shape is different than a real breast. Most difficult part of the bc diagnosis has been emotionally dealing with the diagnosis and treatment. Both my family doctor and PS say things like "you are not out of the woods, yet" and "if you make it 10 years without a reoccurence you can feel comfortable that my cancer was cured". These types of statements send me back to a "'dark place" and I would appreciate any advice you ladies have to avoid these types of setbacks. I am going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and do work part-time, and, am blessed with a pretty supportive family. I don't want to waste time worrying about what might happen.....is this normal for you ladies and how do you avoid it? Anyone try taking a spa week, and, if so, where? Best of health and love to you all. 0
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jildalove,
I'm sorry to hear that you are having trying moments. I get the impression that your doctors are erring on the side of caution. You've had a BMX (not bicycle motocross
), your cancer was stage 0, your node was clean. I'd say that sounds pretty good. Having been through chemo, my fear is not of dying, it's of being alive and being very,very sick, or of being in the hands of medical professionals with that type of extreme treatment again. Farrah Fawcett fought and fought. I don't think that I would do that if I had a recurrence to be honest. Getting to that awareness, and since I am feeling normal again, has allowed me to let go and to feel like I can accept whatever will be. What also sets mind at ease, is trying to be proactive with excercise, sleep and being calm. I've also made some effort to rid my life of toxins (thought I still wear regular makeup - very nasty). I take Tamoxifen. Those things make me feel less stressed about it all.
That said, my nipple recon was with Alloderm as well and I don't relate to having a shortage of fat so I don't know if that was a factor or not. My PS did a really beautiful job with them for which I am very thankful.
I have to say too, though this is painfully cynical and I don't know your doctors from Adam, it's in their professional interest to keep us trying different preventive treatments on and on forever. After 5 years if I feel OK, I will probably stop taking Tamoxifen, or Arimidex if I've advance to that by then. That is all very individual but that's where I stand anyway. I think that I intuit my way to peace of mind and that's the path that I have found for myself.
Fortunate - you are going to Japan! Wowza!! That will be AMAZING! I know very little about travelling there, so I have no tips, but I can't think of a more culturally interesting place to visit. What's also fascinating there is the juxtaposition of ancient and modern. That will be just incredible. Yes, Carol, where did your RV take you and your DH? How's your golf game? Have your favorite courses survived the drought?
I think I mentioned that I'm taking Biology 101 this semester. Two of my lab partners are freshmen football recruits!! They are both gigantic and seem to be really sweet. Thursday evenings have been interesting and amusing for me. Which reminds me that I need to get moving on my homework.
Bye for now ladies!
Nancy
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Hi, Fortunate. It's wonderful to hear from you! Your trip to Japan sounds terrific. Be sure and report back when you return home.
Our summer rv travels were low-key but enjoyable. We spent July and August in northern MN at a small lake resort near Park Rapids. We played golf twice a week at two different golf courses and also did a lot of bicycling on paved bike trails. During the week we had the resort to ourselves since the weekenders went home to go back to work. There was a great farmer's market on Saturdays.
The month of Sept. we visited friends and family in SD, WI, IL, MI, and IN.
Now we're back at home and settling into house living. My weight is up so I'm focusing on losing some lbs.
Hugs to you and Year of the Hat and the other one-steppers.
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((Hugs)) Carol, Fortunate and the other one-steppers. Have a wonderful day.
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