Exchange City

Hi all-reading through so much took awhile! Glad most are on the mend...it all takes time...I woke up this morning 2.5 weeks from exchange and it was the first morning of no pain-we are adjusting to each other...HOW COOL IS THAT?!  Iwas really sore everywhere else as I did a lot around inside and out of the house...but that felt good too- I really havenot done much since it all began last November. I still can't lift or do much with upper body for another couple of weeks but felt more like me doing more stuff.

PS was really happy with how boobs are going. So am I. They keep dropping in little tiny bits..I have to stay in bra for three more weeks- I just bagged themost comfortable danskin sprts bra that mimics the one the PS gave me- it zips up the front and holds everything front and center as desired. It is white which gives me a few more options than the black one - 10 bucks at walmart. PS could not believe it as in some ways better than the one they give out to wear-molded cups feel really good and not so many hooks, etc. I will post some on pic site later today.

I freaked in NY because I thought my incision was PEELING and it turned out to be just the super glue hahaha GEEZ...I called PS and they said no worry- put a nice warm sudsy cloth and gently smooth-man- it looked like the miracle of Lourdes or something as the thick red horizontal scars became a whole lot smaller and healthier. They still have me holding off the cream for the incisions and while I thought they were wrong because my skin scars so easy, I deferred. They are right. I am not sure why it is working but it is. I told him I swab on some coconut oil all over once in awhile and he said fine but no need at this point. Hmmmmmmmm...told me my body is healing itself-that once the nips and any revision surgery is done, then we can go with the creams. Ok.

I am posting this below as I have on a couple of other threads because it includes one of worries about travelling with TEs or implants...

NYC was a blast but my new *boobs* set off the full body scanner- that was FUN. The TSA woman came up to pat my chest down and I snarled- BACK OFF LADY YOU ARE NOT TOUCHING ME! I had already told them before the scanner that I had just had exchange surgery, etc...I told her this, she said I have to- I said nope- you are not gonna grope me there...have at anywhere else=not there- wanna see my boob id cards? it was a mess...then she came back and said- OK we will just test your hand?! Sheesh...

What a flipping surprise when I got to my hotel- I decided on Waldorf after booking a cheapo rate (matched what the sales team had to pay at Sheraton)....I checked in and they upgraded me to a corner luxury king executive suite! hahaha- oh joy-I had a foyer, a living room-fireplace, a bedroom, a dressing room and the coolest art deco black and white marble bath-all said the suite was about 1000 sqft. It was absolutely wonderful to be spoiled like that for a week. I walked all day Sunday and Monday- took the SI ferry and waved at the old girl in the harbor-then scored some funky loots and a coat in Soho and the Village. Oh yeah, I worked too hahaha a little. This post sounds shallow but you know what, after so much crap it felt good to be just a little shallow. I met some incredible people and it is always great to get so much good feedback from clients.

Finally made it to PJ CLarkes and low and behold, there was Alec Baldwin...I gotta say- he was kind of underwhelming except for his magnificent hair:0 I must admit that was the strangest meal I have ever had as I sat with 6 guys and took them through the BC process to date...it was pretty cool.

Met with PS when I got home and he is happy with how things are going- will see him once a week for next three weeks and then see when we go for the nips...

I am nervous as the time for my intitial followup visits (3 mos) are coming with onc...oh well...I am gonna go plant some flowers today- I went nuts buying them (which is crazy since I have no $) hahaha

Have a glorious Sunday and be good to yourself:)

Annette...glad you had an awesome time AND were upgraded too!

Jan:  Wasn't that fun to see what we ended up as??  I still have burning but like I told my husband, who cares?  I knew I was never going to be painfree but I will be cancer free which makes all the difference. 

Ladies:  In regards to nausea, my PS prescribed the Transderm patch that I put behind my ear for both surguries and I never once felt nauseous with all the anaesthesia pumped into my body.  You may want to ask about the patch pre surgery.

 Hi Estepp, Just seeing your post reminded me of your kindness to me .. I meant to pm you the thank-you i did on the photo site! Incase i did it wrong (that site is confusing or im just still rad brain or just plain bc brain) anyways thank-you thank-you thank-you hope u are well i probably got till the end of May for my exchange, been doing pretty good staying on my pain meds )) Take care and you look GREAT! 

ArleneMarie have you seen a PT?  I had the burning sensation too under my arm and on my shoulder blade.  It was my nerves and muscles stretching and I needed to have heat and massage therapy.

I also had a burning sensation on the lower part of my implant side from dropping/stretching and pocket work done during surgery to drop the implant for symmetry.  It only lasted maybe a week or so.

If you haven't already done so you should consult a PT for some relief of that.

Welcome meJoy!  If you want to be put on the list of upcoming surgeries PM Mykidsmom.

Thank you Lilah..once again I didnt read instruction, in a hurry,  and goofed it up. thanks for your input!

Thanks Annettek   That sounded like quite the experience for going to NYC. Ive been through many a TSA screening having had both knee's reconstructed. Those little ID cards mean absolutely nothing. Ive even gone as far as informing TSA throughout the line, that I would need "assistance" so they would have it ready, and no one seems to care. I still had to wait 10 minutes for someone to assist.          

