Implant Exchange (oYo) ~ Anyone go/stay SMALL?? (B cup)
Comments
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SusansGarden: my PS says he used to adhere to the "overfill for drop" strategy... but has since stopped because .. as he said... "why would you want to start out with droopy boobs?"
I think the PS's should ask you which you would prefer. I liked my TE's position. No need for a bra there. Didn't realize the extra fill was for ptosis (drop) to make them look natural when you were naked, which mine do. I would have rather had them high, round, & firm. I know they're fake, my husband knows they're fake. The idea was to fool the public when I'm dressed.
BTW, 5'5" - 120lbs. I'm 330cc's on the right, 360cc's on the left. Different amounts of breast tissue were taken out of the two sides. 36C
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Thanks for sharing mom3. It turns out I had seen your photos and I posted a comment. You look great.
Your PS did a very nice job.0 -
Ann - glad I could help. It's so hard to 'know' what you will look like. I think my ps did a good job as well...it's just not the old me! I am getting used to this new body and with time I think I'll be fine with it.
My ps did use the alloderm to create my pockets and Ive had no trouble with it. Even through radiation all was fine. I did end up with casular contraction which required extra pocket work but it's fine. I know my 2 sides look/feel different but probably look fine to anyone else.
Those with kids - I had hated it when my kids sat on my lap when I had TE's because the pressure against them was so uncomfortable. The best thing about the implants is that I can hold my kids without 'guarding' my chest!
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I was a DD before reconstruction. I had an implant put in on the left, and a reduction and lift on the right. I'm probably about a C now. I just had the exchange right before Thanksgiving. I'm loving my smaller size. I just wear stretchy cami's now. Bra's were hurting where I had the incisions, so I just wear these cami's now. They're comfortable, and I really don't need support anymore. Maybe in a few months I'll look into buying a bra, but for now, I'm loving this.
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At diagnosis, and throughout my chemo, radiation, and up to my surgery (mastectomy, left side only), I was a DDD.
At the mastectomy (8/24/09), they removed 4.69 pounds of breast tissue and 22 lymph nodes. I had chosen to have a delayed DIEP flap reconstruction because I was going to need radiation, and while you can do radiation with tissue expanders, my breast surgeon and radiologist prefer not to if it's not necessary.
At reconstruction (exactly a year and a day later 8/25/10), I had a skin sparing prophylactic mastectomy for my healthy right breast, and then a bilateral DIEP on both sides.
Size-wise, my skin-sparing side is a full D (down from a DDD) and my left-mastectomy side (which was flat prior to recon) is now is Full-B/Small-C.
On 2/17/11, I will have a revision which will reduce/lift my right side to match my left side. So hopefully at the end of all of this, I will have a matched set of full-B cups.
I was THRILLED to go down to a smaller cup-size from my original. I can wear smaller tops and prettier bras, and everything just feels lighter (albeit a bit lopsided currently).
Alaina
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I was a B cup before BC and now since i have implants on 12/23/09 i have seem to be wider but i don't have a problem with them. I have not wore a bra since the beginning of surgery and I don't plan on it until i am completely healed. My mother has implants and she doesn't wear a bra because they make it uncomfortable so she just wear the spagetti strap shirt under hers and they seem to be fine. I hope this helps. My mother is a four year survivor of BC. My PS recommended that i get spagetti strap shirts to help support. I did wear a medium before and still wear on but it is snug due to the swelling and the healing. but he told me that i looked good.
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Thanks ladies, for your input/sharing your stories! I also look forward to recovering in a camisole like I have been able to do with the TE's. So comfortable!
After talking it over with my hubby, I decided I was where I wanted to be and am done with my fills!! Woo HOO! (I am at 430ccs) I am now doing my (per the PS) 2 month minimum wait. He says 3 months is even better..so I will schedule my surgery sometime in April. He also has me doing little "exercises" where I basically push in my TE's towards the center to help stretch the muscle inwards. It actually feels good to stretch them away from my armpits! I just get funny looks when people catch me doing it in the car!
~ Susan
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Susan YEAH! I go in for my smx and TE tomorrow. I look up to you for coming so far and being able to see the finish line!!! Congrats!
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Gosh thanks, Suebee!
Wishing you a smooth journey tomorrow! And speedy healing!
Hugs! ~ Susan
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In answer to your original post - they took so much of my chest tissue I didn't have the option to go big - I went from a 40D to maybe a 38b with tram-flap. I had implants first and they couldn't go too big on them either. Usually they really don't leave enough tissue to cover big implants. My radiated side is weird looking - but the other one isn't too bad - I hate the fact that my upper chest where my pec's were looks caved in. On the cancer side they took so much when I am thin my ribs show - badly and it freaks me out - so I'll take a little (o.k. too much) chubby. I am very happy I did reconstruction though - I had lots of issues and I'm still glad - I feel more normal.
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Ellie~ sounds like you have been through a bit, but glad you feel more normal with no regrets.
