Exchange City

Hi Lindsey, i had my mx nov.17th 2010,uni. He did fill my te alot, about 400 cc's, i did have alot of discomfort and now thinking back why so much? But i did have to have radiation and that was not known at the mx time. so before radiation he filled me to 500. Not comfy but i did survive with alot of whining on the the radiation thread. You will not have that, i hope u do well,i am now 7weeks since my exchange and i must say the first 2 week are the worst but not awful like mx just different and now i just keep my bra on 24/7 it  feels better. Stay on this thread the ladies are great getting through this take care

Wow! To all of you who replied so quickly, thank you very much! Beacher, I chuckled when you wrote "not comfy but I survived with a whole lot of whining," because right now I just want to cry and whine! The pulling is visible under my armpits to my back and my husband and I thought it was tha Aladerm. After sending out a picture I've learned it isn't the Aladerm, and wonder what all of this swelling in my back and down my sides is from. Does anyone else have this?



We have an appt to meet with a new PS on Tues since mine was not willing "to commit to an outcome." Holy crap! Of all times to be flakey, don't do it now! My PS didn't know if or when I should get a fill and shrugged when I showed him a picture of what I was after. So in the midst of all of this I will have someone new scrutinizing the girls and what I've already had done. I have a card that says "trust what your heart knows," and dang if I didn't ignore that back in May when we were consulting with several ps.



I think I am feeling very vulnerable right now and just want to be "led" through this process, not have to be making big decisions at every turn. After reading your posts, I realize a lot of you have had issues with healing and fills, so journeying this with you will allow me to whine, be grateful for where I am, and hopefully contribute to this community as well. I wish I would have found you all in April when I was in the planning stage, but I am thankful now!

Rnjules,I still have them and im on week 7,i see my ps tomorrow i will be asking that same question i will post what he says but if i forget just ask me take care

Hi everyone!!! and welcome to the newbies. Ive been in such a funk after my exchange, that I just didnt want to do anything. Talk about depression. I missed the whole month of July!!!!

After my exchange on June 26 ( I had an implant on my efffected side and a reduction on the right side). The implant side seemed to be a piece of cake. At least compared to my reduction side. A few days after my first pre-op, my "seams" opened up- both laterally and vertically.  My plastic surgeon (who again detached his retina, and will be out indefinately)..so I'm seeing his associates.  One associate (for 2 weeks) had me put iodine on the wound, 2x a day. Cover it...and repeat/ I spend most of my time crying from the pain, and of course, not doing anything cause he told me I had to heal first. Onset of depression!!!! Thank god for non complaining husband listening to my whining and doing all the housework and dinner.

On the third week visit,, another associate, who took pity on me, and told me this was absolutely NO way to treat what was going on.  He told me I was burning my skin with the iodine (2x) a day, and no  wonder I was screaming for mercy. He then treated me with xerophorm (a petroleum based dressing) which only hurt when applying to the raw skin and then stopped. PLUS this is only 1x a day.  At the 2 week visit, the wound is so much better. Still need to use the  xeroderm, stay away from housework (yay!!!), but I can now drive and swim in a pool. Again, husband continues to do the housework. This time he wanted a note from the MD. 

I do get muscle contractions on both sides. I find that ativan (prescribed also along with other meds for the depression), has helped incredibly with those.

I feel hole (spelled this way on purpose) again. Just dont tell my husband! 

LindseyS:  So sorry you're having a tough go of it.  You're right, it is such a vulnerable time.  We basically have to put ourselves in the hands of strangers and then cross our fingers and hope for the best.....sorry you're not getting the best  .  The more I read here, the more grateful I am for my PS and his wonderful PA.  I hope you're as lucky with your new PS.  This process is difficult enough without feeling like you're not in the most capable hands you can find.

I had nipple sparing surgery and my incisions were done below the breasts.  I also had a sentinel node removed in the left axilla.  Sorry my asking, but I'm confused when you say that you have an incision in your armpit, but you did not have a lymph node biopsy.  Why is your incision in the armpit?