I was really interested in your after healing. That is one of the questions that has been going through my mind. Ive postponed my exchange /reduction surgery till after Labor Day, and of course, there are so many things popping up in summer to do. I guess there is no good time to do it, but Im really interested in recovery period and what your able to do and not do.  thank you for your input.

Thanks for the great advice on here. I see my PS on tuesday don't worry he will hear about the nausea. 

Felling a lot better today still a bit iffy. I did eat some saltines. Got a packet of isntant oatmeal down and an ensure and i just ate a fudge pop. so not too bad. I took one antibiotic and one protonix gonna try another antibiotic at 4:00 that will be 6 hours like the instructions say. Keeping the saltines handy really helps. Took a shower. I have two surgical bras. The one they put me in at surgery and one they gave me to take home. The one they put me in is way tighter around the waist makes it hard to breathe and the other is really high on the armpits but looser much more comfy. I washed that one and i am wering the tight one till it dries. I am pretty miserable can;t wait for this to pass. 

mejoy- I was limited by my PS in what I could do with my TEs. He is a freak about healing and errs on the side of caution. I was angry many times waiting for my exchange...I could feel my body turning into blubber...hahaha...yet, in retrospect, it was a wise thing in my case. I had to slow down, for it was not only my chest area and the TEs to be concerned about but the whole shock to the system from BC. What I have found out is that now almost three weeks out from the exchange I feel raring to go. I think part of it is that while I was not the most active person these past four months- I did make a lot of changes in what I do...my supplements for one...I have more energy and feel pretty darn good. It seems like everything is healing well and I am still restricted as to movement on PS orders. Six weeks out from exchange surgery is not such a bad thing in exchange for healing right, etc.

You can go enjoy yourself but I would not go water skiing, parachute jumping, etc:) And when you are tired REST. Plop your happy butt right down and take a siesta:) The BS and PS told me this would be a year long journey (I can only pray I am so lucky) and if I followed the rules I would have lots of time to do everything I was "missing". I think for active busy people it is really hard. Even to the extreme of wanting to do more than I normally would! But the year leading up to my BC I had an odd assortment of weird illnesses that in retrospect I think were signs from my body that something was really wrong. I had pink eye that would not go away and then it came back two weeks later - bad case both eyes....I had a weird thing pop up on top of my scalp that needed a biopsy, then shingles....I think it was these things that pushed me not to blow off my mammogram. I had gotten the all clear from the rest of the female exam and thought man, I need a break....but I went. And it is certainly good I did. A half a centimeter tumor I never would have found. The radiologists at the imaging center are at the top of their game when it comes to BC...

Anyway, it gets better. And the more days that go by with the implants the more natural (?) they feel...and they just keep changing every day. Doc gave me ONE excercise to do a couple of times a day. I raise my hands straight over my head to touch each other-it loosens the pec muscle. Feels good.

Jan, THREE WEEKS?????????  Settle down girl, do less and be more patient with your body!!  Not scolding you, but emphasizing that you need to slow down.  Do, rest, do, rest.  Hurt?  back it up a little  Plus, lugging around those bigger girls is going to take some getting used to

It's just going to be one of those days tomorrow. I can feel it. Got to get two kids off to school, then my mother will drive me in for surgery. My middle child is sick still so he can't go to school, but my husband will be home sleeping (works night shift) if he needs anything. At least I'll be worrying about him instead of me. And I took another two benadryl tonight to see if I can get this rash to go away before tomorrow. I soooo don't want this surgery postponed. I just want to get it over with. And I cleaned the house today for the most part so I won't have to worry about that for a little while at least. Worry. Worry. Worry.

Good Luck KJ!  Once you get in the car on the way to surgery, it will all be about you.  (Although I was in the recovery room making calls making arrangement for my kids because I was going to be there a little longer than expected.)  Moms first, always.

Joan888:  I waited six weeks after exchange to begin to return to my exercise routine.  That was the recomendation and I didn't want to mess anything up. Hard for me because most of my social life revolves around exercise.  I started back 4 weeks post BMX but to me the exchange surgery was more "precise" work and I wanted everything to stay just where my PS put it.  Just getting back to the gym and running, taking it slow and it feels really good.

MBJ, Lilah and Diane, thank you for your kind words, it did make me feel better. Who else can I rant about these things anyway - no one. Everyday conversation with people do not include, "hey how are you today?", "nope still no nipple sensation today". I would imagine people dropping their coffee cups over there.

NVDiane, you story gives me hope. It really did, it made me tear up because I needed to hear that. I will quit expecting tomorrow will be the day and give it a year and if that doesn't happen...well that's another story then.

thanks everyone, i work at a school right around the corner from my house, i am a secretary so i think i will try to come back that following monday, i already took so much time off between the initial mast. some days for chemo and feeling like crap. its the busiest time for me at work i feel bad about scheduling my surgery now but i need these things out as soon as possible.  even if i can only come in half a day i think they would be ok with that, they have been wonderful so far i don't want to push it.  its count down 23 days to go!!!

Thanks Marie for hte PT advise.  The burning is more from the boobs themselves.  Every morning I wake up and the best way to describe it is they burn when I get out of bed.  I have only been able to switch back and forth between sports bras and the surgical bra.  I definitely need to support those babies.  Jan..I get the feeling that you have the same feeling, huh?