Nipple Sparing Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction
Comments
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I just want to say that I am glad that TNLady started this NSM topic for all of us and how it is nice to communicate with women who can all relate to each other and support one another. I recently have been on a few other threads and I can say that I won't be going back to them either. It's pretty insane how the NSM seems to have a lot of "haters", which I don't understand and maybe "haters" is actually a poor choice of words, but I am sure everyone here knows what I am talking about!
Anywho, fill #2 is tomorrow...wish me luck! Hope everyone is doing great today.
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vmudrow, glad your fill went well.
sweetie, I'm so glad no chemo for you!
mandipandi, I'm sure you will drop and fluff over time, just be patient. Did your PS tell you to massage?
fairport, good to hear from you! I"m happy things are going well with your new man!
I'm sorry I have been out of the loop a little bit lately. I decided to do something for myself and had a tummy tuck on May 27th. I'm doing very well with my recovery and I think I'm going to be very happy with the results. I have been debating whether or not to share on here, but just in case someone else has been considering a TT, I thought I would go ahead and let you know. I have not told many people I know, because of the whole vanity thing, but I knew your girls would understand. So, if you have any questions, you know I won't mind sharing. Love and hugs to all!
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TNLady- I think it's awesome you had a TT. I think all the PS should give us one free procedure just because of everything we've been through! I was considering a little lipo myself. (Apparently, lying around in your p.j.'s for 3 months can do frightening things to your thighs and ass. Who knew?) Anyway, I found out it was going to be $4,000 (and that was with a discount my PS was offering) so I told her I would just have to take it off the old-fashioned way with blood, sweat and tears. (Well, maybe not the blood!) But if I could afford it I would be right there with you! Nothing wrong with vanity!
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Hey everybody I had a strange/funny thing happen, my DH and I could hear the saline in the TEs splish splashing around - has anyone else had that happen? We both about died laughing - just hope it isn't a problem.
TNLady - Tummy tuck - good for you!! Anything to make us feel better. Thanks again for this site - love it.
hurlygirly - Good luck with your fill tomorrow - just had my third - not bad at all - not sure why I get nervous.
fairportlady55 - Thanks for making me feel welcome even if I don't have cancer. Are we the only ones out there that had hyperplasia? Are you happy with your decision?
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hi... I'm having drain trouble... I had the left one in for 4 weeks and then it started to fall out and got pulled, but fluid kept building up and fri I had to have it reinserted... and now I have a drain again (non-cancer/lymph side) and it's still going strong, almost 6 weeks after surgery. Has anyone heard of this going on for so long? it seems really crazy to me- my PS keeps saying it's no big deal, but I kind of feel like they don't know why it's happening either.
Haven't been able to get a fill in weeks cause of all this too.
Things had been moving along so well, I was all excited about how soon it looked like I was going to be able to have the exchange surgery, was getting all excited about getting my new boobs, now it's going to be so long. 0 -
vmudrow- I didn't realize you had hyperplasia. (That's what they said I had but then path report came back with DCIS in the margins.) Personally, I think women who choose MX before getting DX are incredibly brave. Those that have cancer know what they need to do. There's no question. But to choose to remove, what is currently a healthy breast, because of risk factors is heroic I think. I don't know if I would have been strong enough to do that and I admire women who are. It shows your love of life and love for your family that you will do whatever is necessary to ensure your future. And I have yet to see a single post from any women who has regretted her decision to have MX.
On a lighter note, my DH and I also heard the sloshing in the TE's during, what we shall call an "intimate moment" and we about died. It was hilarious! We couldn't stop laughing all night.
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Vmudrow: I havent met anyone here yet besides you that like me had hyperplasia.....Im glad I did the bmx, yes. Like has been said here, this is NOTHING like augmentation and my new "breasts" arent perfect and its sad I have no more sensation...but there is NO WAY I would be ok waiting for the next mammo, next biopsy, next shoe to drop. I feel free...so no regrets at all! It was a lot to go through, harder than I imagined, but I'd do it again. You?
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Anne1962 Hi...we spoke a few months ago.....I am sending you a PM
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hi Ladies,
TNlady, hurleygirl, Fairport thanks for your well wishes. Been reading through about fills, I'll be ready for my first in 2 1/2 weeks. He said he has to put 100cc's to match the left side. Seems like a lot and I think I better have the Valium on hand! Hurleygirl you are right we owe a lot of thanks to TNlady for starting this thread. I know personally I would have never even known about or had a NSM if it wasn't for this thread!! Thank you TNlady your thread changed my life literally!
