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Implant Exchange (oYo) ~ Anyone go/stay SMALL?? (B cup)

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Comments

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503
    edited April 2012

    Lago I have to say that being about the same after surgery is making this alot easier to do.  I have never felt that I was vain but I just did not want to have to face being completely flat.

  • jepsj5
    jepsj5 Member Posts: 13
    edited April 2012

    I am a small girl! :)  I was a B before having kiddos and after nursing shrunk down to a bigger A.  My PS filled me as much as he could before my skin became too thin.  So we made it to 290CC.  I am not sure what cup size that will be after my exchange on wed the 11th.  PS said he would be bringing several different sizes to the surgery.  Im nervous actually.  

  • SusansGarden
    SusansGarden Member Posts: 754
    edited April 2012
    Good luck with your surgery tomorrow, jepsj5. Laughing
  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012

    Jepsj5 you'll do great tomorrow.

  • jepsj5
    jepsj5 Member Posts: 13
    edited April 2012

    Thanks ladies! I'm here now! I'll update when I can!

  • serenitywisdom
    serenitywisdom Member Posts: 109
    edited April 2012

    Hi everyone,

    I haven't been on this list for awhile but wanted to update you after surgery and tell you good newss!!I finally am able to be back on computer.  I have had a TE in one breast  since my mastectomy last Jan 2011 (15 uncomfortable months) . The surgery got cancelled 3 times, partly due to my  heart problems brought on by herceptin.  They stopped and restarted herceptin and finally this last week my onc cancelled the herceptin infusion since it was just before my TE. So this Monday in a 3 hour surgery,  I had the port taken out, the tissue expander swtiched out for a silicon implant and the other breast reduced and lifted.  I look like a teenager.  It is amazing.  I went from a size  36 H on one side and TE on the other to I think about a C cup and both breasts match. Plastic surgeon is a miracle worker!    I hope no more back aches, rashes, and trying to match the boobies by putting in pad on top of TE and wearing scarves.    Only thing I need to do now is get a nipple if I want one.  I went from wearing X lge blouses to a medium now.  What a way to lose weight. LOL

    I am wearing a tight sports bra they gave me in surgery 24/7 and can't drive or lift anything above 10 pounds,  but other than that no big deal.  I take a little vicodin when I need it and am resting a lot.  For those of you who are having reconstruction involving more than just the switch  out, I do recommend staying in th hospital.  They let me stay in 23 hours without needing insurance justification and I think I really needed the nursing care.   

    I have a couple questions for those of you who have already had the TE switched out.  Do you recommend putting lotion on breasts?  How do you deal with itching? 

    What about nipples?  Does a tatoo look ok?   or would you recommend a reconstruction of a nipple which I imagine is much more involved?

    Thanks and I hope jepsj5 surgery went well

  • sportschik
    sportschik Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2012

    I am 5'0 and weigh 110 pounds and just had my exchange 3 days ago. I was a full A or small B before BC and didnt want to be any bigger than a B when I finished. I am a runner and didnt want to lug around anymore than necessary. I have 550 extra high implants and really other than projection dont feel much bigger. I had my expanders filled to 550 which seemed HUGE to me because they were all over the place but 3 days post op these feel like a good size to me. Good luck. 

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012

    serenitywisdom glad all went well. I did the nipple recon then later had the tattoo for the areolas. The look awesome. My PS said he used to do the 3D tattoo but the nipple recon looks so much better. They don't protrude that much. The surgery isn't that invasive if you are only having nipple recon. Some PS do it in the office. I also had a revision and fat transfer so a bit more involved but still pretty easy.

    I know some women have seen my nipple recon and are now rethinking  just doing the tattoo.

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,801
    edited April 2012

    I had a nipple recon two weeks ago. They look really good although I still have to protect them and no compression allowed for two more weeks. The only downside I can see is that if they stay like this I will have to wear a bra all the time, which I have not always been doing. Lol

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    Fluff don't worry they shrink. If I wear a tee shirt I do have to wear a bra though but they also have lots of different types of pasties/nipple covers that will work too.
  • nancym712
    nancym712 Member Posts: 32
    edited April 2012

    I am having my right breast reconstructed.  I was a AA and that's always been fine with me.  My PS asked what size I wanted to be and I told him I just wanted the new right one to match the left and he was fine with that.  I only had to be injected twice, least he's ever done!  I think it was 120cc the first time and 60 ccs the second which was just last Friday.  I feel a bit self-conscious because my right breast is much larger than my right.  I'm not doing the implant until fall or winter so I guess I'm going to be a bit lopsided for a while.  My prosthesis put into my left bra cup actually makes them about the same size LOL. 

    We're going on an 8-week motorcycling trip out west at the end of May so I'm just going to live with the lopsidedness for a few months.  

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,801
    edited April 2012

    Lago...you are funny! I wondered if we could use the nipple covers on them. I thought that might smush them more.

  • susanes
    susanes Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2012

    I told my PS on my first visit that I didn't mind being small (34B) and that actually having no reconstruction at all after my BMX was something I was considering. I just wanted to heal quickly and put the surgery behind me ASAP. So he did immediate reconstruction with 250 CC silicone implants. I am thrilled with the results! I haven't put on a bra since and do not plan any nipples, real or tattooed:)

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    Fluff you can't use the nipple covers now but in the future you will. Ask your PS when it's OK.
  • jepsj5
    jepsj5 Member Posts: 13
    edited April 2012

    HILadies!  My surgery went VERY well!  Wow, I cannot even tell I had an exchange. The implants feel so much better.  My PS did go smaller than we discussed but I think they look fine.  He put in 250cc High Profile instead of the 275cc.  I am not sure what bra size I will be in...I still have a supportive sports bra on.  But so glad I feel so good!  Now to think about the nipples. :) 

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,801
    edited April 2012

    It's funny that it took 66 pages to finally have people on this thread who are actually staying the same or going smaller! LOL

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,398
    edited April 2012

    Fluff:  I think there are lots of us who really wanted to stay small or become smaller.  Some ladies have been pleased after exchange & healing that they turned bigger.  Some are pleased to have stayed small.  Some, like me, are disappointed that we are bigger than we wanted.  Sigh.  I'm waiting for a year post-exchange before I decide whether or not to push for revision to smaller.  All in all, this is a great thread & I still read even if I don't post much.

