Implant Exchange (oYo) ~ Anyone go/stay SMALL?? (B cup)
Comments
-
Well, on Saturday, I went for a bra-fitting at this cute little boutique-y place in Annapolis. The fitter specialized in working with women who've had mastectomies/reconstructions.
I'm officially now a 38B! Pre-breast-cancer, I was a 42DDD (yes, that's 3 D's). What a difference a disease makes!
I found 2 cute bras, one I had to order because they didn't have it in black. The other I got to take with me. This excursion and mini-shopping-spree was a birthday present from one of my besties.
I've decided I never want to wear another back-hook bra again. Only front-hook-closures or leisure bras from now on.
I have a confession...At my birthday dinner on the 3rd of April, I had on this little black dress, and I went BRALESS!!! The girls were standing up on their own and provided a perfect silhouette to the dress (even though I only have one nipple at the moment). I felt sexy for the first time in well over 2 years.
That was my present to myself!
0 -
Alaina- so happy for you, your 38B measurments, AND your night out in the little black dress! - a well deserved feeling after all the crap that comes with bc!
...also, glad you had a good experience bra shopping!!!
0 -
lago - thank you for the suggestions! We will defnitely hit up Harvard Square. my niece is going college-shopping and Harvard is on her list. Looking forward to the Dolphin restaurant, too. Seafood in Boston sounds like a perfect combo. I'm afraid to tell my husband about the Egyptian collection at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He is fascinated with ancient Egypt. When we went to the British Museum, he was outmuscling small German schoolchildren to gain optimal viewing of the mummies. Really embarrassing.
Suebee - Loved The Social Network. It was my favorite movie of last year. It was fun to see Cambridge onscreen. My husband went to school there, but that was 30 years ago and I'm sure things have changed a lot since then so he probably won't be much of a tour guide. Cannolis are my and my niece's fave! Definitely going to check out Mike's. I looked up the street (Hanover) on Google Maps. Is that a Little Italy type of area? It's cute.
fire-dancer - oh my gosh, when the drains were removed, I had a new lease on life. I only had two shirts that reasonably camouflaged the drains and I'm sure everyone was sick of seeing me in the same outfit everyday! How are you doing? Are you still in the TE phase or do you have your implants yet?
Marie-K - I now have "shock and awe" envy.
0 -
Alaina, I have a little confession. I ordered a little black dress deep v neck with the intention of going bra-less once this is all over!0
-
SusansGarden-looks like we are on the same schedule---I had my BMX/NSM on 12/14 and swapping the TEs on 4/21, so I'll be right there with ya! I think I get the prize for smallest TEs on the board...mine were 250 and overfilled to 330, hoping for a full B (5'1" and 110 lbs). Started this process not caring less about size--figured whatever PS felt looked natural was fine by me as I was such a small A to begin with. Turns out, I actually like having boobs--my PS created a boob- monstor!...now I'm worried they will be too small! (the TEs- tho immovable rocks- are actually a great size and look good!)! Curious to see where I wind up with this little science project.
0 -
SuebeeBC My dad swears by Caffe Pradiso on Hanover St. for espresso and cannolis. They don't fill the shells before hand, or at least that's the way the used to do it. I don't drink coffee/espresso or like any desserty stuff with cheese or cream so I can't really judge.
0 -
Wow...a lot to catch up on after just one night!
Marie & Sue ~ I can relate where it's okay for ME to joke about getting a free boob job...but sometimes it is annoying if others do... like what Marie's friend said to her... I do like Marie's comeback though!! Plus you didn't even mention what you had to give up/go through by doing chemo! Not exactly "free"!!
Sue ~ I'm glad your neighbor called.. she did seem a bit defensive, huh? Sounds like she is getting some flack for wanting the boob job. You wanting the boob job is what prompted you to have the mammo that found your cancer, correct?
Megan ~ Too funny about whipping off your shirt when all she wanted to look at was the shoulder! lol! And my MIL was really surprised how small the incision was (she has a friend that had a regular mastectomy)...and she thought they looked pretty damn good... couldn't believe they weren't the "finished product". I think we bonded.
