BREAST IMPLANT SIZING 101
Comments
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MSNOMORELUMPS: Welcome to the board and you will find amazing support here. Don't be afraid of bra sizes since implants fit so differently in a bra then real breasts! Just be sure your PS knows where you want to get to and you should know it when the TE's (which won't fit into a bra) are at their maximum extension. Whippetmom is a goddess and she will get you out of your armpits and back into a squishee bra!
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Everette: I had no idea your TE was leaking! Is it on your rads side?
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MBJ: The leak is on my non-rads side. I had been fully expanded since April, so the skin is fine. I just look a little lopsided!
Everything was fine, then one day after lifting my son I noticed my size going down. Thankfully, it's only gone down about a 1/3.
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kjbrown: Do-not-go-by-bra-size! An "E" cup in breast recon does NOT look like an "E" cup. I am sticking with my recommendations for you!!!
Everett: I would really like for you to get those TEs out and into implants as soon as possible. I am concerned there might be capsular contracture on the rads side. When is your exchange?
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MSNOMORELUMPS:
Welcome....and I am glad you found us! I do not think it will take much to give you the volume you desire. Once I have your TE info, we can refine the numbers further, but I believe implants with a range from 300 ccs to 350 ccs in a high profile, smooth round silicone style, would be nice on your petite frame. Why don't you also join the discussions on Exchange City, and once you have an exchange date, it will be posted on that thread.
You will also want to send a private message to Timtam, so that you can gain entrance to our private pictures forum, where many of us have our reconstruction photos. You will need to post a bit more and make your presence known on the forums, which is the criteria for gaining entrance to the pic forum.
Deborah
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Can I ask a stupid question - when you measure your ribcage, it's right under the breasts right? Do you do it on an inhale or exhale, because there can be a difference of an inch. On exhale I'm 28". And fully expanded it's 29" (5'7", 119 lbs). Before I said 30" (I think I did it over my shirts at the time - oops). I'm really worried about this, if you can't tell. Probably by focusing on size, it's taking my mind off the fact of the anesthesia, pain, etc. that I know I'm going to be getting into in 2 weeks. I just want to go in armed with as much info as possible to the PS on Friday. I'm getting my brain around 400cc at the moment. High profile.
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HI and thank you soooo much for taking time and to share your knowledge!!! We appreciate YOU!
I am very different than all of the others who have posted here and I will speak more with my PS, but really want your input before I do speak further with my PS.
I had a BMX and a muscle sparing TRAM flap reconstruction on 9/14/10. Before the surgery, I had asked the PS if I had enough fat from the belly to become a large D. The PS said probably so. (Of course now from your post, I realize that in my mind a large D is a large D bra-size cup and the PS was thinking a surgical large D. Sigh..... who knew... So, in my mind I am not a large D and a little disappointed.
I really wasn't prepared to ask my PS about making my b@@b's larger, but she popped in one day on one of my weekly visits and I asked. The answer was sure, we can do that. I asked will you be using Tissue Expanders? The answer was no, silicone.... 1 size up from where you are now. It would be inserted between the muscle and the new belly fat/skin. At that time, I was a little stunned and decided to come back to the PS with more questions later. I was also a little surprised that the PS didn't ask "what size would you like to be"? Another fact (maybe the PS forgot) is that my right boob was radiated 12 years ago and I wasn't sure how my skin would stretch - but maybe one size it isn't an issue(??) Or, maybe she did remember and 1 size is all she feels comfortable with re: radiated boob. The Tram flap on the radiated boob at first was a bit tighter and different than my regular boob, but is softening up quite a bit. I will definitely ask her, but it sure would be appreciated if you could shed any light on this as I am a newbie on TE's and implants.....
My question: Why wouldn't she use Tissue Expanders even for one size larger than I am now, especially since one side was radiated and is definitely not as stretchable as the other one? Any other information would be great re: tram flap and implants.
Thank you so much!!!
Warm wishes and hugs,
Deb
P.S. Maybe I should be happy with the size the tram recon gave me...... just expected a larger size.
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Deb: Sorry you are dissappointed with your procedure. I am sure someone will come in and help you with this. I know that when I thought I had to have radiation and a lat dorsi flap, my former PS said that I wouldn't need expanders, either. Just a silicone implant. BTW: I didn't know that there were two different ways of measuring a D cup--I thought that it either fits a bra cup that size or it doesn't! Never heard of that before.
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Deb: I think we need to come to some agreement regarding how much implant volume you will need to get you to the place you want to be. You are probably going to need to send me photos [unless you have them on the pictures forum or can put them there.] I need to see how much volume - how much of a mound has been provided by the flaps. I'll PM you my contact info.
Deborah
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Whippetmon: My exchange is 12/6 and i'm very excited! My PS wanted to do it soon, but also wanted to wait the 6 months because of the rads.
I'm hoping I dont have any contraction, my rads side is still moving freely. Anything else I can do?
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Everett: Talk to Laura [Estepp] over on Exchange City or PM her and ask her what she would recommend for the rads side. Congrats on the exchange date! What a nice Christmas present! Keep me posted on how you are doing!
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Deb -- so you already had the Tram flap so that means they moved the belly muscle up to your chest and formed breasts for you, right? So it sounds like your PS is going to put an implant between your pectoral and your Tram flap... so maybe the reason you don't need a TE is the same reason augmentation doesn't --- he is not going to put the implant under your pectoral muscle but on top of it... and the TE is made to stretch the pectoral muscle. He must have some reason to think he can insert an implant between Tram flap and pectoral and achieve a larger size. It may also be that he didn't ask because how much bigger will depend on what fits? It does sound unusual. I'm sure Whippetmom can help you but I suspect you also need to ask your PS more questions.
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MBJ: Thanks for your response. You say "former" PS. What made you change PS?
