Exchange City
Comments
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JKZ, If you can find a permanent makeup artist that takes insurance, I would imagine your insurance would pay. I haven't found any here in Denver. I paid for the tattoos myself. It was still less expensive than my co-pay with my insurance with my PS.
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deekay! I'm a double digit cougar, too LOL!! I shall say no more than that except for the fact that my DH hotly pursued me like no other and it was the best decision I ever made. Good luck with your exchange tomorrow.
adnerb: good luck with your exchange tomorrow also.
laura: you are a crack up--thankyou for always making me laugh!
fumi: you're the best!
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jkz- My incisions were about 2/3 the size of the original MX one. I was sent home with steri strips on the incision and already in a surgical bra that my PS told me to wear 24/7 for 3 weeks and then just during the day for another 3 weeks and a sports bra or equivalent during the night. I did go home with drains and stitches because my PS used more Allorderm but I don't think this is the norm. The surgery itself is pretty short. If I hadn't had the Allorderm it would have been about 2 hours I think so less time under anesthesia which is probably another reason recuperation goes much faster. I was sent home with Percocet and Valium which I only needed for about 2-3 days. She also put me on antibiotics for a week as a precaution. Not sure about swimming with your incisions. I think I would be worried about infection but I would check with your PS about that. Again, good luck!
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Does everyone remember Cool Breeze? She was the one that was in pre-op when her surgeon told her that her exchange surgery was canceled because her implants never came in and then dumped her as a patient saying he didn't want to do reconstructions any more. Well, she is still having trouble finding a surgeon who will do her exchange. She has a new thread called "So frustrated" and I think she needs to feel the love from the EC girls if anyone has time to go over and post.
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Call member services - the number should be on the back of your card. Ask them if they cover mastectomy bras and who is a participating provider.
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Hi everyone, I was on list for sometime in July for nips and fat grafting. This will not take place for at least another 6 weeks, hopefully. I had to go to PS yesterday due to augmented side's incision scar was killing me. PS gave a healing tape to put over scar when wearing bra. This will reduce the scar and help me heal faster. What a relief.
I went to mastectomy store and bought a bra, tee shirt and purchased a set of nipples until my real one is made.
Just felt like posting, can't sleep, it is now 4:55 a.m.
Hugs,
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Thanks for all he input ladies. I do appreciate it and will start making some calls today! Wish me luck. It's so nice to log on and just read and know that there are people who are going through the same thing that you are.. My family is very supportive but talking to you ladies is great because in some way we are all in the same place or have been there. I consider myself lucky since my cancer was found very early and I didn't need any radiation or chemo. When I was diagnosed they saw 4 spots of calcifications and told me that they were all DCIS..only measuring mms. To my surprise and my doctors there was about a total of 7.8 inches of DCIS. I chose a bilat - mastecetomy to be safe and it was a good thing I did because on the pathology report is where they found invasive cancer that measured 4mm and the ki-67 (antigen that shows how fast the cancer is growing) percentage was 47%. My doctor told me anything over 10% in considered to be quite high so I was very smart to choose the mastectomy. I was relieved after I heard this.. I always tell myself no matter what "things can always be worse"!.. Have a great day and enjoy. I will check in with you all later
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Brenda! It's finally time for yippee squishees! Best to you!
Deekay, best wishes for your successful exchange today!
And Jkz, jello shots and massages, the only way to prepare for surgery! LOL! Nice when our kids grow up isn't it! Good luck on Monday, and hoping for a speedy recovery for all of you!
Ronqt, seems there's someone on here 24 hours a day offering support and friendship!
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All the best to you Brenda.....yippee squishees soon!!!!
Cool Breeze..so sorry your still in limbo
Hope you find a wonderful ps soon! Healing and comfort to all,
Laura2
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Thank You Fumi!
I wonder if there is a way that you can make the pictures there where we cannot just right click to copy them. Even though it is safe... could this make it even safer? Just a thought.
Ronqt... I know what ya mean lady!! It is nice to have this forum open 24/7 !!
(((jkz)))
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Hello dears, thank you yet again to Kate, for her kind and thorough posts on the NS procedure.
I am humongous, (DD) so I doubt it, but ya know I have to look into it. I do know that having done this bc stuff two times, I will choose to lose the nipple over keeping it, as I want the prophy mtx done.
I did go to MSK, and the issue was nipple placement, I saw Alexandra Heerdt, one of the top BS there, not the PS, and she didn't reccomend doing it. I actually care less about being crooked, go figure. Anyway, I have the name of a wonderful PS and BS at Yale, and I will look into that consult.
Everyone having surgery next week or today or recovering, you ladies are all in my prayers for safe surgeries, good outcomes and happy boobies.
love you all, have a great weekend.
