Exchange City

Hi Lilah!  Good to hear from you too!! And I think that sounds like a lucky date, don't you? .  (anniehidingunderthebed)  I thank you for the prayers in advance.

vmudrow: congratulations on getting the girls to do their thing!  At 3 years out, I can tell you, it looks even better!

Thanks ladies..i'll check out the bra thread.

MBJ, same PS, whom I love, but he's only done around 50 of the lat flaps.  Should I be nervous.  He says he hasn't killed any flaps yet.  Flap death is the worst that can happen.

Diane, I'm not a good candidate for a tram.

kward:  Mine's 500.  He'll take it out and replace it with a smaller one, plus the flap.  From bottom to top it goes like this:  pec muscle, small implant, lat flap (with skin attached).  He will take out the bottom half of my breast mound skin.  There was nothing wrong with the implant.  My radiated skin refuses to heal from the last surgery. 

Thanks for everyones kind words and thoughts. 

Brenda 

Hi Adnerb, You might want to read around on the NOLA threads or DIEP reconstruction threads or Charleston Bound threads to get some ideas about how women feel about using docs who do zillions of these microsurgical autologous fat transfers. Or look at the website for the Center For Restorative Breast Care in New Orleans. There is also one with a similar name in NYC and Dr Marga Massey has a site as well. You will get a feel for what is being done at these places that specialize in this sort of surgery, and then you can compare.  Trams are really considered out of date -- the muscle sparing procedures have taken their place. Lat flaps do not seem to be done in these places either, I think for the same reason.  I think one important difference, besides cosmetic outcome, is that these docs work in teams and do the procedures in half the time. Four or five hours on the table seems a lot better than eight or ten. Another big difference is that they work out of hospitals where there are no sick people, only women recovering from breast surgery-- so way fewer icky, nasty hospital germs. Also the nursing staff is completely focused and experienced in post-op care for just these procedures. No risk of getting a nurse rotated in from some other floor who has never managed  a fresh post-op flap patient. At NOLA, I believe you get 1:1 care the first night. The flap needs almost continuous monitoring. The whole hospital rarely has more than a handful of women. From accounts that I have read of women who have had flap failure, it has usually been due to inadequate nursing care rather than a problem in the O.R. or with the doctor. And, unlike picking your PS, you can't pick the nursing staff. (I suppose you could get a private duty nurse -- but might be hard to find one with this expertise). Also, these doctors say that they are very careful about LE precautions for all women -- a good thing, since most of us are "at-risk". Just having that continuous BP monitor on throughout a long surgery , or poor positioning of your hand , could make all of the difference in developing LE.. Just some stuff to consider. As you might be guessing, I am having implant problems and trying to decide on my next move -- so have been looking very carefully into all of this. I hope this is helpful. Sorry if it muddies the waters. I still haven't decided what to do! But if you adore your PS, that certainly counts for a lot...

mfrog - So glad that you're through it, that it was better than anticipated but most especially that you think they're fabulous!  Hurray!   

Thanks Dawne-hope  & Lilah---  I never thought I'd be this excited about little bumps on my chest, but considering I wasn't going to have reconstruction. Wow, don't know if I'll be able to sleep.

Hello Ladies,

Just thought that I would check in with you all.. I also have not been on this site in a long time.. Though I do checl our wonderful fb regularly. I find it much easier to keep up. If I was a stay home mom it would be much easier to stay in tact w/ everyone.

Well I went for my preadmission testing yesterday and my surgery is on January 31! Hopefully my new implants will be right where they are supposed to be.. Not like the ones that I currently have.

Deborah and Lilah and Judy. I miss talking to you all.. Do you ever visit our fb page?

Love to all of my bc sisters. You are always in my thoughts and prayers...

Carrol I haven't slept on my stomach in over a year! I miss it. I haven't had a massage but in doing acupuncture I've had to take my top off for her to get to my back but I don't take my bra off. I am not comfortable with anyone outside my PS and BS seeing me. In fact I was just telling my sister I have a gyn appt on Monday and I am nervous cause I plan on only stripping from the waist down. I just don't need one more pair of hands and eyes on my beaten battered and remolded breast. My PCP told me he will not poke at me there since I've been poked and prodded so much. I have never been a naked person and now I am really not a naked person. maybe when everything is done I will feel differently.

Jennifer GOOD LUCK with surgery!! I will be sending positive vibes for good results!!

