Exchange City
Comments
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Hondagirl -- you probably are more like a C but the width of implants means we tend to require a larger cup size (and so we will out the cups that way).
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Lindsey- glad you seem to be over the hump and feeling better.
rehm-you know that's the one true thing we share with every cancer patient that has ever been or will be. We live with our mortality sitting right beside us at all times. Before cancer we can always kid ourselves into keeping it at arms length, but now even if we are NED's forever, we live with that constant companion right by our side forever. I think we all hope to continue to remember how close we came and appreciate every moment we are given, atleaset thats the lesson I hope to hang onto.
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Good Morning,
I meant to type affected breast. I am feeling much better about the situation. I have decided to stop "moping" and feeling sorry for myself. I am so happy to be NED right now. I also just found out my PS is trying to fit me in within the next two weeks to replace my right implant. As my husband say's "we aren't in a rush are we?" I said, no I just want to put all of this behind me:)
Take Care,
Lisa
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Hello everyone!! I am new here jumping from the July Mastectomy thread!! My exchange surgery has been scheduled for October 10th. I have 2 more fills before then. The BMX surgery was not bad at all and I did not have to take any pain meds but the fills have been pretty uncomfortable so I am looking for ward to being done with them. This thread has been very helpful and I appreciate everyones comments. They are really going to help me prepare for my surgery.
Everyone have a great weekend!!!
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Lindsey: So glad to hear you are doing ok! I am so glad that you found a great PS who could fix the poor work done by another surgeon. I am sure you will have amazing results after you are all done. Gentle hugs!
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Survivor,
I am smaller than the TEs, as well as less high on the chest. I think width wise I am the same.
There is a nice drop and they ate positioned evenly on the chest.0 -
I don't. I have to get in there as well. I received the directions but then got a block. I will try to take pics soon (got the steri-strips off today) and upload them.
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Exchange went well. I am not sure what the new foobs look like, I thought I was going a bit large but they seem small, which is O.K. with me. So, I guess I am glad I took the leap and went larger than I thought I wanted. We'll know more in a week, month ----don't really know how long.
Basically, it was not too bad and I have no pain. The worse part was not being able to have coffee this morning, I had and awful head ache and really didn't want to talk to anyone as they came in to answer questions.
So, still excited. I hope everyone else is doing well with their exchanges.
Vickie
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vickie - YAY! So glad you've got it behind you and so far, so good. Take it easy and happy healing!!!
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virokie, glad your exchange went well and you are feeling little pain. I hear you about the coffee - that was really hard for me too!
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oh lord, girls, cannot even believe this....both my yearly MRI AND my prophy AND my PS out of network who did my other work have been denied.
Anthem, they just said my breasts were not dense so no need. really? It is because the mammo could not find the cancer that an MRI found it at 1.5 cms. It was 6 years out from a lumpectomy and rads and 5 years of tamoxifen. But never found by mammo or palpation as veyr close to chest wall.
I and my onc and my BS appealed. All we denied. We are all appealing again.
Anyone have this problem? I cannot even believe this. I am just sick over it.
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Anniealso: It seems to be the way of insurance companies, deny everything. I had a friend who's husband had a completely dislocated shoulder hanging out of the socket and they had to go to court and sue Blue Cross and force them to cover the surgery. I hate insurance companies. It's a racket! Appeal, appeal, appeal! Sorry you are going through this.
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Anniealso - It's such B.S.! I agree with MBJ ... appeal, appeal, appeal!
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thanks, girls; I have no choice but to appeal. My onc has asked me to do it, but honestly when I got my hands on my old reports, it freaked me o ut. He has to do this, he's the medico. I can collect letters, etc., but someone in the medical field has told me that you should cc the insurance commissioner of your state. My onc wants the local news, threaten with a lawyer, etc.
I have heard that it takes three times for them to give in. I'm thinking it's end of year reasons. Bet it passes in 2012.
After all, it's alot more expensive for me to get cancer back, no?
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Anniealso - I could go on a TanGenT here but all I'll say is I was dropped by insurace after all my sugeries were over because I was 'not in treatment for cancer.' Well, OK ... but what about preventative care ... the PREVENTIVE care is so much cheaper than if it comes back. Same with the Lymphedema ... won't pay anything for maintenance while it's stage 0 but if it gets really bad then maybe there's help when it's beyond getting better and I have a fat fibrotic arm????!!!!! Makes me so angry! The lady I talked to one the phone was like (I was sobbing), you need to call your senators, your legislators & fight so they'll cover those things." All I could muster between sobs at that point was, "But I'm so tired." UGH! MAKES ME SO MAD! As my grandma used to say, "I could spit fire."
[[[[[hugs]]]]]
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Just a quick to to our JEAN... who started EC.... THANK YOU JEAN.... you have done a real good thing here.......
that being said.........I will miss you in Vegas..... I had hoped... this year..... I could have some alone time with you...:)
........ you are are dear~Ladies........ lets all THANK Jean for starting EC back in 2009............. it has helped SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many sisters here ~
Laura <---------------------- a super veteran~ LOL
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OMGOSH... I just read your ordeal Annie............OMGOSH! Sister... old friend.... that is crapolla........... I cannot believe you are going through this red tape....... REALLY?????????
