Exchange City
Comments
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Speaking of bras...oh no! Deborah...why oh why did I feed into the no bra signal from my PS? Maybe it's all part of the master plan to have me back in 2 years for a lift...those bastards!
Well, I'll get a bra...he said no underwire for at least 6 weeks so I'll look into then. Crap. I was even lovin this liberated no bra thing but I don't want to be a 34 long ever again <sigh>
OK Bra Czars...I'm off to page 417. humph.
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Kat:
You are not alone; my PS said the same thing. Double hmph!! I love love love not needing a bra, although I love my fancy 38D bras from Victoria's Secret that I wear when I want the girls to look especially nice and perky....I like being able to decide if I want to wear one or not. I'm sulking now...
braless in Nashville, and loving it,
Diane
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Had my first fill 60cc, no pain, it's been 6 hours and took some Tylenol just in case - but fill great, go back in a week for another fill. I think he is going slow - I think that is good.
QUESTIONS:
Dr told me I didn't have to wear this surgical bra - if I could find a sport bra that opened in the front that wasn't too tight or too loose. I can't find the post but someone mentioned a zip up front bra -can you please tell me where and brand again? THANKS
I asked about the brand of TE I have and he Inamed (he says Allergan makes them - anyone else heard of this?
It's been 2 weeks since surgery and still no lifting over 5-10 pounds for a couple more weeks and only light walking? When was everyone able to really exercise?
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Val: Yes I have been checking the front porch for my package. (now two of them! SO thankful). The one from herroom.com appears to be sitting and chilling out in Texas. Ugh. Val, go give it a swift kick towards NY would you?
Hope: You have come to the right place with your TE questions. I wish I had used this site more with my TEs but I was just trying to find my way. I would suggust you read lots of posts: look for key words, ask questions, etc. Hang in there. We will help you through. I didnt get filled till 6 weeks after MX because of pain. So I am in awe of your fill. Of course you are uncomfortable and take the meds!
Ronqt1: Thanks for the bathing suit info i will check it out and see if it is something for me or maybe for my friend still in TEs.
Marianne: I loved your comparison to tomato cans and TEs. I concur! That was the first thing i noticed after exchange..a deep breath where i acctually felt like my pre-MX self a little.
Kristen
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vmudruw: JC Penney's has a zip front sports bra that several people on here have bought and liked. The brand is "Underscore." I also bought some inexpensive sports bras from Walmart with hook and eye front closure during my TE phase. More bra suggestions can be found on page 417 of this thread--(go to the top of your computer and change the page number to 417 to get there). My PS said no lifting/exercise for 4 weeks. Good luck and welcome!
TCK
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KristenP - will do....I probably shouldn't tell you that my last order from herroom came the next day...
Valerie - my ps said "no bras" during the TE's.....didn't want anything (the band) to push them upward. At his recommendation, I wore soft camisoles (without the shelf bras) or those little "bralets" that I found at Penney's and Target. They just added a bit of cover for modesty. Glad you don't have pain, but sometimes it kicks in after the fill. The later fills will probably be worse, just so you know. Gosh...it's hard to believe that this time last year I was still in the middle of my fills....wow.... As for exercise, yes, absolutely don't do too much too soon. I think my ps didn't allow me to exercise after my bmx for about 6 weeks or so, and that really wasn't too soon. I did resume teaching my aerobics classes at 7 weeks post-op, though, so you defnitely can get back in fairly short order...
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vmudrow: I am in the TE stage. I bought the sports bras at Wal mart with the hook and eye front closure. They are working out well for me.
Kim
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Kat and Diane: Oh you TWO! There are some very comfortable bras out there! You might have to go through a few frogs to find a prince, but there is a bra out there with your name on it. I feel it...I feel it!!!
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Hi all:
I have been a long time lurker, only posted a few times. I echo many others and thank you all for your posts. As I traversed this journey of reconstruction I have been often comforted by your experiences. Your unselfish accounts have made it all seem "okay" to be occasionally sad or discouraged - and that it will truly be doable with a bit of patience. Also, thanks to all who posted photos. I intend to so the same.