Diane

Hi all! I haven't posted in awhile, but read regularily. This is my second time with BC in the same breast, the first time being in 2001. Then I had a lumpectomy and radiation. I was dianosed the second time in Dec. 2009. Had a bmx with immediate TE's placed in March 2010. I believe they were Allergan 133SV (300cc's). Was filled to 300cc's on the prophy side, and 365cc's on the rads side....and looked about even. I had the exchange in Oct. 2010, with Allergan 410 gummies. On the prophy side he used a 295cc gummie, and on the rads side a 330cc gummie. (medium height). He said he tried a few different sizes and he thought these would be symetrical. They are SO NOT!!! The rads side looks perfect, but the prophy side looks huge.....very very noticable....and more off to the side. I'm in Canada, and my PS is quite a drive away. I got my fills done locally with another PS, so I guess I will try and get in to see him and see what he thinks. I was hoping this was over............. Do you think they will need to put a smaller implant in the prophy side? Any input would be appreciated!!!!

Cindy

I haven't posted in a quite a while and tried to catch up with all of your posts.  I really appreciated everyone sharing their experiences.  My exchange surgery is scheduled for March 30th.  Wish it was tomorrow... now I just want to get it DONE.  I have gotten used to these rock solid TE's but am starting to wonder how much better the implants will feel.  For those of you who have already done the exchange, what would you say was your "real" recovery time... assuming there are no complications.  I am trying to be optimistic.

joan88 - I felt great immediately after - PS said to wait 6 weeks before any heavy exercising, and to try to wait a couple of weeks before lifting arms overhead or anything over ten pounds, hard to do because I felt great - hope you will too. 

Carrol2 -- I have never been a stomach sleeper... but I resumed side sleeping around 2 - 3 months after surgery (it hurt too much to lie on my side until then -- tight tissue, I think, and stitching, I expect).  I kind of don't care what my doctors think... though I did go to see a dermatologist about 8 weeks after exchange and was very disappointed when she asked me if my implant was a TE (she checked my whole body for moles so I had to be naked).  I think you have to do what's comfortable for you.  I find that stretching does wonders, by the way, and haven't yet gotten myself to a PT but people say only good things about the work they do -- so if you are still sore you should consider it.

Jennifer -- YES I am on fb -- I commented on your most recent posts just this week in fact!  How could you not have noticed??

Brenda:  I really hope it isn't too late and that they can save your breast!  Sending you much love and light your way!

Morning Ladies - here's my update.  Had my follow up yesterday with Dr. Fine at Northwestern.  My right breast t/e huge success, healing extremely well and I had alloderm only, no fat grafting as it wasn't necesary at that time of surgery (jan 7th), gong forward here now, I have a 250cc saline expander in and it has filled out that pocket quite nicely and we all are in agreement that I will not have much to go to round it out, fat grafting may be done next surgery, which will be Mid-march, the AB area however was not as successful. (previous TRAM done at U of W, WI), very disappointing because now since I have 3 different tracs running in 3 different directions and there is stitch material that has to come out and is VERY deep I will have to have this whole procedure re-done....(big sign), obviously NOT what I wanted to hear but knew it was going to have to be done, he'll have to pull my whole ab area (skin/muscle) up and go in and clean out all areas and remove these problem stitches and such, however, it will also lend way to fixing the left side that's bulging and clean me up pull it all tight and be done with it once and for all...here here, I'm for that. 

I can return toteaching swimming within 2 weeks and have the a ok to live life like normal. (I'm pretty conditioned so I have no restrictions) and with the t/e I have had no restrictions in movement, no pain and no discomfort....of course after having things go in and out of my right side now for the last 4 years, that side should be pretty flexible for anything and it has, so I'm very fortunate and lucky by body is cooperating.  Getting plenty of sleep, good diet and hardly any stress (I've had my share) and I'm well off to starting over on the right foot.

I thank god everyday, despite what "CRAP" has come my way, those angry days are over, I've cut my family off and written them off and a few so called friends, which were fair-weather friends, you would think even at this stage of my life and game here, people would understand....THEY JUST DON'T AND NEVER WILL, only those here on this site do and will and I thank you all for being here for me to vent and praise and post and tell my story....I appreciate you all more than mere words could express and praise this site to many, even the ladies I met in Dr. Fine's office, a real god-send.....

Thanks gals......and hugs to all (((((hugs))))))