Exchange City

Dawne-Hope & Ginger48: thanks! appreciate your support. I'm looking forward to Monday and hoping there are no more delays.

Sending good wishes to those having surgery this week.

I have finally been given the go ahead and have an exchange date.  November 15th !  It is not the most convenient timing but I am thrilled to have made it to this point.  Based on most of your experiences I hope I will be feeling good by Thanksgiving.

Shannon- congrats on getting the date. Something to look forward to checking off the "cancer list".

Carrol2 and Rehm046- are you guys ready for next week? I personally cannot wait! I finally met with PS today and we seem to have a plan. She said she does "some" fat grafting at time of exchange along with the implant. 

MegM-good luck with surgery on Friday. Keep us updated on how you are doing.

LMichele- Large is good most are saying they are not large enough. There is something that can be done about the extra fat under your armpit.

That area can be liposuctioned out. Wear a good compression garment and problem solved. I am having this done in December.

There are two nipple reconstruction options I haven't decided which one I want, but I have until December to decide.

LMichelle-my PS said she adds a little fat to the top of the implant for a better shape. She used to wait and do it in a second procedure but now she does it all at once. I probably should have told her to keep on removing some extra fat while she was at it. (LOL) something good should come out of all of this.

Just got back from my post op appointment. Bandages have come off and everything looks good. Not too bad for 2 days out. Left side is very black and blue (PS had to do a lot of work in pocket). After much debate I asked to go smaller for the first time in my life I wanted to wear button down shirts that don't gap across the chest. I ended up with Mentor 550cc.



I feel good but am very tired and just going to dr appt wiped me out. Back in bed now and just relaxing. Not in any real pain and my arm swelling is completely good. I have full range of motion in both arms.



Best wishes to those still waiting for exchange it feels so much better than the TEs. I had gotten so use to them that I think I forgot what it felt like to have soft boobs. Well not the real thing but pretty darn close



Liz

Had my 3-week post exchange visit. I was concerned that my breast, um, foobs were getting close together - that symmastia repair was failing. He agreed that they are a bit closer together at top, but where he did the repair, things are find (darn those sternal sutures still stick when I bend over). He also said that women paid him a lot of money to have the kind of cleavage I am now showing . Still have to advance exercise slowly and must avoid hot tubs and baths for another 3 weeks as he says the increase in body temp delays healing.  A couple of stitches were removed that were protuding from suture line. No more visits for 6 months! And, I have 3 lovely new bras. (Restraining myself from buying more right now...)

For those of you preparing for exchange, expect your discomfort level to vary with degree of pocket work that is done. It's still major surgery, but your pain level will be so much less than with mastectomy+TE's be careful not to over do things.

jyg- thanks for the update and advice. Did not know that about baths.

Carroll- hope you get all you want done. I am choosing not to stress over house preparations. However ready we are is all we can do.The mess will still be here when I am recovered.My husband can throw things on the grill and keep us fed.

So good to get these updates.  Ginger, I'm, literally at this point, counting the days, and by next week will be counting the hours.

  I do have a question though,  I see a lot of discussion here about fat grafting.  My PS is planning to do a bit of liposuction around my upper arms.  I've gained a good bit of weight since this all started, but am still not overweight by any means.  He said, when I told him that, he didn't have to do it, but no matter how skinny I've been (and I was very thin in the last two years) I've never lost that fat around my upper arms.  Has anyony else had this done?  He said it would probably be the most painful part of the recovery-and I'm wondering if I should really go through with it.

I really have had a relatively easy recovery post BMX...and am wondering about this now?

  Any thoughts?   Pat

jyg: The Wacoal Awareness is a great wire-free bra that provides fantastic support. It is similar to a sports bra, but much prettier. Check it out next time you go shopping for bras.  

I have heard about Vinnie. Let me know how that works out for you as I am considering that, too. 

Pat, I have little fat rolls now behind/underneath armpit area that were not there pre-bmx. I was told this was always there, but that the weight of my natural breast pulled this "fat" forward so it was not as noticeable as now. I asked my PS if he could "fix" it for me. He said he could when he does my nipple recon but he did not go any further explaining how that would be done. I am not real sure that he really wants to do that. Now, I am not so sure I want to do it either. I think I am nearing the point of wanting less surgery, not more.

 Ginger, all PS's are different. Some say wear a bra 24/7, others say bras are not necessary. Some say underwire, some say never wear underwire. I purchased both and right now I am wearing a bra with NO underwire until I feel completely healed. Probably will continue for another month or two before trying to sport an underwire. 

Carrol: Breathe. You must relax before your surgery. It will be here soon and you will see that all that fretting was unnecessary. The housework will always be there, today, tomorrow, next month, etc. Just get yourself ready for the new you, and remember . . . . . breathe.

 I am excited for all of you with upcoming surgeries.  

hey angelique!  you already went bra shopping!  wow, i thought dr. k said to wait a couple months before going for fitting... however I am feeling very challenged in the undergarment department and my friend told me about a comfy bra and a great shop (Amoena bra, GieGie in Paoli)  I just got off the phone with the shop owner and I think I may head out there.  Did you go to Nordstrom?  Did you like it?  tell me more!

Carrol, you are gonna be ok!!  (by any chance did you use any anti-anxiety meds before? I did during diagnosis time and I had some left and I did use them a few times in the last week before my exchange surgery) (it does help)  try not to be too anxious you'll be back in business before you have time to eat all that lasagna!  

Carrol- I just got off from chatting with a local woman who had her exchange 2 days ago. She said it was a walk in the park compared to BMX. She has been able to care for herself except for driving , no arms over shoulder height and she can't lift more than 5 pounds. She said just be prepared to rest, rest and rest some more. So hopefully you will not need more help than your husband can provide. Mine is going to work the day after surgery so I will just make sure none of my food weighs more than 5 pounds and is all lower than shoulder height in the fridge (LOL) and I should be all set. Take it easy and keep breathing.

LMichele: The only thing PS told me was no underwire for a few more weeks. He also said I did not have to wear a bra. I just wasn't getting good support from surgi bra and the new boobs were hurting a little. The Wacoal Awareness is amazing!! I am wearing it 24/7 and I HATE wearing bras. 

LMichele, do you have access to the picture forum? If so, I posted pictures of my newly purchased bras on the "Post Your Bras" thread. Yes, I went to Nordstrom's Christiana and I had the most amazing experience there. The young lady who fitted me was so professional and really knew her stuff. She made me feel like a million bucks!!  If you don't have access to the pic forum, let me know and I'll send you some links to the bras at Nordies that worked so well for me. 

I did leave the tags on the underwires since I am not wearing them for awhile; so if my new boobs change enough that the bras don't fit well in a couple of months, then I will return them. They were too perfect to pass up!

Carrol -- deep breaths, deep breaths!  It's going to be OK.  I had a drink the night before each of my surgeries too.  Remember: your PS got you here and isn't going to let you down now.