I am scheduled for exchange on Wed May 26. I currently am expanded to 550 cc and will exchange to 600cc silicone - Mentor high profile on my formerly 32DD/28inch chest. The TE's have been very painful on my bony ribcage - I am 5'7" and weigh 106 lbs.
As Deborah has written on numerous occasions, I do want to protect my time, monetary and pain experienced investment. I have purchased some great bras in two sizes and also just ordered two chic shapers. That is my question, how long should I expect to wait for delivery? For those who ordered them from the website (and not Walgreens), how long did it take to receive them?
Thanks in advance,
Jaclyn
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Valerie, after my bilat Mx and immediate TE placement, no exercise for 5-6 weeks. I maintained good range of motion, but listen to your doctor.....and my new rule is no vacuuming ever again in your life! When you do start exercise, start slow...
As for the fills, everyone is different. My first fills were 100cc's. The first night of the fill was always the most uncomfortable, but I never had to take any pain med's. If you take ibuprofen before the fill, it sometimes helps. Again, take this at your own pace. I slowed my fills down to 50cc every other week and then did the last 100 at the end. But, as I saw some one here advise, and also my PS said, if you are uncomfortable with a fill, they can draw some off. Sleep will be tough, but you can side sleep with TE's; you will (believe it or not) get used to them.
I actually was able to play golf with TE's in and started right around 5 weeks after the Mx, but I was in pretty good shape before the surgery. Everyone will heal at a different pace. Do what feels ok and listen to your doctor.
While I had the ok to exercise 5 weeks from Mx and with TE's, I don't have that same rule now. PS says now that implants are in place, no exercise at all for at least 4 weeks. Bra's are also an individualized thing. I was left with "no bra" right after the exchange, but that was because of extensive pocket work and the PS wanting them to "naturally fall into place". But now, 4 days after the exchange I am in a bra (and he suggested an underwire if I could stand it). That is what I am in and will be until I see him again.
Deborah, should I be sleeping in that bra, too? I should probably check with him tomorrow.
Sleep well ladies.
Paula - I am still checking my calendar. And will see if I can get some pic's up. Also you and Kat can catch up to me on the tan, as I am off the course for a while!
Marianne
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Judy, just a quick shout out to say you're in my thoughts. I'm trying to picture what you'll drive home in next time you need a ride ... I'm seeing a cute convertible and a long white scarf, bright red lipstick ... you're looking fine! Maggie
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" TALE OF THE TINY TATA's... yet.. TO INFINITY and BEYOND......."
I let MooreTennis know about you last night Suthen... ( wishing I knew your first name..lol)... she is a doll and I figured she would write to you asap! Keep the knowledge going.. AMEN! I AM BEYOND proud of you for canceling the nips to further investigate your options !! ROCK ON SISTER!
OK WHIPPIT.... I get the fact.. we need to wear a bra all day.. while upright.. to keep our girls from heading south.. BUT... teach me why again I have to wear a bra to bed nightly, while lying down??? I HATE BRAS... the ones that flatter me SO MUCH.. are NOT NOT NOT comfortable and I have back fat in them... YUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
the comfy underwire ones.. do nothing for the figure. HELP........ lol
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5 weeks post exchange. Previously radiated breast still a bit fussy. Scar just opened up enough for droplets of fluid to leak out so we are watching that. Also, PS sentding me to PT to massage and get the radiated breast to have some movement. PT specializes in breast reconstruction and we will be doing ultrasound and scar tissue work.
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First of all congratulations to all the ladies who have completed their exchange.This place is wonderful and you have all hellped me so much in just one day of participating. I have some questions.
When you had your surgury for your BMX and TE, do you think one type of incission is better than the other? Or do you think it makes a difference in the final outcome? I had a choice for the cut to be straight across my breast or underneath I think it's call an inverted T.I chose under neath my breast because thethought of seeing a scar across the center of where my breast use to be freaked me out.
