Exchange City
Comments
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Brenda - many congratulations to you! So glad you are pleased and are feeling well
Kate - best wishes to you, and sorry to hear about your headaches.
SunnyCoconut - I had my exchange back in February, so I'm not on EC that much anymore. Just know that your PS can work miracles no matter what your TEs look like now. I looked completely different after my exchange surgery than I did before - there was no connection b/w the old TEs and the new soft foobs. Good luck to you.
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Hope everyone had a great weekend. I got a massage (my first since MX!) and it seemed to help quite a bit with the headache situation. Have always had problems with my neck since an old car accident, add stress from BC and it's a perfect storm. I'm going to go check my blood pressure today and see what's going on there.
Good luck to those having exchanges this week- SunnyCoconut, Whitedove- anyone else? Hope the road to Yippee Squishees is smooth and uncomplicated. I'm thinking we should make some kind of crazy modern art sculpture from all these abandoned TE's!
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Kate: A massage--how lovely! I have all sorts of neck and back problems, so it is wonderful to get a little pampering now and then. I agree with you, we are under so much stress--it's a wonder we aren't all complete basket cases, but you do keep your sense of humor: Modern art sculpture from abandoned TE's! LOL!!
Sunny: You must be counting the hours! I am right behind you coming up next week! Yay!!
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Haven't been on this thread in a long time, but just wanted to let anyone who wishes - I posted pics tonight on the pic forum of my healed nipples.
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Good luck and sweet dreams to everyone who is having their exchange surgery this week!
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Getting Nips tomorrow at 10, and I am so nervous. It's been 3 1/2 months since my exchange, and I'm not looking forward to going back to surgery. It will just be done under local which is a very good thing not to have anesthesia again, but I'm not too excited about being awake for it. I want to just get this over with, and I know I will be glad I did it. I saw my BS last week for a check up, she said you know you don't have to get them. I told her how I had heard from so many people how it makes them feel/look much more "real". She said, you mean you don't want Barbie boobs. I thought that was so funny. I had never thought of them that way, but now every time I look at them, I think of that. I will be very happy when it is this time tomorrow, and it will be over.
I hope everyone is well and had a wonderful weekend.
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boromom- best of luck 2morrw! I have yet to get my nips so I can't wait 2 hear about it. Good luck !
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Best to all having surgeries!!!
Sunny, an extra bonus is getting the port out, too! I loved having that disappear from my chest!!
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Such good luck for all procedures this week!
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Hi, Ladies...
I am scheduled to have my exchange surgery TOMORROW MORNING!!!!! Yeah!!! I am soooo happy to have this TE removed (only had a single mx....haha, did I say ONLY???) --- anyway ... I will be thrilled to say "bye-bye" to this high-sitting, hard TE and hello to my silicone implant! I am a bit scared, too ... hate surgery....period. I hope my surgery goes as well as some of yours .... not looking forward to the nausea from the anesthesia, but it is a small price to pay for my (hopefully!) last surgery! All of you are amazing women ... and I can't thank you enough for helping me through this journey!
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boromom- Barbie boobs! LOL! Hope all goes well with your nip surgery tomorrow.
joyko- Wishing you well with your exchange, too. I wasn't looking forward to mine, either, but the good news is the surgery is shorter so less anesthesia so hopefully you won't be as nauseous this time. There seems to be a lot less pain afterwards, too. And soon you'll be back home with your yippee squishees!
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Good LUCK Boromom and Joyko....hope everything goes well for you both!!
Diane
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Boromom: I am so excited for you! Good luck tomorrow.
Joyko: I am a Uni also! I have my exchange a week from Thursday. Are you having only one side done or will you match with an implant on the other side? Good luck tomorrow!!!
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Goodluck tomorrow joyko! It is a short sweet surgrery! When you get your bandages off don't look very often....It has been a week since mine and I already have a lot of change. Kate33 told me walk away from the mirror....it really helped me.
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Hi All!
I'm really glad to be able to check in here and see how everyone is progressing with their reconstructions.
Thank you all for sharing your stories!
I've got my pre-surgical appt with the PS this Friday - my TE surgery is scheduled for Sept 9.
I've already met with him twice - 1st consultation right after chemo, 2nd right after Rads to check my skin and set up a surgery date.
I'm going to ask him about stopping Tamoxifen before the surgery but I'm wondering what else to ask?
He's already suggested to me the gummy bear implant on my MAST side (left) and a lift on my right. No idea of size but I guess I'll ask him when I see him on Friday.
I want to stay the same breast size I was before this all started (36C) but I'm a bit overweight right now (ok 20lbs) and I worry that I'll be lopsided again if I have the surgery now and then lose weight.
Years ago I enquired about a breast lift and was told that a small implant would be needed to maintain my size after the lift but this PS is not planning to put one in on my natural side.
I'd love to hear how others have done with just one implant on the MAST side.
Thanks!
Marie
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Thank you everyone for your good wishes! I can't wait!
deekaay - I agree. I am almost as excited about getting rid of that port as I am about getting softies. That port gives me the creeps everytime I accidentally touch it but I am glad I had while I needed it!
Joyko - good luck with your softies too! Tell them to put an anti-nausea patch behind your ear. It really helps. I have a LapBand and it is very important that I don't have any nausea. Getting sick could cause the band to slip which requires surgery to correct. So they always put anti-nausea meds in my IV and the patch behind my ear. No nausea!
boromom - Good luck to you! That will be my next thing to look forward too. Have to keep good things on the horizon!
Have a great day! I can't wait. Did I mention that I can't wait?!
