Exchange City
Comments
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MPL - you can make them jump??? That school I guess at least they can do more than just cause pain. I've started letting people (female friends only) touch them. Just so people can see what I'm bitching about all the time
I took a Xanax. Hopefully I'll be asleep soon. Not for long I'm sure since it hurts every time I move. 3 weeks from today I'll be in my bed with my real fake boobs. Can't wait!!0 -
Lauren we are having surgery the same day.
I haven't jumped into this thread yet as I am a little nervous but excited. I do read all the posts so I guess I should jump in head first. I see my PS tomorrow for the first time in a month. MY TE's are at 360 with 40 more tomorrow being last fill. I am going the small route but bigger than originally planned since I am having radiation after exchange. If any CC happens during rads there will still be enough room to exchange to the smaller size that I originally wanted if needed. I am comfortable with this plan so June 6th can't get here fast enough to get thes rocks off my ribs.... Good luck to eveyone and thank you for all you posts for someone like me who is a little nervous. 0 -
Lauren, Yep, I can flex them and they move up and down. It happened accidentally at first and now I find it amusing to move them. Freaks people out. I know, cancer has given me a sick sense of humor. I also tell people to feel how hard they are. Especially where the port is. I am counting the days until the rocks are gone. The spasms don't really bother me anymore. I'm still having them, but I've just learned to live with them. I have a big dent in the left side and was pretty unhappy when the PS told me I'd need a revision. So I don't know what I'll be waking up with, but at least it won't be TE's.
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Exchange went well yesterday:) I had LOTS of scar tissue on the left side- the most my PS has ever seen. (It's been in for 13 months). She ruptures the TE and removes it through an incision under the breast. Said it was so covered in scar tissue that it took forever just to get the TE out. Then she cleaned everything up, so they are so soft:) I have 2 drains - one on each side. I'm in a compression/surgical vest instead of an ACE wrap and it's so comfortable. Pain is manageable, especially compared to the other surgeries. She thinks that at my post op visit on Monday, she will put me on Singulair, as it prevents scar tissue from forming. I am one happy girl!
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Way to go momof4infla! I'm very happy for you!
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Hello Everyone!
I had my exchange surgery yesterday. It was the "best of times and the worst of times..." My husband and I started out very emotional. I had to deal with some issues that have been building up inside me. Not the best day to do it but he works 2nd shift so I don't see him. We both went into the day crying and dealing. I cried a lot before and after surgery.
The implants are so nice! The TEs seemed to be cutting me under my left breast and I was in pain always. I took at least one pain pill per day and usually only to sleep. I hurt now but it is surgical pain where the incisions are and where the port was taken out...Another big YAY!!!
My PS has his patients wear a sugical bra night and day for a week. I have a one week post-op appointment and some have had to wear theirs longer. I'll ask why at the next appointment. I was worried about drain tubes but I don't have any. I had radiation three years ago and I couldn't be expanded a lot. My skin was thin but he did the best he could. I am still a B cup which is okay.
Everyone take care and thanks so much for the encouraging words. Those of you who haven't exchanged yet, hang in there. I know it is tough and it hurts but after surgery, you will feel so much better. I still cannot believe it!
Beth
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momof 3, gracious, and beth...congrats! glad everything went well.
mlp, i actually tried after reading your post! You're funny...and I'm jealous. mine won't move
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mine wont move either. My muscles are spasming so maybe thats why i can't do anything. I went to PT yesterday and she couldn't really do anything. This last fill wrecked me and I can hardly move. I'm in terrible pain and nothing helps. Less than 3 weeks - I can't wait!
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Lauren, I had pretty severe muscle spasms a few weeks before exchange. I had so much scar tissue covering and constricting the expander. At the end when we would try to fill the TE, it was horrible. All scar tissue is gone now, and it's much more comfortable. Hang in there!
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Yes thats what he told me he said if I am happy with them I could keep them but I am going for the exchange as the TE feels like a rock on my chest .
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I'm so happy to hear about the successful exchanges. I've got a week to go.
StJude10 and Lauren, don't feel bad, my husband can't move his either. I told you I've got Ramboobs.