Also , because I had RADS, my PS filled me fast, 100cc's every week and overfilled telling me that RAD shrinks the skin so that's why he went over. And we had to do it fast because radiation was a priority. And then I will have to wait a year for my tissue to heal from the RAD before I have my exchange.
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Valerie, My first fill was 100 CCs on each side and after that, I think they fluctuated between 50-70 or so ... I went every week for 5 weeks, if I recall correctly. It already seems a lifetime ago, and it was only last year! As for exercising - I kept doing my range of motion exercises, but I didn't do ANYthing that would jeopardize my chest ... no lifting, no running, etc. I did do biking a little bit, but I was hyper sensitized to the bumps when crossing roads, so I tried to be careful even doing that. My kids learned to call out to me if they were riding ahead of me, to warn me of a big "bump" so I could slow down.
I pretty much didn't exercise for the entire year, since I had the BMX in Feb, then weeks of the expansions, then I had to let the TEs "rest" for a couple of months before my exchange in July, then my nipple reconstruction in October ... it seemed like just when the 6 weeks would pass from a surgery or procedure, something else would be on the horizon and I just told myself, it will be okay...I can work out next year. (and I have been! Title Nine has some AWESOME sports bras that I've been using for jogging and biking.) Glad your first fill went well!!!! I'm jealous of the lady who posted that she's able to sleep with her TEs ... I slept propped up on the couch for basically six months until I had my exchange surgery. Then I got to return to my bed (and my husband). Good luck! sue0 -
ctinas - sometimes there is no choice in what type of incision. I had skin sparring Mx's and a niplle and skin sparring Mx on the prophylactic Mx. So the incision on the nipple sparring is a circular incision along the bottom of the nipple (looks like a smile)! And the incision on the other breast is small and horizontal where the nipple was. That was necessary because, in my case, that nipple had to be removed because it was too close to the cancer. But once the nipple is reconstructed and the areola tatooed, what will be left of that scar will be very small on either side of the areola. The other scar, in the nipple, will be virtually unnoticeable. I can't speak for others, but I do know wearing a bra after the exchange is not a problem for me....don't know about others who have scars where the bra band would be.
Marianne
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Hello Sisters- DAY ONE AFTER NIP SURGERY!!!
This is an amazing feeling to FINALLY reach the 'end' - i can't describe how happy I feel(and I haven't even seen them yet!). BUT! Although the surgery took over 2 1/2 hours for B/L skate flap nips, with skin grafts from my left and right Iliac hip crest (where your bikini straps cover from your pubic area to hip bone), I FEEL PAIN FREE!
I feel NOTHING IN THE AREOLA/NIP AREA AT ALL!? Just a puffy gauze dressing. It reminds me of wearing those nursing pads! lol
The graft site was initially sore immediately after surgery but a shot of morphine zapped that in a hurry. Home 2 hours later with a script for T3's and I haven't had a need to take one yet !?(22 hours after surgery) Is this normal??-cause I worried WAY to much about this surgery....
Definately the EASIEST surgery yet of the 5 reconstruction suregeries, and 8 expansions I've experienced afer Delayed B/L Mx!
If any of you are holding back..... LET GO, AND GO FOR NIPS!:)
Love n Hugs
Elle
p.s. I told my surgeon b4 surgery," although I'm scared -Breast Without Nipples are....POINTLESS" lol they theycertainlymake a 'point' now hee hee
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My PS gave me the option of wearing the bulky surgical bra, with its scratchy velcro straps and closure, or sports bras. Ha ha ... guess which option I chose?
My nipple tattoos are healing nicely, although the radiated side did seem to hang onto the pigment more than the other side. It's darker. I will be doing some "tweeks" in the future.
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Hi Tex
Did you have skate flap nips with grafts? I'm wondering if the surgeon meant for the bandages on both to stay on til i see the PS on Tues.
Just comparing
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Happy Friday from Nashville, y'all..
