Exchange City

Hi Ladies,  I had my exchange surgery today, and it vent very well.  This time no problems with anesthesia.  I wore the scopolomine patch.  Put it on Tuesday afternoon, and am still wearing it till tomorrow's appointment.  Also anesthesia Dr. gave me several things in my IV to help with nausea.  In addition read my last surgery records, and saw that they had given me Morphine,  He left that off today, said some people get sick from the morphine.  I have taken one Loritab, but haven't needed anything else.  I  am sore, but nothing like my BMX.  No drains, and i have a compression tube type top on with some gauze under it.  I am feeling really good and anxious to see what they look like in the morning.  Good Luck to everyone whose E day is tomorrow or coming up.  One funny story!  Evidently when my implants were ordered, they were sent to the wrong hospital, and they didn't realize ti till 6am when they were getting the OR ready.  After several calls to UPS they were traced down and re-delivered.  We had to wait, since my foobs were riding around in the big brown truck!  OR nurse said she had never had that happen .  Doesn't surprise me,  crazy stuff happens to me all the time.  But it is all good.  They are in their new home now!

trail2, Congrats on being done!  Glad they were able to track your implants, what a funny story with a happy ending.  Now, rest well and no peaking until morning.

Congrats, trail2. Glad all went well and your implants were tracked down- how crazy is that?! Yea for no nausea too. Terrific news.

I'm off to bed and have to check in at 8:30 a.m.  for my surgery tomorrow. 

Actually Annettek I'm on your band wagon.  I love the feeling of waking up from surgery - weird I know.  And the next day I can't eat enough.  I do have the drains though and they are very itchy - or maybe it's the tape making them itchy.  Anyone have that?  Also, how long did your drains stay in?  So glad I'm done and trying not to look at the foobs as they are just so flat looking. 

Namaste!

Kerry 32:  I too like the feeling of waking up from surgery.  In that "half aware" state I feel total relaxation and no pain anywhere in my body.  And I feel like I have had a wonderful nap.

In regards to the drains, THEY SUCK, literally and figuratively.  I think my drains itched so much because they exited my skin where I had feeling, whereas my incisions didn't have any feeling.  And tape definetely makes the itching worse.  The time the drains are in vary.  Some don't have drains at all.  My PS had me keep the drains in until there was less than 25 ml per 24 hours.  For my BMX I had drains for 21 days, for when the TEs were placed I had one in for 21 days and the other for 9 weeks.  For my exchange they were in for 13 days.

Karla

Hi!  Congratulations on everyone's recent exchanges!

I have a question for those who have had their exchanges for a while now.  I had my exchange almost a year ago and I am going to my GYN today.  I want to ask for a script to get my non breasts checked.  Should I ask for an ultrasound or an MRI?

Thanks for your help!!

Hi Everyone,  Hope all is well.  I am home resting now.  I am sore in my arms, and armpits, and my rib cage, but i am sure that will improve with time.

Redskyatnight:  How are you doing?  Hope your exchange when well.  Let us know how you are when you can. 

Psal70,

 Yes, pathology reports are the real nitty gritty - the bare facts.  I was wrong in saying the report showed the weight of my removed breast tissue in cc's as cc's is a liquid measurement.  The pathology report lists the weight of your removed breast tissue in grams.My report said my  left breast (non lumpectomy one) weighed 260grams and my right one 300gm. There are 1,000 grams in a kilogram. Each kilogram equals 2.2 pounds. 

After living in New Zealand and Australia for 20 years I still first think in pounds and ounces so this is how I make it easy: 500grams = 1 pound.

Our breast implants are measured by their silicone content, which I guess is not considered a solid mass, so that's probably why the size is referred to in cc's.

As a semi-solid mass (inside of implant) could be weighed, if I had a kitchen scale I could weigh 225cc of water and see how that compares to my removed breast tissue of 260gm. All I know is the bras I wore before the DM fit just as well afterward with the implants, so I am assuming  225cc of silicone fill and the outer part of the implant come close to my  removed amount of breast tissue.

