Exchange City
Comments
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The shape can be corrected with tattoos and rather easily by a skilled artist (but it would have been easier if there were no grafts making that circle to start with) JUDY
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Astorm, firni, Katey, Don23 - Thank you all for your responses and your wisdom. Sorry if I missed anyone. I've decided to cancel my nips in November. I just feel really uneasy about it. I'll take that appt. and use it to talk to him about all my questions. My nip scheduling was actually supposed to be my three month follow-up that actually is going to be four months. When making the appt. I felt three months was too soon so I moved back to November. So I need to see him anyway, I just won't get my nips. I'm comfortable with how they look now. I'm not married so it is not an issue for my partner ... maybe I'll get them down the road ... I can't explain my uneasiness ... it just doesn't feel right at this point. Maybe after I talk to my PS I'll feel better and reschedule it. Seeing that facecrafter suggested 3-6 months ... maybe after the first of the year ... or maybe for my birthday which is late winter. Thank you all very much.0
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This is a delayed response...(=
Debby17, I just got back from seeing my ps today (2 weeks and a few days since surgery) and she told me that I can start wearing underwires at the 6 week mark. I know your ps said to not wear underwires...mine didn't say to or not too..just that I could at 6 weeks. I was also told to start massaging starting now and that I could start lifting weights even, as long as I lift light weights (5-10 lbs...not 20+). She said that she didn't expect any visual changes to happen since I had hardly any pocket work done during surgery.
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I keep reading all these posts about underwire vs. non-underwire bras. Regardless of the different recommendations of PS's (I think it's interesting that there's not more agreement among them), my question is why would you want to wear an underwire bra? I was looking forward to not having to wear any bra after my exchange surgery (although I probably still will), much less an underwire bra. I thought with implants, you don't need the support/lift of an underwire. I've worn an underwire bra as long as I can remember, but I would think a wireless bra would be much more comfortable.
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lg300 - I worry that my skin will stretch and I already have a bit of a shelf. With natural breasts, there are ligaments, etc. which do stretch over time, but skin/capsule and a little pec muscle is all that is holding these implants in place. My first PS said to wear underwires for the support; new PS prefers no wires but says I can wear whatever is comfortable. I've tried a few wireless and they don't seem as comfortable to me. They seem to fit more snug than the underwires... It's hard to describe, but with the underwires I feel like the wires create a protective frame around the foobs... probably not scientific. I'm sure wireless bras are just as supportive. I did have a professional fitting at Nordstrom and was surprised to find the proper cup size was up one. Whatever you choose to wear, the fit is probably more important than anything.
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lg300, y it is so all over the place with what docs recommend. The way mine said it was in a manner that if I want to go with an underwire to wait the 6 weeks because of where my incision was (under the fold) but she didn't seem like she was strict in wanting me to wear one. She mentioned a long time ago that I wouldn't even need one so who the heck knows... Docs also vary so much in terms of working out the pec muscles. So many do not recommend it yet mine says that no amount of working out after you are healed should cause any change to the implants. I still am going to play it safe, working out everything but my pec muscles...
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hurleygirlie: Boston or Frenchie?
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Dee I was scheduled only 5 weeks after my exchange and was told by many ladies on here to hold off because of the many changes your breast go through with the dropping and fluffing. So I did cancel. I actually am really glad that I did now because I had my exchange on August 4 and they are still changing believe it or not. I would hold off if I were you.
Deborah... Great news I have an appt with the new plastic surgeon on Wednesday morning. Wish me luck..
Laura I hope you start feeleing better with the LE.. How sad but like Lilah said you looked awesome in Vegas...
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jkz: So excited for you!
DawnHope: Now that Judy says 6 months I will wait until March. No rush and my DH doesn't care one way or the other as long as he can play with them LOL!
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Deborah, Boston... two of them (male and female) and I am insanely obsessed with them! This one is Hurley (=
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Wow Wish I had some magic insight into what is the best path to follow. Maybe we are all so different that there really isn't a right answer to any question... underwire vs no wire....saline vs silicone....size.....Drop & Fluff ( I still don't know what it is)....why do PS time their surgeries at such different rates
My BMX was June 23 ->3 months exchange ->3 weeks underwire & exercise -> 6 weeks to talk about nipples. Is it too fast? I just wish it was over.
You guys are so wonderful. You have been a big part in all my decision making. THANX
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Laura- You have such an amazing spirit, especially while dealing with the pain of LE. I think you should vent on as many threads as you want because that is what we are here for. So many women don't even know about the possibility of LE because they are never told by their doctors so they don't know to read the LE threads. (I didn't!) Binney educated me and because of that I now take LE precautions. I am so sorry you, and so many others, have to endure this on top of everything else. ((((((HUGS!!!!!)))))
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Ack I am sorry I misquoted you Judy
I shall never forget now (3 - 6 months before the nips!) So glad you hopped on today to correct me! It makes sense too...my PS only mentioned doing grafts at last check-up; we have not even scheduled it yet. When I see her in early November we'll be coming up on 6 months post-exchange.OK so for those who have had the areola graft -- I'm starting to realize it's got a recovery curve I hadn't thought about. Astorm and Katey (and anyone else): how long did it take to recover? What's the downtime?
