Implant Exchange (oYo) ~ Anyone go/stay SMALL?? (B cup)
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Renn - I still have tightness in the same spot.....Not numbness, but I STILL feel tight there when I reach. Funny because the BA side is totally fine - not stretch in the pec or armpit at all...you would think it would be the other way around since the mx side had much longer to think about it. I wonder if Ill need PT.
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SuebeeBC --
I wanted to take a minute and thank you for posting you pics and journey on the phone site. I am close to the same size as you and seeing your pics and your journey helps me to get a feel of what I have coming. I am doing chemo first I have 2 more treatments and then I am doing a skin sparing DMX with immediate reconstruction.
Thanks again.
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Margie - thank you so much. Its good to know that the photos help others. Its why I put them out there. Best of everything with your own 'journey'!!!
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LindseyStam: OMG you have been on a roller coaster! Yowza. I think you have made a wise decision with the BMX. This reconstruction trip ain't easy, that's for sure. Thankfully, plenty of others (like Suebee above) are ahead of us and proving a great outcome can be had! We just have to be patient. Sigh.
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Thanks Renn, I don't know why I thought this, but I expected to be feeling pretty good about two weeks after surgery. I am now a month out and I am still really swollen and where the aladerm is attached under my arm it is raised and looks really stretched and tight. Since we have lost confidence in my PS, I am going to consult with two new doctors this coming week (thks so much Whippet Mom for pointing me in this direction). I just need a dr that has confidence and can say "here is what I can do," instead of shrugging and saying "I am not sure what yr outcome will be." OMG, If I have to go through all of this I certainly want to look good in a bathing suit next year in Hawaii! That's the carrot dangling out there for me!
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Lindsey, hearing a PS say "I'm not sure what your outcome will be" would be frightening! Yes, 86 him! Only thing getting me through is the knowledge that my PS has told me he *will* get me a great result in the end, no matter what. So you're right, you gotta have confidence in them and they have to *be* confident.
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ok Rennasus,im in southern cali too..who is your ps im looking for a 2nd opinion!
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I'm still feeling a little %. Not sure I'll be wearing striped shirts.
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Hi Everybody! Can somebody remind me what the name of the Fat Grafting method was that your doctors were using? I go in for my 2 month post-exchange appointment tomorrow and although my PS doesn't want to do the fat grafting, I'd like to have an educated and persuasive discussion with her. Susan, you have inspired me!
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Hi all! I'm back! Saw the plastic surgeon today and he said we can do surgery to restart reconstruction number 2! He will start on the side that had pseudomonas and if there is anything weird in there then address that as needed, and probably close up again. If not, as he hopes, he will reinsert the tissue expanders and we will try this process again!
This time, I am not going to the gym, not going to shower while I have drains (even though he says I can), not going to do anything that might cause me to get any type of infection. Going to sit in a chair, watch tv and read! LOL
Surgery is Friday so I will report on how things went on Saturday.
Wish me luck!
Jill
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Renn - we have 86 my current PS. He just doesn't know it yet! I had three people tell me about a PS in Santa Monica, so we had a consultation with this new ps today. Wow, I feel sad that we didn't start with him! He was wonderful, explained everything--why I have lumps and stretching under my arms, kind of a smashed look with a downturned nipple, and why the upper pole is so tight and painful.
He thinks my current ps used the wrong size and shape expander. He is proposing to go back in, switch out the expanders and then begin my fills. He said I needed to heal another month before we could get started. He is very detailed oriented, a perfectionist, humble, and doesn't want to be told he is good (after we saw pictures of his patients) until I have the perfect outcome. He said "let me do all the worrying, that is my job! Now I can exhale, and possibly sleep!
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Sandybeach ~ My PS didn't call my FG anything other than fat grafting. I know that he needs a special machine to do it. First he injects liquid ( I think a saline solution) into the area he will be harvesting the fat from... then he sucks out the fat and it goes into some special machine that separates/processes it somehow. (I'm sounding real intelligent, aren't I?!
Then he fills a syringe with the processed fat and injects it into the areas in the breast. He says it usually takes 2 to 3 rounds of FG to "take". I just had my 2nd and so far so good. My divet is undetectable and my ripples are gone (except for on the outer area when I bend over). It really made a difference for me. Good luck with your appt SB!FluffQ ~ I'll be thinking good thoughts for you on Friday! Nothing but sitting ,watching tv and reading? Can I trade place with you?