Faiport and Anne I wanted to comment also about ALH. I had IDC on the left breast and I knew I had to do something there, but I could have "kept" the right breast which just had ALH.. My gut just keep telling me I'd never stop thinking about it and all the follow up to keep "watching" it, so I choose to remove the right side too. It turned out not only did I have ALH, but I had DCIS and LCIS on my surgery pathology. My Dr. said later that I totally made the right choice. I think making these choices are very hard and very personal and you have to consider your own factors. For me cancer on one side and ALH with dense breast tissue was enough to push me towards a BI max. What I learned is no matter what choices you make, none will be perfect and there are no perfect guarantees. It is a process you have to work through and sometimes it is very agonizing. What helped me was a good friend of my said "you will replace your sense of loss with peace of mind" When I understsood that peace of mind was what I "gained" I then could go forward. I no longer feel a sense of loss, although I know I have lost something, but instead I do feel that peace she talked about and I do feel empowered and free knowing I made the best choice for me,
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Kate33 - When they found ALH I was ready to have a MX because I was tired of the endless biopsies etc. I was worried that they would find something else hiding there because I had dense breasts. They did find multiple lumps (that didn't show on the mammograms) but luckily everything came back benign. But if something would have been found then it would have been the right choice, so I think it was a win win situation. When my DH and I heard the "sloshing" it was also during an intimate moment - we both burst out laughing!!! I wonder how it could slosh around - unless there is air in there? Still laughing!
sweetue2040 - Your last post stated everything perfectly. Peace of mind is worth it!! So there are a few of us out there that had ALH and chose to do something about it!!
Fairport - Yes I am so glad I had the surgery, even if it was for ALH. I didn't want to take Tamoxifen, have MRIs, more biopsies and possibly masectomies in the future anyway. For me the surgery wasn't too painful and I think I will be happy with the results. But mostly NO MORE WORRIES!! Glad to know there are a few of us out there. Thanks to everyone here for welcoming us!!
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Kate33~I always giggle when I read your "signature"...it's perfect! Thanks for the comments on the TE's. This past week was the first fill I had that actually hurt. My PS has been filling me slowly, 50cc's each week. I too am about the same build as you and hurleygirl it sounds like: 5'4 and 106lbs. Before my bmx I was a 34D, I have NO idea what I'll be able to return to now. It's kinda depressing @ times. I'm at 225cc's and my PS said he thought he could only fill me a couple of more times. That would only put me at 325cc's (i figure thats a B-cup implant) You go through all of this loss, pain, chemo etc. and I still can't look like I did before. It stinks. I'm hoping to be able to fill to 380 atleast. Glad to hear I'm not crazy when it comes to the pain I'm finally feeling! Yeeoww! No pain no gain!!
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sweetie2040- Your friend is very wise and I love what she said. I am going to adopt that as my new way of thinking. It definitely puts you in a different mind set.
I wouldn't worry about 100 cc's at your first fill. You've usually got room to spare at that point. I found that each subsequent fill I had to do a little less each time, though, as the skin got stretched more. If you're in pain down the road and Valium doesn't work I had good luck with a prescription strength muscle relaxant called Flexerile.
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GAGirl01- I found that on a tank top online at CafePress.com. I swear I am going to buy it and wear it to my "coming out" party. (My DH thinks it should be called a baby shower and send out announcements saying the "twins" have arrived. LOL!)
Being small breasted at the beginning of all this all I thought was I would either return to my same size or get a little perk out of all this and go a little bigger. I never thought about it from the perspective of larger breasted women not having the option of returning to their former selves. It seems incredibly unfair. I hope your PS can get you to a size you feel comfortable with. Are you still doing chemo? How is it going?
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Gagirl, how are you feeling with the chemo? I said the same thing when my girlfriend asked why I would go through a second surgery(revision and exchange to a larger implant). I told her after having bc, and going through the loss and pain from surgery that I wanted my chest to look great after all that and not regret not doing anything later.
Sweetie, well spoken, what a relief you didn't need the chemo.
Jessamine, you win the award for keeping their drain the longest!
Fairport, glad to see you have finally healed and you are getting your life back on track with dating. Do keep us posted here as its always nice to hear how far you have come and we all could use a break and hear about your date!
Kate, I have to get me one of those tanks!
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Kate33, it's encouraging to hear that 100cc won't be too bad. I actually came out of surgery with 250cc on each side, but when I had to go in because the wound wouldn't close he took one TE out and then left it very deflated! It looks like my skin is stretched out because I went back in at about 4-5 weeks after surgery for the additional surgery to close the wound. I am also like you I had smaller breasts to begin with so right now they actually look normal with clothes on. It must be harder if you were bigger to begin with or have to match one side. Everything about BC is hard for all of us, but with each day I feel more and more like the new me and the new me is very grateful to have made it this far!
vmurow- I'm so glad you made the right choice for yourself. My friend I quoted only had stage 0 cancer,she endured 6 yrs of worry and biopsies and she finally went for the double mx. She told her elderly father before he passed away "I don't have to worry about getting cancer anymore because I did everything I could"
PB yes no chemo! I am so grateful to have had the option of the Oncotype DX test. I found out it has only been around since 2004 and we are fortunate that it pinpoints your exact genes and how likely it is your cancer will return or if chemo will work for you. It is a big advantage in your treatment options.