Sorry for the confusion on my statement of what sizes really are. Whippetmom said in her post above to kjbrown: Do-not-go-by-bra-size! An "E" cup in breast recon does NOT look like an "E" cup.
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Lilah: Yes, she only takes a very small portion of the belly muscle to get a good blood supply with the fax, plus the skin.
Oh gosh, I didn't realize but certainly makes sense that the TE is to expand the pectoral muscle. Duh.... Thanks for explaining!
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Whippetmom: Thanks. I will send you a PM....
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DebinATL: I actually changed my BS because I so disliked him and left his office hysterically crying every time I went. I changed all of my surgical team and the hospital because I wasn't given any choices there and the one choice they gave me was extreme for my situation. I ended up with a better team of dr's and less invasive surgery.
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MBJ - I did not know that... and you ended up with such a GREAT team indeed!
DebinATL -- you're welcome!
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Lilah: Good thing I am outspoken and stubborn or I wouldn't even be here this far along. They wanted to remove my breast, radiate me (even though this was unnecessary--they never checked my lymph nodes!!) and make me wait a year for reconstruction. So glad I got two more opinions and so glad that I found all of you here!
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Wow MBJ -- thank goodness YOU had the good sense to get another opinion!
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Lilah, it just goes to show you that we are our own best advocates and we have to listen to our guts and mine was screaming NO WAY! That first BS told me that I WOULD DIE if I didn't listen to him and do what he told me. Most insensitive dr I have ever encountered. My PS told me other women had come to him experiencing the same thing. He just gives all women radiation no matter what their diagnosis!!! He should be strung up and shot! I shudder to think at all of the damage he could have done to me.
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That is almost criminal. Did you file a complaint with your insurance company (which, I assume, is how you got to that awful doctor in the first place?) They should know he is not a good doctor.
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Lilah: I had MediCal so therefore limited resources and choices. I do want to eventually write a letter to City of Hope regarding this dr. but I think he already left.
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Dawn-Hope: Ok sorry I haven't responded. I checked yesterday and almost shed a tear because no one responded to my first post.....ok, ok, I can admit, I went looking in the wrong forum, that's why I didn't see it. LOLI pouted for nothing! Hahaha!
But thank you for the welcome!!! I go tomorrow, for my last fill, and I'm guessing she will then give me my exchange date. Or maybe I should say, I'm not leaving without an exchange date, the unknown kills me. But the thing that surprised me, is that I actually miss wearing a bra. I have always had to wear one since the age of 9, and that was, or so I thought, that was the biggest sigh of relief I thought I would get from all of this. Not having to wear a bra 24/7. But now these kidney bean shaped things on my chest, are rebelling against any sort of bra. (not to mention I now walk like a bulldog or a body builder) On occasion, I can manuever into a sports bra, but other than that, I miss pretty bras...go figure.
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MBJ-Thank you as well for the welcome. Yes, I cannot wait for the squishys. I can't wait to stop feeling like I'm wearing a breast plate and ready to go into battle with whoever is willing...I do have to admit, I feel a little invincible, like I could take a bullet in these things, if need be.
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Thank you as well for the welcome, Whippetmom.
Yes from my infrequent browsing, Yes, I am interested in seeing some of the photos. And I have also taken note that access must be allowed. So I'm trying to work out my kinks, before I request access.
Lol I have checked out the Exchange city, actually by accident, and you're right, I think I will also start posting over there as well. With my personality, I had a hard time reaching out, and took on the task of supporting everyone else through MY process, and luckily, they (my friends and family) needed it more than I did, and things turned out ok. I will have to admit, I am dealing with a little bit of what they call survivors guilt. I've known people who have had a rough time with this, and I feel guilty, like I didn't get the full experience. I'm working on that, it's an odd feeling.
But my PS seems to feel that roughly around 600 is where I was previously, (and we're going with the smooth round silicone just like you stated) and that's about where I am now, plus one more fill tomorrow. My goal was to get as close to my previous size as much as possible. As I kept this private from most people, and I have a hard time with people fussing over me. I'm usually the caretaker, I'm usually the one out partying and have a good time. I like attention....but only when I call for it. (LOL) and so for me, trying to put this behind me, and find a "new normal" was my goal. So although not many people know about it, I felt for me, it would make the transition easier.
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MSNOMORELUMPS - The implants are nothing what you're experiencing with the TE's. I absolutely could not stand anything on them, it hurt to touch them, sometimes my clothes hurt them just laying on them. At most I wore a cami with a shelf bra. You'll find that after you get your implants you will NEED a bra. Don't give up on those pretty bras! Some PS's, and they are all over the place on this issue, require that you wear an underwire right away, mine said no underwire for three months. But, bottom line, you will have a NEED for those pretty bras!
There is a thread called "Bras 101 the great post-exchange debate" that will tell you everything you need to know about bras!
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/753120?page=32#idx_956
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What IS MediCal MBJ? Is it something unique to California?
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MSNOMORELUMPS: That is pretty funny....you READ the wrong thread and I sometimes POST on the wrong thread....
I did not wear a bra with my TEs either....well...I did find [the last month in TEs] a Warner's bra which fit but it was very uncomfortable. However, I wish I had worn something - a sports bra perhaps - to hold up the weight of my TEs..because mine dropped quite a bit and this left my resulting implant placement a little lower than I would have liked.
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MBJ: I'm so glad you didn't stay with the first bunch and ended up with people who you can actually communicate with, as well as, not having unnecessary surgery AND they didn't even check your lymph nodes!! What the #%^&*? Stick with your intuition.... it will guide you!
Lilah: Ditto!
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Dawn-Hope. Well that's good news. Yippe! Now I just need to start setting money aside for the bras. Thank you, it's just so hard to know what to expect.0