Lindsey ~ Glad you found a new PS. He sounds wonderful!
Had to share... just occurred to me the other day. My foobs actually don't feel as foreign to me now. Almost don't notice them anymore.. like they are a natural part of my body. Don't feel the tightness in the pec muscle as much, gotten used to the parts being numb, etc. I honestly wasn't sure if it would ever feel "normal" again. Now I have hope.
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Susan that is FANTASTIC! Im so glad to hear that both the FG is taking and the girls are feeling more a part of you. I already find myself not thinking about them or feeling them in a lot of tasks - but its not even 50/50 yet....I think for me it will come when the nipple is done.
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...and then you can change your signature line (oYo) for poor Jan.
How's the new job going?
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LOL - leave it to you to remind me about my siggy!!! Job is great....nice and stress-free! Right now the schedule is easy because the kids are home and so is DH so its nice to 'get out of the house'...lol. Ill see how I do when the school time schedule starts!
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Sounds like a great job! Stress free is huge in my books. .... So... does the DH have the house clean and dinner on the table when you get home? 0
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Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HAAAAA!!!!!!
I will have to give it to him that he DOES do the laundry when he sees it necessary. He will also do a bathroom if I miss it (I miss it a lot!). AND if I want to take a class or get home late, he WILL START the dinner....But its still up to me to plan, buy supplies and orchestrate all meals! SO he is earning his keep right now.
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Yeah planning, buying and orchestrating the meals is really most the work, isn't it!
My DH was unemployed for about 5 months at the beginning of this year. I told everyone that he "sucked as a househusband"! I have to admit he did have an amazing dinner for me on the table (he is a fantastic gourmet cook when he wants to be) on occasion. However (comma) that happened maybe a total of 6 times in FIVE MONTHS. He thought taking the kid to/from school and not making the house messier was supposed to impress me. Uh huh.
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Funny! My DH thinks that now that he is 'retired', HE should stay home with the kids and I should go to work full time. I said that is total BS. He has NO idea how much is involved with keeping track of schedules, managing the house, all of the doctor, ortho, and dental appointments, grocery shopping (and orchestrating all meals EVERY day - and NOT take out PIZZA) plus working it to spend as LITTLE as possible which means reading the papers, cutting coupons and searching for deals. THEN help with homework, make sure they arent on their games 24/7, where they are going, whom with...blah blah blah.
I went to grocery shop one morning and DH forgot to take DD to camp. Really? And you want to manage the whole place? He thinks its a big victory when he does a load of laundry and leaves it in the dryer for me to fold. He'll say "DID you take the stuff out of the dryer?" I say "No, because I didnt put it IN there!!!" LOL!!! They have no idea.
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Jill, I know you will have great success following your new plan of doing as little as possible. It sounds like a great break too!
Lindsay, your new PS sounds great. Once you have a doc you can trust, your stress should ease. It sounds like you found a good one!
Sue, your hubby is already doing better than mine if he is starting dinner. My DH is great at take out, though!
Susan, I was really looking for Dr. Khouri's name from Miami but in the end it didn't help because my PS insists I am not a candidate for fat grafting because she thinks she can't harvest enough fat for the process. I actually stripped to my undies to prove I have plenty of jiggle! She says the process requires more fat to be extracted than actually used as they put it through a sterilization process in the o.r. Sooooo, her suggestion was to go back in, take the implants out and tighten everything up from the inside. Pocket work. BUT, she said the ripples would most likely return as my thin skin stretches. I went ahead and had photo's taken for insurance to approve the procedure and they put me down for a surgery date but I'm wondering if it's really worth it. Should I get a second opinion? Perhaps a trip to Miami and a visit with Dr. Khouri would be in order. ha ha. I wish I could find a PS who studied under him up here in the Washington DC area. Susan, you give me such hope when you talk about your fat grafting filling in all the problem areas. Mine are pretty bad to me. But once dressed, nobody but me knows about them. (Well, in the cleavage area they are apparent...) I am NOT skin and bones (5'6" and 123 lbs) and I guess I need to hear from another PS that it truly is not a workable solution.
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Glad I found this thread. I'm having my bmx in 8 days. I am 5'1", 150 lbs and a D cup. I'm thinking about going smaller but don't want to look pear shaped since I am curvy but short waisted. After years and years of having to wear a bra and not being able to wear a button down blouse or a bathing suit without underwire I think it would be nice to not have to wear a bra.
