Exchange City

Lilah-

you are beautiful! Keep smiling! My hair was your length a few short months ago. One day it just decided to take off and GROW and I swear it was about 3 weeks after my last Herceptin! Now it is growing about 1/4 inch a  month and I only know that because I see that gray strip grow in each month! Ha! I ditched my wig last September and the heat made it much easier to do it. After the big reveal it was like,"okay, this is the new me" and boy it is sure easy having no hair to have to style. You look maw-ve-lous!

BigApple09 - I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Stories like that make me realize we must not ever give up this fight. None of us.  We fight onfor HER.

 cnemeth - hairs? Are you kidding? I had NEVER heard that! That's reason enough for me topass on the nips.

MBJ - I am a fellow Uni. Thank God for Wunderbra!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing weekend! Stay cool!

Aw thanks Don!

MBJ- LOVE your comment to the ass _ _ _ _, I mean men at work!  So glad you got to say, "Take this job and shove it!"

Bigapple09- I am so sorry to hear about your friend.  With all the laughter, support and success stories on here it's easy to forget about the other side of the coin.  It's so unbelievable that women are still dying from this disease.  My heart goes out to you and her family.

Hope4Future- I don't know when you had your MX but I struggled with fatigue for about 3 months.  Just a trip to Target would wipe me out so much I'd have to come home and take a nap.  Hang in there.  It does get better and you start feeling more like yourself soon.

Lilah- I think your short hair looks sassy and kick ass!  You are totally rocking it!!!

Kate 

Hope4future- I remember someone on here once said your body doesn't know the difference between having a MX and being stabbed.  When I thought about it that way I didn't feel like such a baby.

I don't know if you have a Costco membership but they were handing out samples the other day of a product called "Body Choice" protein shots.  It is advertised as a weight loss product but the woman there said it is excellent for helping the body to heal.  She even mentioned they're good for recovering from surgery.  (This was before I told her I'm having surgery on Tuesday.)  I have been taking it every day and I swear it has made a huge difference in my energy levels.  It has 25 grams of protein in it!  It also has 8 vitamins, fiber and is only 104 calories.  It is Zero fat, carbs, sugar or cholesterol.  Each "shot" is about 3 oz. and is fruit punch flavored.  You can drink them straight or pour them into a water bottle and sip it throughout the day.  She said you can even freeze them, pop one in your purse and drink it later when you start to drag.  They aren't  super expensive.  About $20 for 12.   Anyway, don't know if it will help with your fatigue or not but it seems to be working for me. 

Thanks Kate   Also: re the vitamin shot -- make sure you're not shooting a lot of Vitamin E -- Vitamin E can work as a blood thinner (like Aspirin can) and you shouldn't take it before surgery.

Hope -- I too was tired for about 4 - 6 weeks post-surgery.  It feels SO good when that energy drain passes!  Hang in there and as Kate said, take it easy on yourself

Lilah, here's another thumbs up for your new do!  You have a beautiful face and your short hair lets it shine thru!

BigApple-I so sorry to hear about your friend's wife.  It breaks my heart whenever I hear of anyone dying from BC. And so much moreso when they are young and leaving behind young children.  It is so sad that despite all the research and money raised that people still die of breast cancer.

 Kate, I think the increased protein is a great idea.  I've been having egg white omlettes for breakfast to increase my protein which helps in the wound healing and I think it makes a difference in my energy levels as well. Also Vit. C.  I would have to eat 6 egg whites to get that much protein, so good find at Costco!!

I was telling my sister what was involved with the exchange surgery and how glad I will be to have these TE's removed that were growing into my armpits and she said, "Yea, you can finally get rid of those pit tits!"  I thought that was hilarious!

Kate:  Pit tits, really!!  I went to a Bikini Fashion Show last night as I have many friends in the clothing design industry, and all I could do was look at all of the models breasts!!

I think we all need more protein while we are healing.  It doesn't matter if we have had or not had chemo, we need the protein.  I have started adding organic chichen to my mostly vegi and fish diet just to get more energy.  Is the product exclusive to Costco?

Lilah!  You now have an air of mystery to you!  Very Greta Garbo!  I love it!  I am not so brave yet--My hair came in grey, thick and kinky and it used to be fine, wavy and brown.  I have no idea what to do with it so I bleached it and now I have 1/4 inch black & white roots with frizzy bleached ends--not attractive. 

KorynH:  Another Uni Sister!  I have to ask you, if you don't mind--Did you do both breasts or did they just try and match your existing?  I knew they couldn't match mine and I would be bothered by it so I am opting to completely make them different by doing both sides at the exchange.  I do miss mine though.

