Exchange City
Comments
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Sandi - most of my muscle spasms went away after the exchange and that was 2 weeks ago..... Range of motion needs improving.
Mooleen - my BS is requiring MRIs every few years to not only check my implants but to check for any BC coming back since mammograms are a thing of the past now.... That's the only way she can gauge me now.
Rachel - I thought the same thing and for me right now it would be too much. I hope you can dance soon!0 -
Rachel...I asked about walking...and was told no...the reason I was given is that they don't want you to get your heart rate up and have all of your blood go to the "wound", which, apparently, that is where it would go. I was bummed!!! So...probably not right now....and...the pulling on your arms (or the potential pulling) would probably be a problem, too.
GodIsGood (Isn't HE, though!!!).....I am 2 1/2 weeks out and the ONLY time I get spasms is when I have over done it...usually it is because I have carried something too heavy....but when you have a 6 year old, you are always left to carry something. And, well, I just don't think sometimes until it is too late.
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Vicky - there is a thread "TE Problems" that would be very helpful to you.
It's been 4 weeks since exchange, and I'm still on the "walking only" orders. I asked if I could go back to spin class and weight training and my PS just glared at me lol.
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Doctors can all have diffferent recommendations. Mine encouraged walking as soon as I felt up to it. No stretching, lifting more than five pounds, or arms above the head for about 4-6 weeks.
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It's amazing how different the doctors are. Next week I'll be 2 weeks out and I have no restrictions then. He said I can have sex, drugs and rock and roll. He said I can go bungee jumping or jump out of a plane. Lifting the kids is a restriction, though. He said only in case of a fire I should run and get them (duh). Bot other than that, nothing... A friend of mine also said her PS said nothing strenuous to get her heart rate up.
I was kind of hoping for some sort of restrictions... Get me out of a little housework, etc..0 -
It is interesting how different the doctors guidelines are and that some only use either saline or silicone. My PS gave me an either or option. Hearing MRI associated with the silicone just gave me the shakes though since thats how they originally found my idc-bad connotations although a more sane person would say that's a good thing. lol My insurance (as long as I still have it at the time) will cover the balance of the MRI but I would still have to pay my deductible up frontwhich could make it fairly expensive but I'm still interested in hearing your pros and cons for each and how you derived at your decision. I'm also glad that I signed on to this thread because I have been so nieve about the exchange surgery. I wasn't even thinking about a recovery period-just thinking I'd go in there and they'd pop these expanders out, put in the implant and I'd be good to go. I'll have to ask my PS what her recovery guidelines are. Thanks to those who let me know about the silicone vs saline advantages etc.
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Thanks for the input. I had forgotten about the pulling - some guys can be a bit rough. I was cleared for walking, though (not that I've done any). I've avoided lifting, but some of the doors at work are hard to open. I actually was aching the other day and finally had to ask someone else to open the door for me.
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Actually, I didn't ask my insurance about covering future mri's. They have been really good and perhaps they would. I would still have to meet the deductible. Thanks for the input.
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I have saline since that is the only thing my PS uses. I am on my second set as first were too small for my frame (750s) and now I have Mentor Mod. Prof. Plus overfilled to 960cc. They are big, but my PS is a perfectionist and I am very happy with them. They really are soft and always body temp which is nice. Had one develop a small leak from a stitch knot after alloderm surgery and a fall which probably dislocated the implant causing the knot to rub on it and make a small hole. It took about 2 months to finally realize it was leaking and had it replaced in PS office under light sedation.
My PS has been removing quite a few silicone implants for saline over the past several months.
I am sad though because my PS is now out of practice indefinitely due to back problems and surgery from which he is not recovering well. Hope he gets better soon and back to practicing.
Good luck with your decision. It really has to be your decision and all of us can give you the pros and cons and our own situations but in the end it is what is going in to your body and what you will be comfortable with.