Re: wireless vs. wired -- well there seem to be a lot more choices in PRETTY bras in the wired...not to mention better push-up... but the wirefree bras CAN be extremely comfortable when fitted well and also there are some very pretty ones out there (albeit a smaller selection). My PS has not yet given me the go ahead to wear wired bras and as I said I am almost at the 6 month mark. Her reason for being against the wired is the risk of the wires rubbing against sutures under the skin and creating problems there as well as the risk of a wire poking through and not being felt (and possibly puncturing the skin, which is thin, and even the implant). This latter reason seems extreme to me... though I must say in the 25 years that I wore wired bras that DID happen to me every now and then and I didn't always feel it even with my ACTUAL BREAST TISSUE!
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Dawne-Hope, that is a REALLY interesting question. Had never thought about it, but if the nipple is made using some of the MX/exchange scar tissue, and /or placed along the line of the scar, what happens down the road when you need more surgery? I'm guessing they go in at the IMF, but I dont know if that is always possible. Seems like even then, the nipple placement might end up different if any conditions (size of implant, pocket conditions,etc) are at all different. Anybody know the answer to this?
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Firni, how do you think your upper body LE is related to your lower body LE? It sounds like you think they are related to your chemo? I am really curious. LE is such a strange disorder. There is thinking now that some people have a genetic predisposition. Also that it is an inflammatory response. I am hoping that mine (really similar pattern as yours - thumb, index finger and back of hand around base of thumb) is related to my gummies ( mechanical obstruction, inflammation??) and that if I get them out... it will resolve. Probably wishful thinking. I do all the stuff - wrapping, garments, etc but it just pushes the fluid up into my arm where it is not measureable. It always comes back into my hand within 5 minutes after taking the compressive things off.
But on a better note... I have good news for you! Not only is Nordstroms bra heaven, but it is tootsie heaven , also. They will cheerily sell you mismatched sizes of any shoes. I have a torn up tendon in my ankle and for years wore a very bulky brace. The only thing, other than sneakers, that I could wear was clogs. They would hunt down the different sizes from all over the country if they didnt have them in their store. Once I called the White Plains store, outside of NYC, and ordered three pairs on the phone. Over the next week I got six boxes in the mail from six different cities. Nice, huh..
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Jerusha - that's so funny about the shoes!
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Hi Everyone! Hope everyone is having/had a great night.
I haven't been on in a while, aside from recovering from my revision, I got a PUP! An Austrailian Shepherd named Charlie and he is adorable but exhausting. He isn't happy about his crate and he is staring at me now as he knows as soon as he closes his eyes I am sneaking off to bed. I also found a little kitty which has just brought life back to my house. My previous cat died right in the middle of chemo and it was very hard. I love my new little ones just wish they'd SLEEP at night and not all day. Wheeeew I had to get that off my chest. Speaking of which I was reading about the nip surgery. My PS did say 4 to 6 months most likely 6. Considering I only need one nip I think I will wait the full 6 months to make sure its right. I don't think there's any going back after that's done...Is there??? I'm having the origami as well.
Good night all!!
Di
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Well, I'll be able to let you know about having nips and then needing more surgery in Jan. I have one nip that is on the incision line. PS said he can go around the nipple but the areola tattoo might not line up quite right. He can fix that with a new tattoo later. So we shall see. My other nip was made below the incision line. So he can avoid that one altogether. I'm not going larger, just having my IMF lifted so I think the nipple placement will be ok.
Jerusha, I had surgery about 20 years ago for an ectopic pregnancy. That interrupted the lymphatic flow on my left lower side. I never had any problems tho. My LE PT told me that it doesn't matter how long ago a surgery was if it compromised the lymph system, a traumatic event can still push you into LE. Chemo was my event. Actually, my foot behaves more like true LE. My hand, no one can figure out why the swelling never goes down no matter what we try. It's almost like there is just permanent tissue damage. I'll try to post a picture of my thumbs. As long as you all don't look at my crappy manicure. Haven't been able to have that done professionally again yet. I am obviously no good at it.
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Lilah - I had the aerola graft almost four weeks ago. The recovery time is not too bad. I had nip/grafted aerola surgery on a Friday and went back to work the following Tuesday. I could have went back on Monday but I had so many bandages on there was no way I could hide them. After the bandages were taken off the only thing I had to do to take care of them was apply Neosporin twice a day and keep them covered with gauze pads. I did that for two weeks. They are healing nicely and look better each day (even though I thought they looked good right after
). I really didn't have any downtime except for working out. I was told to not go to crazy but could still do my cardio. Yoga was out of the question for 3-4 weeks because my graft came from my abdomen and he was worried about the incision. I am planning on starting my Yoga class again tomorrow.0 -
Di: I am right there with you waiting the 6 months. It sounds like you have a great PS! So sorry you lost a cat during chemo--mine are getting up there in age and it's only a matter of time:( Can't wait to see pictures of your new babies, though. I can't imagine a house without animals. Just wouldn't be the same
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Hi Ladies!