Lago ~ You should be a travel agent! I really need to plan a trip there!
Alaina ~ So happy for you to have a positive benefit from a scary situation! And how fun to beable to go braless and feel sexy in the black dress! Happy Birthday to you!!
Kittymamma ~ I envy all the places you've lived! I'm so boring... born and raised only 1/2 hour from where I live now! Though both my sisters and mom are all within an hour from me ~so that is nice. My brother is a bit farther in Calgary, Alberta ~ probably just wanted to get away from his nagging sisters!
.. and I felt so much better after I got those awful drains out too!takeadeepbreath ~ Yay, someone having surgery the same day as me! Boob monster! Too funny! .. I still go back and forth as to .. "they are just right" .. or "maybe a little more"? And it does make it hard because you don't know exactly how the exchange will be compared to the implant. My PS doesn't overfill ~ so I'll have a similiar volume, but I know the projection isn't supposed to be like the TE's. Ugh... I'll be happy when all the "unknowns" are over!
Do you have a pre-op appt this week? Mine is Thursday...then I should know the size he's putting in! 0 -
WOW there is a lot to catch up on!!!
Kittymama - I was on Oahu because my DH is former military...we lived there, pretty much at the airport, for 3 years. Ive also lived in Japan and Belgium (and grew up in MA) before moving here.
Lago - Hmmm, Might have to try that place!!! Sounds great. And thanks for the pictoral. I forgot to mention Assagio - a nicer, date night kind of place off Hanover - the BEST lobster ravioli...but Im a little tainted because it was a special night for me and DH...not our official engagement with a ring but pre-engagement. ;-)
Alaina - EXCELLENT!!! Im so happy that youre pleased with your results!! Its fun to be braless isnt it? Im still fluffing my natural girl until I can get them swapped out...then Ill be dazzling in a tight T! LOL!!!
Takeadeepbreath - I am becomming a boob monster too. I have a tight T on today for the first time since my fills started - and I began prancing around the house asking if my husband liked this T-shirt NOW....LOL Im awful.
Susan - Yes my neighbor has a sister who is giving her flack for getting plastic surgery so I touched a nerve for sure. And actually I had an abnormal mammo first but since it was my first, got them to wait 6 months for a recheck. I was convinced it would be fine so I started the PS research....I was waiting for the second mammo to make the date of surgery...I got a different surgery than expected....wait. You want to take some OFF?? Im trying to get some put ON!
And I concur about the doubts on how big is too big here. Just seeing my profile at 255 is absolutely thrilling....but I want to see how 300 looks....then 350....then 400....etc!!!
0 -
Wow Sue...what are the chances?!! So I'm curious... did you toy with the idea of doing both even though it was only in one breast, and since you knew you were going to do implants/surgery in both anyway? Or will they not do prophylactic for DCIS?
0 -
Susan we removed my right breast not know what was in there. The MRI showed 4 suspicious areas, one my BS was really concerned about. We could have done a biopsy first but that would have put off my surgery even longer. As it was I had a 6 week wait from the intial biopsy. We didn't know that spot was LCIS till the pathology. I don't how insurance could refuse BMX for DCIS.0
-
We did discuss a BMX and my BS is actually 'gun-ho' on doing both (I found that strange with her being a woman) but after my genetics test came back normal, no family history and my utter shock about losing ONE nipple (she wouldnt do a nipple sparing), she agreed to a uni. Insurance wouldve covered a BMX....and they are required to cover the 'matching' of the other side after a uni and reconstruction now....most just get a lift, Im going for a augment...some could do a reduction if they wanted I would think.
0 -
I had a reduction and lift on my native side covered by insurance but augmentation or an implant on my native side to "match" up would not be covered.
I'm not sure what the deal is with revisions - my PS mumbled something about getting insurance approval if I wanted to make any changes because of the rippling I have.
Also my BS flatly refused to do a BMX even though I have mico-calcifications on my native side (right) that have been monitored since 2005. Ironically it was my other side (left) that had been clear all these years that turned out to be the one with cancerous tumours!
