Exchange City

Redskyatnight~

My recovery is fine.  I'm having the normal soreness.  Having post-op appointment on Monday.  I can't wait for things to settle.  It seems that my pecs/lats are tight and the upper pole swelling is not going down as quickly as I would like.

The range of bra recommendations by PS for post exchange is wild and varied.  My guy called me and said that due to the lat flap, he really doesn't want me in much of a bra and absolutely no compression.  Says we have to work against both muscles to get the drop.  

I think I look saggy now, so if they drop even lower, I may be asking him to recut the flap incision to lift it up a little.

I'm going to wait another week before posting more photos.  I am trying not to be too obssessed.

Having my exchange surgery tomorrow at noon!!!! I am overfilled to 750 and they wil be putting in midprofiles 800 and hopefully putting a row of stitches up the side to keep the implant out from under my arm.

I CANNOT wait

Hi Ladies,  I had an appt with my PS today.  I am one week, one day since exchange.  I left feeling better about things.  I have been in quite a bit of pain, and quite a bit of swelling.  They told me today that they had done quite a bit of pocket work and had done some work on tissue  inside to help with the shape.  I had some areas of fatty necrosis, which is hard.  He decided to biopsy tissue removed, and all was benign (thank goodness)  Also some of my pain along rib cage is evidently a stitch or two that may be in my rib where they were working on the infra-mammary fold??  the area at the bottom of the breast where it connects with the top of your stomach?  where your band of the bra sits.  Also made me feel better about my moods, and depression that has hit me like a bolt of lightning since Exchange.  Says anesthesia make you very  chemically challanged in the brain.  I think i knew that it could do that, but when you feel as bad as I have been this past week you start to wonder if after all this fighting you are just loosing it????  but now i have a small light at the end of this tunnel, so I will carry on.  Hopefully swelling will decrease and I will know what my new girls are going to look like.  Hugs to all.

Trail, Glad things are going good for you.  I am getting more comfortable with my foobs every day.  Westiluv, heres a hug, hang in there, life is not fair for you at the moment.  Hoping your mom is going to be ok, remeber we can beat this and we will fight together to give her strength.   If you find a bra and want it pm and I could always get it and send it to you.  I know what you mean about overwhelming trying to find the "perfect" one that will be best for our foobs without doing damage.   Rebecca, glad you are getting away, enjoy the beaches and fresh air.  I traveled with expanders and not a problem, didn't do the skeleton machine either.  I thought since I didn't have much fluid when we took off I might feel it swoosh around, it didn't only had 50ccs in a 550 expander for 1st trip, second trip more, still no movement with the fluid. 

Hi Ladies, I have not been able to check in for a few days and it seems like alot is going on. Trail2 I am sorry to hear you are having problems and it sure seems like you are getting good advice here. Hang in there.

Congrats to the new ones who recently had their exchange surgery. I hope all goes well for you.

I have so much going on right now it is hard to focus. I am really wondering if I need to have a second opinion on what is going on with my expander. It really does feel soft and squishy. It has been hurting more and it feels like I might be feeling the back of the expander. I did make an appointment with my PS but he could not see me till 8/9 because he is out of town. I have a mammogram set up for my left breast on the 8th before they do reduction on that one the doctor thought it would be wise. I am curious how many switched PS's midway through the process and how that worked out for you. I hate to make waves but I sure don't feel like I am having the same experience that most of you seem to. I feel like my expectations are set up to be really low on what the outcome will be and I am starting to worry about how they will look after. I am going to be so glad when this is all over. I would really like to see the photo page so I can see realistically what I should expect. I wish the best for all of you and I am sending good vibes out to all. 

Hi ladies,

Just started reading this forum with intent as my last fill is done, and I am scheduled for silicone replacements 10/31. Couldn't manage much earlier because of doctor scheduling and our 20th anniversary big vacay.

The past 2 months have been more uncomfortable than I could have imagined and still these darn TE's cause difficulty with sleep. I am, however, grateful ONLY to be going through reconstruction.

The strength so many of you have shown to me going through chemo, rads, and/or repeated surgeries is inspiring at the same time it is frustrating to realize how imperfect treatment is for this disease.

Thank you for the honest sharing of your experiences.

Peace.

jan

Hi Jan-I just wanted to say not only do we share a name but your story is very similar to mine. I had surgery 1/5/2011 and then revision surgery about 10 days later. I also have been extremely lucky that I did not have anything after the mastectomy except reconstruction. I only had a unilateral mastectomy and so I am dealing with surgery on the other breast with exchange surgery to make them symetrical.My doctor has done my fills very slowly only 60 cc every two or three weeks so it has not been really bad during this period for me. My issues stand more from my own ignorance and trying to get a better understanding of what is happening at this stage.