I just wanted to chime in on the underwires!
I have 800cc gel implants and the underwires seem to make them behave better! That and I like wearing a sexy bra... it makes me feel good about myself.
I notice if I do not use the chic shaper to sleep in I feel the weight of the 800s falling into my armpits if I sleep on my back. Its like a kind of ache in the pocket - possibly where it might be stretching?
Lilah - I had the skin grafted nips done in July... It was a few weeks of not wearing panties due to where my donor site incisions were... but it was summer and I wore long (floor length) sundresses. The nips were bolstered up for a week then padded for a few more weeks - but not any discomfort other than donor site. It was awkward to sit, especially on the toilet - BUT worth every thing!
Big Hugs!
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Deborah - my PS was so pleased with my exchange surgery and said a lot of regular breast augmentations don't turn out so well. He was like so proud of himself, kind of funny. He says the size is perfect (thanks for your help with that) I think I am still getting used to the size because I was so small before - they do look great in clothes though. So did you say 2 weeks after exchange is a good time to go bra shopping? Oh and my face peel is looking much better thank you, still really red though.
Love all your dogs - I have a 12 year old pug named Elvis!! Any more pugs out there?
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Ohhh reading your posts I have questions. My PS said I will probably have to wear an underwire after surgery to keep the implants in place while I heal. Do you get the bras before surgery? How will you know if they fit? I am having some pocket work done and some lipo to even out areas from my breast reduction. I have T scars because he used the same incision lines from the reduction. I am not having nips done I have chosen to have a tattoo done on each breast to cover the scars. I feel that if I am going to have a tattoo for nips...I would rather have something beautiful rather than a nip and areola....it is like a rite of passage for me. Having said that...I already have two tattoos on my body, and I know what I am entering into.
I also wonder what will happen if I have to have the implants exchanged in the future..what will that do to the tattoos?
Emme
My
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HG: Oh heavens....and GIRLIE? Hurley and Girlie? I love it! [As you can tell by my screen name, I am dog-obsessed also!]
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JKZ: PM me here after your appointment! I want all of the details!!!
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Thanks Kimberly and Don23 for the reports on recovery from grafted nips/areolas... sigh. I guess I will have to deal with it. If I do the surgery in winter at least I can wear big sweaters to hide the gauze! I can tell you I'm not eager to go back under the knife and anesthesia but I DO think a matching nip for my remaining one would be nice
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Di-Del: Put that crate next to your bed! [Aussies...the dog with the most amazing eyes on the planet!]
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Emme - all the bras I bought before my first exchange have been donated. I also purchased 2 camisoles before the bmx that had fluffy inserts. Never used the fluffy inserts but they sounded like a good idea pre-op. I can still wear the camisoles even after my revision with larger implants.
Lilah - maybe my heart just wasn't in it, but my nipple surgery was hard on me. First, I am always sick after anesthesia. I felt fine after a few days but I had to keep the grafts moist, which meant that every few hours I had to drip sterile saline onto the sponges that were stapled to my foobs. This, and the fact that i had sponges stapled to my foobs, made it difficult to get dressed. I wore boxy sweaters and carried a change of clothes in case I had wet spots. And I am meticulous about doctor's instructions so it really was an inconvenience for 2 weeks! The staples started to pull away from my skin and even though I did everything I was supposed to do, one of the areolas shifted and is oval shaped. In hindsight, I wish I'd considered tattoos. You can see from my pics that the round one at least looks pretty realistic but since I have to get tattoos now to make them match I feel like it was a lot of trouble for nothing.
Edited to add: my donor site is still sensitive and very visable (in the crease of my right leg). No matter what kind of undies I wear I can see that bright pink scar. It has been 7 months.
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Jerusha: That is weird....so it is JUST your fingers? My thumb and ring finger on the SNB extremity are swollen and painful. Shoot...could this be LE? My rheumatologist told me it is probably arthritis. I would say just do NOT wear the compression sleeve, if it is doing nothing to resolve the issue. What you describe reminds me of the spirometer they give you in the hospital to encourage return of good pulmonary function. It is like blowing into that funnel and the little ball rises, but there is never enough pressure to get it to the top. It falls right back to the bottom when the pressure is released. Your LE is like a malfunctioning spirometer. I wonder if the compression sleeve is doing more harm than good? What a bizarre thing is LE.
Laura...I just cannot fathom what you are going through...and you have to work with your hands....and Firni....the lower extremity also? Is that a typical or documented distribution? Sounds crazy to me.
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Jerusha -- my LE was only visible on the top of my hand between wrist and fingers and sometimes in my index finger, but when the therapist measured my whole arm, it was slightly bigger than the other one. The sleeve and glove seemed to make LE worse for me, so I don't use them but am careful with the arm/hand and do the exercises when I see any swelling.
Laura -- I'm really sorry about what you are dealing with.
Deborah -- thanks for all the advice and encouragement you have given me as I tried to figure out what to do about my 2nd capsular contracture. I'm having the implant removed next Tuesday and am not planning to do any future surgeries. I am tired and need some time off to just live my life.
Hugs to everyone....
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