I feel really bad for you Lauren that you are in so much pain. If you try a heating pad,which I did in the beginning, be careful about putting it near the snb site if you had one. I was told it can contribute to lymphodema. It did help with the spasms though.
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Hi ev1, well I am 4 days post op. Surgery went well. I always get very sick from anesthesia so that was the same and it took 4 different meds to help me quit. Also since I cannot take pain meds I woke up with a bottle IV of regular strength Tylenol. After that was gone I had nothing. It was bearable. As I told you all b4 I had a redux many years ago. Those scars along with the scars from the Mast. made for a sort of patchwork of skin. There is one area that was dark (like a bruise) we worried about it dying but it is doing great now my PS had nitro cream to rub on the patch and its getting pinker by the day. I stayed the night in the hospital and came home with drains. Yesterday I had a follow up and he decided to leave them in til Monday. I was told not to wear a bra and he did not want me wrapped in gauze so he put me in a camisole to hold the gauze pads to the incissions. As for the girls: Squishy and Squashy... the left side is awesome and I can see that it will look just as I had hoped. The right side takes more imagination. It was the really painful TE side and had thin skin. It seems to be lower at the base and there is no fold. Also the tissue that strecthed in the center over breastbone is still stretched. My PS says that both of these issues will correct themselves once the fluff happens. Thank you for your prayers. Will post more later.
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TinaT, you were a wealth of information. Just a contribution, I was terribly allergic to Arimidex so much that my MO would not give another drug to try. I told my PS just to take my mind off the fills cause I get really tense and anxious with needles so that can cause pain. My PS recommended I take Protandim which is a new antioxident. I asked my Gen Phys about it and she gave me a bottle but so far have not noticed anything different.
Cant wait to get my boobs straightened out,get my gel implants and get the rest of the package. Do we get general anes when we get the nips or is that in the drs office? I got a cyst removed off my back at the derms office and didnt feel a thing! It wasnt even sore after that. An acquaintance has saline and is pushing me that way but my PS likes gel. I think it would feel better but obviously I am not going to try out both to find out,no surg research with me as the guinea pig! I am just gonna forget wondering about other ladies boobs and concentrate on getting mine straight. I got one more fill to go. Its tight but not too painful,occasionally a sharp pain but mostly fine. Hope all of your surg go spectacularly well and your boobs look great for bikini season. My PS asked if I wanted to hurry and do it for the beach but I want to wait and get the best results possible. Odd,the PS told me to bra shop to figure the size I want,they dont make bras with square cups that fit on your collar bone for TEs!!
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Hellooooo Ladies!
Big congratulations to all of you who have been through exchange already, big prayers for those who have upcoming dates, and big gentle comfort hugs for those facing challenges and pain these days.
Lauren - Valium worked the best for me....I really didn't have TE pain per se, but now that they're so big, sometimes they hurt when I roll over on them.
MLP - I can make my TEs jump, too!!! Instead of 3D nipples, I was thinking of perhaps getting tatts of dancing hula girls.....
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Well, here I sit with 620cc TE's in....got 180ccs in the OR on December 5th, and had my last fill in March. I would have had my exchange next month, but I asked the PS what would happen if he put in permanent squishies that matched the size of my giant TEs and then later decided to lose weight. He said the implants would stay the same size. So I said "I'd have stripper boobs, right?" and he just laughed.
So I've been on Optifast for two months...down 35 pounds from my highest weight, and have 35 more to go. Exchange is tentatively in September.
The only problem is that the smaller I get, the bigger and harder the TEs feel! So I know the PS will have to do quite a bit of pocket work once he gets in there. But I'm sure it will all be worth it.
Wishing the best for all of you!
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Just checking in... I have to finish up the paperwork to get to my PS by Thursday, 2 weeks before surgery. But reading through the brochure on silicone, I wound up with a few questions. First of all, I know that technically my insurance is supposed to pay for this, but down the line, will they cover replacements? And since I'd like to get back to fencing at some point, does that mean I'm at a higher risk of rupture with all the jabbing? If so, maybe saline is better?