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,801
    edited April 2012

    MinusTwo, it is a great thread. I came in around the early middle I think. When discussing going smaller, virtually all the original women kept going back for fills and not stopping like they thought. It was hysterical. They were talking about kicking themselves off their own thread.

    I did go smaller, a little smaller than I wanted due to an infection, so my skin was thinner and he could not put in a 475 hp. I ended up with 425. They look great, but needed some upper pole fullness, so I just had some fat grafting done. If it holds, I will be ery happy. If my body absorbs part of it, then, I might go back for one last shot of it. I am a full b. 

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012

    I never said I wanted more expansions. I told my PS that I looked good after my 4th. He smiled and said a few more… I had 6 more! I am a bit bigger than I thought I would be but I don't look that big. I am proportional. I expected to be a 34C. I'm wearing a 34D. Used to be a 34A/B. I am much fuller though. I don't project as much as one would think. I have style 15 Allergen/Naterelle so the D is probably because of the fullness and not the projection.

    But to be honest I'm glad I'm not the same size. I feel that I could never get exactly like I was before so best they are a bit different in size. Funny but I never had ptosis before Tongue out

  • Karenr1028c
    Karenr1028c Member Posts: 25
    edited April 2012

    My PS is recommending one-step implant without tissue expanders. I'm an A cup here and would like to be a full B cup. But the PS didn't talk in those terms - he doesn't like to refer to cup size. He said he could make me a little bigger with just the implant but I'm not sure what a "little bigger" means. He told me about all of the complications with TEs and the length of time it takes, etc. And I get it. But I also would like to be bigger - not hugely big obviously. But if I'm going through all this, I'd like there to be some benefit. He's really focused on just getting the cancer out in the safest way possible, which I get. But there is also something here about my own self-image. And while my breasts don't define who I am, I do want to look good. Has anyone here gone through a one-step implant process from an A cup and was able to get bigger? or should I tell him that I want to go with the TEs?

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    Karen I think this is a good time to get a 2nd opinion.
  • SusansGarden
    SusansGarden Member Posts: 754
    edited April 2012

     Uh, yeah. Karen you might want a second opinion.  Though one step is an option, I'm surprised he is pushing so hard for it. MOST PS's go the TE route because it generally gives you a better result.  Does your PS have pics of previous one steps he has done? 

    "It's funny that it took 66 pages to finally have people on this thread who are actually staying the same or going smaller! LOL"

    So true fluffqueen! ... hey, I saw you were thinking about going to Vegas this year. Me too. :) .. would be great to meet you in person! 

  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503
    edited April 2012

    Next Monday will be 4 weeks since BMX with TE placement and I will get my first fills.  I was always a small A probably AA but just could never make myself go to the tween department and buy bras.  With TE placement with 100cc I am already bigger than I was before.  With the TE's being so wide I had to buy a B cup bra.  That's a first for me. I am small framed so I know I don't want to go huge but definalty bigger than I was.  Figured if I was going to do reconstruction I wanted pretty normal looking ones that will make my clothes fit better.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    Sherry I never wore a bra with TEs unless it one of those barely there bras. I usually wore camis. Did your PS want you to wear a bra? Don't spend too much money on these because there is a good chance they won't fit you after exchange
  • Sherryc
    Sherryc Member Posts: 4,503
    edited April 2012

    Lago-My instructions from the PS is that he wanted me in and underwire bra no sports bras.  I can sleep in the underwire or the surgicalbra.  If I wear the surgical bra I have to protect my nipples.  We did nipple sparing and he does not want to smush the nipples as they look really good. I only bought one bra and it was on sale at Penney's.  Figure I can keep it washed.  I did have another bra from before I lost weight and I am actually sleeping in it as it is pretty comfortable. Good thing I had not cleaned out my drawers, but I have now.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    I see. I didn't have NS so no worries about nipple smooshing with me till I got the nipple recon Tongue out
  • lalove55
    lalove55 Member Posts: 21
    edited April 2012

    I am a B and had a a SMX, so I asked for the same size because I didn't want to have surgery on the other to get a match.   My PS asked of course if I wanted to go larger multiple times.  (I think most men just can't believe we don't want to be bigger!)  Because of radiation I ended up not a good candidate for just an implant swap of my TE put in at the time of the MX.  So I ended up having the Lat D Flap with a small implant.  When the TE was in, my right breast was bigger than the original, but now the final result is actually smaller and very squashed looking.  I will add pics if I can learn how to get into the pic site.  (Help from anyone?)  My reconstruction continues to hurt and spasm, almost a year and a half out.  Anyone in a similar boat?

  • Karenr1028c
    Karenr1028c Member Posts: 25
    edited April 2012

    I've got an appointment back with the PS tomorrow to discuss my concerns and options. Any specific questions I should ask him about one-step vs TE? Thanks everyone for all of your help so far.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited April 2012
    lalove: Tutorial linky 
  • SusansGarden
    SusansGarden Member Posts: 754
    edited April 2012

    Karen ~ I see you started a thread and got some very informative responses.  Let us know how it goes with the PS tomorrow. :)