Exchange City

Hi Everyone - checking in after my Exchange Surgery yesterday. Everything went well yesterday, was pampered as usual by all at the hospital, they really are lovely people. Surgery went well, went into the surgery room at 1p, was out at 2.30pm, and then some recovery time. PS decided not to use the original incision line, but instead went in underneath, he was concerned re healing on the original line, due to previous work/infection issues. I dont mind this one bit. I didnt have a bra on, but that was just cos they didnt have one big enough! I was told to use my own when I got home, just a regular soft front fastening one. Everything looks good, feels a lot softer, yet firm. Symetry is great. The only issue I have is Nausea - I havent suffered this in the past, as I either take something before or they give me something during surgery. I was fine till we were driving home, then it started. I couldnt stand the TV, the flickering of it, and the sound. Felt as though I would throw up (sorry) but didnt. I took some Benedryl, and that seems to be working.

I was delighted to hear that everything went well for Joan - yay..happy days!!! And yes, I am yippppeee squisheeee kindof !!! LOL

Joansf & IrishColleen:  Congratulations on making it to yippee squishees!!!!   Joansf:  Glad you are home resting with your feet up--sorry about the drain.  Mine was out in less then a week so I wish the same for you. Irish:  I cannot believe you were in and out so quickly!  That is some service!!  I was at the hospital for almost 12 hours!  good for you!  I never have problems with Nausea either, but part of the reason they kept me in the hospital for so long is I kept feeling like I was aobut to lose it every time I tried to move!  You are lucky they didn't put you in a too small of a surgical bra like they did with me.  I still have the bruise to prove it!

Almagetty:  so glad that your spirits are high and you are doing well.

Vanderlady:  Drop is when they finally drop into the pocket created by the expansion and fluff is when hey relax into their final shape which could take weeks to months of slight changes.

BTW:  I noticed mine were much squishier right out of surgery vs now.  I guess it's because of the swelling?

bonnie:  so sorry to hear of your troubles.  I posted an article detailing using fat for encapsulation a few pages back.  If you would like to see the article, you can PM me and I will send it to you.  Don't give up just because one PS says it isn't possible.  It's just beyond his capabilities so you may have to change dr's to get it fixed.  Gentle hugs coming your way.

OK, my Friends, I need your feedback again.  I posted a few new pictures on the forum in natural lighting which is not that great, but shows me more realistically as I am at 7 weeks out.  The original 4th picture that I included to show my divot, made my foobs look really separated and weird.  Maybe I was trying to stand up too straight?  Anyway, if you would take another look and let me know what you think.  I am so paranoid now with my nips and fat graft surgery a week away on 9/3.  I am worried I was over expanded and that's why I have looseness on my prophy side.  Don't know if I need another size implant (my PS thought not), or if fat grafts will take care of this, ripples, and divots.  Thanks in advance for any feedback.  Hope to get this in before the site takes a hiatus!!  deekaay 

P.S. Deborah, estimate on my size?? Did I make it to a C??

Estepp:  Welcome back home!  I posted all my pictures and my PS did a great job. 

Good morning.

I have not been having a very easy recovery from the exchange.  My PS told my partner something about nipples after my surgery.  So she told me the doctor did my nipples at the same time.  Well the bandages are off and the nipples are so low.  I look like I have ape tits.  I went back for a follow up, PS says no, he has not done nipple reconstruction, he just gathered some healthy skin together and that it will be fixed later.  Then I developed fevers and headaches, back to PS, I have an infection. My incisions look fine but my breast had a pink hue in one area. The exchange was on 8/11 and I still have drains!!  Well, just on one side.  I've been on antibiotics for a few days now and the headaches, fevers and pink hue are gone.  Yay!  Then, this morning I wake up and my drain is leaking all over me from where the tube goes in my breast.  Eww!  I'm feeling discouraged, dirty, my breast look all chewed up, I have ape tit nipples, I'm missing too much work and I want a real shower!!!  Whaaaaa!

Whew, thanks for the vent.

Sunnycoconut:  I am so sorry to hear what you are going through.  I cannot imagine having drains in for that long and having an infection and I have no idea what he did with the gathering of skin!  If you need any help on this, please speak with whippetmom!

Bonnie K--I hope Deborah's and MBJ's posts have some info that can help you, and of course it's always good to get perspectives from other ps's

Coleen--by now I'm hoping your nausea's all better--how are you feeling otherwise?

Sunny--You have a lot to vent about.  I hope you feel better soon and get to the bottom of what exactly the ps did.

I have a QUESTION--I have instructions here to remove my dressings in 48 hours, which would be today.  I started to peek, but then I got a little creeped out.  I have a lift and a new implant on one side, so several incisions, and a drain on the reconstructed side.  I hate to be responsible for this.  I am not Dr. Kildare.  Anyway, did anybody else have these instructions?  did it work out OK?