Kate, if I were you, I'd be sure to read everything you get. They may have NOT included, on purpose, what they gave you, and the records may not show that you had a reaction. But the fact that your dr. is getting involved is the best thing....heads will roll, you may be sure.
Take care darling ladies
Jennifer, NJ, Call the number for customer service on the back of your BC card...they will answer all questions, but be prepared for a long hold time.
and great luck on Monday. I had three surgeries too. Just have your bed nice and comfy, frozen meals, lots of books and videos and tell yourself, "I'm just going to sleep, and when I wake up, I'll be fine".....love to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a much easier surgery. (Barring Kate's experience, which is unusual, and that's being nice). Grrrrr I want to kill those nurses/Drs. myself, I hope your dr. gives them he*** Kate!0 -
I've spoken to a couple of you privately on this forum because I just recently found you all after my exchange. I had my exchange a couple of weeks ago and I think it's just awful. Deborah and Lilah have been nice enough to offer advise, and I've taken it. I'm a uni, and my new boob is so high on my chest that I can't even get a bra to go over it. The bottom of my breast is at least an inch higher than my real one. I went to the PS today and he says that's the way it's going to be because my pec muscle only goes down so far. So I have an appt to see a PS from Darien for a consultation and I'm waiting for one to call and set up an appt from Sloan Ket in NYC. Thank you Deborah and Lilah for help with this.
This forum is unbelievable. I've learned more in 2 weeks than I did in 6 months with my medical team. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
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Just wanted to say Hi, I am one of "Laura's Lurkers" - the shy, sweet kind! LOL
I have been reading this thread everyday since I joined BCO and you ladies have provided a wealth of knowledge as well as several laughs! I don't really post here because I am still in the middle of chemo and my brain can only focus on that right now but I will be back shortly asking for all of your advise regarding my exchange (after chemo & radiation). I just wanted to come out of hiding and say THANK YOU!
mslrg - Please let us know if you are going to be collecting bras for Uganda, I would love to participate!
anniealso - Dr. Heerdt is my BS, I LOVE her!!!!!
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THANKS FOR ALL THE YIPEE SQUISHY WISHES! I AM LEAVING FOR THE HOSPITAL NOW!!! DEEKAY - THINKING OF YOU AND WISHING YOU THE BEST!
Brenda
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good luck to all those who are exchanging this week!!
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Brenda you will be fine I will keep you in my prayers..
Rebecca
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Brenda - Praying for an easy surgery and speedy recovery!
Welcome, Summer 38! We're here whenever you want to talk.....
Kate - So all that stuff happened at U of A in Tucson? My dh did his fellowship there, so we were there for 3 years....youngest son born there, too. Wonder if they'll blame the whole thing on the residents? I will say I had a high-risk delivery there, plus my son was in the NICU, and got great care, but that was 18 years ago....and those things can truly happen even in good hospitals....all it takes is one "bad apple," so to speak.... Glad you got your drains out, though!
Off in another hour to get my tatoos.....I'll let y'all know how it goes.....
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ronqt1- 4:55 a.m.! You are one of our "night crawlers"! Sorry your surgery has been delayed. That can be so frustrating. The tape your PS gave you- is it the kind you leave on for a week or two and then replace with new? That's what my PS gave me. It made a huge difference and seemed to speed up the healing of the scars as well. Also, my path report came back with many more areas of DCIS found as well. It was kind of nice, as strange as that sounds, because I no longer second guessed my decision for BMX.
Brenda/Deekay- Don't know what time your surgeries were but hope you are done and safely back home now. GENTLE (((hugs))) to both of you!
Laura2- Love your puppy picture. I am a dog freak and want to squish his (her) cute little face!
Claire82- I am so sorry your exchange did not go well. We put so much hope and trust that this final one will make everything all better (or at least close). I hope you can find a wonderful new PS that can give you everything you want and more. No one should have to go through this twice!
Summer38- I just wanted to say welcome and hope you will post often. Don't worry about "chemo brain". I swear we all have it from time to time, even those who never had chemo!
mslrg- If you want my old itty bitty A-B bras to donate I'd be happy to pass them on as well. I have a rainbow of colors from VS!!
Hope everything has a wonderful weekend!!!
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Annie -- I hope the doctors at Yale give you the answers you seek. I KNOW you can and will have a beautiful result when you are ready, no matter what you choose
Claire -- keep us posted! I find it hard to believe that you MUST accept what this PS has told you. Too many here have gone back and gotten things like that addressed for you to simply accept his decree.
Brenda and Deekay -- WAAAHOOOOO GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY! Hope you are both already resting comfortably
I know I woke up in recovery to INSTANT comfort (relief from the absence of those damn TEs).Summer -- welcome!