I so agree with you on the strength of these ladies and everything they have had to go through. I do appreciate the sharing of stories and it has helped me so much to be benefit and gain knowledge from their stories. Thanks to all of you. I hope all of you brave ladies are having a good day.

This is my first visit to this thread. I am still getting fills, but expect to have exchange Nov or Dec (six months after finishing rads). What kind of recovery time should I expect? Do you come out with drains? Is it like the Mastectomy or harder or easier? I just want to know what to expect. Thanks

Ladies... I hope you are well... and your exchanges are going well!

Ditto on Ruth's advice.  Best to plan time to take it easy and heal. 

By reading and talking with so many who are between the mastectomy and exchange and what follows, it hit me how hard it is to visualize what will be....even when i get all frustrated and impatient, I forget what it was like right after the BMX and with the TEs just starting out- so I posted in pic forum the very first pic (a month out from BMX) and one 4 months out from exchange....wow, what changes occur that I could never have believed and sometimes forget. Anyway, thought it was more visual an impact with the two side by side.

slinky- gla dyou made it thorugh the hysterectomy ok, but dammit, wish you hadn't have had to go through it. I hear you- I have been going through my own WTF deal...that mental whiplash-it can really take a toll on anyone, nevermind Type A's like us. Totally out of our control on so many levels....so glad you popped back up-thinking of you and wishing you speedy healing buddy

As for traveling with implants...no problems thus far with the TA folks and if I am in a mood- I just start telling a long story sure to make them go oh never mind go on through ahhaha...gotta admit- I got stopped by the one motorcycle cop in our city that NEVER lets you go without a ticket.....I didn't have my seatbelt on and they were set up under turnaround under freeway...five cars pulled over already and i got waved over...he walked up to me and said- no seatbelt and I said...I can't wear it (BS- I could and do-just hadn't had time to buckle up actually-too anxious to beat traffic after work) he said oh yeah, really- got a doc letter? I said wait- and pulled out my mentor implant registration card and ps business card and said Actually I do hahaha- he said What is this? I said I don't like to talk about it- please call my PS= he will call you right back. Shaking his head= he said- "Go on, get out of here"....I almost felt bad as I drove away (and then buckled up)....

HELLO SLINKY! GLAD YOU MADE your decsion to revise your implant. Im thinking about doing the same thing!i had my exchange 7 weeks ago and my non mx side that was lifted and added a smaller implant 250 cc  (MY mx side is 500 cc both silicone) the lifted side is much larger than the mx side and even if its still swollen which i do not think it is it would never match the hamburger bun. the non cancer is quite a nice looking breast but too big for me even if they did match ,im 5 '2' small frame although ive gained 10 lbs since the bc. i would post some pictures but cannot figure out how to do it.... I am going to my ps tomorrow see wht he says ,then if he does not agree i am looking for a 2nd opinion. Time to take action,im still dealing with frozen shoulder so i probably wait till after my ortho visit. But im very excited for you and u have inspired me. i mean my is noticable in clothes .... so crazy anyone else would like to give suggestions or help me with picture forum  im listening have a great Sunday

Hello again Slinky, i could not find your photos on the photo forum?

Hi LindseyStam - Welcome to this thread!  I think it was 4-6 weeks after DMX that I had my first fill.  350-300cc's is a lot.  I wouldn't be surprised if you have to wait a little longer than that for your first fill.  How much cc's are put in at the time of your MX and TE placements depends on several things:  1)  How large your natural breasts were ... the larger they were, the larger the skin flaps, which means the larger you can be filled.  2)  The integrity of your skin.  Your PS was able to fill you that much because you had large enough skin flaps and also your skin was flexible enough to handle it.  I didn't have that much saline put in ... but others may have.

The exchange surgery, from TE's to implants, is a lot easier than the MX and TE placement but it still is surgery.  A lot of us feel pretty good and are off pain meds after 1 week, but it depends on your body, how you heal and how much pocket is done at the time of your exchange.  You need to be careful in lifting and reaching.  I was back at work after 2 weeks.  But was limited in reaching, lifting, and gym time until 6 weeks out.  It's a whole lot easier than what you've been through but it's important to realize that it still is surgery.

I didn't wear a bra with my TE's.  It honestly hurt too much to have anything touch them, but I think I'm not the norm.  The most I wore with them was a cami with a shelf bra.  If you can, it may be helpful to wear a soft-cup bra to give some support, especially if your skin stretches easily because you don't want to overstretch the skin.  Your PS may have a reason, though, why he doesn't want you to wear one.  I would ask him first.  

After the exchange, PS's differ widely on the use of bras.  Most of us, however, have found that after your exchange a bra is helpful to keep the new foobs in the pocket in which your PS created for them.  "Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate" is a thread worth checking out when you're ready.

Again, welcome to this thread!  Good luck with your fills!  xo