Exchange City
Comments
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Lilah - it was not hard for me to hide the gauze pads. I had a bra that had molded cups and had no problem wearing my regular clothes. You couldn't even tell. I'm not sure what kind of dressing your PS will make you have so maybe that would make a difference. The site were he took my skin for the graft was my abdomen. I already had a scar from a hysterectomy so he just opened that up and made it a little bigger. I have no pain there at all. It actually only bothered me the first two days and that was it. I do have my pictures on the picture forum under the topic Nip and Tats.
So far I am very happy with the results and am glad I went through with it!
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Sweetie - I definitely would be interested if you started a thread on rippling. Noticing more now that I am out of exchange 2 months. I suppose that is the downside of implants versus TEs. No rippling with those hard babies!
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Gail -- thanks for that! It does give me pause. If I were not a uni I would just get tattoos (they look incredible!) -- but since I do have my one native breast and nipple/areola I feel I should give myself the chance for more symmetry by having a nip/areola done and I don't think an origami nipple will do it.
Don -- given Gail's issues with that sponge stapled on and your relatively lesser issues without, I will be sure to ask my PS what exactly she does. I assume she would use my thigh but I have no idea. It sounds like the abdomen is less difficult/less annoying to recover from (but I don't have a scar there). We shall see!
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Lilah - I have decided that my first PS was evil. My new PS said everyone in the OR was impressed with the previous PS's work. I just wish I had communicated more before the procedure.
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If haven't seen the new Pink Glove Dance video (it's a sequel to last year's video), you should definitely check it out at pinkglovedance.com. The video features over 4000 healthcare workers and breast cancer survivors and was made both as a tribute to survivors as well as to raise BC awareness. The video's uplifting and inspiring - it made me both smile and cry.
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Gail - he was evil but talented? (Since new PS admired his work?)
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is that possible? or maybe he just did that one thing right (I did have to get the implants replaced).
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Deborah I will keep let you know how my appointment goes tomorrow. I am the first appointment in the am I have an 8:00 appt. I have my list of questions to take with me.. There are a total of 10 questions. I always am so embarrassed to bring a list in with me but I just want things done right.. I sort of feel like I am being pushy when I do this...Well we will see how things go.. Wish me luck once again!
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Deb...my other boston is named "Mr. Bok Choy"...people get a kick out of it at the dog parks...
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jkz: You deserve to both have your questions answered and a great job!!!
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Gail. He sounds like my first PS. Evil but talented. He liked to do the work, but he did what he found pleasing. Not what I wanted. And he wasn't very nice when I questioned his decisions.
Deborah, I had been to so many doctors and PTs and had ultrasound, Xray and MRI of my ankle and foot. No one could really figure out what is going on with my foot. My last LE therapist told me about the compromised lymph system and the traumatic event that can push the system over to LE regardless of how long ago a surgery was. That's pretty much all I have to go on. So I'm going with it. I wear my toe cap and compression sock and call it good.
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jkz, every surgeon I've been to has seen my long list and just sat down and got comfortable. Even the evil PS. My breast surgeon actually took my list and started answering the questions and writing the answers on my sheet of paper. He told me he didn't want me to omit any questions coz I might think they're stupid once I got there.
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It's been two weeks since my final expansion and three weeks until my exchange surgery and I've been having terrible pain/muscle spasms. Went to see my PS today. Because I have a lot of scar tissue on the bottom of my left breast from my multiple lumpectomies (I had 3 lumpectomies prior to my BMX), the breast doesn't want to expand on the bottom, and the expander keeps moving up, pushing on nerves. My PS deflated both breasts and it feels better now. Can't believe I had to be deflated.
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Ladies,what exactlly is LE? I keep thinking Im understanding some of the things we're going through but not that one. You all are so very brave telling your stories and letting the support from each other sustain you.
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kad2kar - someone posted this link recently and it explains what LE is and tips one can take to prevent it. As you can see, it is a lot more prevalent than doctors are willing to say.
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Hurley -- love that name for your dog! So cute.
Jen -- good luck tomorrow! I hope he is all you want in a PS. And don't worry about the questions... it's their job to answer.
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Ig300~
Thanks for bringing up the sequel to last year's pink glove dance. Just checked the the sequel & it's fantastic!
