BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
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Whippetmom-
Thanks for your service to all of us who seek advice here. Your help is invaluable!
I posted a couple of weeks ago, right after my exchange surgery. I am now three weeks post exchange, and the jury is still out for me. I wanted to give you my stats and the TE's & implants that I have to get your opinion. I have pictures, but I can't figure out how to post them from my computer either here or via PM (anyone know how to do this?). So, for now, here are my details:
5' 7 1/2" - 115 lbs, ribcage 28.5, A cup prior to skin & nipple sparing BMX
TEs - Sientra dual chamber 20799-390ACX expanded to 435cc (I wanted to go larger than my original A cup - PS thought we needed to also get expansion in upper pole; hence, the use of the dual chamber TE, but do you think there should have been more focus on expanding the lower pole?)
Implants - Sientra textured shaped classic base 20676-450E (I have some rippling on the inside of my breasts; implants seem a bit firm, a little flat, and have little movement; I'm still wearing the soft bra 24/7 from surgery).
Thoughts? I'd love to send you pictures...just can't figure out how.
Thank you so much,
Tricia
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whippetsmom, I get 30 when I measured my ribcage but I don't know if that is accurate as I am doing it myself . I am 5 foot and 95lbs .. the PS nurse just told me to go on lookyourbest.com and see any pictures I like and bring them in .. and she also said I can call her back with your reccomendations .. I am so worried , I have wrong meausrements and I just want to get this right .. I am so sad and frustrated .. thank you for your time ...
Lisa Marie
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Hello!
I had a bilateral mastectomy with temporary expanders and year ago and have my exchange in 2 weeks. I have 2 days to decide whether I want round or teardrop implants. Could anyone recommend somewhere that I could see photos of the two options post-recon (ie in somebody as boobs rather than pictures of the actual implants).
I would really appreciate any help! I'm panicking a bit as the decision is down to me and I am desperate to get a bit of body confidence back.
Thank you so, so much.
x
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Skibunny, I don't know if this will help , it did not help me .. I try to compare but none of photos show anyone as tiny and skinny as I am .. but lookyourbest.com .. you can click on photos of reconstrucion , shows before and after mastectomy with implants.
LisaMarie
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Thank you! I will take it all with a pinch of salt. Thanks so much for taking the time to get back to me. I really appreciate it. xxx
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It's a dry-cleaning link!!
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really www.lookingyourbest.com sorry
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Skibunny,
I have the teardrop-shaped Sientra implants. I think the look overall is fairly natural, everything considered. What kind of TEs do you have and do you like the overall look you have now? I think it will all depend on what TEs you have and your body shape, etc.
I am tallish and quite thin. I'd be happy to send you a pic of my implants if you'd like to see how they look. I'm not sure how to post a pic here, but I could email to you. Let me know.
Tricia0 -
Skibunny - I am tall and slender and am considering a revision. My PS mentioned Sientra. Since there seems to be a lot of curiosity about these implants, would you consider posting pix on the picture forum? It is a totally separate site, not connected to BCO. If you're willing, you can send Lilah a PM to ask about gaining access there. Thanks so much!
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Okay Liv! Praying you breeze through your treatments!
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Lisamarie: No restrictions? You are kidding me! I do not care how warm and fuzzy your PS might be, this is serious stuff. I do want you to get a second opinion before you go under the knife again.
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Lisamarie: What IS your implant style number?
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Lisamarie -- I am sorry your doctor told you what he did about your difficulty lifting your arm. Did he do your node dissection? He should know better. He should know that node dissection can cause this problem and that there are simple exercises you can do to restore your range of motion. I had trouble lifting my arm after node dissection and the ONLY thing that helps the issue with your arm -- which is BECAUSE of the node dissection -- is exercising that arm. The American Cancer Society has some simple exercises you should be doing (because they WORK)...the good news is: it's never too late to start and you CAN restore your range of motion. Here's a link:
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/exercises-after-breast-surgery
Scroll down on the linked page and you will find a series of exercises with diagrams. I could not lift my arm higher than my shoulder on my SNB side after lumpectomy and SNB and the "standing up" exercises on this page were immensely helpful. All of these exercises will help you there and, quite frankly, I can't believe your doctor did not recommend these. Except of course I can believe it because my first surgeon did not do so either -- then I switched surgeons and that made all the difference. You should ask your health insurance what other options you have and get a second opinion.
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LisaMarie - Shoulder issues are not uncommon at all with women who have had the surgery we have had. A video that I've found very helpful is one I learned about over on the Lymphedema threads but I do the lymphatic opening every day and it is helpful at getting range of motion back.
Your PS or your BS could also refer you to a Physical Therapist or an Occupational Therapist to help with pain issues. Warm and fuzzy he may be ... but you're not getting the whole story.