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delilahbear I really appreciate your response. I can definitely find alot that are pleased with the silicone but either not too many have the saline or they don't respond much. The saline is the direction I originally was most comfortable with but then really questioned it due to lack of response. I am also glad to hear, just incase I do go with the saline, that you can have a small leak that would take that long for you to notice. Also I am glad to hear that they are soft ; when my ps first showed me the 2 silicone and saline, she said she didn't notice much difference her self but patients seem to think the silicone are softest. I got this fear then that maybe the saline would be real hard or kind of the same as having these tissue expanders. But then I was afraid of the silicone leakage until someone said there ps has only had 1 case of it. I agree that I am the only one that can make the decision for myself but it is great to hear about others situations to dispel some of my worries and fears as I try to make my decision.Thanks for the input0
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I dont know much about saline. My PS states he uses silicone for recon but is fine with saline for augmentation. He said the problem with saline is its not firm enough to use when you have removed all of the breast tissue. I do have a girlfriend that used saline first after her recon and just switched them out to silicone. She said everytime she moved she could feel, see and hear it slooshing around in there. Its bascially like a water balloon. Good luck with you decison.
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2FriedEggs - (sorry if I've already posted this here before - brain foggy day today...)
My relatively young PS only uses saline implants. When I asked him why, he said that to remove and replace a silicon implant - which, apparently he's done quite a few that have been placed by other surgeons - he has to make a large incision to get them out, and put the new ones in.
With saline, he can make a tiny incision, deflate the saline implant completely, remove it, insert the new one through the same tiny incision, then inflate it to the exact desired size so that both sides match perfectly.
He says his patients are very happy with saline, and not one has ever mentioned to him that they are too hard or too cold. (I said I would be REALLY upset if the permanent implants felt like TEs, and he promised me that they would not.)
He's done a great job so far, and has never lied or tried to sugar-coat anything for me, so I guess I will continue to trust him.
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I had silicone implants for 4 months, and have had my saline implants for 11 days. Honestly, the saline feels more natural to me, like they are more a part of the original me than the silicone did. I switched because my first PS put in moderate plus profile instead of high profile, and I was not happy with the wide flat look he left me with. My new PS used high profile saline implants, they are a total of about 4 cm more narrow and have 2 cm more projection. I'm not far out from surgery and I already love them more than my first set. I can't wait to see how the next few months bring about even more changes!
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Oh wow blessings2011 and mtnester that is great to hear. Since I do have incision issues blessing2011, healing wise, the smaller incision could be a good thing and MTnester it's great that you can speak from experience that yours feel natural. My big fear too is that they will feel like the expanders. Really appreciate both of your comments. Thanks0
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I think the majority of women here have silicon implants, so I am always thrilled to hear from those who really like their saline implants. Makes me less nervous about September.
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liza...I was a DD pre mast. I'm with TE right now at 840 cc, fits my old bras, but they are loose. I'm going with 800CC permanent silicone. I hope this results in a nice full C, which the PS says it will be close, no promises.
I, too, would rather be smaller than larger. Mostly because I have had great weight loss in the last 2 years and the DD were disproportional to my new frame. I'm now 5'7" 162 lbs.
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liza...I was a DD pre mast. I'm with TE right now at 840 cc, fits my old bras, but they are loose. I'm going with 800CC permanent silicone. I hope this results in a nice full C, which the PS says it will be close, no promises.
I, too, would rather be smaller than larger. Mostly because I have had great weight loss in the last 2 years and the DD were disproportional to my new frame. I'm now 5'7" 162 lbs.
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My insurance does not cover MRIs to detect leaks UNLESS there is a suspected leak. They wont do it routinely.
That said, the FDA has removed the recommendation for MRI checks every 3 years for leaks.
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i also have saline implant and i am very happy about it it is not cold and not hard
my reduction is another story not happy with it, still too big i hope it is just swollen its been only 3 weeks for me for inplant and reduction
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Am I the only one who feels even more discomfort from the implants than the TEs? I just feel like I have these suction cup hanging on - and my arm keeps bumping against the right foob when I'm driving. Maybe it's not quite in the right place, or it's just swelling?