The kicker is that my PS requires me to get a physical with my PCP to make sure I'm okay to have surgery. My PCP can't see me until the 5th. Fortunately, the PS office said just to fax it in. I mean, I've been under regular surveillance for 9 months - don't you think we'd know if I had any other problems?
Congrats to everyone who's had their surgery. I didn't think drains were involved... I'll see what my PS says.
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Rachelvk: I used to fence. My breast guards took the pokes for me. They have dents for proof. LOL.
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The PCP check-up may just be a legal thing that your PS does to satisfy his/her lawyers. Sigh.
Either way you go with implants, you'll want to guard against jabbing. With the silicone, I have to get an MRI 3 years out, and then every two years. And when (if?) my doctor decides 10, 15, 20 years down the road that the implants need to be exchanged again, it will be a medical necessity. That's why we have insurance, right? I would hope that they would pay for it.
Wishing you the best - and calmness as your date approaches.
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As the health code is (right now) Insurance covers cost for life less your deductables and co-pays. From what I have read both silicone and saline will probably need to be replaced at some point. There are two silicone makers that warranty the products from defects. These are things to think about, but not to dwell on. We have come so far in this journey and have planned as much as we had control over, but there is only so far and so much we can control. There comes a time we have to be OK with the decissions we made and move forward. We MUST try and be as happy as we can in the now. Pain of the TE's kinda prevent that, but as I am recovering from the replacements, I can sense that better days are just around the corner. Blessings to all.0
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rachelvk - It is my understanding that insurance policies that cover breast reconstruction are legally obligated to cover any "tweaks" (like surgeries for ripples, nipples, etc) as well as medically necessary implant replacements down the road. Of course, it's anybody's guess what will be going on regarding medical insurance 10 years down the road
. Have you checked out the Breast Implant Sizing 101 thread? Loads of info right in the header of the thread and also a greast place to ask implant questions.
From all I've read most reconstructive plastic surgeons prefer silicone. Also, I believe the case (outside) of both silicone and saline implants are the same material. Saline implants tend to ripple worse than silicone.
When I had my exchange I also had to get the OK from my PCP. The info went to my PS's office, but was actually requested by the anesthesiologist. I think the PS is pretty focused on breast issues and the reconstruction process takes such a long time that there can be changes in EKG, blood pressure, clotting times, etc. Some of these things might not be symptomatic if there are changes. I felt the same way as you, like it was a hassle, but when I thought about it, it made sense.
My PS warned me to be prepared to wake up with drains, but I didn't have them. I think they don't know until they get in there if there is scar tissue to clear out, revisions to be made to the pocket, etc.
Good luck!!!
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Thanks everyone. Before I had my bmx I had to go for pre-op testing at the hospital. I guess since I'm going through an out-patient center, they need the PCP authorization instead. And I appreciate the thoughts about silicone vs saline. I like the idea of silicone better, but just checking out pros and cons. I'll check the Implant thread. I'm aiming for a B, which is about what I was. With the TEs, my old bras (I wear them on rare occasions) are just slightly tight, so I'm assuming I've hit the right amount of fills.
Hope everyone had a good weekend. Good luck to those with surgery this week.
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I'm just reading theses now so tomorrow I'm running out to get a heating pad. I'm also going to ask my MIL for Valium since my PS doesn't want to give me any Rx. Maybe if I call and let them know how I'm feeling he'll give me something. He has always been hesitant to give me pain killers after 3 weeks. I was okay until the last fill. Now I'm feeling terrible all the time...
2 1/2 weeks and I'm there. The light is getting a little brighter every day!0 -
When I asked the question of saline vs silicone gel, my PS was really leaning toward silicone. Her reasoning was that should scar tissue develop (and I had it pretty intensely), it can puncture the saline implants fairly easily. The silicone gel is harder to rupture, and even if it does rupture, it tends to stay in place until they can replace the implant. They also feel more like natural breast tissue. I'm 5 days post op from getting the silicone and they are so squishy and soft. I absolutely love them and am thrilled with the size. I was off pain meds after 24 hours. Got one drain out today, and the other should come out in the next couple of days, just in time for the long weekend.
Good luck to those about to have the exchange. Things will get better soon!!
