Exchange City
Comments
-
Lilah, thanks for your explanation--it helps. I'm tryongnoto panic A CBC isa good idea. I'll ask for one.
0 -
Hello ladies, I have been keeping up on reading everyones posting but haven't posted anything myself in a long time. I just had my pre-op appt last Tuesday and will be having my exchange surgery on July 12. My bi-lat mx was on March 16. Then I had to have another surgery on April 2, to check the fluid on one side to see if there was bacteria present in the fluid because I had cellulitis. Thank god that went away after a few weeks on oral and iv antibiotics. I have been great since that last mishap! I just can't believe my next surgery is 2 weeks away already. My doctor will be using silicone mentor 650cc high profile. Did anyone get information or paperwork on the implants they would be getting. I didn't but think that I would have liked too. My te's are so far apart I am hoping with this exchange they are closer together and that I have a clevage. TE's in bathing suits look horrible! Wish me luck and I appreciate any feedback. Thanks Jennifer
0 -
Ladies-
I have been reading your posts. You are all so inspiring! I finished my Chemo last week and have become obsessed with my reconstruction. Your post have been helpful to me. Prior to this point I never knew what a process this is. I just assumed I would be filled and then have the exchange and be done. Ignorance is bliss! I feel as though I am going to my PS this week with a boatload of questions and hopefully will come away with some of the answers.
Good Luck to those with upcomming surgeries!
Emme
0 -
Valerie: A very happy birthday to you! Wow, 80 people, that's some party and your husband pulled it off without you knowing! You sound like a very lucky woman--all through this I have felt so grateful to have my husband here to help me through this.
All of you having surgeries this week, very good luck to all of you!
0 -
We have 4 beautiful adopted children - yes I still nested every adoption!!!
So I just realized that is some of the same feelings as I get closer to my exchange surgery. Kate33 I think it is normal. I just realized we are adopting new breasts and a new way of life. We need to celebrate it! I decided this morning I need to get back to my positive self.....anyway I can. Tried to find Kate33 protien vitamin drink ...went to health food/work out store. Bought protein shots/B12 shots........now going on line to buy the drink Kate mentioned. We don't have a Cosco here. I will find away back to positive.....not to my old self but to my NEW self!0 -
Thank you ladies for all your comments and encouragment! I'm going to walk in there and fire away my questions!
You all have made me feel a lot more at ease about the silicone implants. Thank you.
0 -
Lilah - love the new pic! You have a beautiful face that shows even more with short hair!
0 -
Kitty -- you are such a sweetheart! Thanks
And how are you feeling? Getting ready for infusion #2? Hope the next one is easier.MsLrg -- I was only suggesting an RBC (red blood count) but hey a CBC never hurts
Glad I helped. I hope that what you are feeling is all normal recovery stuff.Brenda -- I did have an unusually difficult post-op with my reduction. A friend of mine had a reduction and did not have the bruising I had at all... and is rallying much quicker than I did. She also had a little lipo! But not much (just a little under her arms... where her breast tissue was (when the breasts were larger). I haven't seen it but I know from what she has told me she had only minor bruising and swelling. Sigh. So it really is different from person to person. The good news is I feel and look great NOW! And it keeps getting better every day/week. All the discoloration is gone now... and much of the swelling. Onward and upward!
0 -
Congratulations & good luck to all of you having surgery this week!!!
0 -
Hi girls, best wishes to everyone going thru exchanges!!
I loved the TEs at the end of the time in, and I had to wait with them for 6 months, while they did chemo. I was used to them and so afraid I wouldn't like the new and permanent girls.
Well, initially, as we all are, we are e xpecting Baywatch Boobs after surgery. It is surgery, gals and they may look flattish, wrong shape, size, all kind of things. But this is only the first step. Expect to be WAY more comfortable!!! And expect all kind of lovely things to begin happening....in the weeks to come after exchange they will do nice settling in and begin to assume normal shape and appearance. to me, I felt like a kid on christmas, each moring brought a new gift in terms of improvement.
The final product wasn't apparent til about 3-6 months after exchange for me. I did have an extreme recon, and lots of bruising, and many are completely delighted after. The girls will need a settling and "fluffing" stage, so just sit tight and watch the miracle(s) happen. My scars faded to a thin white line under my arm, those drain scars faded, and if there is anyting left, your PS can "flash" it with a laser, and get rid of those too.