I just found the guidelines from my PT (which I misplaced and asked him to email but they didn't), and it recommends avoiding any arm motion above 90 degrees for the first 10 days - my PS' nurse had laughed when I asked about that and said do what my body feels comfortable with. Now I'm wondering if I've overdone it. And I've probably lifted more than 5 lbs - I just bought 2 lbs of strawberries with some other things, so that must have pushed the limits. So much for being a good patient. And Wal-Mart put all the hats and bras I wanted to look at way over my head. Sigh.
Sorry to complain. It seemed so much easier after my bmx, when I simply couldn't move; now, I 'feel' fine but wonder if I'm doing too much.
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Having a lot of pain in the side with the Alloderm. Hurts to move my arm. For some reason the Vicodin, which I have taken before, is making me itch all over. Extra strength Tylenol isn't helping the pain today.
Anyone else out there have a lot of pain with the Alloderm?
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rachel I have not had my exchange yet but at my last fill I had asked my PS if I would have lifting restrictions at exchange and he said yes for 4 weeks, 10lbs . We decided to put my exchange off a couple of weeks due to something that I will have going on that I need to be able to lift.
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Hi Denise, I had quite a bit of itching after my exchange...horrible! I took Benadryl a couple of times for that and it helped. Can't address the pain with the alloderm, I have alloderm but no pain. Hope you feel better soon
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although I domt have restrictions, I think I did too much too... I just did a little clothes shopping for the kids then shopping for dinner. I'm exhausted and sore and want to crawl in bed and not get out. I feel like I'm wearing a bra that's too tight around my arms. Anyone have a feeling like that?
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Not so much around my arms - more like around the ribs along the line under my breasts. The bra I wore yesterday probably was too tight, so I hope it didn't dig in too much underneath and shift things around. I'm getting used to the size - but judging by my old bras, I am definitely larger than I used to be. Fortunately, not enough to look bad. I'll just have to get used to it.
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I don't think I'm going to wear a bra. Is that wrong or inappropriate? I sure as hell don't need one!
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No, you don't. I just still have stitches and want something over them for now (I accidentally caught one loop last week and tugged while adjusting my bandage - it hurt like heck, but fortunately didn't rip or pull anything), and some of my summer shirts need something underneath if only because the scar line still shows. I've never been one to go bralesss much, so part of it is just me getting used to it.
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For those of you with "itching issues", remember that it is a sign of healing going on. Remember when you skinned your knee and got a scab that you wanted to keep picking off when you were 6 years old? It's because it was healing. I've had itchiness too - probably the tissues (muscles, alloderm, whatever) going through what is seen on the outside as a "scab".0
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I am having exchange this Tuesday, in 2 days. I want to make the best decision and get this part of breast CA behind me. I am leaning toward MENTOR HIGH PROFILE (choice between Moderate Plus or High Profile) and 450 cc's??? Whippetmom has been very patient and helpful. I just emailed her specific info so will wait to hear her opinion.
Plz share your personal experiences (PROFILE type, CCs, body frame) and if you are happy, It really would help. **My height is 5' 5 1/4". my weight is 147 lbs. My rib cage measurement under TE is 33 1/2". my TE are presently filled at 400 cc's. I want to be a large B or small-medium C.** Thx. Counting down the days before surgery.0 -
Lisa,
don't know what whippetmom has told you re: sizing. However, I was filled to 640cc and got mentor 700cc silicone smooth, round, high profile implants and would say I'm probably a C or small D cup now. I found large sport bras at Target to get me through the "drop and fluff" stage (it's only been a month for me since the exchange). My body frame is similar to yours: 5'6"; 160 lbs. Don't remember the rib cage measurement. It's on the Implant 101 thread, sometime in April.
So, at 400 or 450 cc's, I don't think you will be as big as you want. . . But I am not the expert.
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