Exchange City
Comments
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Hi Ladies
ok here goes
Any advice on the whole moving of the implants and scar massage. I am 3 weeks post-exchange and just feeling no confidence in this phase. However, I know how important it is. Any words of wisdom?
Kristen
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Karen, I think the implant massage is more important and more of an issue with those of us who have had radiation therapy. I know that my "rads side" tends to build up scar tissue but my prophy side hasn't at all.
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Karen:
The PS told me the same thing that thin women ripple more, I don't know why I did not ask him WHY? I as asking about removing the remaining 410 form stable implant and using a regular gell implant on the side that wont get the DEIP flap, and he told me that rippling was a possibility and that thin women ripple more. It sort of does not make sense as you point out, they take all our stuff out anyway. But maybe it is a post surgical thing, just like with lipo how they can't get all the fat cells and the ones that remain can become enlarged with weight change??? I will definitly ask him next time.
The big tummy CT is Tuesday so hopefully what I lack in tummy fat I will make up for in good vascular structure and then maybe we can get me all scheduled and put back together WOOO HOOOO.
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Nedeza, I would recommend getting the nip. I had a uni with fip and lift on other side, yes the lifted side dropped but in a bra they could look even. But you have the implant that can be adjusted, I didn't go for that, you will probably have even better results. Your braces story brought back a memory. Years ago I had ortho look at my teeth for straightening, he told me I would need braces for 2 years, I burst into tears and told him I didn't think I'd be alive in 2 years, He was like Huh? I convinced him to give me a retainer that would slowly push teeth in place. Well here I am many years later with my imperfect teeth!!
Kristen, I was told to massage to try to prevent rescarring (no sure solution for prevention), never had radiation, but did have encapsulated implant. Many, many pages ago there was a link to a video about massage. You could probably google it if someone doesn't find it. However, some ps's here advise against massage!
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OK, just curious about the thin thing. As I understand it they remove the fat as well. I'm curious because I have rippling and at 5'8" and 160 I'm what you would call in between. It makes me think that the PS are using thin/heavy as an excuse for rippling. I was told not to expect change is breast size with weight loss or weight gain.
Wendy--I hope Tuesday goes well and you can get finished with all of this!
Hugs--Karen
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Hi sweeties , just checking in and asking for some good thoughts and prayer for my MRI and cat scan on my lungs on Monday.
Due to power outages, they rescheduled it all for monday the 22nd, cat scan first then MRI to check that all is ok. They are looking for "no changes" on both. Lord, I do hope so.
Thanks to all of you, I make myself sick w nerves and coming here is a godsend.
Re: the bathing suit issues. I am a size 6, but the girls are a size 12/14. I go with Lands End mix and match, got a cute miniskirt and a halter babydoll top to match it. Good luck!
love to all of you
Annie
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Annie, thoughts and prayers for you! It's a beautiful day in CT today, I hope you can get out and enjoy the start of spring!
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Katey, it is, I am here in CT too....it is gorgeous.
Thank you for the kind wishes and prayers. Back at you, my dear!
love
annie
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Good luck Annie - I'm with you on the Land's End mix and match as I'm different top and bottom too. There's a thread about bathing suits that has lots of recommendations.
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Good Luck to you Annie......waiting is the worst. Hang in there
Regarding implant massage. My PS says NO. Let the healing take place first and then down the road consider PT massage. Sounded good to me........one less appointment to keep.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Navy
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Karen: Some women have a thick layer of adipose tissue in the chest and "thoracic" region of the body. Obviously, we are talking about plus-size women who typically have this type of body habitus. Not all women who are on the larger scale have this type of adipose tissue. You are one of them. You have a bony chest wall. The adipose tissue is a boon and a bane. Rippling is a non-issue, but women with this thick layer of adipose tissue appear to be difficult candidates for implant-based reconstruction. You have heard me mention in the past that there are some women for whom implant-based recon is diffiicult, because the tissue in the chest wall seems to "swallow up" the implants. I like how Kenneth Shestak defines this body habitus type and how he corrects the deficits accordingly. I hope you can read this. I wish I could find a better way of linking everyone to some of these online medical treatises....
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Did not work. Sometimes it does....sometimes not. I'll find another way to link it...
This is not the same reference page I mentioned above, but it is another portion of Dr. Shestak's book which defines patients who are or are not the best candidates for implant-based reconstruction.