Estepp: yesterday MooreTennis emailed me her bio and included pics...the pics were just what I needed to confirm that I need to explore more options regarding my implant size before I jump the gun by adding nips...although my PS gave the ok for nip surgery, I had had a feeling that I might be moving too fast and I just didn't want to 'sign on the dotted line' so to speak...I just need to step back and wrap my head around the situation a bit more...all the info I've read on this site helped me make a well-informed decision...and isn't that what we all want to be?...well-informed?...btw, my name is Shea.
MooreTennis: Thanks so much for the bio and pics...you certainly have overcome many obstacles and I'm most appreciative that you shared your story with me...your before and after pics showed me exactly what can be done and I needed to see for myself...gives me hope...also, I had wondered what 'dog ears' were and I was right...BOW-WOW, I got 'em, too!...would love to send them barking all the way to the pound...LOL...you mentioned you aren't on here very often so I will be in contact with you via email...thanks, again.
NVDiane: Thanks so much for the shout-out from a hometown girl...seems we're both Vandy grads but just don't have the diploma to prove it...LOL...look fwd to comparing notes re: drs, etc...please PM me anytime.
Feel the need to share one of my favorite bits of wisdom just for laughs:
"Just because they make it in your size, does NOT mean you should wear it!"
Positive thoughts and prayers to all scheduled for surgery or who are on the mend.
Shea
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Geneskirt, great point! Happy it was so easy and successful for you!!
Jaclyn, my chic shaper took quite awhile to get here from website, maybe 2 weeks. They said that long on order, I just figured it would come sooner. I figured wrong!! Would have loved it during te stage, got it just at the end. Maybe it will be good for the nip part! Good luck next week!
Big Apple, wishing you the best next week, you deserve it!
Judy, happy you are coming along and popping in once in awhile!
Binga and Artsy, wishing you the best as you get ready for the next step!
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Marianne: I will let Val comment on w/n to wear that specific underwire to bed, since your PS ascribes to the same position as Val's PS....
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Laura: I had some signficant chest/cleavage wrinkles prior to MX and I know it was due to sleeping on my side and/or stomach without breast support. MX ironed out the wrinkles and I do not want them back! Women with a bony ribcage are more prone to get them. When I lay on my back, without a bra, my implants fall laterally, leaving a very large gaping sternum. How could that possibly be good for my thin skin around the sternum area? My skin is very thin in that region. My own PS agreed that wearing a bra at night - after breast reconstruction - could be a positive thing to do. She was contacted by a woman who makes a bra called the Sleep Bra - and she liked the premise, but Kaiser was not about to pay for and dispense these bras to patients. I contacted the woman who developed this bra last year. I cannot recall the cost of the bra. I will see if I can find it in my email archives. Here is her website:
This bra might be comfortable for sleeping...not much support though....
http://www.amazon.com/Medela-Womens-Sleep-Nursing-Bra/dp/B000JK0FOW
Do you remember, that is why I slept with a rolled up sock in my sleep bra? LOL! And my husband would get so irritated, seeing me with that sock sticking out of my cleavage, sometimes he would yank it out - just to be annoying...
Deborah
ADDENDUM: Here is the information re: the Sleep Bra....email from Kelly Pacheco who designed/patented this bra:
"There is one design and it has the zipper in the front as well as the hook and eyes in the back. We just received a new shipment and it with the new design. The new design is 2" longer and has two sets of hooks and eyes in the back. It is beige with pink lace. You need the small which is the 34-36 C/D. When the website goes live, the price will be just under $50.00, the current price is $35.99 each plus S&H. "0 -
Hi everyone-
I have a little over a month before my exchange surgery and like a lot of you here I am more nervous about it than I was my MX. Just wondered if there is anything I should be doing or buying that will make the exchange easier? My PS didn't give me a whole lot of information.
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Hi all,
Val and Deborah, the bra I have now is a Wacoal 855104 which is apparently discontinued (posted on the forum).