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Since momof3infla mentioned drains, I'll chime in with my experience of no drains. I came home last week (Monday) and was amazed at how swollen my chest area was! Then I realized it was probably because I did not have any drains. There was no cleavage either which was kind of disappointing. I had hoped to go a cup size larger for a reason, lol. Well, as the week has progressed on, the swollenness has gone down and I am noticing some cleavage (Yeah!). So there are trade-offs with those drains. . . Just thought you'd want to know.
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JulieLynn-I have a large indent on the left side right where my cleavage should be. My PS said he will have to lift my stomach skin to cover and fill in that hole. I'd be thrilled if he did lipo to loosen up that stomach skin, but that's not going to happen. I was told to expect bruising, which I didn't have after the BMX. I will also need a revision.
Blessings2011- The hula! ROFLMAO! Maybe we need to start a new thread. Beware the dancing TE's! I plan to wave at my PS when he takes me in the OR.
Lauren- Hang in there. I can't believe your PS won't give you valium. What are they saving it for anyway? It's not like we're abusing it. Flexeril is also very effective. I hope it gets better for you with the muscle relaxers and heating pad.
Can any of you tell me how restricted you are after the exchange? My PS said I could resume normal activities after a week. I just hope it's not as bad as the BMX with not being able to put my arms up. Also worried about getting out of bed and sleeping sitting up. And the worst-that feeling of being kicked in the chest by a horse. As much as I am worried I am even more ready to get these things out.
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My drains were removed today!! ahhh freedom. I had a lot of fluid and was happy to have the drains to help in the healing. The stitches come out on Thursday.
MLP- the exchange is nothing like the bmx. Afterwards you just know and feel like you are on the way to 'normal'. My underarms did not hurt and had no pain meds. Just the relief of getting the expanders out was worth the pain of the new incissions. Restrictions for me was lifting nothing over 10 pounds, no bra or any wrap that would indent the skin, no showers until the drains were out, no swimming for 3 weeks(some stitches disolve). Each day is easier to move.
Tonight I had my 1st reality moment. I reached into the dishwasher for a spoon, I felt the weight of my breasts swing as I bent over. It felt like a familiar friend that I had forgotten for the last year. In that moment I was whole again. No matter what the mirror says...it was a glimmer.
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Neato, that is definitely NEATO!
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23 minutes ago Incogneato wrote:
Tonight I had my 1st reality moment. I reached into the dishwasher for a spoon, I felt the weight of my breasts swing as I bent over. It felt like a familiar friend that I had forgotten for the last year. In that moment I was whole again. No matter what the mirror says...it was a glimmer.
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Incogneato - How wonderful! As "reality moments" go, that one was a winner. Happy for you!!!!
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My experience is similar to Neato's (exchange a day earlier). Very little pain associated with the exchange. Restrictions, minimal. I came home in a surgical velcro bra and switched the next day to a front closure sports bra that I'd found at Target after my BMx. My reality moment is when I reach across my upper body and my upper arm doesn't hurt from the hardness of the TE! Hugs are better now too.
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I guess I thought I was Superwoman yesterday because I felt so great, and of course I overdid it. I did get the right drain out yesterday, but lefty is still there because of all the scar tissue removal that was done at exchange. I had a rush of fluid that continued to flow into the drains for about 6 hours last night. I think there was so much fluid that I had some bleeding where the tubing comes out. Not much, but enough for me to really watch it. The fluid has slowed down a LOT this morning after resting all night. Hopefully it doesn't happen again, but I'm calling my PS in a bit just to see if that's normal. I'm also going to take it easy. Tomorrow will be a week post exchange. I feel great, but my body is telling me to slow down:)
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I found out I will have drains too. I was surprised - why do some have and some don't?
I'm calling the PS office this morning to ask for Valium. I took a 5 mg last night that i happened to have at home and sleeping wasnt as bad. I have PT tonight so hopefully they can work on my back/shoulder blade area. Now my arms are starting to hurt. I'm a mess. I'm hoping the exchange will give me relief everywhere, not just on my boobs...
2 weeks from tomorrow - hooray!
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