Exchange City

Claire:  thank you!  I still look a bit like a dog took a bit out of my underarm area, but it's better then when it was hanging down, I suppose!

Almagetty:  If you PM me I would be happy to share, as you are a uni also!

MBJ the pictures are beautiful! 

BTW:  They are soooooo soft!  I could just play with them all day LOL!

Whitedove:  Thank you so much.  Relief and exhilaration is exactly how I feel.  Not completely whole yet, but even the thought of having the ablilty to soon wear a normal bra or to not have to disguise myself with clothing or use prosthetics is just huge!  They just feel like natural breasts to me, really tender breasts, but breasts all the same.  Congratulations to both of us and to all of you having your exchanges this week, it is worth the wait!  Yippee Squishees for all of us!!!

So MBJ, sent you a message on the forum.  Looking good!!!  It is so good to get rid of the alien TE and move on to the land of squishies.  Such milestones in our lives we never could have predicted, right?

Cleo and Almagetty, tomorrow's your day, best of luck for a smooth surgery and great outcome!  deekaay

MBJ - YAY!!!!!!!!  I'm so happy for you.  I can't get on the picture site either, but from all I hear ... you look great!  When I woke up in recovery, I couldn't keep my hands off of mine ... I kept saying over and over, "They're so soft."  I think the nurses thought I was a nut!  LOL!  I can't stop smiling ... so happy for you! 

OK everyone, I am going to have a little rant right now, so feel free to look away-

So I saw my PS today 9 weeks after exchange and talked to her because I am having a lot of rippling.  She said it's because my skin is so thin and there's nothing she can do.  She said the ripples are the actual implants underneath the skin.  To demonstrate she picked up a silicone implant and held it up by the end and you could see all the rippling down the sides.  She said implants were designed for augmentation where they're covered up with breast tissue not for reconstruction.  She said even though she used more Alloderm on me the rippling can still occur and can be permanent.  Even though I understood her explanation I was still upset because this was the first I was hearing about this.  She said maybe in a year she could go back in and add more Alloderm and it might (might?) work but she's never done that before, and it would be one more surgery and she didn't even know if insurance would cover it.  Then she couldn't understand why I was upset.  She actually said to me, "I should show you some pictures of some other women who have been really disfigured by their MX and you will feel so much better about your results."  I was speechless at her insensitivity.  So what I don't understand is when someone goes in for augmentation they're all concerned with the aesthetics afterwards and that's ok.  But because we've had breast cancer we're not allowed to care about how we look and should just be ever so grateful to be alive?  They voluntarily chose to have augmentation.  We never chose this. I'm not as upset about the rippling as I am about the fact I was never told that if it happened it could be permanent because of my thin skin.  Just one more thing to add to my imaginary book I'm writing in my head called "1001 Things Your Surgeon Will Forget To Tell You About When You Have Breast Cancer".  (There is also a sequel called "1001 Things Your Own Surgeon Doesn't Know About Breast Cancer".)

(ok, my rant is over.  we will now resume normal programming.....) 

Funny reading about everyone so excited after their exchange.... I was disappointed and crying that they were too low and hanging too much (of course, my PS doesn't believe in bras). 

 Kate - When I twice followed up with him and cried more, his comment to me was, well you never had boobs before, right?  Then he said well, if you're not happy, we can always take them out and then try again in 2-3 years.  How about that for insensitivity?  In fact, just got my reports and it's even in there... black and white.  Well, I'm deciding between 2 other PS and I'll see a new one tomorrow... wish me luck.  Thanks to everyone on here, I have a much better understanding of everything and have lots of questions. 

Cleo -- I too had my mx on Jan 5th. Good luck tomorrow.

Almagetty -- Good luck to you too. Post when you can.

vanderlady- She did the Alloderm sling when she placed the TE's and then additional Alloderm around the entire breast during exchange.  I have no problem about how she did her job.  I think she did everything possible.  It was the feeling that I wasn't allowed to be upset about the final outcome, not even for a second, because I had BC.

MBJ....Just checked out the forum.....you look great!!!!  You must be thrilled.

Kate33.....So sorry you are having issues.....you have every right to be upset.  

Good wishes to all who are have surgery this week.  

Pat

Kate -- sorry to hear about your rippling and the exchange with your PS. You have every right to be upset and you shouldn't let the PS discourage you. She sounds a lot like my (former) PS. I was so upset about rippling and asymmetry I could hardly stand it but when I went in for my last office visit, PS told me I looked great. I told him I was not happy and he reacted as though I was being ungrateful. He reminded me that they are "completely fake!" ... like a what-did-you-expect? attitide. If I hadn't already gone to another PS for a 2nd opinion I would have been devastated. He also told me that insurance would not cover a revision because it was not necessary. The new PS didn't criticize the work but thought a revision would help. I'm going in next week to replace the foobs with larger, silicone implants (currently have saline which ripples badly) and she's going to try to get them on the same plane and the same size. My insurance company didn't reject the preauthorization request. I don't know how this is all going to turn out but I am not ready to give up. In fact, if I couldn't find someone to help me I would have probably started over with a flap procedure instead of implants -- still might if the revision doesn't help.

Aw Kate so sorry you had such a lousy meeting with your PS.  You know: this is just ONE doctor and she (he?) did a good job saving your nipples.  Maybe now you need to consult with a PS who specializes in fat grafting?  My understanding is that others have had satisfying results in diminishing the rippliing and divot issues with fat grafts.

Alma and Cleo -- good wishes for an easy surgery tomorrow and wonderful results

Kate - Has your rippling become more noticeable as the weeks have passed since your exchange? We both mentioned this issue a while back and I was curious if you were seeing more than before. I don't understand why these types of issues are not discussed in the physicians office BEFORE any surgery. I do understand that augmentation is a different animal from reconstruction. Thin skin is a big problem for us BC girls. Do any of you know if skin thickness can be measured prior to surgery? I wasn't told about the problem till after the TE surgery.

jkz - I agree with what you just said and I am happy that you are softening up. Ripples do show up when I bend down as well. I have been practicing how to present myself during certain "activities", if you know what I mean. 

kate~ nope still no date =( I will let you all know soon as i get it though=)

MBJ~oh gosh yes you had your exchange!! how are you feeling?when do you get unwrapped?

xxx