Val, the bra I returned that you like is Wacoal Seamless Underwire #65115...still available
Ok..that's all I have to say about bras today...I'm dizzy with the bra stuff
I went to see my bs for my first 3 month follow-up since my bmx. She was happy with my progress and even gave me some FREE fake nips
She said to try them out and see if I liked them..... She had gotten them at a Breast Cancer Conference she had recently attended. I told her I was allergic to just about everything so I would be a good guinea pig to see if my skin would tolerate them I'll put them on for fun later and post pictures soon. I think they would be great to place before nip surgery to show you ps exactly where you want the nips placed Here's the website of the company that was handing out nips to the docs. http://www.amoena.usShe also told me my case had been presented at the conference because I fall into the a very small percentile of bc patients. I had both ductal and lobular carcinoma but I am a triple neg. She said only 5% of bc patients have both ductal and lobular bc without being hormone sensitive. So all the bc docs sat around and discussed my case and decided that there was no value in any other therapies for me other than what has already been done....the bmx. She said they tested my tissue samples multiple times. So my boobs and lab results had their 15 minutes of fame
sorry for the wonky type...somehow I messed it up while doing copy paste =\
Ok......now I'm going outside!
Strength and healing to all,
Laura20 -
Jerusha, to your question the other day about 410 gummies...I just had one implanted on Monday. I'm a uni-MX, and had no surgery to my healthy side (and don't plan any). Since it's so soon after my surgery I'm afraid I can only give you a very short term perspective since it hasn't fully "settled" yet, and I'm still wrapped in a surgical bra. Here's my perspective 4 days out: (a) appearance: in my first very brief peak yesterday at the PS, it looked pretty good - about the right size and placement compared to my other breast, w/ no obvious ripples. woo-hoo! (my TE was so NOT the same size/place and had ripples...major improvement!). (b) feel within my body: I don't feel it. Not while walking, not while laying, not at all. This is major + for me. More important than details of the looks, frankly. This could change w/o the bra, don't know yet. (c) feel to the touch: Can't touch it much, but my couple of pokes says its a bit firmer than my other breast but seems to have some nice squish to it. So far so good. (d) emotionally: I preferred this implant specifically for safety peace-of-mind but still the softness of silicone compared to saline. Now, post-surgery, those reasons still hold and I feel the peace-of-mind I desired. By safety peace-of-mind, I mean, if the capsule breaks, there will be no silicone leaking out, which I just didn't like the thought of. That's just my preference speaking, not a criticism of others choices. (FYI at the beginning my PS recommended this because of the non-leakage attribute, plus the anatomical shape - he thought it would be easier to match my other breast, plus it was less likely to ripple in my thin body.)
I want to add that its unclear how much of the positive above is due to the implant itself vs the process my PS used. He overstretched my tissue using quite a lot larger TE than my implant (which is only 250-280 grams...not sure which he used) so that once the implant was put in the overlying tissue would be soft and not tight. I was worried it might be saggy but its most definitely not (even w/o the bra yesterday). That's probably because I'm small - what's to sag? My point is, the implant isn't everything - what your doc does with it probably makes a difference too and is worth discussing.
When is your exchange scheduled? I'll try to put an update up again beforehand to give you more data. Lilah - are you still liking yours?
Have a great day everyone!
CS
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Can someone define "dog ear" for me, or better yet point me to someone's pictures on the picture forum that demonstrates what you mean? I'm having a hard time understanding how/where they show up in reconstructions. Thanks!
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Hi
Can i ask what size your TE was filled too? How many cc's? Just wondered how it related in size to the 250-280grms. Do you know what height and projection you had with the gummy? I will be getting the anatomacal cohesives around September time. I was looking at the Allergen Natrelle catalogue earlier and noob shopping! LOL. Not that i'll be able to get the ones i want as me and my PS have different ideas!
Kay
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CS: Let me try: Imagine a sock that has been turned inside out. It looks like a rectangle, doesn't it? Stuff it with tissue paper, other socks, etc. Look at the closed end of the sock. If you see corners that are not filled, these are your dog ears. Now paint on the eyes, nose and mouth (just kidding!).
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Nothing like my daughter getting her permit and taking her driving for the first time in my beloved ancient convertible to take my mind off Monday for a bit.
But other than that, I need a little help. A former paralegal of mine needs a referral to a breast surgeon on Long Island New York, preferably Nassau County. Anyone?
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