MBJ - my PS told me that there was a chance (however slim) that the healthy breast could lose nipple sensation or feeling if cut upon so I said no way. I couldn't deal with having NO breast senastion whatsoever so I opted to leave that one alone. Some tried to convince me to have a double MX because lobular has a 30% higher chance of recurrence, but I chose to view that as a 70% chance that it wouldn't. Having an implant under the chest muscle and no breast tissue at all on a mx side is totally different that getting a lift or augmentation on a healthy breast where you are leaving breast tissue. There's no way they are going to look like twins, so I decided not to even try. I have never been so happy to have a saggy droopy 46 year old breast! At least I can FEEL her!

Koryn...I feel the same often....and then I try to move on...and then I'm back in the doldrums....very up and down...thank you for putting into words...thank you for your honesty.

Lilah....beautiful lady!

Happy holiday Kay!

Anyone hear from Shybird....is she ok? 

BigApple.....so so sorry about your friend, and her sweet family......words aren't enough. 

I've been busy with teaching and keeping up with World Cup....looking forward to Sunday with a big breakfast, walking Smudge and spending time with DH.

Healing and comfort to all,

Laura2 

Claire - my PS said I should wait at least 6 months before getting discouraged about position. I talked to another PS who said she wouldn't do a revision until a year post-exchange! I'm sure every body is a little different but most of the ladies here talk about the "drop and fluff" that occurs at least a few months after the exchange. 5 months post-exchange I still have issues but things have changed a lot.

KorynH:  Now I understand why you are so unhappy.  I understand that rippling, especially with saline implants, is much more a problem with saline implants then with silicone.  There is more weight to a silicone implant and it does tend to cause less problems in appearance with women who have had reconstruction.  I now understand why you were told you may lose sensation in the nipple, because they only go through the nipple with a saline breast, not a silicone breast.  I am curious how long your TE was in prior to your exchange, because one of the things that I have learned here, is the longer your TE's are in, the better your results because the muscle has time to hold the shape and not just revert to where it was.  It is your decision of course, but I would reconsider having a revision because obviously you are unhappy with your results.  The state is paying for mine but I am not sure what other options there are in the military. 

Claire:  Welcome and glad you found us over here!  I spoke with you earlier today and it can be a bit quiet over the weekend but I am sure you will get more of a response come Monday if there is anything that needs correcting, if at all.  Whippetmom is the best and can help both you and Koryn, if she wants the help.

My best to both of you!

Mary

MBJ-

Thank you for your help. I have a silicone implant. The rippling is because there is way more skin than implant, but because the implant is under the muscle band, it can't "pull" things down as my PS thought it would.  He seemed to know what he was talking about but now I wonder.  I had my TE's in for 8 1/2 months. I'm not sure how long most people have them, do you? That theory that leaving them in longer and giving the muscle a chance to adapt makes total sense to me but I don't think I could have taken them a day longer. I was very uncomfortable and they hurt. Plus it was summertime and I was so lopsided by the end I couldn't wear a swim suit with it in. My fake breast also looks like its been in a fight, very purplish all over.  It's been a year since exchange was done. The skin is very thin. I didn't have radiation. I think it is because it was stretched too much.  I agree, the correct bra is a must, both for support without impingement and also for symetry and natural look. Without the bra my foob looks like a hamburger bun top.

Oh ladies, you are all such gems.....you guys make me cry and I admire you all so much.

Laura, little beautiful Laura, I am out of a job, and home with my daughter, but I will have to go back to work.....I am here but I always, always read up, even if I don't post.

I guess my perspective is sort of the same as you guys....I am this extremely stubborn person, and after the second time around for me, I just felt exasperated.  I came to this exchange forum early on, as they were talking about what were to me, more positive things.  I had just finished chemo (I had CMF, doable, but not fun, but not as bad as other kinds, certainly) and I just refused to accept that the boob would not look good in time.

I now see her as "mine".  Sure the insides are different, but the outside is still me.  I viewed it as kind of like restuffing the couch cushions, I guess.  I have regained full sensation, and I don't have a nipple, but that too, is temporary.  It has done a number on our sex life, for sure and I am never sure my husband is still attracted or not.  That's been tough.

But we are here, we are healthy, we are alive.  Yes, we have fake boobs.  but our hearts are real and isn't that the bigger deal?  I do get sad about reconfiguring my boob, and going to a foob, but hey, she had cancer.  She needed to get fixed.  I still love her.  And the stuffing is non toxic non cancerous, so I am thrilled to have the choice, rather than the old standby of just taking them off, which to me, was frightening.  I do have friends who chose it and could care less, tho.  Wish I wasn't that superficial, but I am.

Bottom line, the glass for me is 3/4 full.  When I even up the other girl with a prophy, I will feel complete.  Now I feel like a lady in waiting, but I had the choice of a prophy or not, and damn, having a choice in this whole thing feels great!  I am choosing to wait for now.

Getting old is not for sissies girls; we do have more challenges than the average bear.  But we have all made it through.

love you all

annie