I have a question for you ladies about the nipples. Did your nipples change a lot after surgery and as you were expanded. My are somewhat stretched out and the stitches are in the corner and the area looks more "football" shaped now. I also lost part of one nipple so one side is "on" all the time and the other is flat. I am wondering if anyone knows if the PS can fix this and if they can tweak the nipples (no pun intended!) at final exchange surgery.
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Hey guys! Just had my second fill today...yahoo! Today I got 60 ccs and my last was 100 and at surgery was 60 so...that makes a grand total of 220! Things are literally shaping up and no pain at all..of course I did pop a Valium just in case an hour before the fill up. I am excited though...they look good even with the expanders! YEAH!
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sweetie2040- The only thing that changed with my nipples is they are both "on" all the time. Makes it a challenge getting dressed since I'm going braless these days!
hurleygirly- I'm glad your fills are going so well. You'll be done in no time!
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GA girl, I forgot to add this. This is what Valium does to you...hahahaha...We are pretty much at the same exact point and we had surgery the same day. At 220 ccs, I am filling out a 32C which is essentially a 34B. I was chatting with my ps today and the hot resident doctor from Stanford who actually did my fill today and I started bringing up "sizes". I am actully at the point right now where I look exactly how I did before surgery but am going to go larger and see what happens. Kate, I brought up the two sizes, 350 and 375. My ps said that she would think 350 would be good but that with any more than that, I would be looking much much larger than I was. She was surprised that I even brought up going beyond 300 because she knew I was comfortable with the size before. I also inquired about the 45 Allergens vs. the 20 Allergens and she said that she didn't see much difference in them. I am not sure what Mentor types equate to those. In the Allergen, the 45s have more projection but I did see some examples online and they tend to have a way more "circular" look to my eyes. I am leaning towards the 20s.
Sweetie, 100ccs were fine for me last time and then today, I did 60 although I wanted more! It wasn't my decision though but I am not getting pain...yet. Maybe the next few fills which will be my last few fills I will start feeling discomfort. So far so good though. Hope you have painfree fills too!
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hurleygirly- I must be so out of the loop. I thought the only thing you had to decide on was cc amount. I didn't even realize there were different projections. I'll have to ask my PS about that. I see her one more time before surgery on the 15th. My PS acted surprised that I wanted to go a little bigger as well which is strange considering that's what I told her on my first visit. I think I am going to go with the 350's though. I'm just so worried about it being too wide even though she said the difference is barely noticeable. And today I was looking at my closet full of clothes and wondering if any of it will fit when this is all over! (Not that I'm opposed to shopping, mind you, but don't think I can swing a whole new wardrobe!)
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Hurleygirl & Kate, thanx for the humor; it helps tremendously! I plan on talking with my PS this week about the TE's (I think he put in 400's) this should allow me to reach 350-375cc's. It would put me back where I started. I know I should be thankful for just "being here"...but sometimes you want your old self back as much as possible. I'm gonna hang in there as long as I can! Here's to a few more Valium & Flexeril! LOL! As for my chemo, I had a 2nd opinion last wk, & she recommended a different regimen (yeah!) A dose dense chemo of Taxol w/Herceptin for 12 wks (given weekly), followed by Herceptin for the remainder of the yr. Being dose dense, it is less harsh on your body & has the same positive effective. I will be participating in a national Dana Farber trial for bc pt's. It was the exact trial I had studied and wanted to participate in to begin with! Can't say enough for being your own advocate and getting a second or third opinion! Thank you for ALL of the kind words and thoughts...I can't wait to get this underway and all behind me! You ladies are such an encouragement and great source of strength!
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Kate, Well in Allergen, there are the 20s which are high profile and then there is even a 45 which is even more profile. The 20s are used more and they would be compatible with the Mentor ones you are going with. I am gunna go with the 20s. Personally, I saw the 20s and the 45s on a person on the TimTam site and I actually liked her 20s on her better but she went and revised them to the 45s and was happy as a clam. I think the 20s look more real so your Mentor ones that you mentioned are basically the Allergen 20s. I am shooting for the 350 size too! I actually like even where I am at now but am curious what more looks like. I could always have some saline taken out if I feel like I am getting too big. I have a feeling that my ps thinks that 350 should be the max if I want to retain at least some natural look. She was saying that there is a trend right now to purposely look like you have fake boobs. She said that only some people want to appear natural and the rest want that unreal Hollywood look. I think I want in between. I am so difficult...hahahah
Sweetie, my nips stayed the same...just numb. )=
By the way...I think I can still feel the valium and I took one um...12 hours ago! Hehehehehe
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hurleygirly- Thanks for clearing that up about the profiles. I think I'm starting to freak out a little (little?!?) about my exchange. Just want to make sure my PS and I are on the same page. (Same page, same paragraph, same sentence!) My right side is still a little bigger than the left so when my DH comes home tomorrow I'm going to have him top off my tank!