Honey...... other than this STUPID crap..... I hope you are well... you are a sweetheart....... and this should not be going on....GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR~
LOVE,
Me
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Anniealso,
I just got denied on MRI and am appealing I have some information on dense breast that may help, I could use more. In my case it kind of seems like the place that I got my MRI did not file right for some reason, you might want to ask them if they appealed. The place where I received MRI said that they appealed but when I called insurance company and oncologist neither had been contacted for information.
I don't see how they could say your breast were not dense enough if they could not find cancer without it. Really, make that point. I am sure you are but really.
Appeal appeal and appeal and if/when you have luck please post what you did. I will too.
Vickie
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Hi anniealso and virokie - You probably already know about this site, but in case you don't it may provide some helpful info:
http://www.imdense.com is another dense breast tissue info website
Grrrrrrr!
(EDITED TO ADD CORRECT FIRST WEBSITE LINK ABOVE)
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Wow--- Tina T, I really needed that. Kill em' with information that they can't deny. I have been sending out packets of stuff everyday for a week, they are going to be so tired of me that they will pay just to get me to STOP. ha Or I might really piss them off. Anniealso I'll let you know which one it does.
Dawn-Hope that really sucks. One of my biggest fears (getting dropped). Then the game changes anyway with new better Insurance. My Insurance says I am "grandfathered, I get some things and don't get others and every week I get info. on how more and more things are no longer grandfather, not sure what that means. Just that the game is changing and I didn't even want to play. I just wanted to be able to handle large Health Problems. Better Stop!!!!!
Vickie
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I seem to remember reading that Christina Applegate was starting (started) a foundation to help women who have had BC get MRIs covered ... you might want to google and see (but of course it is preferable to just have the damn insurance company pay for it). I am sorry Anniealso for the trouble... Dawn I can't believe they cancelled your insurance! I had no idea. Did you find another company?
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I am 2 months out and am so glad I did this afer waiting for 2.5 years to do any reconstruction. I am wondering if others are somewhat uneven- my left is lower than my right - only noticeable without clothes. But do you think they will even out in time?
Also, what is a drop off i hear mentioned?
thanks
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You guys are fantastic, wow, I've missed you all....teach me to let my buddies loose.
thank you one and all. This is unholy, but we are all appealing.
Best tips so far:
Appeal 3x, the third time is the charm
Put it in a priority mail, return receipt requested envelope. Hard copies, and make copies of everything for yourself.
cc: all doctors involved each time, and the state commissioner of your state.
call your local news channel. Or your local paper. Get your oncologist involved.
I am going to keep going with this, but there is a point where it begins to be hurtful to you. Know it and back off a little when this happens. Your oncologist or surgeons's office should be doing this, not you.
Don't fax. They get lost.
I will continue to post if anything at all works and what we did to get it to do so.
I am; within my legal rights to get this prophy done.
**** you CAN request a "hardship" MRI from your radiologist. This will cost about 700.00 out of pocket but you can do it.
love you all,
annie
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kerry, the "drop and fluff" sounds funny, but it happens. It is when the implant settles into the pocket.
You are only 2 months out, so I'd expect some dropping and fluffing to continue and the shape to improve for the next few months.
I think it might be a good idea to make an appt. with your PS about 3 months out, or sooner to discuss this, and see what he says. They generally figure it will take some time to look more and more normal on average, 6-9 months.
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Good morning -
I went to bed last night thinking that I perhaps posted an incorrect link to that dense breast website. I just edited my earlier post because, sure enough, I did not in fact include the correct link. Here it is again:
The other link also deals with this issue so worth checking out as well...
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Thanks to everyone for sharing their experience. I am about 5 weeks away from my exchange on ociober 25th . I am excited to be done with this and to start looking normal. I am also nervous about the surgery pain and the outcome. I hope they look better than my expanders do.
I am 5'7" right now I weigh 152 but i hope to be down to 140 asap. I was a 36DD I have 650cc expanders filled to 650cc. I will be getting 650cc round gel implants.
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Carrol2
Ditto what Tina T wrote. I had exchange yesterday, haven't even need any pain meds.. I do not know how they look but so far they feel so good, soft I think. I can't wait to find out what squishy means. I am over-weight so 750cc do not look too large on me, I don't think. They aren't really small either. I did think the T.E.'s looked pretty big when I was naked but they didn't look very big in clothes so we'll see how implants turn out.
Anyway, I am hoping that yours turn out just the way you want. Celebrate you are almost,can't really say done, but you are almost through another major part. Yea!!!!!
Jammies, I hope all goes well for you at your exchange on Monday.
Vickie
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Many states have some sort of board or commission that regulates insurances companies operating within their jurisdiction. Contact that agency by phone, fill out whatever paper work is needed (but get their attention in person and take names). Let your insurance company know that you have filed a complaint with the state - this has worked for me dealing with my senior dad and his jerk off insurance company.
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