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Good morning Ladies I am not sure if I posted it here that I went to a second opinion PS this past week and fell in love with him lol.
I will be scheduled for surgery in the next 2 months. He is backlogged because he does really good work.
Hopefully there will be a cancellation so I will get in sooner. I will be having fat grating to the left side to help the step off deformity and he will do some pocket work on the left side as well to put the implant where it belongs.
Good luck to all of those who are having surgery today
Hugs,
Rebecca
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Rebecca -- that is great news!
Marie -- I'm a uni too with a gummy on the MX side... had a lift and reduction on the other side. I told my PS I plan to lose weight to she left me slightly larger on my reduction side (which was helped by the bleeding and resultant swelling I had post-surgery... in other words I'm still healing from that but I think the bleeding I had was unusual). I am very pleased with the symmetry.
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Lilah, hows the hair growing? I am thinking about cutting mine all off...
Who knows... I sure like short and spiky all over.... but two yrs ago Todd cut 17 inches off my head...lol... so I feel.. I should grow it long ONE MORE TIME... 'cause I ain't gettin' any younger...0 -
LOL Laura -- my hair is growing slowly! I just had it cut last week too because it was looking like someone had buzz cut it and it was growing out (which is what it was). I went to my stylist and said "please no more buzz cutting"! It looks cuter now... a little more shaped. It's about 2 and 1/2 inches long... not sure a photo would capture the difference though. We'll have to wait and see how it looks in October!
I must say I don't mind having short hair at all... it looks cute and it's easy! I too have the "intention" of growing it long again (17 inches, Laura, wow!) - but not sure I have the patience to live through the ugly growing out phase.
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Rebecca, it's common to fall in love with your PS--just ask Kimberly, LOL! Or me, actually.
Well sisters, tomorrow is my two year cancerversary. For those of you still going through revisions, and especially those of you still sporting your "turtle shells", it is worth it. I love my "yippee squishy" girl, and my more-bodacious-than-she-used-to-be natural girl. Actually, I look better in clothes now than I did before, because (thanks to my wonderful PS) for the first time in my life, I am symmetrical!
Two years ago, after my diagnosis, if someone had told me that anything good could come of having cancer, I would have either (a) cried, or (b) laughed in their face, depending on my mood at the moment. Two years down the road, I can tell you that I did receive something good from having cancer (and no, I'm not referring to bigger boobs, although I do love them...). I grew up with only one sister. I now have sisters all over the country, who understand me when noone I knew pre-bc is capable of understanding me, or the emotions we all go through. The understanding, and the love, we feel for each other, is the greatest gift of all.
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Ditto - big time
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Rebecca- So glad you found a PS you love! I hope they can give you the results you deserve!
Lilah- They say to take folic acid to make your hair grow faster if you decide you do want to grow it out.
NVDiane- What a great post and so true! I love all my new sisters!
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Kate -- thanks! I will add that to the vitamin regimen.
NVDiane -- beautifully said!
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Hey everyone- just posted new photos 7 weeks post exchange on the picture forum. Would love some feedback. Kind of feel like my nips are too low. (I know, I should be happy I still have my nips, but.....) Anyway, just wondered what you think and if you think I'm still dropping and fluffing. Did anyone have Alloderm stitches and did the scars from those go away because mine are still pretty red. Thanks!!!!
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NVDiane.....I agree 100% with your post. I only have one brother - and the 'sisters' I've met on this board are absolutely the best!!! When you feel that there is no one around to talk to, cry with, vent, laugh with, or simply someone who 'gets it' --- all of you are ALWAYS here!!! Many thanks to all of you!!!
I had my exchange surgery this a.m. SunnyCoconut, I did ask for the patch (thanks!) and so far, the nausea has not been as bad as when I had the mx. They gave me meds in the iv, too --- still not feeling 'fabulous'....I think the Percocet is making me feel 'blah'. I hope tomorrow I can switch to Motrin and forget the drugs!
The PS did put in a smaller implant on my 'good side' --- symmetry!!!! I hope they look ok --- now I am scared for the 'unwrapping' tomorrow!!! Hope4Future and Kate 33....why should I not look very often? Please prepare me before the unveiling .... now sure now what to expect!
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joyko- My experience after exchange was they looked kind of "smushed" for lack of a better word. I kept obsessing about it even though EVERYONE told me it can take a few months for your breasts to take on a more natural shape. I just kept thinking they looked like lumps. The more I looked the more depressed I got so I finally had to tell myself to back away from the mirror and let them settle.
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I now have nipples - Yippee!! The surgery wasn't bad at all. I had my ipod and talked to the nurse and PS through it all. He gave me at least 8 shots of numbing stuff and those didn't even hurt. There was just a lot of pulling and tugging and sewing. I felt like the Thanksgiving turkey after it gets stuffed!!!! The thing that will be a pain is keeping the dressing over them for the next week and a half. You can't have any pressure on them, so you cut a hole in gauze or maxi pads(much cheaper), lay it over the nipple with more gauze over and then tape it to your body. Not fun when it's 95 out. After a couple of days, I'm hoping to really loosen the straps on my bra and put it on to keep the dressing in place. Val, I remember you and Deborah talking about this. I would appreciate any helpful hints.
Kate, I'm going to look at your pics now. I hope you are feeling better.
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NVDiane - Lovely post! I couldn't agree with you more. Thank you everyone for your support. I hope we all end up with as great in outcome.
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NVDiane - Lovely post! I agree with you wholeheartedly. Thank you to everyone. I hope we are all in the same place you are in, two years out.
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