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Someone asked a page or two back about WHEN one could commence wearing a bra after the exchange. I wore one immediately after the exchange.....a rather flimsy surgical bra. I started wearing a much more supportive bra one week after surgery, with my plastic surgeon's blessing. It depends very much on how your are healing as well.
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whippetmom
I wore a surgical compression bra for three weeks. Then i was told i could wear a bra or not at all. Does that suprise you? I was so concerned that the warners bra i bought wasnt supportive enough i brought it into my PS appointment. He said it was fine..nice and soft. I said i was concerned it wasnt supportive enough around the rib cage due to all the pocket/infamamory (sp?) work he did. He said it was fine.
Kristen
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I can hardly keep up up on this board!!
Kimberly, thanks for the PM and email info.
Betty, did you check the send e-mail box AND then click SAVE? I'll PM you later to see if that works. Loved the Prophy Wife comment! I feel special!!
CS, thanks for your good thoughts, the nervousness is setting in... The Fa-tas and unifoober are hilarious!! I think someone needs to start a Niptionary for us
Annie, may you have happy results on Monday! I love Lands End suits. Great sales, free shipping and returns at any Sears.
Cindy
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CDB: Niptionary!!! Cracked me up
!!! Hope everyone is having a great day--it's beautiful here and I'm lovin' it!!TCK
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Kristen: No, it does not surprise me at all. Actually, my own PS said I did not need to wear a bra after the first three months....but I do not want my implants to drop any further than they already have. I think that if you have complete submuscular placement or if your implants are sitting nice and tight in the pockets, are sitting in the right location in the pockets...you are probably fine with going braless. It is just that implants over around 500 ccs which are supported merely by thin skin, might be inclined to droop over time and by time, I mean it could be a rather rapid progress. So wearing some type of support if you fit in this category is a prophylactic, preventative guard against the gravitational pull of the implants towards the kneecaps.
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Deborah, Thanks for your input it is helpful. I just couldn't see the difference, but you explained in nicely.
Annie--Good luck on Monday, thoughts and prayers. I go in this afternoon for a bran scan, then I think I will be scan free for 6 months!! Great idea about the bathing suit.
Hugs--Karen
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Karen: Hope things go well this afternoon. Do something nice for yourself after you are finished
TCK
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Good luck on the scan today, Karen! I agree, treat yourself to something very fun later on.
Annie, best wishes to you on your scans on Monday. My fingers are crossed for both of you.
Kristen, my PS is one of those who do not recommend massaging the implant. He said that with time I could gently pressed down on the center of the implant with the palm of my hand, and this pressure would flatten the implant evenly all around. He demonstrated and I could see how this would keep things from getting too tight. He didn't want me massaging around the edges. Are you feeling better these days?
Last night was my first pain-free night since the exchange 4 weeks ago. I don't know if it was the 5 mg valium I took at bedtime or the underwire bra I wore. All I know is that when I woke up in the middle of the night, there was no pain...Yeah!
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NAE - how cool that you get free braces! What a sweet orthodontist! Best wishes as you figure out the nipples. I like your idea about waiting on the MX side until you've healed from the lift - sounds reasonable to me. best wishes!
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NAE- I would definitely wait..The risk of not matching is too great. JUDY
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Hi, ladies, I am so behind and will never catch up here, but wanted to report back on how my exchange surgery went on March 16. No problems during surgery, everything went fine - lasted about 3 hours. I had no nausea and had discussed this with the anesthesiologist so they gave me anti-nausea stuff before and after surgery; then to my dismay, in spite of NO nausea, my food intake was limited at first to jello, then 'transitional foods' and then finally, REAL food.
My doctor did the following, most of which I requested based on what Deborah (Whippetmom) suggested and FOR WHICH I AM SO GRATEFUL!! I have a 960 cc on my mastectomy/reconstrcuted side and a 300-400 cc (not sure, need to check that with Dr. next week when I have 1-week check-up) on the left (lifted, augmented side). Both are Mentor saline (only because that's the largest we could go, that was approved by the FDA (my Dr. said) and that he worked with. By the way, I'm not trying to be a porn star; I'm 5'10, 180 lbs with a 35" ribcage and my pre-mastectomy size was 38B.