We are all entitled to copies of our pathology reports.  I like them as I can read them at my leisure and look things up, which even I, as a RN, don't understand or for clarification.

Psal70 - I doubt you were ever ignorant in dealing with your BC - you were just in a 'coping' mode.

I remember last year I refused to remember the two types of chemo they gave me - I just zoned out. Also don't know how much radiation they gave me except I know I went 30 times.   But, for some reason I read every single word of all of my pathology reports and blood tests.  Go figure.........

SunnyCoconut: Yes, ask for Rx to get checked out. Us Tri-Negs have to stay on top of our health. It's important. And all will be well, just go and get your peace of mind.

Just got back from my checkup with PS from my 7/18 exchange.  He took out the drains and that feels sooo much better.  They still look flatish and not perfectly even - I have been reading this thread and I know i'm not supposed to be looking yet - but geez - it's hard not to think that what if they don't get better.  He mentioned to that he had a hard time with something that starts with an S that has to do with cleavage - anyone know what that word is - I think I saw that on this site somewhere...I need a nap! LOL

Made it through the surgery.  This one was really easy in comparison to all of the other surgeries I have had.  My fabulous PS was able to get in Mentor smooth round moderate plus profile gel, size 450 on both sides!   I agree with all the ladies that say they are flat hamburger bun looking post exchange.   My PS told my husband that he was surprised that my skin flap could handle it.  He says I will be very happy when they relax settle in and fluff out. 

I get to take a shower tomorrow AM, but no soap or scrubbing anywhere on the new sisters.  He went back in on the top of the flap but incision is not all the way across.  No drains, no ace bandaging, just a 4x4 of gauze on each side and put me in a soft sports bra type.  Can't wait to see what they will look like when they relax and get past this flattened out stage. 

I will post my first post op picture on the picture forum tomorrow when I make it home from Chicago.  I am so happy that I got more volume than I thought he would be able to give me!  

I know that I may not be so psyched when I look at them in the morning and that it takes time for your body to adjust, so I am going to be optimistic and go with the flow.  Just feeling so much relief to get past this next step in the reconstruction phase.  Hoping all my BC.org sisters that got exchanges this week are happy, feeling relatively well and also relieved like me. 

I am happy everyone seemed to do well with their recent breast exchanges. I talked to my doctors office about my issues regarding reduction/lift and what to expect and also about my implant feeling soft. They gave me some information to read on the reduction and they made another appointment for me to come in and ask questions so now I can find out what he is planning on size. Me and him never really had that conversation other than I was going to go smaller than I was originally. Also, the nurse says it is very possible I have a leak in the valve of my implant. I had some trouble with the implant flipping and she says it might be doing more of that. Anyway this close to exchange surgery they are not really concerned about the leak. Although I notice it aches alot more on that side. Its been over three weeks since my last fill. I just wanted to update in case anyone else has these issues or can provide some advice. I plan on writing down some questions before my next appointment.

 If you guys can think of anything I should clear up with him before surgery, (since I don't feel like I ever had the chance to talk to him about size and what to do if there are any issues after) I would appreciate your guidance. I notice that some in here had fat grafting to fill in the areas that were flat. I have a huge flat area above the implant that he said I was stuck with because that is how that mastectomy was performed and the tissue they took. I don't think that is necessarily true from what I have read here. Thanks guys and hope you ladies continue to recover quickly and as painlessly as possible. 

Great news Westieluv. I feel the same as you- happy and relieved to have this part of reconstruction done- yippee! From my initial peeks, I am happy with the way mine turned out. I know they will change as they settle in and heal, but wow is it nice to have softer, fuller, rounder more natural looking girls and I am so happy to even have cleavage for the first time!! I did not have drains and a smaller section of the original incision was used this time. I have steri strips covering the incisions so I cannot see that part yet. 

Congrats to all of you who exchanged this week. Wishing you continued healing and quick conversion from hamburger buns



Liz

I feel like mine are shrinking.....I'm melting, melting.....

I am 6 weeks out and hoping that the fluff is more exciting than the drop has been....I dont want to be any SMALLER.

Ok, step away from the measuring tape.....