Exchange City

Happy 4th!  My date is August 16th.  Be well everyone..enjoy yourselves.  JUDY

Happy 4th!  My date is August 16th.  Be well everyone..enjoy yourselves.  JUDY

Judy -- Wahhooooooo!!!!  Great to hear that about your healing progress -- finally on the way!  August 16 will be here before you know it

Kay -- my BF and I saw TWILIGHT today and loved it! 

Kate and Jerusha -- I too was depressed for the first few weeks... I think it's natural for a million reasons: the come down from the anesthesia, the fact that you are healing YET AGAIN, the pain drugs (which I think can leave you bottoming out for a bit), the expectations, the waiting, everything... but you will feel better... it just takes time.  Even with the best possible experience in the hospital one can feel down.  I think it's really normal.  Feel bad, it's okay; like Firni said we're here for you to share in the pity party.

Happy Anniversary Ms. Lrg and MBJ -- fireworks -- nice

Oh and Kate: call your PS and find out what can be done re: that allergic reaction to the steristrips.  You should not have to suffer anything else!

Judy, What type of infection did you have?  I also had an infection after my bilat surgery.. They think that I had cellulitis. My PS was out of town so I was admitted into he hospital for a week. What a nightmare that was. When he returned and examined me he told me he thought that there was NEVER and infection to begin with just fluid buid up which caused the inflamation and redness. I never tested positive for cellulitis but the infection control doctor told me it was because of all of the anti-biotics in my system that it probably altered the blood test.. Who really knows. I think I will believe my PS because as soon as he went in and removed all the fluid  (another surgery) everything was fine ... Now I am ready to have my exchange next Monday, July 12. Wish me luck and I will keep you in my prayers.. Take care and enjoy the holiday as much as you can.  Jennifer

Thank you Jennifer, and Lilah.. My infection was part of a long series of issues, starting with my exchange to implants when I had radiated skin.  I fought having an Lat Dorsi surgery (I shouldn't have, but hindsight ..)  Anyway it didnot hold, and then, well suffice ti to say I had 4 surgeries in 9 weeks..  I am on the mend now.  By the way cellulitis is very common after this surgery...better to have treated for it, than for it to become systemic...Good luck,  JUDY

Firni-why am I having a TE revision...?????

My PS said at this point if I went in for exchange now, my natural side would be larger than my mx side. I am a uni. My natural breast is a large A/ almost B cup. I am 5"1 and have a small small frame. I have the largest TE my PS could get into my chest at the time of my MX. It is filled to 350cc right now. My PS plan is to put a 400cc in my MX side and a 200cc to augment my natural side. He feels that he could not close the incision with a 400 right now. He told me this may be a possibility for me due to small size/small breasts???? 

That's why I am asking you ladies..I am scheduled for Tuesday..and I want to have two boobies that are about the same size..

Happy 4th everyone...((((HUGS))))

Kate, I'm so sorry that you went thru such an ordeal.  Give yourself some time, what you're feeling is typical of a lot of us, things will get better.  You said "I've been trying to drink lots and lots to flush it out but I feel like a zombie today"  Maybe if you switch from booze to water...  (LOL, trying to cheer you up)

Jerusha, 2 weeks is still early, you'll get there!  Twirl and Curl,best wishes to you for Tuesday!  Judy, Yeah, you have a date, glad you're feeling better!

Muxiclover!!  Yeah, you're almost finished!!  This is the procedure where you will feel so happy after!!

Happy July 4th to all!!!

Kate33 - You might try writing a letter to the CEO, Head Nurse Manager (I forget what they call them, but the top RN) and to the Risk Management department of the hospital. That should get some action. They need to know what happened (it sounds like a cover-up is in action). If you are consulting a lawyer, I would CC him/her on the letters. They (the hospital) also need to know that you will not use their facility in the future. It is well known that those with a negative experience somewhere will tell something like 10 persons, but someone with a positive experience will likely tell no one or only 1 person. The negatives outweigh the positives in affecting hospital. Our public hospital has Risk Management that takes everything seriously and a survey organization that is sent to random patients. They take all of the information very seriously and have frequent employee meetings to go over statistics. One of the stats is the likelyhood of using the facility again and recommending it to others. When that stat. goes down, the employee meetings on how to fix what's wrong goes up.

Judy - glad to hear you are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel to a successful exchange surgery.

Nancy 

Kay -- I love that you did that!  Well sounds like I'm better off not reading the books LOL (if I want to enjoy the movies).  I agree New Moon was not as good as first and third.

Estepp....whatever you or you and Whippetmom decide is fine with me.  I just want to thank you again for organizing this so that we could show our deepest thanks and appreciation for Deborah and all she does for so many.

If we can help someone else at the same time....what could be better than that?

Laura, since it's Deborah's birthday, how about she can make the call for the extra donation?

Thanks so much to you for helping us make Deborah's birthday a little more special!  luv, deekaay

I just want to thank everyone for their support and suggestions of how to handle my medical mishap? crisis? f*** up? last week.  I have been trying to get my thoughts together and am planning on contacting the hospital after the holiday weekend.  I've written down all your ideas on who to contact.  Thank you so much.

Any medical experience is extremely difficult for me as I am a victim of abuse and it is difficult to turn my body over to someone and give them control.  Especially if I am under anesthesia and powerless.  So having anything not go as planned brings up those feelings of not being in control.   

I guess I wasn't expecting these post op blues, either, though it's nice to know a lot of you had them, too.  I guess I had been feeling so great in the weeks leading up to exchange so it just feels like a slide back down the hill.  This morning I looked at my breasts in the mirror and just cried.  Not because I didn't like what I saw but just the realization of the finality of it all.  That what I saw in the mirror was my new reality and my old body was truly gone.  I think I have never allowed myself to grieve through this whole process because I forced myself to stay busy with the mechanics of getting well.  Today I just hit a wall and there I sat all day until coming on here tonight.  Each kind word and post was another rung on the ladder that will take me over that wall.  Only all of you can truly understand what we have lost and what has been taken from us and you will never know how much this site has meant to me.  I wish I could send a huge bouquet of roses to each and everyone of you!

Kate33...you are so right.  Only the women here can really understand.  This site has totally gotten me through the 8 surgeries in 11 months.  You have certainly had to deal with a lot of unfair unnecessary stuff and have every right to be angry.  But it is hard for "outsiders" to continue to empathize month after month when all they want to do is forget about it.  All of us here do care all the time for as long as anyone wants to talk about their hopes, fears, setbacks, successes, aggravations, tears....whatever it is these wonderful women truly care and totally get it.

Thank you to all!  And please anyone who prays...keep praying for us all.  Please everyone also send healing vibes to all facing and recovering from surgeries and for the rest of us in general.

Thank you!