0 -
...did someone say boob monster, or why were my ears burning?
takeadeepbreath, I said many of the same things you said, on my first visit to the PS. (Except the word "natural". That to me is a dirty word that means sagging and I'll have no part of it I tell you.)
I think you just may have the smallest TE's but I'm right behind you at 275! (Mine are extremely overfilled to 510, exchanging on 5/23). I had originally thought 400 or 450 would be good, but now the plan is 500ccs. I just wanted to look extra awesome I guess, every week I liked the size even more, so I kept filling until the PS thought I was proportionate. I'm 140 lbs, but I think my brain is a good 20 pounds...
On the pic forum, whippetmom wrote that she's astounded at the amount of overfill, and she's glad my TEs have not exploded yet! That threw me for a loop, but I do have faith and total trust in my PS so I am not worried. My PS maybe has different methods, I don't know...I DO know that my TE's look fairly good, IMO! I will keep you guys posted if anything changes...
0 -
My TE's are at 420 and I think I look fabulous! I lost 30 pounds before the mastectomy and now am in a size 10. PS knows I want to be smaller (full
than my real ones were at Large C/small D. I tried on my swim suits today and was all excited because they (and I looked good). PS says because I am tall, my implants should be 550cc, and becasue I am wide (although he will narrow some, he is thinking medium plus implants. If he can get it narrow enough he will do the high profile.
I've been talking to whippet mom who feels I should get 650 to 700. The way I look in the TE's right now, I can't even imagine 700! I will look like the one person who said she is a porn queen and her talent is laying down with her foobs up in the air porn style. I laughed so hard when I read that.
I am planning to go in to the PS with my new page of questions so I make sure I have a plan and he has it in my file.
We are going to dinner with my husband's fraternity brother and his wife who had a bmx two years ago. It will be great to see them. She is similar in my height and hers are 550's. We are wearing low cut tops and comparing! LOL. My husband says he is taking dollars to tuck!
0 -
Sue ~ I don't blame ya for not wanting to lose another nipple! Makes sense to me.
Marie ~ Interesting that they don't pay for augmentation to match on the other side in Canada. .. and that your BS refused to do a BMX!!!! wow! My BS started talking about lumpectomy and how she wanted to do an MRI to check the other breast to be sure, etc.....and I cut her off and said.. I've thought long and hard and I want 'em both off! ... she said..well then... let's get you scheduled with a Plastic Surgeon and move forward then ~ didn't even try to talk me out of it, which kinda surprised me!
Cameron ~ I saw that thread where whippetmom was surprised how overfilled you were! Are you going to ask your PS his reasoning behind it? I'm curious too!
Fluffqueen ~ I'm about where you are .. at 430cc's and really like the size... could not imagine going to 700cc!!.. but it sounds like you are much taller than I am. Nice that you have a friend with similiar height and body type to compare with as it sounds like she has a size similiar to what your PS was recommending. It is so hard to know what to do! Hope you had/have a fun time at your dinner and earn a few dollars from your hubby!
0 -
Hello everybody! I've decided my PS's office must think I'm truly crazy as I pleaded for no more fills and 5 days later I'm back in their office for more. But it's soooo hard to figure out where we'll end up with the implants! Does anybody know what a middle B size, really is? My PS told me a 400cc implant would be a large B, small C. So I guess I want a 350 or 375? I think I may have overfilled if I want to get just 350 but I just can't imagine going back into the PS's office and asking to have some saline removed from the TE's. They truly think I'm nuts already. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so darn sure of myself each time I talk to them! ;-)
Did you guys say there are pictures somewhere that volunteers have graciously posted of themselves to help the rest of us figure this out?
0 -
Sandybeach, welcome! I warn you, this is gonna be wordy. I am all amped up on vitamins and protein shakes so it's gonna be a wild one.
First, there is no formula for cup size, your own PS couldn't figure it out without trying it on you, TRULY. This is because silicone will hug your body, all bodies are different, and 400ccs on 10 different women will yield close to ten different appearances.
