Exchange City
Comments
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My cancer was discovered a year after I went on Evamist, a topical HRT. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
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Karen1028 Implants are definitely smaller than expanders.. I was happy with the size of expander, but my squishy is very small
. to the point I am going back to see PS to see what he can do about it..It is also starting to wrinkle (as it settles) 0 -
Leeza,
whether you have your exchange as inpatient or outpatient is between you and your doctors - as well as what your insurance will cover.
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GraciousGal Thanks. It is my choice, one my doctor gave me for pain management so I am staying overnight since I know the insurance will cover it.
rachelvk- Thanks. The exercises are uncomfortable. I believe too it can help with recovery. I would not know it was offered if not for this board.
Wishing everyone a good weekend
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i am supose massage,massage,massage that's what my surgent told me but if i do that it is painful i am just wondering if anybody else is massaging the implant and reduction side please let me no
wishing everybody a good weekend
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Erika8 - Once you get the green light to massage it's very important that you do it. Massage is standard practice for implants. Implants are foreign objects and the body naturally wants to wall them off. Capsular contracture is tightened scar tissue that can form around implants and that can be extremely painful, ultimately disfiguring, and usually requires removal of the implant. It should not be painful to massage. I suggest contacting your PS if it is too uncomfortable to do the massage....that's not normal if sufficient time has passed for healing after surgery.
Best wishes....keep us posted!
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2fried eggx--Ps was the one who said he would bring them to the center. I had not said anything but was thing it. I think they can stitch etc and make it all look great. They had secrets.
I am feeling huge and DH thinks I might be too big. Went to a memorial for a good friends husband today and all my girlfriends said I look great and do not go smaller. I know the implants will look different as I am getting high profile so I now the width will look different but PS says he will make me look great and I will be happy
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I am 11 days post exchange. When I go to raise up I feel a soreness, pulling type sensation deep in both breasts. Feels like a pulled muscle would feel. I hope this is normal and I have not pulled anything. Since it is on both sides, I wouldn't think I would have pulled anything loose, however, the left side is worse. I did have more pocket work on that side. I guess I am just anxious to be completely healed and pain free.
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Do not lift your arms over your head! That's the only thing that still causes me pain and my exchange was 12 days ago. I'm sure your PS will tell you the same thing.
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Exchange tomorrow morning!! Hope I can get some sleep tonight.
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bcs2011 - Sleep well! It will be over before you know it. Hope you are looking forward to "softer ones".
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bcs2011 the exchange is easy.. You will feel sooo much better without expanders. The squishies feel great after the "rocks"
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bcs2011 - Good luck with your exchange!
Erika - Definitely do the massages, but as Tina said, let your PS know if there's any major pain.
I've had a hard time not raising my arms over my head. PT told me no before surgery, PS' nurse the day after said it was okay to do whatever my body felt was right, but PS the other day said not to overdo it. So.... I hope I'm okay. No pain. If anything, I still feel like my right side is off to the side a bit, but hopefully it's just swelling.
Does anyone have problems with seat belts? I'm actually worried that could be pushing my right side over more... I keep trying to shift the belt, but there's not much I can do.
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Nurseronda10, I am having the same type of intermittent soreness deep inside like you described. I am 10 days out. My PS gave me no restrictions. He said everything looked good at my week followup. He said I was still swollen and the fluid buildup will be absorbed by my body. There was no mention of massaging the implant.
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Good luck tomorrow bcs2011. I'll be thinking of you. July 23rd (my surgery date) seems so far away. This has been such a long process.
On one hand, I can't wait to get it over with. On the other, I am very nervous about it. The BMX pain is still fresh in my mind. The absence from work causes such difficulty on my return. I have a major meeting via Webex / webcam the day after my exchange.
My PS is taking me off work 3 wks for exchange. I am having a blast the weekend before, going away for the weekend with hubby and kids. I do NOT look forward to being stuck at home for 3 wks not being able to DO anything. That was the worst part.
I AM looking forward to being fully recovered from all these surgeries and getting back to my full exercise/work out routines. I am struggling to no regain my weight loss I worked so hard for over the last 3 yrs. I need to move and pump some iron, which I obviously cannot do for some time yet. I'm feeling flabby and weak. Grrr....
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rachelvk - there are actually seat belt adjuster clips to move the belt over to where you want it - here's just one example - you can Google others..
http://www.wdrake.com/WalterDrake/DisplayItem.aspx?id=311034
SheChirple - July 23rd? That's officially less than a month from now! I'm sooo envious!!!
Like you, I'm trying hard to do the workouts I need NOW before I'm sidelined again after exchange. It's like I've got this tiny window of opportunity, and if I don't take advantage of it every single day, I feel guilty!
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Re massaging, I saw my PS last week and he said to massage twice/day BUT i Am now 2 months post surgery. Re tightness under arm and sometimes feeling my implant when I move he referred me to a physical therapist. He said underarm tightness can be cause of increased sensation in that area.
However there is hope, I can see the swelling going down and the feeling the implant sensation seems to be slowly going down.
A tip for those of you having an exchange in one breast and a reduction and lift in the other. This surgery took 3+ hours. It was a very big reduction LOL. I asked the PS if I could stayovernight in hospital and he agreed that would be a good idea since i had little help at home and I couldn't do nursing care. So if this is an issue for you, ask your MD. . .