For those who haven't seen it.....check it out!
Also... http://video.foxnews.com/v/4353234/pink-glove-dance-the-sequel
NAE
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lg300: So sorry to hear about your complications. Did your PS use an Alloderm sling? Has he told you what he plans to do next? Just wondering if the Alloderm might help. If he doesn't use it, you might want to consider getting another opinion or two on this. I am sure Deborah will chime in here to lend a hand. Hang in there.
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Kad2kar: LE is the abbreviation for Lymphadema caused by our surgeries where there is swelling and loss of feeling and/or pain.
Regarding LE: You would think since so many women now have to deal with this issue that PT would be a requirement from day one, not after the fact. Really makes me angry.
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Aw Ig300 that does sound painful... I am sorry too. I don't know any solutions but wanted to send you sympathies for the pain.
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lg300 - I was never deflated, but I should have been. I didn't know it was an option. Near the end of my fills, after the next to the last one, I experienced severe pain all up and down my left side for days afterward. When I saw my PS's assistant several weeks later (I post-poned a fill b/c of the pain) and told her what had happened she was really upset with me. She told me that I could have come in and they would have taken some out. She said there was no reason I should have had to experience that much pain. In your case, tt was the smart thing to do, nothing to be embarrased about, for sure. I too am really sorry for your complications. I'm just glad that it's better.
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MBJ and Lilah, thanks for your messages. My PS did use an alloderm sling, but apparently it wasn't enough to prevent/fix the problem. She said that when she does the exchange surgery next month, she's going to cut something (maybe the scar tissue?) to allow the breast to drop more. Fortunately, taking out some of the saline seems to have helped the pressure and pain. My PS also told me that I have to push down on my left expander five minutes a day while I'm in the shower. I can't wait to get rid of these TEs. My exchange surgery's on Nov. 10.
Nedeza, glad you liked the pink glove dance sequel - it is fantastic.
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lg300: Glad that your PS can work around it! You will be yippee squishee soon.
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Dawne-Hope, thanks for your message. Sorry you experienced the same thing and didn't know about the deflation option.
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Deborah: I just posted my bras on the picture forum and if you look at my breasts in the unlined Chantelle bra, you can really see the difference in size between my MX side and my augmented side. All around my fully fluffed side makes my MX side look small. Of course I could gorge on tons of fattening food so that my PS can lipo it all back out to get a full size bigger on my MX side. Would love your input!
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I had exchange and nip graft done at the same time. PS cut skin from left lower abdomen, about 5 in. cut, and formed nips, then grafted them on. I haven't seen them yet, a gauze covering is still stitched into the skin. The extra time to do my nips is probably why I woke up on the table before all was done. I go back to PS on Thurs. I will be taking a pain pill before I go just in case he clips that gauze loose. The sensation was coming back before this last surgery.
I got the 800 cc size, just woke up that way, the PS actually chose the size for me. He's old school and said he would use the size that fit my body. I'm ok with the size, might as well be.
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LG300, Your ps will most likely be cutting the "capsule"..basically your muscles more to release areas where they may be tight and causing your expander/implant to misbehave. They will use terms like "pocket work", "capsule work" etc. but all it really means is that they are going to cut more areas of your pec muscles to loosen them up more. They try and get it as good as possible with the first surgery but the exchange surgery is when they can try and correct and perfect the areas that looked to be problematic with the expanders.0
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Whitedove-I didn't start a thread because there was already one. If you look a few pages back Kate33 posted the link. You have no ripples? Wow, so lucky! I have a lot when I bend down. I have to ask him at the next visit and see what he says about it. Did you ever post your pics?
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Whitedove: I would be interested in seeing your pictures, too! How are you doing?
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Di-Del! I have an 11 1/2 year old Aussie named yogie and he is the light of our lives! This past summer we got 2 puppies (to keep him young according to my children!) and life has become hectic for us all. there are times when yogie likes the puppies but other times when he doesn't want to be bothered and exits the room!
Does anyone remember the information given perhaps last summer with dimensions and pictures of areolas? I thought it was a fantastic resource and now that the time is coming for many of us i can't find the information. If anyone has the link, it would be greatly appreciated!
Linda
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