I can't imagine wanting to look like you have fake boobs like a 70's porn star (not that I would know anything about that, of course!). I'll just be happy if I no longer look like a 12 year old girl! (@)(@)
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twirlandcurl: LOL! I love the graphic! That is kind of how I look. My PS swears it will be better after my exchange on Friday. We'll see.
For those of you commenting about hyperplasia, you made decisions that were the best for you. I had IDC, DCIS, and 2 kinds of hyperplasia as well. My breast nurse navigator described it as cells waiting to "turn on me" at any time! You can have some peace of mind now that breast cancer isn't going to kill you.
I also love the comment about laying around for 3 months making you gain weight. It is all I can do to get through my work day and am so physically exhasted when I get home. I do NOT want to go exercize. For me, I've been laying around since August and my first biopsy. Then came the surgeries.
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Hi ladies!
I've been reading about the pre exchange nerves / worries and wanted to say I had that too!! I think it is normal and understandable to feel that way, because it seems very final compared to the ever-changing look that comes with the te's. Plus all the worry about size. Here's what learned since my exchange in March: there is a lot of change that happens for weeks even months after the exchange. Mine look MUCH different and MUCH better now: I cried for days after my exchange and now Im happy. I do have some rippling now that disappears if I hold my shoulders back and stand up straight (somewhere in heaven my Mom is laughing saying "I told you so!" about good posture ...ha!) PB I keep thinking about your revision to a bigger size and wondering if that would help that but surgery is so risky for me I'd have to be sure ...I dont even think my PS would do it.
Anyway I hope to allay some anxiety by just saying from my experience the exchange is NOT final: changes keep happening so just ride the waves and keep the faith!
Kate33: a lot of my clothes still fit but I have to admit I got several new tops to rock my new perky look!
GAgirl: so glad you got that opinion and are happy! You are a strong amazing woman and I will be thinking of you as you forge ahead through this chemo and get to the other side!
vmudrow: hope next fill is a good one and pain free, I know you get a little anxious
TNlady: You GO girl!!! wow you will have a GREAT bikini summer, good for you!!!!
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bcincolorado: good luck with your surgery!
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hurleygirly - After 3 fills I am at 230 ccs so I'm right behind you!!
bcincolorado - thanks for the info about hyperplasia - confirms that I made the right decision. It's been almost 5 weeks since my surgery and I forced myself to the gym yesterday - I felt better, but today don't feel like going - maybe every other day.
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I don't think its possible to even get the porn star fullness that an augmentation provides considering the implant is replacing the breast tissue and we are limited by width. I am very pleased I exchanged out to larger but now that the swelling is gone, could have been even larger being that the size change is only in small increments. I am happy with the width and the amount of space between the breasts, the projection increased by a little under a 1cm, however I don't "visually" see a projection difference at all. Looks the same to me and I'm not overflowing in my old bras. In the 375ccs I didn't have the fullness in a bikini top. With the 550cc's I do , but its not where it would be obvious to anyone that I had any work done. I think we are all fearful of that realty tv fake look, but we want it large and full enough to look "hot" and perky. I guess what I'm trying to relate is that its like a large screen tv, looks big at first but a few weeks later you're used to it and you wonder if it could be bigger. It seems like they get absorbed and appear more natural over time so if it were me I would lean toward the larger size if in doubt.
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Hello sisters, Thank you for the love and support, I think you guys are pretty awesome too!
I agree with what PB says, go a little larger if possible. I'm not a large person, but my PS went with the Mentor 650's high profile. I was a large C small D before, and I'm close to that now. I fill out my old bras nicely, but do not have the projection I had before.
I do have more fullness in my upper pole, which does give me more cleavage. I like the fact they are not hanging close to my belly button (lol), they are perkier, but just don't stick out as far as I would like. But in the long run, I'm just happy to have the cancer out, I got to keep my skin and nipples, so I don't wan't to sound like I'm totally unhappy with my new boobs. We just have to be careful with our expectations, we are not going to have the same look as a person that has had an augmentation.0 -
bcincolorado, best wishes to you and may you have a speedy recovery!0
