Exchange City

hi ladies,

my exchange is tomorrow!  any advice?  am i going to wake up in intense pain as i did with the bi lateral mast?

Pegs thanks for that.  Its easy to get caught up in the excitement but a reality check is important here too.  We are all healing!! Let the body do its job and heal!

shiramg - I felt great just a couple of days after.  I was out of commission - no exercising, lifting arms for awhile even though I felt fine - so just take it easy.  Resumed exercising after 4 weeks (I think), I could walk though - good luck!!

MBJ...thanks for the info about the "nipple protector"...I'll definitely be looking into that. 

Kelly, welcome!!! I agree with rowan..."worry" is my first, middle and last name. My schedualed date for my exchange/reduction surgery was this THURS!!! I was so antsy..I couldnt sleep. I dont know why this surgery was affecting me more than the others (lumpectomy, MX). but I couldnt get the crazies out. 

Got a call this morning from my PS's office. My PS detached his retina, and will be having his own surgery tomorrow. I think in my telling my family and friends we came up with more jokes about having either a new PS, or definitely one that will be able to match my set!  I  also had my 4 month check up with my Oncolgist today..(4 months on arimidex), and when I told him, he couldnt stop laughing. It kind of took me off guard how he enjoyed this...but Im willing to bet that in his field, any laughter makes his day. 

Now, the crazies are gone. Im a bit bummed for having to put it off...but in the realm of all things.. it really is OK.  Just another bump in the road amongst so many. 

I will be having my exchange on June 17th( Bilateral MX).  I am very nervous.  I had radiation on the left side and It will be a year since I finished radiation on July 2nd.  I did have my TE's fully expanded before radiation.  My plastic surgeon really wanted them fully inflated before radiation.  I have a friend with another plastic surgeon and he wanted her to have a couple of fills during radiation. It seems like there are two schools of thought about it.  I have had these TE's since Dec. 2009.  I am very ready to rid of these TE's.   My PS wants me to be very careful for 6 weeks especially with the Left side.  He said he had a patient that had the incision open up after 2 months.  He did say my skin looks pretty good for radiated skin.  On this and other sites I have heard many stories of about people that had problems after exchange.  It is good to hear what might happen, but it also makes me nervous. I get sick to my stomach from the anesthesia My family has a vacation planned 4 weeks after surgery and I really want to go with them.  I try to keep myself busy so I do not think about it to much and I try to  remember that I have a lot of people praying for me

shortlady:  Welcome to the group!  I would PM Estepp who did very well with her radiated breast & implant.  I only know one person who ended up having her TE's in for a year and a half with one and two years for the other.  It certainly isn't easy but Estepp might be able to give you some good advice. 

For those about to undergo exchange:  Most of us feel fine and the trick is to not reach, pull, lift, open & close car doors or any heavy door for that matter, no running, no bouncing:  if you don't have any pocket work done, I would say 2 weeks minimum so you don't risk hurting yourself.  Others might take longer so discuss it with your PS so you know what to expect!

Shiramg i just watched and listened to your you tube and it was sooooooooooo good! Thanks Gonna show it to all my daughters friends in thier 20's good luck again tomorrow

Well, I hope my healing goes well....my MIL passed away this weekend and the memorial service is 3 weeks after my exchange....but 16 hours away by car!!!  I wont do any driving, but I wont be sitting in my recliner either!  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!  Ill have to really not move for those 2.5 weeks before we leave.  Worst case, I stay behind. 

Suebee -- so sorry about your MIL.  I think you should be fine 3 weeks post exchange, especially if you're not driving.  But 16 hours in a car!  Wow that is a lot of road time (even under the best physical conditions)!

My exchange surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday. I have had my expanders in since last July. I have put off the exchange surgery because I am just too scared to go through surgery and recovery again. Have any of you just wanted to keep your expanders forever and not have the exchange?

Salkate, yes, I did not want my expanders out, I was happy with them.  Now just over 2 weeks from exchange, I liked the hard feeling, non moving expanders.  Now have to worry about contrapture.  I had fat gratfing done, easy no pain after.  I did not have any pain with expanders and I was off 2 weeks after exchange and am still having some pain.  I am opening heavy doors, pushing and pulling, guess I better stop.  Foobs hurt after walking.  Suebee sorry about MIL, hope you have things to do on the car ride.  Hold those girls when you hit the bumps!

Salkate -- Ugh my TE was painful and I woke up from exchange surgery and sighed with relief!  But you are not alone.  A lot of women come to really like their TEs.  That said, most do love their implants (if not all) - even those who liked their TEs.  If you like the firmness... you should ask your PS about the Allergan 410 ("gummy") implant.  It is what I have.  It is soft and pliable (and after a year I can push it into a push up bra if I so choose) but it is also firmer than regular silicone.

Salkate -- what exactly are you insuring?  I never heard of that.  If the implant fails for any reason it has to be replaced and your health insurance must cover it.  (In other words if you have health insurance why do you need MORE insurance?)  And no on the vitamins.  My hospital required only that I not take Vitamin E, Aspirin or Advil (among a slew of other medicines) all of which thin the blood and make one prone to bleeding (or, more precisely, diminish the ability to clot quickly -- and you want to be able to clot quickly during and after surgery).  I would not take a multivitmain that contains Vitamin E if I were you. 

Also: TEs are not intended for permanent placement so your doctor is right to tell you not to keep them forever.

Thank you for the nice welcomes.  Suebee, so sorry about your MIL and MeJoy, what a bummer about your PS- do you have a new surgery date yet? Salkate, I was also told no vitamins- especially no Vit. E.  Just stopped them all to be on the safe side.

Kelly

Namaste!

I am getting really anxious about my exchange surgery which is scheduled for 6/20 at 7 am.  I am so worried that I will not be happy with the results.  Although my TEs are tight and sometimes pinch, are mismatched in height placement and shape, I do love the projection in clothes. My PS keeps telling me I will be smaller after the exchange. I am already smaller than pre BMX.  I was a 42 C before BMX.  Based on different measurement methods I am anywhere from an A to a C+ now but I have not found one single bra that fits. Bs can be too big while some Cs are too small.  I have communicated with whippetmom which has helped me with my PS but still the big fear factor looms large.  I am dreading the drains again which my PS says I will have.  My TEs are filled to 800 and the PS is taking 6 sizes in, 550-775. I so hope I will like what I get.

Karla