Exchange City

I think the rippling shows up as the swelling goes down (though I don't have any so I don't know for sure).

Jennifer -- that is GREAT to hear!  I'm betting the firmness at first was due to swelling that is now going down.... glad they are softer and that you are liking them more!

My implant on my right side is under muscle and I still see some rippling. I had some pocket work to tighten up that side, which seemed to help.

I went for my one and only fill on the left radiated side today. Scheduled the exchange surgery for September 22nd. Ironically, I got my BC diagnoses on September 23,2008. My first exchange surgery on this side was October 2009. This has all dragged out much longer than I ever imagined.  

Texas:  I truly hope that it all works out this time.  My anniversary of finding the cancer was around the same time and here it is a year later and I won't be completely done with the recon until 6 or 9 months from now.  As long as we are cancer free, I guess time is the price we pay.

Kate:  Just ordered the cream from DermetRX.  I will let everyone know if it works!

 I was thinking about what you said about the ripples moving, and maybe this is why it has to be done a few times before it works.  Filling in slowly a bit at a time until it creates a nice, thicker looking skin without rippling.  I know whippetmom had this done but I can't remember if it completely fixed the ripples or not.

Well speaking as one who still has one real boob - the gummy, which I have, is only a little firmer than my real breast. 

Hi Ladies-

Just checking in...I have been away for a couple of weeks and  when I got home I moved out of my home...I have the SafeNet Ministries house in our town for three months, so I can heal...

I am going in for my last fill on Monday!  I can't wait till I can have my exchange surgery.

Emme

Kate:  I so wanted to save my nipple but at least I have one real one for them to try and match!  I hope that cream works and I so agree with you.  Whenever a dr doesn't perform a procedure, they say it doesn't work or it isn't any good.  I know that I wanted a dr who performed Alloderm, fat grafting, nipple sparing (though that one didn't work out) and who did micro surgery.  There are only a handful who do it all and do it well.

My PS thinks of the fat graft procedure as the planting of fat stem cells, not just transferring fat.

Hi Ladies...

 I'm hoping to check in as I start the count-down to my exchange on Friday.  Only you know what this has been like...The expander digging into your side...the nerve pain (if you have it--just like raw nerves on my chest)...waking up with an aching back from the weight of the expander and the compression of your ribs and the stretching of the muscle.  For the uni's, the falsie.  I had a NuBra, one of those squishees that stick to your skin for going bra-less.  I cut them apart and used one on the mx side until one day it got so big I had to put it on the opposite side.  I can't wait to throw those away (at least I hope I can throw them away!)  It's been so hard to be so lopsided and to try to camouflage it--sometimes just for my daughters' sakes because I was worried they'd be embarrassed.  And for me, obsessing over what to do to my native breast, since I wanted to actually switch out an implant from an earlier cosmetic augmentation--I thought it was too big.  But to change it means I need a lift, and I'm worried I'll lose all sensation.  

Also, my ps's bedside manner.  The e-mails that went unanswered; the ones to the NP that took two days to answer.  I know they're busy, but I can have a blackberry conversation with my ob-gyn, my oncologist, her NP, and my onco-surgeon.  They're all busy too, but they don't make you feel foolish ignoring you.  

 And I'm dreading drains.  I had two last time and one stayed in for three weeks--three weeks of bird baths and semi showers. And begging for pain meds like a pill-seeking junkie.  "Yes, I got cancer so I could score some vicodin."  I remember lying in the recovery room, crying from the pain, and actually hearing some one say, 'of course you're in pain you just had surgery.'

God help us.

... Now, to shift gears and catch up a little on this lively conversation! 

Irish: you mentioned your family's attitude about the b/c.  My mom would complain to my sister, that hearing the details of my treatment--lumpectomy, mx and chemo--was 'creepy' for her.

Lilah--I know I belabor this, but on your native breast when you had the reduction, did you have a lift?  Do you have sensation in your nipple?  

 MBJ and deekay--I have access to the picture forum, and I put your names in search, but it doesn't turn up your pictures.  Can you walk me through how to do that search?

Also, how do we vote?  And I'm not entirely clear on what the vote is.

 Almagetty and Cleo--I hope your surgeries went well, and that they're made you very comfortable pain-meds-wise, if necessary, and that you've had something good to eat after such a long fast!

Artsy--thank you for sharing how you got symmetry.  It sounds very pretty!

