Exchange City
Comments
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Rebetata - It's supposed to be 105+ this week in Vegas, so I feel your pain. The dry heat is much nicer than humidity though!
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Kittycat: Good for you! Who wants to deal with an ill-tempered, defensive doctor who lectures patients? Ugh!!! He should be defensive; it sounds to me like he's the cause of your present situation because he didn't do his job right! Grrrrr..... I'm so glad you've got a better medical team looking after you now!
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Ladies, thanks for the support and good wishes for the exc.
Kittycat, I am cheering and applauding you for your upbeat and positive attitude and for firing your BS!
MBJ- the PS used alloderm with the TE's (according to his OR notes
). I'm going to ask for super strength pockets (is there such a thing?) so I can go back to the fitness routine pre BMX. I plan to wait longer after the exchange to get back there exercising than I did with the BMX since I definitely pulled or disrupted something. I need to protect this investment since my PS is out of network! 0 -
Kittycat, with the first lump I had, I went to a regular surgeon, he screwed up and I went to MSK, world of difference. First guy had an attitude like yours. I used my anger at him to get me thru chemo, visualizing was very popular then and I would vision jumping and pounding on his belly as tho that would get rid of the cancer cells. I am not a violent person, but it sure helped! Hang in there, your new BS will be great!
Rebecca, sounds like you're feeling a bit better, keep cool:)
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Interesting -
vaccine for breast cancer
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,593822,00.html?test=latestnews
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Kittycat -- good for you for firing that BS. And I agree with the others: you have the RIGHT attitude. I too stayed upbeat through the chemo and it made a world of difference. Pamper yourself all the way through. If there is ever a time to be selfish, it's during chemo
I kept working through mine but my work is only part time... so that helped. I had my treatments every other Monday and worked every Thursday and really except for one week (when I went in anyway) I always felt up to it. It helped me to keep working; made me feel like I was winning against the BC (not letting it change my routine too much). But I did take it easy the rest of the time 0 -
scrapmom, susiered, waldo - Best to you for easy surgeries, fast recoveries and fabulous results this week!
kittycat - you've got my support for finding the best docs you can for you - I'm glad you went after it. Best to you for an easy time on chemo and of course full recovery!!
jerusha - I want to follow up my post from last week about how I was liking my Allergan 410. There I said I didn't feel it in my body although I was wearing a bra so wasn't sure if that affected my perception. I'll say now that it does. When I'm wearing a bra I don't feel it - I just feel the bra, but when I'm not wearing one (which is more and more), I do feel the implant when I'm moving around or using my arm. Most of the feeling is sort of a buzz or tightness across my pec, which I suspect is a slight spasm as it gets used to the new implant size & placement. My desire is to just not feel this thing under most circumstances but I'm not there yet.
Can anyone who's at least a few months out from their exchange say if there's a point where you just don't feel the thing(s) in you under most circumstances, or do you just always feel it? And by feel I mean feel it in the chest, not to your hand or arm when you touch it.
CS
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Scrapmom, Susie and Waldo....all the best this week!
Kittycat...glad your being cared for by good people....sounds like your first BS was not bringing good things your way >=(
I am also really really really interested in CS's question:
Can anyone who's at least a few months out from their exchange say if there's a point where you just don't feel the thing(s) in you under most circumstances, or do you just always feel it? And by feel I mean feel it in the chest, not to your hand or arm when you touch it.
Healing, courage and strength,
Laura2
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Laura2 & CS: If I remember correctly I didn't notice my implants anymore about the 4 month mark post exchange. It does get a lot better with time.
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I should think it would get better as the pec muscle relaxes into it's new job and state. I'm eager to hear reports though
At the moment I'm in a bra 24/7 and not noticing anything... but since CS says it's different without a bra, well I guess I shall have to wait and see about that!
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Hello ladies, I went for my 1 week f/u appointment today and the PS did not make a face at all when I asked him about the stages that the implant has to go through. He said that the implant will drop down at the base of the implant and the top will become more fluffed like a real breast. Can you believe it those were his words, he shared that I should look much different in 3 weeks when I see him again. He told me they debated in the OR about using a larger implant but it just looked too big for my size, he said that in 4 months if I was not happy with the results he would consider the larger implant, for now he said just bare with me. He was very nice and accomodating. I feel as though I am in good hands, just not patient. I am going to try and play with the camera tomorrow to post in the forum for feedback. I did tell him my biggest concern was the projection just not being as big as the expanders, he explained that he removed the previous scar to clean it up and I had less skin to work with, he believes I am a full C cup if not a D, just don't feel like it yet ladies~ Anna
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Sounds like you are in good hands Anna!