Best wishes!!!

Hey girls,  sorry to hear some of you continue to have pain, etc. 

Welcome to the newbees. 

identtwins, you are almost there.  I think we are all scared, that's normal, especially when you have had a bad time in the past.

I am now about 2 1/2 weeks post exchange bilateral.  I am feeling great, been back to work part time since 6 days post op.  Saw my PS on friday, he thinks I have a slight amount of swelling between the implants (I think its fat), initially the left looked slightly higher than the right but now look in line.  I got 600cc high profile Allergans, I was expanded to 525cc, they are sooo much better than the TEs.  I do feel a bit tight ( it helps when I massage the implants), but no longer like I have soft balls on my chest.  I have not had anything for pain since the day after surgery.  I hope those who are struggling find relief soon, hang in there.

It's been a while since I've posted.  On Wednesday, I'm exchanging my present implants for new ones.  I've been unhappy with my results since I had the original exchange back in October.  My PS would only use textured implants.  It's been a year since I had a bilateral lat flap reconstruction, and I have a huge bulge under my right arm and a small one under the left. I also have a pulling sensation on my right side. The original PS tried to lipo the bulges, but they are still there.

So, at the beginning of July, I went to a new PS.  He's the director of breast reconstruction at UT Southwestern here in Dallas.  He is going to get rid of the bulges on both sides, do more fat grafting to even me up, and exchange my present implants for smooth round ones.  He also said my old PS left some of my original areola, so he's going to fix that also.

I'm actually very excited to get this done as I've been uncomfortable on my right side since almost the beginning.

Ann 

asr51, I am getting my textured implants exchanged, too.  Our old PS's must be in the 2% that use textured implants for recon.  The other 98% know better than to use textured!

westieluv,

Glad you are doing well, you will have plenty of time to be acitve once you heal, so smart to take it easy. 

Enjoy the rest!  So few times in our lives when we MUST relax

LOL Beacher -- no I have not so far.  I have a gummy which is supposed to help with that.  It also is textured... which doesn't seem to have been a problem with me.  But though my mom always told me I needed thicker skin, it turns out (ironically) that my skin IS pretty thick   So that is probably why I have no ripples.

Robo47- I have Gummies. My exchange was June 10 so still healing. Will see PS next week for followup. They look good. Very natural. More firm than I wish. Don't move around so difficult to push up in a bra. Natural looking fullness on top, though, and enough projection. Haven't changed so there's no "drop & fluff" like silicon rounds.

Robo (Howard too) -- I really like the gummy.  It IS firmer than my remaining natural breast (and I think also firmer than regular silicone) and while it was much firmer in the first 3 - 6 months I have to say that at over a year out it has softened.  I can now push it up a little in a bra (makes nice and equal cleavage with my real breast) and it is definitely softer to the touch than it was at first).  I like the projection I get a lot (it pretty much matches the projection of my natural breast -- that is when said natural breast is in a bra... but without a bra the real breast does droop more than this perky gummy).  I had a lift/reduction on the natural side.  If you are athletic and prefer firm breasts go with the gummy.  I will say the gummy does not flop to the side when I'm on my back (which is a little odd)... and I think regular silicone will.  Most women are very happy with smooth silicone rounds.  If I had had a BMX I would have considered going with that... but as a uni I wanted the more natural slope I get in the upper pole (to match better with what nature made) as well as the better projection. 

In Chicago there MUST be surgeon's who participate in the trial, Robo.  If there is a big research type hospital there, see who is recommended out of those facilities... they are more likely to be participants.  With that said, though, there are plenty of individual doctors who are in the trial as well.  It's in the last legs I think and should soon get approval.  Allergan 410s (aka gummies) have been in wide use in Canada and Europe for over 10 years.

If you want to know more about gummies and / or find others to talk with about them, check out the thread on this site called All About Gummies.

I meant to type breast, not best!! hahaha