Thanks so much! 

joansf:  I had mine removed when I had my drains removed which was 6 days after my surgery and I am surprised that they would have you do that yourself!  The remaining tape I have still on  is over the incision wounds and I am supposed to just leave those on until they fall off.  Do they just mean the superficial bandages that are just soaking up any risidual blood from the surgery or the actual bandages?  Also, I wasn't suppossed to shower until 48 hours after the drain was remove.

Almagetty:  How are you doing and how does everything look so far?

 MBJ
Diagnosis: 9/16/2009, IDC, 3cm, Stage IIb, Grade 3, 0/2 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2-

MBJ: Oops! Missed your question to me. I'm doing really great! Except for the bruised feeling at the site of the lipo, I'm actually feeling 100% fine. I think everything looks pretty good for being four days post-op, although my upper pole on the reconstructed side is more full than the natural side, and the lower side is fuller on the native side. I'm hoping for the mythical "drop & fluff" to happen. Patience is not my strong suit. The PS felt after my surgery that I would have very good symmetry. I'll see what he has to say on Wednesday ... 

IrishColleen:  Glad to hear you are doing well.

Joan:  I agree with Irish, call your PS for more info before doing anything.

Almagetty:They stuffed my post op bra with gauze and dressings, same as you!  One of them even looked like a maxi pad LOL!  Funny, I have the opposite of you, I did augment my natural side to match the recon side, but my natural side is higher and my PS put me in a straight jacket kind of compression garment that has a strap at the top to push down the side that's high.  I wonder if they will do the same for you, as this is supposed to give it a more natural droop.  It's hell trying to find clothes that work over the top of it though.  All I can wear is button downs with pockets, not my kinda look at all otherwise it shows

Hi Alma, MBJ and Coleen:  OK--there is ONLY GAUZE!  No steri-strips, which would make me feel like the incisions were protected.  Maybe there is glue and therabond.  I have drains in, so I can't shower.

I've started peeling it halfway off, but I'm getting very weepy and disturbed.  On the side of the lift, there's an incision around my nipple in a circle and another one in a line down to the inframammary fold.  And of course the incision from where the new implant went in.  Am I just supposed to leave that all hanging out?!

Then, I'm worried that if I take the bandages off the reconstructed side, I'll end up pulling away the tape that's holding the drain.  I guess I'll quit while I'm ahead and wait til tomorrow.  But I have come to feel like such a pest at that office.  I had questions right down til they wheeled me into surgery--specfically, would I lose sensation if I had a lift.  (He said only 1% chance.)  I admit there has been a lot of back and forth, I've mentioned that earlier.  But he gave me a lecture about how he could just do the recon and say 'well, there you go...you had breast cancer...that's the best we can do.'  but that to give me a good result, he needed to be able to do whatever was necessary to the natural breast--lift/implant size--to make a symmetrical set.  

And I know I should be genuinely grateful to have a nice result--from what I can see, natural and symmetrical.  But I talked to him over and over about size and how I want to be a C and not D (as I was from earlier augmentation).  Well, I don't know what I am now, but I don't think it's a C.  I knew it would be an adjustment if I did anything 'elective/cosmetic', but these girls look small!!  I want to lose the 10 lbs I gained in chemo, and maybe then I'll look in proportion and I'll be happy.

 Anyway, as I say, I should genuinely be grateful.  I think I need to put this behind me, but I've still got a lot of healing to do.

Thank you again for listening.  I do feel, and maybe you do to, that the rest of the world is like--'good for you, your surgery's done, now get on with your life.'  I don't think anybody wants to hear anything about it anymore.  Thats why, again, it's so good to be able to keep talking with all of you.  xox 

PS--How do you edit this diagnosis line?  I actually had a second ER/PR + tumor and 6 cm dcis, and I'd like to have it say so.  Thanks. 

Thanks everyone for the drop and fluff explanation.  I knew they would drop but didn't know about the fluff.  I was told that my natural side would drop which of course has worried me because I felt they were too low to begin with.  On my natural side, with the augment, they released the muscle at its insertion, so would I still experience the drop and fluff?  Did anyone else have this release done on their natural side? 

Y'all, I'm going in the morning for my exchange!  I'm trying hard to be excited and not nervous!!

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful information!  Especially thanks to you ladies who had your exchanges last week and already sound SO good!!

Jen,

You ARE going to do GREAT !

Deborah, that is a good find on the Lipofill... and rads/implant reconstruction. TY!  If I ever do get CC, I will remember this.

Sunny..... good grief....poor sister!! VENT away.... and that goes for ALL of you needing to LET GO!

Have a great week ladies!

Joan:  What size implant on the MX side did the PS end up using?