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CS: I am one who often forgets I have implants. I have sensation in the upper pole, but not at midline or the lower pole. An example of how lackadaisical I am about them, is that the other day I had to go to the nursery to look for some landscape plants. I was crawling through junipers and pine trees, trying to find the best looking shrubs in there. I walked around the nursery for awhile. Then I went to Home Depot and walked around there for an hour. When I got home, I was looking down at the front door lock and noticed that, lo and behold, I had a giant pine needle sticking about four inches out of my left breast. I had not felt a thing! I need to be more mindful of these things I guess, because that appears to be at least one way an implant might be punctured. Makes me shudder to think about it...not to mention thinking about how many people noticed the pine needle...
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Deborah I still cant stop laughing sorry. I dont want to hurt your feelings I just had to comment.
Rebecca
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Oh my goodness! Adventures in implants
I see a cartoon series.0 -
CS:
Courtesy of my pain meds for the new surgery I can't remember if I answered alreay
My left implant has been in for about 15 months, it is a 410 gummie. At first I felt it all the time, once they removed the right implant and the tension was released, I stopped being so aware of it. I just had a DIEP on the right side last week, and I really still don't feel the implant on the left at all. I have feeling from the cleavage to about 1/2 way to the nipple and the whole upper pole like Deborah and from the outer side again to about 1/2 way to the nipple and again like Deborah very little on the lower pole,
I do have some intermittent feeling across the nipple (I was able to kept them) and they do respond to cold but it is sort of like having a radio with bad reception, sometimes I feel and sometimes I don't in that area.
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Deborah- THAT was a funny story! Thanks for the giggle, I needed it today!
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Deborah, you have me in stitches once again. It seems like nurseries are pretty racy places for you - remember the ogling workmen and your tight t-shirt a few months ago? Had the pine needle really pierced your skin? Oh my! I notice I am whamming into doors and walls left and right and it is disconcerting that I don't feel anything no matter how clumsy I am.
Bigapple, that is cool that you have so much sensation. I only have sensation around the edges and maybe about an inch inwards...
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Deborah, you are hysterical! I just can't imagine what people must have thought.
I do have full feeling in my boobies. Even the reconstructed nipples have some feeling. Not like real nipples, but I can feel pain. Not so much passion. Because the implants are bigger than my original breasts, I do bang them into stuff. But I feel it. I don't believe I'll ever have to worry about unknown pine needles hitching a ride. As far as do I notice them inside me.. usually not. There are times when even in my most comfortable bras, by the end of the day, I feel "heavy". Don't really know how to describe the feeling. Then I'll usually go braless for an hour or so before bed. But I don't really feel that inside, they are any different than my own breasts. I'm 8 months or so out of exchange. I don't remember when the implants started feeling like a natural part of me. You know, there are times when I still get boob greed and wish I would have had the TEs put back in and gone bigger. But it would seem, the size I am is right on me.
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kittycat.....your BS was aptly named....full of BS
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Deborah, I had to laugh too. I wonder how many people noticed?
Firni, I don't know if it's new or not (I'm not the most observant of people), but pretty profile pic!
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Deborah - love the story! I have full feeling in my chest (which I did not enjoy during fills). However, I have no feeling under my armpit and on the backside of my arm. I can't remember what I was doing the other day, when I realized I couldn't feel my arm. I do stay away from the stove!! And I have to look to make sure I get deodorant in my armpit.
Yes, my BS was full of BS. The scary thing is that a BCO friend just told me she went to the same radiology place that my onco referred me to and she had a BAD experience (getting the chemo port put in)! Oh Crap!!! Luckily I see my onco tomorrow, so I can talk to her about this.
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CS777, Thanks for thinking of me. I can't remember what size your gummy is? I still keep thinking that perhaps the smaller the implant, the less internally (and of course , externally) obtrusive it will be, which makes me tempted to go smaller than I want in terms of looks. I'm worried that I will feel more of an emotional loss if my breasts are not restored to kind-of the size they started out. Well, of course, that's "started out" a few months ago. Maybe I need to harken back to when they actually started out. Ha ha. I was quite small breasted into my 20's. But 30 years, 30 pounds and 3 babies changed all that! Probably more likely the 30 pounds. I am definitely on the same page with you in terms of wanting COMFORT, and no bra!! Please keep me posted as you progress along. I definitely want to hear how you are feeling as the days go by. I'm trying to imagine those feelings you are describing, but TE misery has eliminated all imagination when it comes to breast sensation. My brain has only one track in this department, and that is GET THESE FREAKING EXPANDERS OUT!