It will also depend on if your PS uses high profile, or moderate profile, most use high profile. You can send a private message to whippetmom with your height, weight, and ribcage measurements, and she can help you better with ccs to fit your body. She can also give you access to the picture forum website, she is one of the gatekeepers.
As far as fitting a bra goes...lots of women who LOOK like a B or a C will end up wearing bras that are D or even DD! This has to do with ONE thing: the width of the implant. They measure out at a certain width, and unlike natural boobs, which tend to be more saggy and giving, your new implants will be rounder! So you may end up wearing a larger bra than you intend, and that's just the facts. It's just numbers and letters, anyway...the important thing is: do you like the way you look? Then your PS can figure out the rest.
One thing to keep in mind: it's common for women to wish they'd gone a little bigger than they did. Your implants won't be as "out there" as your TE's, they will conform to your body more.
My PS says: "let me know when you like the size". Around 375 I was liking it. 420, loving it. 465, SUPER loving it. Then we did another fill to 510 because of the projection difference from TE to implant; if I like to look like "this" he can figure out what size implant to use. I'm hopefully going to be 500ccs, if he can do it, and if it looks good. I have no earthly idea what size cup it'll be, it depends on the math! The width of the implant...it's like a doughnut sitting on your chest, your bra cup needs to be big enough to go around it, and you can't just sling it in there like a normal breast!
Sorry to be so illusive with my answers to you...I've seen countless women go for a B cup, and end up wearing a D, and loving the size, even though they look like a C. It's hard to wear a B cup when you have implants after reconstruction...they are just too round to properly fit in the cup. Round like a doughnut. There are of course exceptions, but most people, being afraid to regret not going bigger, get one or two more fills and it doesn't take a lot of silicone to kiss that B cup goodbye. And a C looks like a B anyway.
I am so rambling right now! Am I making any sense at ALL? (crickets?) tap tap tap IS THIS THING ON?
Can you let me know if I've:
A) helped you
confused youC) made you wish you never ventured onto this thread, where you met me, who also joined this thread because she wanted to be a B cup, and is now wishing she could have a few more fills to make it an even 600. I am beyond HOPE.
D) all of the above...?
GAH now I wish I had a doughnut, why do I do that to myself???
0 -
Cameron if nothing you brighten up our day....but youre allllll-right.
I'd love to see the poll on all of our 'sizes' once we are completely finished...from boob greed to boob monsters to boob fear and panic....lol.....what we wanted when we started and is it what we want once we get going? I remember when looking into boob jobs and trying on different sizes...I put one larger one in and said "hell no!!!" because it looked huge....but now that I am growing gradually, will I end up there??? Hmmm.....
0 -
Hi SandyBeach:
I ended up with a 350 and I am a 34B. I have a smaller rib cage but a bigger butt so now I am balanced. Any larger would have looked ridiuclous on me.
I filled to 360 and that was it.0 -
Cameron, Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I understand all that you said and I do get it. Honest I do! I guess after the last 60cc were put in my TE's, I am now very self conscious so I know we've hit my foob ceiling. I actually grew to like my size at 300cc. It's so weird to hear everybody else getting 500 and 600cc because I think I would tip over if I had that much in me! (And I'm not a tiny person!) I have 360cc in me right now and my friends giggle when they see me coming! What's up with that? I don't mind though because it gives me some feedback.
SuebeeBC, I agree that it would be interesting to track the stages we all have gone through. This is so much harder than when we remodeled our kitchen!!!! ;-)
ArlineMarie, thanks so much for jumping in here! You have my same fill and my same potential implant size so I love to hear that it all turned out so well! I'm probably going to go with the same thing and I really appreciate hearing from you.
0 -
Remodeled kitchen? Hell I'm getting this boob job instead of remodeling my bathrooms… and they need it badly. (Not that we were planning on doing our bathrooms anytime soon).
