Exchange City

Janleigh: There is no such thing as an intrusion in this group!  We are all in the same boat and support each other equally!  I just woke up from a nap and I am a bit sore, so I just took a vicadan and hopefully I won't fall back asleep while posting!  I am very, very hopeful.  I had excellent dr's and since I am on MediCal, I consider myself very lucky indeed to have the dr's that I have.  My plastic surgeon is tops in his field and also does alot of micro surgery and even re-attaching limbs at the county hospital.  I remember reading awhile back that if you ever lose a finger, LA County hospital is the place to go because all of these great dr's from Norris, where I had my surgeries, volunteer over there.  For the first time in my life I may just be more symetrical then I was prior to having BC.  With all of the gauze, bandages and huge surgical bra, I can't even tell what shape they are.  However, I can peek in above the bra looking down and they look pretty close in size, I just have to get a bit more fat grafting for the step off on my MX side.  Hopefully when I get this bra off I can take a picture of what they look like right when they are unbound.  Please, join in anytime, as we are all here to help you get through.

Karyn:  Congratulations on your exchange.  They went through my belly button to take some fat but because I am still swollen it's difficult to tell if it has done anything.  It does appear to be smooother in that area then before, but I will let you know when it heals.  My dr was going to take some fat from the sides, however, because I had this abnormalty from a previous surgery, I begged him to take that area first and then if we do more he can take the sides too LOL!

MBJ - thanks for the info - I'll be sure to ask what he meant when I see him next week for my follow up appt.  Hope you are having a good recovery.  It certainly gets easier with each procedure.  I'm sort of hoping to need some fat grafting since I have some extra but wouldn't mind being done with surgeries for awhile. 

Karyn

Vmudrow - Good info.... seems like we should all be taking Vitamin E....quite simple, really.  I started it up last week and will continue. 

MBJ - Well, that's good that the non-MX side looks bigger/higher.... I'm a uni too and my non-mx was wayyyyy smaller and lower projection.  I figure, symmetry is tough but best to be bigger on the non-mx side. 

Thanks everyone about the info on Bio-Oil .... will have to get some. 

Pam, think of the pocket in your new breast as a perfect circle with the implant sitting inside of it. If you squish the implant down from the top, it will expand outside of the circle along all sides. This will  push on any scar tissue that's forming.

Pam:  From what little I can see, it seems my PS did a great job of matching them.  I think once I am able to get the nipple done they will be even closer.  I also suspect that they may have to do another round or two of fat grafting so the upper pole is a better match.  Of course, I am still in bandages and maybe after the drop and fluff they will be a great match.  That is what I am hoping for.  Thank goodness my DH says he doesn't care so much about how they look--he is happy if I am happy and he also doesn't want me to be in anymore pain.  Even my nurse was impressed by how attentive he was in the hospital.  I am a very lucky woman indeed. 

Please vote for the picture forum.  Currently, I can't get in there because of the limbo that it's in right now.  Timtam pm'd me and asked me if it was urgent for me to get in there and I said, 'no.'  But I would really like to get in there and look at the pics.  So ... please vote so others like me can get in there and be helped and encouraged!    Thank you!

Can anyone help me?  I just completed my last fill of 475cc with the tissue expanders on each breast having had a bilateral mastectomy last year.  I am 5'3", 108 lbs, Ribcage measures 34".  Style of tissue expanders is 133MV-13, tissue expander matrix - moderate height - Allergan.  Before my mastectomy, I was a 34AA and even at that size, I couldn't fill the cup.  We have decided to go with 400c implants which will be a couple of months from now.  My PS didn't give me a definite size I will be.  I feel like a woman and even better than before!  Can anyone tell me what approximate size I will be with 400cc's?  I just don't want to be disappointed

Iam:  I suggest you go back to the forum index, look for the reconstruction forum, and find these two topis:  Implant sizing 101 by whippetmom and bras 101 by Val61.  You will definitely be more than AA, that I know for sure.

So it has been 16 days since exchange.  I am noticing that my left, radiated size, is a little bigger than my right.  I read my surgery transcript and find out that my left side received 60 cc's of fat, and the right side didn't. I am surprised at the difference.  I am praying it isn't swollen or infected.

I also read in the transcript that my left side got an internal "Ryan flap procedure", which is when your abdominal tissue is pulled up to make a new, lower IMF.  No wonder the left side was a lot achier than the right!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend! 

jkz, if you ever get a hold of that wand, let me know.  My PS doesn't do fat grafting either.  Says it takes too many times and even then the result isn't always good.  I'm going to ask him who will do fat grafts.  Even if he offers, I don't want him to do it.  I had him do origami nipples for me which he normally doesn't do.  Not the best effect.  I wouldn't beg a PS to do something that he/she doesn't do a lot.  The results are not the same as if someone with lots of current experience does it.

Jennifer - I'm glad you are waiting to get the nip reconstruction done later. You need to address your other issues before you get that done. I still find it hard to believe there is such a difference of opinion from one PS to another. Why is that?

Hey Ladies! I meet with my PS for my pre-op visit for my exchange!!! I made a list of questions for him but I am thinking I am not as prepared for this meeting as I'd like to be. I have no idea what size or anything all I know if he is using the Mentor Cohesives, no Alloderm no fat grafting (for now) I was hoping if anyone had any advice or questions I should ask my PS if you could PM me I would very much appreciate it. I feel like there is something out there I am not thinking about and I want to cover as much as possible in this meeting before I am too loopy on Ativan right before surgery.

Thanks!

MBJ glad everything went well. Sounds like you're happy and recovering nicely.

Estepp do I have to worry about LE from my exchange surgery? Is this something I should discuss with PS too?

Good night all!! Hope you're having a great weekend!!

 Diane 

Oh and BTW I found these bras that I think would be perfect post exchange. The brand is Barely There and they are grouped with the strapless bras. I bought at Macy's. They are all spandex and come in black nude and white and they can be worn strapless or with racerback straps. Super comfortable and they have some support no wires and thin fabric, may even be good after nip reconstruction. AND they were inexpensive.

Just thought I'd share my find.

Good Morning Ladies,

My DH and I are back from getting out youngest child situated and ready for his last year in college. He's been working in a different city all summer so I haven't seen him much. I have to share that he was really cute when he first saw me. He told me I looked "really good" and asked if he could begin hugging me again. Of course I said, "Lite hugs please."

MBJ - When is the BIG reveal?

Lot's of exchanges this week. Pleasant dreams and HAPPY SQUSHIES to Almagetty, Cleo100, IrishColeen, Joansf and anyone else!

Maybe this sleeping on the stomach issue is best discussed on the FOOB thread but if anyone has any comments, I'd like to hear them. It's been soooo long since I've had the pleasure of sleeping on my stomach. If this helps the implant and scar tissue coincide harmoniously it would be worth a little discomfort. At least in the beginning! Regarding massage...will we be massaging our foob(s) for the rest of our lives? I did think that once the capsule is created around the implant that there would be no need for it anymore.

Giselle:  I won't know until Tuesday what they look like, but I keep taking a peak from the top.  Left looks like it may have some slight rippling but I am sure after the drop and fluff they will be fine. 

Almagetty:  I have never gone to a dr for anything except female stuff until 4 months before my diagnosis.  I hope you have an easy exchange and a smooth recovery.  Me, all I want to do is sleep right now.  I don't recall if I have asked you this before, are you just doing  the one side and they will try and match your natural breast?  Hugs, Mary