Caerus ~ Good for you for knowing what you wanted and changing to a PS that would listen to you and your wishes! And cheers to your newfound freedom!
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I wanted a small B. My PS told me she would order several implants and decide during the exchange surgery which one "fit" me best. I was surprised it was 450cc - small C ! (I wasn't filled that much ) But that does seem to fit my frame and is smaller that the ones that got "cut off".
I did not know the PS did this until the last appointment with her, so you might want to ask your doctor.
Good Luck and keep us posted !
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Thanks for responding Erica!
What size were your TE's filled to?... do you "measure" a small C in a bra... but "look" smaller than that? I ask, because I keep hearing that after the exchange we will measure bigger than we will actually look. What is your bra band size?0 -
SusansGarden - My TEs were filled to 400cc and exchanged to 450cc implants - I look like a small C, but wear a 32DD in bras. We measure bigger because the implants are wider. Happy with the size, but does take a little getting used to, since I was an A before - lol.
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Valerie... I know you guys keep saying that, but it is so hard for me to wrap my head around a 32DD looking like a small C! lol! I have looked for you pics on the pic forum. Are you Valerie on there? Really slim and trim with the body of a 20 year old but you claim you are 50?
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SusansGarden - what a comedian you are!! I am Valerie on there and sadly yes I just turned the big 50! I too thought 32DD was going to be HUGE, my doctor said I am a small C - it really is just because the implants are wider. I play tennis and believe me I didn't want foobs that would be in the way. I was so small before - I wanted to try being a little bigger - very happy - I look much better in clothes too! Hugs, Valerie
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Wow! You really do have the body of a 20 year old, Valerie!! Your results look really fabulous!... but you do look bigger than a small C to me... maybe it's just because I've only seen you nekkid! lol! Maybe we should be posting pics of ourselves in various clothing over there as well ~ so people can get a better idea of the way they "really" look.
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Well, Im just home from my SMX and TE placement. He put about 100CC's in yesterday and told me to expect to be filled to 450....Yikes I dont want to be a DD!!! But then he said we'll see how we go and I can stop anytime. I told him full b would be fine with me but then having always been an A or smaller (only an A when I was a little heavier than now) anything would be big!
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Sounds like you are feeling pretty good to be up and on the computer, Suebee!
My PS also put 100cc's in at the time of my BMX. I'm at 430 and hoping to end up a B. (my PS fills to the similiar size of the implant ~ doesn't overfill). So maybe 450 will be a B? What is your bra band size normally?0 -
Hi gals, I was barely an A before and all I wanted to be was a nice solid B. I am at 280cc and my Ps is shooting for 310 as a maximum. I am 5'5" and normally weigh 122 but with this no activity life, I am at 128. Ugh! I don't know what kind of implant my PS is going to use but he did say that it will be "projected" outward so that it will look natureal afterwards. I go for my final fill on Valentine's Day so i will ask him what he is planning to use. I really trust my PS and I do not want big boobs! They would look ridiculous on my frame and make me look fat.
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Susan I go in waves....I have moments of alertness and then Im out for a while!
Anyway, Im only like a 32-34 A but I hardly fill the thing. The PS has got to know his job, right? I cant imagine them actually being there after making it this far with such little ones!
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Hi Arlene! Welcome to the committee! :P Hey... only gaining 6 lbs with all this going on isn't too shabby!!
Suebee ~ it will be interesting to see after a lot of us go through exchanges.. if we are happy with our sizes or not! ... I wish we could fast forward to this summer!
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SusansGaraden - you are too nice - but yes I turned 50 last month! So if you have 450cc implants (that's what I have) you will look like a B or C, but your bra size will be bigger (if it fits right), I can wear a 34C, but the wires don't completely go around the implants. And the pictures on the picture forum do look kind of big - maybe taken too close - but in clothes really not that big.
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Okay... that makes sense. Thanks again for your input
... and happy belated birthday!! (Are you a near Christmas baby too? .. my bday was 12/26)0 -
I am a Christmas baby - born on December 25th - best present my mom ever got (so she tells me)!!
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Too funny!! Well, at least she didn't name you Carol or Holly!
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Susan, thanks for starting this thread. I hated my size C breasts so much and suffered so greatly that the prospect of going smaller has made the breast cancer experience for me as much good as bad. That is how much I hate big breasts. Some people hate rice pudding. Others hate liberals. Others, still, hate spiders. I hate big breasts. I always felt self conscious, I didn't feel sexy and I disliked the shape of my breasts. I am so happy with my A-B cup size now (I just completed my last surgery). I feel more feminine and sexy and in control. Shopping for clothes is now a nice experience. I don't feel that the breasts either precede me, define me or make me look like a sack of potatoes.
I apologize to the 90 percent of people who prefer big.
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Glad you are so happy with your new size Athena!
P.S. ... I love your "future tx" .. Makes me laugh every time I've seen it!0 -
This heading makes me laugh...back when I was an A cup I thought those gals with the B cup were so lucky!
Are Bs the new small? 0
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