Nipple reconstruction
Comments
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Carrol2 get a gorrilla tripopod. They wrap around anything (chair). You can get them for your camera or phone and put your settings on timer.:
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GreenMonkey & Msbell, thanks for the info re: fat grafting. I am hoping it fills in an area that is a bit of a hole on the inside/bottom area. I was leaning towards 3 weeks myself just knowing what my job entails. I'm getting so excited....really trying hard to loose some weight before I go. I've lost about 2-3 lbs since Christmas. So Glad to hear everyone is happy with their results, regardless of what type of procedure you chose.
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Hello lovely women - I'm 3 days out of exchange and my PS did my nipple grafts at the same time. I like the way everything looks so far, but the nipples seem hung a little low. I'll ask him at my appt next week, but in the meantime wanted to see if anyone had experience or thoughts. I'm wondering if it's compensating for when the implants do their dropping and fluffing...then they'll be in the right place?
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Grier, congratulations on your exchange. Sorry I can't help with your question specifically, but I am 1 year yesterday from my exchange and the advice that I can tell you is that they do change. You have to give it time to settle & for the swelling to go away. My PS wouldn't do the nipple reconstruction at the same time as the exchange. I am scheduled 1/29 for nipple reconstruction & some revisions. I am very excited to finally get to this last part. I waited longer because I started a new job last year & wanted to accumulate some sick time. Another tip is not over do & watch the lifting. It's so easy to do too much because there is so much less pain with the exchange. Good luck & happy healing!
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Namaste!
Grier, can't really help you but here's wishing you good healing. Every PS does things a bit differently and have their own practice and reasoning for things. My PS will not do nipples till 6 months after exchange. When, he was discussing the nipples with me, he told me he would place the nipples based on each individual new breast and not symetrically on my chest. He said natural breasts are mostly a bit different from each other and the same is true for reconstructed breasts and he felt the overall look was best if based on each individual breast. So I was prepared. Ask him at your appointment about the placement. And Tenaj is correct, there will be a lot of changes and some dropping and fluffing.
Karla
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Thank you both for your perspective and well wishes! There's actually something nice about my focus being on nipple placement vs. breast cancer.
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I agree Grier! I've rarely visited the nipple reconstruction forum now it's going to be one of my favorites next to bra sizing 101. Getting our permanent implants is huge emotionally and I feel further away from bc which is good! Hope your exchange healing continues well.
Thank tenaj for tips, my exchange was the day after Griers's. While I had nsbmx, my left one didn't survive (aerole did) so I will have nipple work in my future.
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Congratulations jill47 on your squishies ! It is another step closer to moving beyond this journey. I can speak for myself & it is getting a bit easier. But I long for the day to make it past 24hrs without thinking about BC. My MO said my goal should be 1 week, but I'll take 1 day for now. Be patient with the exchange, I wasn't & was disappointed in the beginning. The PS went smaller than I had planned, but I have gotten use to the size now. The look quite nice in a bra/shirt, it's when I look at them in the mirror that it is upsetting. That's why I know by getting this last phase it will help with my image of them. I'm getting areola grafts from my csection scar, some fat grafting & a revision of a dog ear. Happy healthy to you, don't over do!
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Tenaj: I am being good....it's just so refreshing to have those TE's and scar tissue out of my body, I feel more natural and lighter in weight. As early as I am post-op the new boobs are so pretty, soft and full, it will be fun watching them settle in. I was pretty small, athletic build before (34B 30" rib cage) so these memory gel implants 550cc (L) and 600cc (R) are a nice gift for all the pain of the last 6 months. I appreciate your honesty about your implants, it sounds like you have a very understanding MO and a good PS. I hope that your next phase in reconstruction which is all planned out, will hopefully bring give you some closure and peace. Was your exchange 1/17/2012, I'm trying to understand your signature line ( - :
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Jill47, yes that was the date of my exchange. I am glad to hear you are without pain now, the exchange does feel so much more comfortable. (Especially sleeping in bed!!) Did you get directions on massaging them soon? You must be a nice size : ); I have 600cc high profile but my rib cage is 34", I was hoping for 700cc. He said he tried but they didn't look right. I have gotten use them, I'm wearing a 38C, I was. 38D. Thanks for the support!
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Tenaj: the problem with little pain and feeling really good after exchange is that I have the ability to move more freely vs. being a zombie after bmx and as result, I dropped my left drain 2 days ago while trying to adhere it to the surgical bra post shower then another mini-incident this morning, same side, I poked my book with the safety pin changing from shower back into surgical bra....
. It barely went under the skin so I don't think I'm deflating. I have to ask PS on Tuesday how much physical abuse can these implants take, I am a natural klutz! I'm ready for these damn drains to come out on Tuesday! No instructions to message or do anything at all with them yet, I'll find more out after Tuesday. 0 -
green monkey they look fantastic!