I was also so pleasantly surprised by the ease of the recovery and surgery. It's only an exchange, and it's sooo much easier. I love the "nesting" analogy, as in a sense, you are now going to give birth to the new you.
Cancer free, new boobs, and a new life, healthy and strong.Yippee squishee boobies and comfort and lovely outcomes to everyone!!
xoxox
0 -
I'm having difficulty finding a PS who uses cohesive gel (gummy) implants. I've searched the Internet and it seems doctors must be participating in a clinical trial but can't seem to find out if there is anyone in my area who is in participating. Does anyone know if the implants will be approved soon? Or where I might find out which doctors are using them?
0 -
Gail: I know that Tammy Wu, M.D. in Modesto has access or was in clinical trials with the Allergan 410...
http://www.surgerytoday.com/gummybearbreastimplants/
There is Roy Kim, M.D. in San Francisco - he has been in c-trials with the 410s, but I don't think he does any breast reconstruction procedures...but call his office and perhaps he knows of someone who does do recons after bc..
I would suggest you fly or drive to Los Angeles to see either Grant Stevens, M.D. or his partner, David Stoker, M.D., as they are the premiere gummy bear experts in Southern California. They have access to gummy bears by Allergan, Mentor and Sientra. Dr. Stevens is the doctor who coined the term "gummy bears"....I would have one of these doctors look at you and see what they would recommend. Women fly in from all over the world to these two plastic surgeons. Dr. Stoker is the one who does most of the breast reconstruction cases.
http://www.marinaplasticsurgery.com/
The gummy bears are not going to be approved anytime soon...I was told by a PS recently hat his conversation with an Allergan rep is that it could be another two years.
0 -
Wow Deborah -- why on earth are they taking such a long time to approve the gummies? Since they've been in wide use in Europe and Canada for 10 years you'd think that might speed things up. Are there problems emerging as a result of the trials that is delaying approval or is this just the normal span of time (for US approval process)?
0 -
OK, I'll try to keep this post short but just too many people to talk to!
Lilah- Thanks for the reassurances. It really means a lot. After reading the comments on the pic forum am feeling better about my implant choice. I think it will be fine.
Dawne-Hope- Everything Lilah wrote about the silicone is what I learned through research as well. The research from the past was proven to be faulty and that is why the silicone was put back on the market. I am going with the more "gummie" kind of silicone so there's no way really for it to leak. It's more like a solid than a liquid.
As far as having problems asking your PS questions do they have an assistant you could talk to? My PS's assistant gave me her office e-mail address and I could e-mail her all the time. Anything she didn't know she, of course, asked the doctor. This way I didn't need to go in with a 100 questions and it was easier to formulate my thoughts.
Astorm- The stuff above about silicone leaking is addressed to you, too!
deekay- I also had one TE that appears to be bigger than the other even thought they got the same amount of fills. My PS said that natural breasts are the same way. Everyone has one that is bigger. Unless it is hugely off I wouldn't worry about it too much.
deekay, MBJ, Katey, Brenda, and vmudrow- Thank you so much for the well wishes and reassurances. It really helps with the pre-op anxiety. I will probably be back on here tonight but, if not, I will post afterwards with an update. You guys are all so wonderful!!!
Kate
0 -
P.S. White Dove, hurleygirly, Dublin4 and DiDel- Thanks to you, too, for the PM's. You guys are better than Valium for easing the pre-op jitters!
0 -
Lilah: Because it is the federal government approving them! 'Nuff said!
0 -
LOL Deborah -- I should have thought of that
0 -
Oh, Deborah, you are an angel! Can't wait to get home and look up these doctors. Once again, I am so grateful for your kindness and support of everyone here!
0 -
Kate: Why did it never register that you are so lucky to get the gummy bears??!! You are going to look amazing!! I have seen before and afters with this procedure and you cannot tell they are implants. I hope you have a restful sleep (I do melatonin) and I am sure everything will turn out great!0
-
Kate -- you are going to have ROCKING foobs! Good luck tomorrow!
0 -
Oh and Dublin: good luck to you too!!!