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Wearing a sports bra really helped me through the expansion process. I wore it all the time, except when I was showering (of course). I got some really soft and cheap ones at Walmart (3 for $10).
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Kitty -- don't worry too much about your friend's bad experience. People can have good experiences in bad places and bad ones in good places... you have said many times you trust and like your ONC, so go with her recommendation
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didn't know which section to put this on,but when i went for my fill today,i also had an appointment at the lymphodema clinic where i agreed to take part in a screening service to monitor any swelling in the arms after breast surgery.Its a bit like a voluntary trial for research.
My daughter video'd the process and if its turned out ok,i will upoad to youtube sometime so you can see what they do.
Not sure how good it turned out though!
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m-star- How often will they check you for LE? I am thinking about making an appointment with a specialist just to get a baseline in case I start to develop symptoms. I have suddenly become very paranoid about this. I'll look for your video when you get it online.
I didn't know you were a mom!
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Kate~yeah my daughter is 13 next month! Just got the 1
I think in the 15 weeks since my surgery,i have been seen 3 times at the LE clinic. They first get me to lay on the couch and sticky tabs are put on my hands and feet.Then wired are clipped to the tabs and an electric current is passed through the wires (i don't feel this).This measures how fast the current travels around my body/limbs.This number is recorded.
Next,i sit with 1 arm extended onto a device.She then passes the 'scanning' device up my arm to my shoulder then back down again.This is done on each arm and draws a digital picture of my arm and the volume of each arm. Again,its recorded.
Finally,she measures the circumference of the middle finger on each hand and the circumference of the 4 fingers together.
By doing all this,they can tell of any changes in the fluid/volume of each arm.She also asks questions before the test,such as where you are in your menstrual cycle,if you had any caffeine in the last 2 hours,if you are pregnant! lol
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Thanks to everyone who responded about when your implants just became normal feeling and you weren't always aware of them. It's good to know it actually happens. I'm only 2.5 wks out and impatient to just forget it's there...
LOL Deborah on the pine needle story! Not so funny for you I know (sorry to laugh!!) but it's a good story.
If it really pierced the skin then do watch for signs of infection, and start being careful around sharp stuff! I don't want to worry about you every day in the kitchen!bigapple - glad your gummi-side is now feeling really comfy. I'm impressed that you have so much skin sensation. I'm still hoping more of mine comes back.
Jerusha, I'm a member of the 300&Unders here.
At my last visit my PS said he used a 240 gram implant - itty-bitty titties indeed! I'm afraid I just can't answer about how big you can go and reasonably expect to go sans bra. I know local women with implants definitelly larger than mine who haven't worn bras in 5 yrs and haven't had problems. Luckily you don't have rads-damaged skin/muscle to worry about. So if your PS says you can go w/o bras after healing, then I would believe her. Perhaps you'll be at greater risk for the potential problems Val cites on the bras thread, but that's pitted against feeling comfy every day. Some risks I'm willing to take, that's just me. I'd ask your PS about YOU - your skin, your anatomy, your desire for balance between no bras and enough size, your risks if you go sans bra for years, and see what she says. Oh, I noticed you don't have your exchange date on this threads list - PM Mykidsmom so that we all know when it's your date for Yippee- Squishee! Jm-star - that's cool about the LE study. I also joined a clinical study where they're trying to discover blood biomarkers for LE, to predict that a woman is at heightened risk or at very early stages (before visually obvious, which is how most docs "screen" us) so she could nip it in the bud w/early treatment or caution. I'm due to give blood again next month. I'm glad others like you are also participating in similar studies.
Have a good day everyone!
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CS and Kay: I think it would be very helpful for you to post your clinical trials information vis a vis a new thread on the Lymphedema forum. It could be such beneficial information for anyone going there to search for information. You two might share the thread and update it during the clinical trials process. Here is the lymphedema forum link:
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64
I only had SNB on my left/cancer side, but I do have some swelling - only in my fingers. My wedding ring is always tight. I always sleep with a pillow running lengthwise on my left side at night - to rest my arm. My husband swears I am trying to section off the bed to keep him over on his own side, and I must admit, it is a good excuse - that pillow!
Sometimes I can plump that pillow up so high, I can hide him from sight! LOL!!!0
