Exchange City

waldo-  Do you have a circle where the areola will  be?  Is that what you mean by a flap?  If so, the areola can be "feathered out" so it does not look so large,  You would start the feathering about 1/4 inch from the outer edge. 

If the flap is going to have the scars disappear, you could go any size you want.  This is why we say to wait at least 3 months but preferably 6 before you do anything.  So they are in their final position, and so the scars have faded out.   JUDY

Waldo:  I don't know - 1.50 inches should be nice and your scars might retract to that in the next three to six months, which is why JUDY wants you to wait.  You are only a quarter of an inch away from perfection! Mine are just at 1 inch, which I think is too small for the size of the mound. I will put up some new photos this afternoon...I wanted to wait until the areolae were completely healed, and as of today, they are. 

Karen,  I had my exchange the same day as yours and my PS wants me in a bra 23/7.  They get an hour of recess for good behavior. 

Judy, yes. I have  lat flaps circles where the aereola go.  He made them a lot smaller during the exchange.  I am trying to finish this ordeal this year so my goal is to do the nips early Sept (3 months) and tatts in December (6 mo post exch).  I like the feathering idea. 

Deborah, We sound like goldilocks- you think yours are too small and I think mine are going to be too large and I think we want them JUST RIGHT!   I want to see your healed pics!  I cannot believe how big the 421 silicones feel on me!!!  I only had 250 in my TE's.  I have no idea how he managed to shove those implants in.  

The feathering effect in all likelihood cannot be done by the PS.  You would need to go to a permanent makeup or a tattoo professional, but it would work..JUDY

Hi everyone,

Saw my PS today to talk about my implant that is firmer than it should be after 6 months, but also softer than 2 weeks ago when I stopped wearing a bra.  His advice was to massage and to avoid bras -- wear camis or sports bras -- and see him again in 2 months to see how things are going.  My options are to keep this implant, have it removed and go without, or have a lat flap procedure, which would basically be starting all over.  Right now, I'm hoping to keep this implant and deal with its many imperfections.  Speedy healing to those of you having surgery this week.  --bonnie

Ready for my update???

My PS fired me!

He apologized for the error in making me go to the hospital, then said that he had decided he wasn't going to do reconstructions any longer.  I was his last patient, and now that there was going to be a delay because of this screw up, and because of hte fact that I'd need revisions down the road, he thinks it would be better if I saw another doctor for this phase of the operation.

Okay, fine.  They give me a name, I google her, she looks great.  My former PS's scheduler calls back and says she talked to her, the referral is there, and to call because they can get me right in.

So, I call, and can they get me right in?  No, the doctor had an injury over the weekend and was cancelling all of her patients for the next months.  I can't get in for a consult until July 29 and surgery won't be scheduled until October at the earliest.

Considering that I was supposed to have surgery June 8th, that is WAY too long.  So, I called them back and they said there is nobody else near me.  There is one doctor who doesn't speak English and hour and a half away from me and that's it.  I didn't believe that, so I called my insurance company.  They told me that my former doctor had to handle it.  I had a name in mind and they said I could go to him but when I called, he no longer takes insurance patients.

I think there is a scary trend where plastic surgeons are no longer going to take insurance patients.  Maybe because of Obamacare or maybe just because but I have one injured doctor I can see.  I will be living with this expander for months and months and I've can't sleep with it.

I can't tell you how annoyed and frustrated and exhausted I am.

Not only that, but I've used up all my sick time and leave.  I work in a school and I really wanted this surgery over the summer so I could go back fresh with only minor things having over my head.  No I have to miss work AND money.

There ought to be a law.

He does have some sort of illness, actually.  I don't know what it is  but I saw him one day at my hematology/oncology office for treatment.  He seems very vibrant and fulll of energy when we meet though, and he's about my age.

I did tell him today I hope his health was okay and he said that wasn't the reason.  I think the screw up probably was the hospitals fault and he just doesn't want to take insurance patients any more and deal with all that crap.

If I could make 7k in two hours doing boob jobs in my basement surgical center without having to deal with insurance companies or large hospital requirements, I probably would too.

Leaving me high and dry sucks though.   My new doctor isn't scheduling surgeries for patients until October, and by the time I get to see her for my consult July 29th, it'll be November or December.  My mastectomy was in October and I didn't even have radiation.  I'll have that expander in longer than the gals who had rads. 

I'm just sick.  I'm sitting here with that expander causing a burning pain in my chest and there isn't anything I can do about it.  Except, drink a beer which I am about to do.

Lilah, he told me he wouldn't do the surgery.

And, the last thing I want to do is beg somebody to do surgery on me.

There are only two other doctors.  Both of them are on the far side of the city - an hour and a half away.

One, I understand, doesn't speak  much English and doctors are hard enough to understand when they do.  The other isn't board certified so I won't see him.

I'm stuck.  Apparently, my insurance company has exactly four doctors who do plastic surgery.  One just decided not to (my old guy) one just got injured (my new  girl) and the other two are far away.

I'd ask for an out-of-network doctor but I don't think my reasons are going to be good enough.

Coolbreeze: This is truly bizarre! PM me if you want me to help you find someone.....

deekay...okie dokie!

CoolBreeze- OMG!  I don't even know what to say!  Your PS should be reported to the medical board.  I have never heard of a doctor abandoning their patient in the middle of treatment.  That is totally unacceptable!  I don't think I could wait until October.  Like deekaay suggested can you go to another city?  There is a member on here named hurleygirly who is going through expansion right now that lives in SJC.  I know she really likes her doctor.  Would that be too far?  If not, maybe you could PM her and ask who her doctor is.  Good luck!

Jerusha- Good luck to you, too, on your exchange on the 17th.