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Namaste!
Jill47, drains suck big time (literally and figuratively)! My PS would not let me shower with the drains and Ihad them in for 3 wks the first time, 2 weeks the second time, then 6 weeks for a complication and the 3rd time for nearly 3 weeks. It was terribly trying. I was a big drainer and had to get down to less than 25 cc in a 24 hour period. My reach to recovery contact kept making me these cute little pouches to put around my waist which was nice. And I had these softe vests with pouches too which worked for the first two surgeries.
Hope you get them out soooooooooooon.
Karla
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Thank you Karla! Currently draining less than 10cc a day and the color is getting lighter, they are so otta here on Tuesday. Any longer I'd be needing pouches too. Thank you for understanding
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My Nipple tattoo is scheduled for Feb 12.. Look forward to it
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I have my pre op testing today. I am so excited about this next surgery on 1/29. Anyone with last minute tid bits to help me along with recovery. I have a wonderful PS but he is not great for a lot of post op info. You girls have been great. Thoughts on what do wear, compression garment etc.....Thanks!
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How are you doing Jill? Did you get the drains out? Ossa, congrats on getting your date for tatoo's
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tenaj you need to ask your PS or his nurse about post op. After all you are paying for this service. I doubt you will be wearing compression garments for nipples. You want to protect them and not squish them down or they will flatten and maybe even fall off. I put lots of gauze padding on either side of my nipples for weeks before I work a bra. The first week or 2 I was wearing a barely there bra. Some PS give their patients nipple guards. I was told to wear a soft bra with soft padding.
Good thing it's winter. Easier to hide all that gauze or nipple guards. I had mine October 2011.
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Lago, my PS said he will sewing on a protector for the 1st week. He is going some fat grafting & taking skin from my csection scar. I was wondering about the abdominal care also. Any suggestion?
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I also had fat transfer but that was my 2nd time. He couldn't find enough in my tummy/love handles the first time so he went for the thighs that time. I was told to wear a spanks type garment to keep the areas where fat was removed flat. Ask your PS if you need to go out and purchase some spanx. The first time it wasn't so great because it was hot out.
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Thanks lago :-)
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Hi lago, I was wondering if your first fat transfer did not take and that is the reason you needed to do it a second time? If so, did it work the second time around? I am in that situation niw and wondering if it is worth trying again for symmetry reasons. Thoughts?
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The first one took but he just didn't get enough fat. He wanted to do more. Trust me I don't have a lot of fat in the middle, even now after chemo-pause and Anastrozole. I have big thighs though.
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Hi Tenaj! Thanks for checking in on me. Yes my dangling friends were removed yesterday! Still a little swollen and sore but so glad they are gone. Healing really well. PS caught himself after he said, "No more drains!" which was followed up quickly by a "Hopefully no more drains" ...can't make promises to reconstruction patients! I hope the 29th gets here very quickly for you.
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Namaste!
Drains out, Happy Dance!
Karla
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Iago said: You want to protect them and not squish them down or they will flatten and maybe even fall off.
This seems to be the case for the majority of nipple reconstruction I've seen described on this site.
However, FYI, my nipple reconstruction was different. Not sure if I'd recommend or if successful. PS did a graft of skin and wanted to be sure it "planted" well and so DID in fact squish it down with tight flat bandage, so that it would "take root" vascularly.
But there is little- to no projection, so he will try to inject with a product (office visit) that is based on something "naturally-occuring in body" that is called hyaluronic acid. Apparently this is a product used in plastic surgery and does not always have long staying power. I am also looking into investing in long-lasting prosthetic: www.naturallyimpressive.com
Best wishes...
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Thanks Fearless.....the best to you also :-)
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I see fearless.
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fearless that is interesting. I wonder if they use that injection for all types of nipples. Mine look great but one side projects a lot more than the other. They just look different. I imagine once I get tatoos it wont be that noticeable. One side is more cone shaped and the other more of a button, that one flattened out more. They looked the same until I started wearing a bra without my protective cones. My next follow up isn't until March so I guess I will ask him then. For now using scar away every night.
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Namaste!
How long was it from surgery when you lost projection? Mine started out small, about the size of a pencil eraser in both width and projection. It has been a bit over 6 weeks and there has been no change in either width or projection yet. I have been in regular bras for 2 weeks. On my soft cups the nipples just show up as little headlights, the soft cup does not compress them. On my molded bras and my 3 part Freya bras there is that little space in front that is sort of "empty" and that is where the new nips sit, not quite filling it out and not being compressed. I have not yet worn my Chantel's that fit like skin on my implants. While my PS says he does not expect me to lose any width or projection I have my concerns based on most ladies experience here.
Karla
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