Exchange City

sweetie- My PS said she doesn't like to do the fat grafting because sometimes it doesn't always give a uniform appearance and can harden into lumps.  I've heard of others who do, though, so am wondering if anyone truly had their rippling issues resolved completely with fat grafting.  Starting a new thread might not be a bad idea!

Emme:  Yay for you!  Just in time for the holidays!!!

Kate:  Welcome back!  i just returned from vacation, too!  Hope it was a nice one.  I have the rippling, too, when I bend over or when I move a particular way.  I was advised to just not bend over and walk away from the mirror LOL.  My PS does plan to give me more fat there.  Guess I better regain those last 10 pounds so he has something to work with!

Lilah:  Thanks for filling in re Holly's question on the saline.  I forgot that for larger women the only choice is saline.  I thought that I wanted saline until I did the research.  Very personal decision for sure.  I am thinking that the bikini line would be great because you don't see although I hear it hurts quite a bit as it's so tender there!  My dr. only said origami so I may have to go elsewhere for the fipple .  I really don't want to do this, as I love my dr.

MFROG:  I am so glad you are happy.  I am 59 and thought I would be happy to be a 36C.  I used to be a D.  I have high profile Mentor filled to 475cc.  They are soft but not real looking.  Do you think the gummies make a difference? 

Best of luck to you.

I went with saline..my PS said I'd be happier with them as far the look I wanted to achieve ..basically projection. he also said if i wanted to swap them out I could, although I would have a new scar on the augmented side. I think they look great..they feel hard and don't move..but I am only two weeks out. I am sure they will change quite a bit in the next few weeks

Lila and Jerusha--  I have been to 2 LE certified PTs,  I've been to a physiatrist, hand surgeon and my PCP and Onc.  The swelling in my thumb and palm just below my thumb have not gone away. Ever.  Not with massage, not with compression.  not with diuretics.  Nada.  They have been swollen since my second chemo (Jan. of 2009).  My left foot is a different story.  When I go to bed, the swelling goes down.  During the day I have to wear a toe cap and an open toed compression sock.  The swelling is only in my toes and up thru the ball of my foot.  After almost two years and SIX doctors and PTs of trying to get someone to do something I have given up.  I just hope there won't be some crippling long term effects of being swollen all the time.  My biggest problem short term, is finding shoes that I can wear on two different sized feet!  

 On the subject of waking up during surgery, I did wake up during the nip surgery.  I remember raising my head and seeing PS sitting on my right side.  I asked him if my nips were beautiful yet.  Everyone was yelling "don't move, don't move."  Then I was asleep again.  Could be that he was cutting, but I didn't feel anything. At any rate, the look on PS's face was priceless.

Estepp, I feel your pain too.  I really do.  I went to your LE rant thread and it made me cry for you that it is affecting your career.  Your livelihood.  I would love to hear that there is a cure.  But I don't think it will be in our lifetime.  You know they will never have a "5K walk" for LE coz no one with LE can walk 5K.   That was bad humor, but true.     Brownies under the bed, sister.

Laura -- I haven't seen your LE "rant" thread as Firni calls it but I will look for it.  I am so sorry to hear of that you are still dealing with this... I have to say I thought you looked great (no sausage arm!) in LV. 

Firni -- I am sorry to hear of your suffering too!  It really is just ridiculous that you can't get the help you need.  And all I can say is WOW about waking up in surgery!

MBJ -- my PS always told me origami -- always.  But when I last saw her I simply said: gosh I don't see how you are going to make a nipple from this breast!  The skin is pretty tight!  And she said: you're right -- I think you are going to need a graft.  So you should really just ask.  

I just looked at your Grrr thread Laura and I send you my heartfelt caring and hugs for this horrible legacy... I read the posts there from others who are suffering as you are; it sounds so awful.  Wishing I had a magic wand I could wave over you to take it away (for what it's worth).

Hugs!!!!!!

Wishing all of those who are having exchanges this upcoming week happy thoughts!

Dawne,  I would schedule a nipple pre-op early in Nov.  Ask your PS the questions you asked here. Find out how much skin he'll need to use.  Ask him about the tightness.  Get some stick on nipples or even round band-aides and show him where you want the nips.  Do that on surgery day too.  Ask him when is the last time he did graft nipples.  If it's been a while, ask him if he has a colleague that can do a graft if he doesn't.  And let me tell you, if he hasn't been doing grafts he most likely will not do the best grafting for you if he says he'll do it for you.  I would hate for you to cancel the surgery because you have questions.  If he doesn't give you satisfactory answers, tell him you will postpone the surgery and then find someone who can do the type of nipple you want.  Geez.  Just come right out and ask him who is good at graft nipples.  You will have them do the nips and then continue with your original PS for long term follow up if you really like him.  I've been more and more candid with my PS and we have a pretty good relationship.  This is how I got the name of the 3rd PS who will do my fat grafting.

(((Laura)))))):  I am so sorry that you are having to deal with this.  It could happen to any one of us and I so hate that it's you.  Before I had surgery, half the women in my support group had it and they had it pretty bad.  All of these women were in their late 20's and early 30's and it truly breaks my heart that there isn't more to be done for it.  Mine is only in my right hand and I don't know if it was from chemo or surgery because it started in much later then both.  Hoping it doesn't spread to anywhere else.  Big, big hugs!!!

Dawne - I would definitely get an pre-op meeting with PS before you decide to go ahead with this surgery.  My nips were done with the skate flap procedure and aerolas were grafted from skin from my abdomen. I had purchased fake nipples that stick on through Amazon.com and really liked the size so I brought them with me on the day of surgery to show my PS what I wanted. He did use them as a guide when he was doing his markings and put them in his pocket in case he had to refer to them during the surgery.  He said that this was a good idea and where did I get them. He did a beautiful job and they match up pretty well! Everything is where it should be.

Origami is not an official term... I think it's my word but maybe others came to it naturally as well.  It is more properly a C or V flap... where the skin on your breast mound is cut and then folded and sewn into the shape of a nipple.  The areola is then tattooed on later.

Grafting involves taking skin from elsewhere and grafting onto the breast mound and, I assume, some version of the C or V or skate flap or whatever folding and sewing pattern can be adopted to achieve the nipple.  This gives you a piece of skin on top of the breast mound for the areola (I believe) as well as the grafted skin for the nipple.  For those who have had grafting, is that right?  I was expecting to have the origami style so never really payed that much attention to graft discussions.

Dee -- if you think you're done dropping and fluffing I guess November 8 is ok.  If it were me I would wait and see... so that the final shape of your new foobs is certain.  I think Judy/Facecrafter, who does tattoos, has said you should wait at least 6 weeks.

Lilah, thanks.  I'm canceling my fip surgery.  And from what you described, I'll be having the origami, too. PS will use my existing scar tissue.  No skin grafting, just a tattoo, afterwards.  I thought at first, why I would need an areola tattoo?  Why not something special, like a pink ribbon, or a flower? Who says it has to be an areola?  Besides, nobody's going to see except me, DH and maybe some family.  lol