Anybody else on here who is petite but very curvy who went with smaller implants than they started with?
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What is a foob?
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Sue BCD & Susan:
Just couldn't resist a DH story.
When we moved to Houston the grocery store wanted to know if I wanted a check cashing card for DH. My answer was - if he ever shows up in the store you should call my Mother because I will be dead. A big sigh for all those who have truly helping guys - & you're right about the planning part. At least I seem to have succeeded with my son - who at 40 does all the wash, any ironing that's done, most of the grocery shopping & they cook together.
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chiluvr1228,
I am 5'2" and 150 (but determined to loose 20 lbs in the next 4-5 months, chemo weight, plus more). I was a 36 D prior to my cancer. I initially thought I would go down to a B cup, but during my expansions got greedy and now post exchange have a nice perky C cup. I feel like with my frame and curvy hips the size is right. Nice though I don't need an underwire and even just this much smaller clothing fits better. Hope this helps. Good luck.
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Foob = Fake Boob...
And Chiluvr, I think you would do great going smaller if that has been an issue for you. That is the one perk of this whole matter - choosing a new size if you want. I think most of us on this thread started out small and might have gone a bit bigger but it sounds like we all want to hit that middle range. Not too big and not too small.
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Ever had a day when you just let yourself cry--as much as you need to? It has been one of those days. So we are done with the old ps and confirmed that we are onboard with the new. He called me today and wants to schedule the "revision" surgery to take out the wrong expanders and replace them with new ones. He will also remove all of the lumpy scar tissue under both arms, and work to move around my breast tissue to get the nipple in a higher spot. The sugery will be outpatient and will take 5 HOURS!!!!! OMG, I just came off a 7 hour surgery. I can't believe I have to go back in to fix up what the first ps did. I am finally out of pain and feeling good about things, so the idea of going back through that again is awful. He thinks I might be able to do the exchange in December. Thank you so much for giving me a place to whine and cry. My husband is being so supportive especially in light of the fact that this new ps doesn't take insurance and we need to front the money. But honestly, if I don't have to stress and worry about this mess on my chest, it will be worth every dime! Wha!!!! I know after this sinks in in a few days, I will be so happy because I KNOW I will have a great result.. Bless you all for being a receptive and informative sounding board!!
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Lindsey it may not take 5 hours. My PS said when I did the BMX that it would take him 4 hours to put the expanders in. Took only 3. He said the same at the exchange but again only took 3 hours. I'm sure they want to book enough time in the OR. We wouldn't want our surgeons to be rushed because someone else needs the OR.
I too went to a PS that is out of network. Remember though it's just his charge that is out of network. I assume he has privileges at a hospital that is in-network. My PS does take insurance but the insurance pays much less when you are out of network. He discounts a little (his way of giving back) but still much more $$ than in network. To be honest getting it done correctly is actually cheaper. Less revisions mean less down time and less co-pays. You are doing the right thing going with the new guy.
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I feel bad even stressing over my issues when Lindsey has so much more to worry about! But I could use a few opinions and nobody else could possibly relate like you ladies. Should I leave well enough alone or go back in one more time to correct my serious rippling and divets? Nobody can see them (for the most part) in my bras and clothes because the bra pushes up and/or covers the worst of them. My big concern is that she says they'll probably come back b/c she's simply tightening the pocket. They're pretty bad or I wouldn't bother with this discussion at all... Remember - she says fat grafting isn't an option for me...
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Sandybeach, I don't belong in this thread because my implants are over a B cup, but I am in the same situation as you. I decided to do a revision, not because it is life-threatening this time, but because I want to be able to feel confident from the inside. I look great in clothing, but I know what it looks like without clothes and my shoulders slump a bit. Not trying to say that surgery should be the confidence builder, but as the saying goes "if you look good, you feel good". I don't have much fat to graft - imagine trying to get liquid out of a licorice whip...o.k., slight exageration. In my case, they are going to use alloderm to put over the ripples and divots. It won't get rid of the ripples completely, but it should help. If they can find some fat, they will use that, too.
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Slinky: Don't worry, this thread is def. NOT just for B-cuppers! ;-)
Lindsey: GREAT NEWS that you love your new PS! But OY on the long surgery to correct things! How soon does he want to do your next surgery? Lago brings up an important point about using an in-network hospital. Speak to your insurance company so you have no surprises.
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