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Shechirple, I feel exactly the same way about exercising again. I had a BMX onMay 23rd and my exchange is on Aug 21st. I haven't started exercising again (before bmx, I was doing jillian michaels videos 5 x/week. I'm not sure how/when to get back into it again. What have you done? I'm afraid when I go back to work, nothing will fit me.
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Shepirtle- it is good your PS has given you 3 weeks off work but it is nothing like the BMX. you will probably not be stuck home doing nothing; you just need to take it easy.
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Rachel - I hate TE seatbelt and end up putting the cross strap behind me... Probably or the safest, but certainly more comfortable..
So the more I look, the more unhappy I am. My right is definitely different Han the left. It's more underneath... There is true definition under the left and the right kind of "blends" from boob to rib cage. I go to the PS today so I'm going to show him.
Also, under my left armpit has been hurting a lot. I thought I felt a liitle bump but my husband says I'm being paranoid and since they took everything out, it can't really be anything...
I haven't been wearing a bra but everything I'm reading makesme think I should. Its just too uncomfortable...0 -
I had my BMX March 23rd and we have been taking the fills slow because of my radiated tissue. I have had no problems or pain with the fills which I am thankful for. I went for my last fill this past Friday and they are full and feeling like rocks. Before they were hard at the port site but the rest was kinda soft. But not know. Can't wait for my exhange mid August.
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Lauren - Good luck with the PS today. Tell him exactly how you feel. There can always be revisions, and mine even said if I'm not happy in a few months, we can swap them out for smaller ones (unless I'm miserable, I don't plan on doing that).
As for the bump - a lot of things have been moved around and irritated, so it could just be some side pain to the exchange. However, my BS said that after my exchange, I should stand in front of a mirror once a month, lift my arms and look for any changes - dimples, dents, red spots, bumps. Even when they do a bmx, unfortunately, there's no way they can get every single last cell. Ask your PS about it, but it if it's still around in a few weeks, it's worth a call to your BS.
Karen and Shechirple - The recovery for a bmx and exchange are really different. I'm pretty much back to doing everything, but I'm trying to avoid reaching up (which is hard because I'm very short) and lifting (PS said nothing over 20 lbs now). As for exercise, I can do anything from the waist down - bike, elliptical, treadmill, as long as I don't do the arms too much; but I should stay away from upper body except for the exercises from my PT - I strongly suggest to see if your insurance will cover that and your PS will refer you to someone. It's great having someone guide you through exercises that are helpful rather than being left on your own to figure out what you can and can't do. I have also heard, but I need to confirm, that in general, many upper body weight exercises are out once you have implants, so check about that.
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The exchange is sooo much easier than the mx. I had mine 5 days ago and the worst thing about it is the boredom of not being able to do much.
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How much time did everyone take off after the exchange?
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About Exercise. My BMX was Feb 27thl. Just last week I started PT and it has helped with loosing up my right arm that had the 23 nodes removed. I do believe in that kind of exercise. I know it changes after an exchange for awhile. But I do believe it helps with recovery. I got a script from my PS and am going 2X week. The PT said to take a short break after the exchange and the she would schedule more sessions.
Best of luck to those with exchanges this week. Time seems to pass slowly waiting for mine. Hope you ladies start feeling more comfortable. It is awesome reading and being part of this thread prior to an exchange. It will be a blessing after I am sure.
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txmomof2 my PS told me to take 2 weeks off of work. I will have mine mid august
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LaurenM730 - Are you connected to the picture forum? If not, you might want to consider it. It's a privately-moderated site and not a part of BCO. If you are interested, you would have to contact one of the moderators (Lilah, Dawne-hope, firni....I think). Just a thought if you want some feedback from other patients on how things are looking.
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txmomof2, my PS told me that after a Thursday procedure I would be back at my desk on Monday, four days later. I had a difficult recovery due to extreme pain on one side and at four days I was just starting to get out of bed. It was at least ten days before I started to think I *might* be okay after all. And two full weeks before I was 80% back to normal.
There are a lot of different experiences out here. The advice Sherryc's PS has given her would have been better for me: two weeks off. I read one woman's post where she said she went out to lunch on the way home. I was just trying not to throw up over each bump in the road on the way home. I still remember that drive like it was yesterday and thinking that it would never end. I cannot imagine being able to go out to lunch or dinner. So this is all over the board but I think most are about one week.
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Had my exchange last Tuesday along with wire biopsy/lift/reduction on other side. It was/is harder than I expected. I would give yourself at least a week. I just got up and about today. I was excited for this surgery but I find myself a little depressed and upset about my new chest. I was a DD and am a lot smaller. I feel like I've just had another mastectomy. Not emotions that I expected, but it is weird to look at yourself and see a different body and to know you just fixed it and that is how it's going to be.
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mammalou, Hope you feel better soon. I was also kinda sad after my exchange. After chemo, expansions, multiple surgeries, etc., it is all kind of anticlimactic. Hope all is well with the biopsy? Also remember, it takes some time to see your final results, if you are not happy, things can be tweeked.
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