Here is a link to the video. A little hokey but I've found it invaluable:
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Through-Therapeutic-Exercise-Movement/dp/B000HWY60G
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Tricia - would really appreciate that, if you don't mind. I'll email. That's really kind of you.
LisaMarie68 - thanks for all of your help and PMs. xxxx
TinaT - did you mean me, or Tricia...?!
x
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whippetsmom, my implant is Mentor smooth round moderate profile gel ref # 350-7400BC lot # 6441579 SN 6441579-050, then the other sticker has sane ref # lot 6486351 lot # 6486351-040.
Thanks for the help everyone , he says He will write me a script for physical therapy. I had the SNB . I had 8 taken from right side and 5 taken from left side and the funny thing is its the left shoulder . I can lift it all the way up it just hurts really bad ..
Thank you all for taking this time with me
Lisa Marie
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I have exchanged scheduled!! I have Mentor TE's with a ld flap on the left. My fill point right now is 330cc on the left with the added muscle and tissue from my back and 390cc on the right. I cannot fill any further because that is all my radiated skin can handle on the ld flap side. At this point I have a narrow and cone shaped projection on the left LD side with a wider more mound shaped lower projection on the right. At the suggestion of my PS I will use the Mentor Gel implants as they are softer. He is going to use two different impants to try to get symmetry out of my two different shapes. A lower profile wider based implant on the left LD side and a narrower higher profile insert on the right. I am 5'3, 140lbs and have a 31 ribcage.
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I'm happy to post on the picture forum. It seems it may be down right now? I gained access a couple of weeks ago, and just went to log on, but the site isn't coming up, so maybe something is going on. I'll try to access it again later.
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Whippetmom, you are a saint to so many women; thank you! I have had my last fill and am awaiting exchange surgery. I had a skin and nipple sparing BMX. I called the nurse at my PS doctor's office to collect as much info to give you as I could. She said that I have Mentor expanders that come in "Small, Medium, and Large" and that I have small that can fill up to 500 cc's. I am 5'6 and 127 lbs. My rib cage circumference is 31.5. My expanders are filled to 300, and I look three times as big as I did before BMX (I was a small B.)
When I consulted with the PS, I told him I like the shape and size that I am with the expanders but wish the lower pole was a little fuller and that I projected just a bit more in that lower pole. He said he would take care of that. He has ordered 7 different implants for surgery. They are all Mentor ultra high profile and range from 350 cc's to 530 cc's. I was wondering what you thought would be the best size for me. Thank you so very much!
Oh, the implants are silicone gel, round, smooth0 -
Skibunny - Oops, I guess I meant Tricia! Thanks!!!
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25weeks / Tricia - There are some quirks with the picture forum site. The way I sign in it always comes up saying "Error", but if I click on the "Home" button near the top of the page it gets me in. The site is otherwise up and running as of a minute ago...
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How do we get access to the picture forum? I have asked before and not gotten a response...
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hwhranch - you need to PM Lilah or NoWhereGirl for instructions
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Thanks!
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((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( DEBORAH )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
You are a BCO Mentor
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Also Deb.......... keep in mind.... I still take sister from BCO to my PS or another PS here if needed. I do this monthly.. if not from BCO... from here in KC. Send anyone you see fit to send. I continue with that here. Love you!
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TinaT -- just curious re: the experience you have logging in to the Picture Forum. Do you use an Ipad? I ask because a member was not able to log in via her Ipad no matter what she did... and I wonder if she should have tried your method!
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lisamarie - I hestitate because I don't want to alarm or scare but you need to be aware of Lymphedema, especially with your job. You may never get it, I hope so! But I got it from only sentinel nodes removed on both sides. It's better take precautions before you get it than to get it. step up / speak out is a wonderfully helpful site and was created by women from bco. Most of our doctors deny or poo poo the reality of it but it is very real and more prevalent than we've been led to believe. Here is a link to that site.
http://www.stepup-speakout.org
Please keep us posted! Much love ...xoxo
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I set the date for my exchange today! It's April 8. My PS said they only use Mentor and she wants to use a smooth, round, HP that is approx 50cc more than I'm currently expanded, so 550. I think this will be perfect. As a reminder, I am 5'3" 135lbs and my rib cage is 32". Expanders are 12.7X10.5X7.0. She said my implants would actually be a little more narrow, which is good, but on the website, the only size I found was actually 13.6...do they just appear more narrow because they are round instead of the squarish shape of the expanders?
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Lilah - Nope, I use my desktop PC. I always access via the link in the PM sent to me by Fumi (nowheregirl). I had a lot of problems in the beginning accessing and trying to navigate the site so just got into the habit of getting into it via that PM because it worked for me. The first page that pops up always says there's an error, but I just hit the "home" button and then I'm in. Weird...
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