Coolbreeze -- I will check out your other thread but just wanted to say: UGH so sorry you are still not getting what you want/need.
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I am so very disappointed, but am over the initial shock. I could not have surgery because of my rash. PS did not know what it was, and the warm blankets that the nurses put on me made it look so much worse. GP saw me right away, does not know what it was either, but gave me a steroid shot and advised me to use Dove Sensitive and nothing else for 2 weeks even on my head/hair.
Last week I had the beginnings of this rash, and it did not seem to get better or worse, until today. I offered to show it to anyone who was available, but no one seemed to think it was serious.
Today, I still do not know what is causing my rash. My theory? Nerves. We'll see.
Anyway, GP said PS was right in not doing the surgery because of the rash.
My surgery is postponed for August 5.
Brenda
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ohhhhhh Brenda. I am so sorry you've been postponed. Hope this rash goes away quickly and the month flies by.
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Brenda: Man, that sucks. I'm so sorry that your exchange was postponed! I hope that the Dove Sensitive will do the trick. Maybe you should check with a dermatologist also and see if they can help you. Hang in there--August 5 will be here soon.
TCK
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Hi!!- I too am one of the quiet ones on this thread, but I do have a question today... Did/do any of you have one expander appear smaller than the other? I keep asking if there is a leak and the nurse and surgeon both say it would be more dramatic if there was a leak. Wednesday I had a fill and I asked the nurse to put all of the saline in the small one to try to catch up. She did with no problem. Yesterday, they seemed fairly equal, but today, I think they are different again. My exchange surgery is on Aug 11th so I only have another month of this. Any thoughts?
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Brenda, you might want to go to your nearest organic/health food store and get totally organic shampoos and soaps. Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Soap is good and Dessert Essence Organics are good. You can also look on Cosmeticdatabase.com to find products with the fewest bothersome ingredients.
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Brenda- So sorry your exchange was postponed. I know how hard it is to psych yourself to go through yet another surgery even if it is the one we probably want the most. What a disappointment but I guess it is better that they are being safe. Hopefully, the next few weeks will zip by.
SunnyCoconut- Welcome! I had the exact same thing happen with my TE. One breast was definitely bigger towards the end of expansions and my PS said the same as yours. She said if there was a leak the breast would deflate quite dramatically. That said, I have had my exchange and they seem to be equally sized now so I wouldn't worry about it. Glad you posted!
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I had indicated to mslrg that I would be interested in passing along my no longer useful bras to someone less fortunate.
I just received the monthly mailer from SOMA which is a division of CHICO's clothing line and specializes in intimate wear. Most of my pre BMX bras were from SOMA and I wear their wirefree sports bra to sleep in and to swim in everyday. I do however have a number that just don't fit well anymore and most are underwire, which my PS is totally against. Oops, I am rambling here. The point of the post is to say that from July 15-28 they will take gently used and new bras and re-vitalize them and distribute to ladies needing bras across the country and I don't know where else. I did intend to send them to mslrg, but with 2 SOMA locations within 2 miles of my home, that is where I will take my bras. They have so many pretty styles, but most no longer are comfortable for me. Just thought everyone might like to know this info.
Nancy
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Brenda, Have you been tested for West Nile? One of the symptoms is a rash. With a mild case you might not have any other symptoms at all. It's just a simple blood test. Just a thought.
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Kate: Glad you got those drains out without any problem. Such a relief! I wonder if my dr., who loves Alloderm, will add more at the exchange. I so don't want the drains but I so do want him to do a great job!
Claire: I am so sorry you are going through this but I am glad that you are getting help from this site. I know when I went for my 3rd consult before my MX, the PS told me the difference between Allergan & Mentor TE's are that the Allergan ones can be sewn in place. Because I am tall and because I am really active I requested the Allergan so that mine wouldn't move up too far, which is really common with TE's and because I am tall I was especially concerned about them "being up to my shoulders" instead of my chest. I would be very upset if after my exchange I had a huge varience. Best of luck to you on getting this fixed.
Brenda: I am so sorry this is being postponed! I break out in hives on my chest, back and arms when I am reallly stressed out. I hope that it heals up quickly so that you can get your surgery!
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Brenda - awwwwww so sorry the surgery has been moved back... I hope the Dove sensitive soap does the trick. Did you have chemo this time around? I've found that since chemo my skin is more sensitive than it used to be and some lotions that never bothered me can give me a rash now. Anyway I think your PS is wise to err on the side of caution. Hope the rash goes AWAY and SOON!
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Hello...I am new to this thread (a non-creepy lurker!). There is a LOT of information in here! I will be reading all weekend.
I had BMX in Feb. and just scheduled my exchange for 8/30. I am excited, but also nervous about the final result. I'll have more questions for y'all, but for now I just wanted to say HI!
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