<rant>(BC & BC of IL is my new insurance. Just found out yesterday that they only will cover 60% which I knew but the customary allowance for an out of network provider is only $1075 per breast for the exchange… but they do allow more for in network. My old insurance was BC & BC of MA. They covered 70% and the allowance was something $2500 for each breast. I don't know how insurance can get away with thinking $2150 is customary charge for a surgeon to do 2 breasts. Nuts! and it's not like I can switch to a new PS in the middle, not that I would want to anyway. </rant>
0 -
Hi guys!
Cameron, yes, to describe the ways of the boob/foob sizes with a "dash"
of humor is great! It IS so hard to know when to say when - Sandy Beach, it is such a hard decision to know when it's good for you to stop, the advice from my PS was - get to a size I liked with TE's, then go one more fill - this ensured he would have enough room to work to keep me at the size I liked. Yes, I felt MONSTROUS in my TE's, but that was a temporary thing, I have my implants now, 450's HP and am glad I went a fill more. I measure a C, but look like a nice big B! I was worried about feeling too small after I was exchanged and I think if I was smaller I would have felt "cheated" by the crappy process of the TE's. They suck for a while, but they do a great job in the end of prepping your skin...good luck and hope that helped!
Sue - I'd be curious too, we all got on this thread to stay 'small'...but the wackyness of the implants measure out so differently - we'll have to do that!
Susan - less than a week!!!!!!
0 -
Hi Sandybeach! Looks like you got your questions answers so I just wanted to say "welcome to the funhouse!"
Sue ~ it sure would be interesting to do a poll at what we started out wanting and what we end up with!
Lago ~ sorry to hear about your insurance woes. Wow, I thought mine was bad with only paying 80%!
Megan~ YES! Less than one week!!! I'm getting more and more excited!
How are you doing? How are the girls? Are you still lovin' em? Had my pre-op appt yesterday. So I'm currently expanded to 430cc (in VERY underfilled TE's ~ they have a 600cc normal fill capacity) and we've decided on ......drum roll please...... 457cc moderate plus profile style 15. He said I could go with either 421 or 457 and I decided to err on the side of a little bigger since I really like the volume of my TE's right now and don't want to go smaller. We're going with the moderate plus (instead of high profile) because a) I really like the "athletic look" more on me and b) with the width of my breast "footprints" .. I'd have to get at least a 600cc in the HP, and there is no way I want to go that big!
Plus I get fat grafting to help fill in my divit and all around the breast to fill in areas to decrease noticable rippling!!
He says the fat grafting "takes" in 50 to 85% of the cases...so I can just keep having it done until we are satisfied with the results. I asked if that meant I could keep going back over and over again until my stomach was completely flat and my muffin top was gone! He muttered something about "insurance fraud".. WhatEVER! I also asked if this was the same type of fat grafting that Dr Khouri in Florida does with the BRAVA system. He was really surprised I knew about him... and it IS!! In fact, he has a radiation BC patient that he is actually using the BRAVA thing on right now. I've seen the lady who recently posted who had implants with fat grafting from Dr. Khouri on Tim Tam's site and she looks incredible! If I end up looking 1/2 as good as she does, I'll be slap happy!! Kinda nervouse about going under the knife again....but so excited to being this much closer to having this part DONE!!!
Happy Friday to you all!!!!
0 -
Susan that is awesome!!! I am so excited for you!!! Its so exciting to see everyone going through this journey together....I love it! Isnt it a boost when we know something that the docs expect us NOT to know? Everytime i have met a new doc through this process, Ive tried to throw out an intelligent tidbit...that way I feel like I dont get talked 'down' to. In fact, the radiologist came in (Lord knows what is on my records now) and said "Well, Ive heard your an intelligent woman who has done her homework...." and proceeded to talk with much more lingo than I was expecting! My husband turned to me and said "somebody wrote SOMEthing on your chart!" LOL
As for me - I really cant remember the numbers I was looking at when I was starting with the augmentation....but I wanted to be a nice C. Maybe it was a 325ish (but that was with boob volume to start with). When I told my first PS (the one who broke his arm before my surgery) that I was looking at that, he scoffed and said 'too big' for my frame and for stretching what I will have left. Hrumph. But then be broke his arm.