0 -
Kate good luck tomorrow, you'll be fine, I was a wreck before my exchange too....I think for me it was about the future, how would I look, would I be ok....the mx was about cutting out the cancer and the past. All the best to everyone having exchanges, nips and the like soon
Kittycat and Lilah love your new photos
I just wanted to mention about the shaving the arm pits conversation a while back (sorry I've been off for a few days). I think Val said she has no feeling under her arms....this does vary from person to person. I was at my ps today and he said there is always a risk that feeling will be lost if certain nerves are cut during the node dissections. I have normal feeling under my arms so shaving is as easy as it used to be...got lucky
I don't have any feeling on the upper mound of my boobage...he said that may come back over time. It is weird how cold the skin is when where there is no feeling...it's only warm if I've been exercising or just crawled out from under the covers in the morning Wishing everyone all the best....still hoping to hear from Shybird
Strength and healing,
Laura2
0 -
Anniealso -- Thanks for that detailed description! It was comforting and informative. I have been on this board about a week in a couple other forums. But my upcoming exchange was the reason I came in the first place. Just took me a while to find you all! I'm planning on my exchange in early September. I'm a little nervous about another surgery (had two in December and January). I also have so many questions, some of which you answered already, like comfort -- I'm happy to know it will be more comfortable! :-) The "scratchy" feeling around the edges of these expanders drives me nuts sometimes. I've also heard that the silicone implants will be a little smaller than the expanders. Are they noticeably smaller? I like the size I am now, fairly close to my original volume. You also mentioned the "squishy" feeling :-D which sounds so much better than these "clay" mounds that are there now.
For a little background on my situation, after being diagnosed last November with early stage 1 IDC in my right breast, I was supposed to just have a lumpectomy in December and radiation in January. While there was no lymph node involvement, my surgeon found a second very small tumor in that same breast. Both had been missed by mammogram and this second one had evaded the ultrasound as well! As a result of multiple sites, she recommended that I get a mastectomy of that breast. After considering the relative INvisibility of my tumors and the terrible experience of the biopsies (positively barbaric!), I decided to spare myself the poking and prodding of my "good" breast and opted for a bilateral, which was performed in late January of this year. I went the same-day reconstruction route with the Alloderm like most of you, I think. Everything went amazingly smoothly and I feel so lucky and grateful to everyone for the aggressive early diagnoses and treatment by my medical team and support from friends and family. Anyway, I'm done with the expander phase of my reconstruction. Now I face the surgical replacement of these saline expanders with silicone implants -- and I'm surprised at how nervous I'm getting! Another surgery - for someone who never had a single one before this ordeal -- is a little frightening. But these expanders are uncomfortable, especially around the edges, and kind of "creepy" to feel, too, being so stiff and hard...
Anyway, thanks again for your post and any other tips you can give me... Sharon
0 -
Kate and Dublin, wishing you both the best tomorrow!!! Yippee Squishies will be yours!! deekaay
0 -
Hi Ladies, thanks for all your postrs of encouragement. I saw my PS today, and the red, sore, scaly, raised rash around my incisions is because I'm allergic to the steri strips. WHo'd a thunk? I had to get them removed today, which was no fun, but they're off now, and I'll put some hydrocortizone, as instruced, later on,
0 -
Ladies... been off BCO for the weekend.. WOW.. catchup
KATE33 and DUBLIN... I see it is YOUR TURNS!!!
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
TE.... they're outta there....
Soft tomorrow is my prayer for you!
0 -
Just had to get one more BCO fix before turning in for the night!
MBJ, Lilah, deekay and Estepp- Thanks for the words of encouragement. I will take them ALL into surgery with me tomorrow. I will post soon!!!
0 -
Laura -- how interesting that you have feeling under your arm but not on the breast mound... I have SOME feeling on the breast mound, especially the inner quadrant... and hoping more feeling will return over time. Anyway WTG on that lucky break with the feeling under your arm!
Mslrg -- OMG if you had said you had steristrips... I'd have guessed that
Well I'm so glad you figured it out... hopefully it will clear up soon. A lot of women have allergic reactions to those things. 0 -
Okay Ladies: I finally figured out how to reduce the size of my pic's on TimTam's site and I called it "The unifoob that could!".
0 -
Hi ladies!!
I just wanted to check in. I am the one that followed Sloan Kettering protocol and did my exchange PRIOR to rads. I am happy to say....so far so good!! Rads is over, my skin has done really well and I am massaging! The incisions show no signs of stress and the implant has remained quite moveable!
I will try to get to TimTam's. I know it helps us all to see the paths others have chosen.
0