 Kate--I didn't know about the problem with rippling.  But you do a very clear job of describing it, and I want to clarify:   are your implants under the muscle and the rippling still shows?  I guess I thought the muscle was so thick and hard it would hide that, but as I say, this is the first I've heard of this.  I guess it's the TE that's thick and hard.

And to jkz, for your quip about practicing how to present yourself for 'certain activities'--I love it!!!

 Thank you so much for letting me share.  This forum is so wonderful  I haven't been on much, but I read all the time, and it's a comfort just to know the conversation is going on.  My friends are a wonderful support, but they cannot help me with this.  Only those of us who have been through it.  It's so surreal sometimes.

Good night to all.  And love and light.

Good luck Ladies having surgeries this week, hope your recovery goes well!!!!!

MBJ glad to hear your exchange went so well and you are happy with your results!! CONGRATS!

Kate Sorry for your experience with PS  

I went for my pre op with my PS yesterday and left in tears. I am so nervous about how I will feel about the results. I have rippling from my TE and my PS told me I would have it from the implant as well. He too said it was because my skin was too thin. When I asked about fat grafting he said I didn't need it NOW; he said once things settled we would talk about it later.  I have to say  I think my doc is the best, he called me later in the day to make sure I was ok and to reassure me that I would be happy and if I wasn't he would do whatever was necessary to make me happy. He said that was his goal.  With everything we have to deal with a doctor's insensitive remarks are inexcusable.  

Anyhow, as the days go by I have such mixed emotions of excitement and dread. I want this TE out of me but I just want to wake up one day and be pleasantly surprised that the boob fairy stopped by.

Good night ladies,  

Diane

Joansf:  You must be so excited!  I had some problems navigating in the beginning and just blamed it on chemo.  When you go to the picture site, go to the home page and scroll down until you see Under Construction.  Click on this and scroll past the first how to posts and you will see all of the posts, with their name towards the right, and I just click on each individuals thread and I also click All so i can read and see everything.  It can be a busy site, so you may have to also go to the bottom and click all so you can go through the many threads.  when I first signed up I think I went through all of the pictures several times, at least the uni's.

If all else fails and you still can't figure it out, pm me with your email address and I will send you my pictures!

hereandnow:  It took me awhile before my PS who prefers natural looking breasts was on the same page with the size of implants I wanted.  I told him, look, I am 6' tall and I have a large rib cage and my clothes will only fit if we go up in size because I have the body of someone petite but I am forced to wear large.  I don't want stripper breasts, I do want more then what I have now and matching my natural breast that is smaller then the one I lost would result in me being smaller.  My hips are 39" and my breasts should at least be that big!  I did get what I asked for and my clothes do fit better and my husband is happy that I am now very proportionate (even though he loved what I had before).  He was just afraid I was going to stop traffic with my huge breasts but no one even gives them a second look!  They are very natural looking.

Joansf - I had a lift AND reduction and I have feeling - a lot of it actually (almost too much!)  PS said that when the breast is reduced like mine was the shortened nerves can have MORE feeling.  It's getting more normal now, three months post surgery.  I was told I did have a chance of losing the feeling but was lucky I guess and did not. 

Hi everyone! Well, my surgery was yesterday and it went very well. The surgery lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. My PS did a lot of pocket work, removing scar tissue that had formed under the TE so that the implant will be able to drop and be on the same plane as my left, natural breast. I have very little pain. The discomfort that I do have is from the small area that he did some lipo on.

Cleo: I hope your surgery went well, also, and that you're resting and healing.

MBJ: Thank you for sharing your pictures. You look amazing!!  

Kate and Astorm, Following my one step I also had rippling when I leaned over and tried to open a lid.  I thought it was the muscle showing pressing into the implant, not the implant itself.  This was resolved when I revised to a larger implant.  Astorm regarding your PS comment on what do you expect they are fake, well I was under the impression the PS has an easier time with symetry with  a bmx starting from scratch so to speak.  Being that they are "fake" I would expect them to look more perfect than the real boobs that have breast fed got saggy etc. 

Kate, I would get that second opinion, your PS is basically saying this is all I can do.  We'll see about that!  It does upset me that the opinion is we should settle because "at least we have breast", even my husband thinks that way regarding improvements.  Its not like we are seeking playboy bunny bodies.  I feel if it bothers you enough to write about it, than it needs fixing.  My guideline for myself is when I ask the question, would I be embarrassed if in a bathing suit or taking my shirt off in front of someone other than my DH.  I don't want to be self conscious the rest of my life , why settle. The ripples will bother you try to get a resolution to this.