My current PS said that a C maaaaaay be a little big for my frame...but was totally OK with the decision being in my hands and if I got there after all my fills and was happy, would do that...but thought a full B/small C would be a better target. After contemplation, I think he is probably right. I still want to golf and zumba and swim and all kinds of things like that without it getting uncomfortable....so we are now all on the same page. Until I get to 350 ccs (the target before overfill) and get the bug-eyed-boob-monster showing up.0 -
Oh and Lago - Im sorry about the insurance...Im a little freaked out because we've had to change insurance (well, not quite - Ill explain) and I am wondering if/what will be covered because Im in mid-process right now. My husband retired from the military - everything before retirement was 100% as long as it was done at the military medical facility.....we have the same insurance but the coverage may have copayments along the way depending on what you have done. We dont have a clear answer from them yet as to what will happen. Surgery 1 was way before retirement....its the exchange/augmentation I wonder about. Military insurance does not go by the same rule book as the general population and it changes willie-nillie....
0 -
..."but then he broke his arm" ... followed by a "happy face" .. ROFL!!!
I totally love throwing out stuff to the docs too, Sue!! I did notice that they immediately take on a different "tone" with me and use a lot more medical lingo and don't talk down to me after that.
I think they have to err on the side of caution because I know some women that would not want to know all the nitty gritty details... they just want the doc to guide them. I met a woman at a BC get together that didn't even know her ER status! She said she didn't want to know because she was in so much shock over the whole BC thing it was too much for her. Personally, I love the nitty gritty details!! Makes me feel well informed and empowered. How are you doing with your fills, Sue? Do you have alot of tightness? Keeping up with your exercising?
0 -
Sorry you have to worry about your insurance too Sue! ... that is one thing I am WAY more aware of since BC. Before I just went for my yearly checkup and that was it ~ so I didn't pay much attention to the specifics of our coverage. Unfortunately for me, ours just changed to a "high deductible" plan in January. Went from $1000 to $3000 deductible!
... and from $3000 out of pocket maximum to $10,000! .. If I would have had my BMX THIS year I would have paid $10,000 (instead of the $3000 last year). So my "free" boob job isn't quite free! 
0 -
Hey Susan - still at 255. Im on the 'every other week plan'....I go on tuesday. Ya know, this second fill was harder - not by day but when I am sleeping I get zingers again. Like when I am on my back, its like the muscles get all happy in this position and when I try to roll over I get jolted awake. Of course because its waking me up, Im not really taking many mental notes about it. It doesnt seem to happen going from side to side....only from back to side. Weird. I cant wait for another fill on Tuesday though. except for feeling the stab now, its a very cool thing. And I changed my appointment times so I can hit zumba again (Im so bad)....and yes, zumba 3 times a week...this week I got in a 20 mile bike ride and I walk the other 3 days. If my white body will never be ready, at least my physique will be ready for a swimsuit this summer dag-nabbit!
Shoot and no, 3K for your 'boob job' isnt exactly free....thats almost how much they cost here in the mid west actually!!!! (Thats for salene not silicone). I hope the second surgery will be 'continuing care' and not considered a new procedure....we'll see.
0 -
Well it looks like the woman at BC&BS was not entirely correct. She gave me the correct information for my current plan but that's the state high risk pool plan. My husband's insurance kicks in May 1st also a BC&BS PPO. This woman said the customary charge was standard for all BC&BS plans. The coordinator at my PS's office says this isn't so. Also the out of pocket max for my current provider for out of network is $4700. My husband's insurance might cover better. Have to wait till I get the info.
Why is this so complicated and why do they call it "customary" charge?
Do we need to post an Insurance Sucks rant thread?
0 -
Sue! You are a machine!! I thought I was doing good getting at least 3 days in! You are gonna be one hot mamma this summer!!!
...and you're right... I was thinking it's costing me as much as an augmentation! .... so that's why I want to get all the "bang for my buck" with the fat grafting this year. PS says he likes to wait at least 2 months between FG procedures... so I figure I can get squeeze about 4 more FG sessions in this year and be a "stick with big titties" by Christmas.
0