My Dr. had me spend the night because I live more than 45 miles from his practice (it's about 1.5 hrs). Ok, I can deal with that. The Dr. also installed in my chest the On-Q Pain Pain (I requested as I'd had one with mastectomy and never needed a pain pill after that surgery). So, I felt very little, if anything, on the right side, but the left side, felt sore and "twingy" (sharp twinges of pain that went away in a few seconds). The nurses kept asking if I needed more pain medicine but really, it wasn't bad at all except for getting in/out of bed the first day.
I already like the way they look! although I'm still swollen -- my ribcage seems to be enormous now -- Dr. cut surgical wrap the day after surgery and put me in a 40D Natori Sport Bra. I had to put expanders on it a day or two ago. (I have to wear the Natori bra 24/7 for 2-3 weeks, then during the day for the next 4-6 weeks). The right (reconstructed side seems to be shrinking a little more than the left, but it may be an optical illusion (ha) since it doesn't have a nipple).
The only problem I'm having now is constipation -- haven't really gone yet and I get into trouble when that happens (I have IBS), but I'm working on it. I should have anticipated it, but last year I had absolutely no problem after surgery, so silly me, I assumed it would be the same this year.
The best part is, I think my Dr. is the inventor of a technique for creating a nipple and tattooing it all in one session that takes about an hour! We discussed the nipple some months ago, but not the tattoo, so I'm going to ask him about it next week.
I'm glad this part is over and YES! GETTING THAT TURTLE SHELL OFF MY CHEST FEELS SO WONDERFUL!!
**I plan to post pics on TimTam's forum after my one-week follow-up with Dr. (Think it will under pkb143 or search for "Unilateral/TE/ Statuesque" in the "under construction" thread). I posted "before exchange" pics which Deborah looked at earlier.
Good luck to all of you March exchange girls!
Patty
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Patty, Huge congrats on your successful surgery!!!!! So glad you're happy with the outcome!!
Re the constipation, are you taking any stool softeners? I took one over-the-counter docusate/day after my mx surgery at the doc's urging and it worked like a charm. You probably have to be careful with the IBS but maybe you can check w/your docs if ok.
Again, congrats!
C.
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Hi darlings. Just checking out the new avatars and catching up a bit. Kristinka, glad you are without pain -- finally! Annie and Karen - wishing you clean scans! Sending you all squishy hugs!
Peace, Geena
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Hi Patty:
They had me on the softners etc., which really did nothing, what worked was old fashioned prune juice, some prunes and lots of water. My grandma would have said, see I told you so.
I'm not sure of what is contraindicated for IBS.
Glad it all went so well and you sound so so happy.
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Judy~
I feel the same about waiting to do the nipple AFTER the lift heals & settles. At this point I am not in any hurry!!! I will definitely bring it up to PS next Wed.
Thanks!
NAE
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Kristenpink,
I'm curious who your surgeon is in Syracuse? I know a couple of ladies that had surgery in Syracuse and wonder if it is the same practice.
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Thanks for posting the idea of taking your "new bras" into you PS appointnment after exchange! I never would have though of that! I know after my mx, my PS put on nothing and it sounds like some PS and hospitals have people wear special post-surgical ones. I'm bra-less and the "good side" just sags at this point. Tried today for the first time (no exchange yet but waiting) but just can't handle it with the TE in place.
Love the "turtle shell" analogy!
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Thank y'all so much for the encouragement and kind words!!
cs7777, I take Miralax every evening for the IBS, which usually works pretty well, but I missed one day--the day of surgery. Just can't figure out why it's so different from last year's surgery, but I'm going to start on the Miralax TWICE a day until something happens.
BigApple09 - I started on the prunes today! One in my oatmeal this morning and two later today with a snack. I may eat the whole container tomorrow. : ) They now make a container full of individually packaged prunes for snacking. I like that--very handy.
bcincolorado - Actually, my plastic surgeon gave me a picture of a specific Natori sport bra with instructions to buy it and bring in to the appointment the day after surgery. Only trouble was, how on earth did I know what size to get? His nurse told me the band should be able to accommodate the width of two fingers between it and the skin -- so going by that, I ordered three different sizes from the HerRoom website. If you order $50 worth of stuff, they'll ship it to you FREE via priority mail. And they have a 30-day exchange policy.
The bra extenders came with my mastectomy bras. Those were the only ones I could really tolerate during the TE phase. They have four rows of hooks and my Natori bras have only 3, but it's working pretty good right now for me in swapping out bras.
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