Exchange City
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Sandlake – I almost forgot to say I LOVE my iPhone!!! It has so many apps that I use every day… when they first came out, I thought all those people that had them were such sheep… glued to their phones instead of interacting with others… But now DH and I both have entered the 21st century. Every day I find something else new about my phone that I love.
Hi, Dayzeroze, and welcome! Can you tell us specifically what is making you so nervous about your upcoming exchange surgery? We’re here to listen!!!
Sherryc – hanging out at the beach in a bikini? Go for it, Sistah!!! I could probably hang out in a bikini TOP, but would have to have a giant beach towel wrapped around my nether regions, if you get my drift!!!
2FriedEggs: “From 2 fried eggs to twin peaks (te's) to lemons and now 2 hot tamales!´
LOVE IT!!!!! So glad you persevered and got what you wanted!!! (And thanks for your kind comments!)
CindyLooWho – My mom had BC, and she was my role model. She also had Parkinsons, and she always said she could laugh, or she could cry, and it sure damn well felt better to laugh. So I try to see the humor where I can, and be positive. Big honkin’ hugs to you!!!
Melinda_in_NC – if you are in the process of losing weight, then you definitely will see a difference in the way the New Girls look. I had lost most of my weight at the time I had my exchange, but another 20 pounds lost made them look even bigger!!!
Sherry67 – Waiting with you….
C-squared – I LOVE my PS, but the hardest thing I ever had to do was to criticize his "masterpiece". At my last appointment, I pointed out the things I wasn’t happy with, and he sat there staring at the New Girls for the longest time….then he said “I think they look pretty good!” Of course, my first impulse was to say “Then YOU wear them!” but I zipped my lip.
After everything we’ve been through, I don’t think it’s too much to expect just a TINY bit of perfection when we come out of exchange surgery!!! I know, not realistic, but a girl can dream….
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Melinda_in_NC-You have every freakin right to be pissed. I was/am mad as hell still. I think we get this concept of what are going to get and allow our heads to be filled with augmented images. In reality we have mastectomy outcomes.
I feel that as big chested girls we have been left behind and there is a huge gap between what we are told can be done and what we get. As many of the ladies here told me what we leave the hospital with will change. If you want to PM me I will be more than happy to send you my pre pics, my expander pics the day of my exchange, what I came home with (totally flat chested), and what I have today 12 days later. It has been a remarkable change in a short period of time, it's still not what I want but a HUGE difference.Blessings-you are an absolute riot!!!!!! I want the baywatch/playboy mansion foobs. I did not precheck with whippet mom
I received what the PS wanted me to have. I see him Wens. I am formulating my plan of attack. I will be contacting whippetmom before Wens and just see what she says, what can it hurt? Get on best buy and ride them like a pony and then whip them with the crop! lol They have plenty of money and what happened to you was total BS. My son made a full recovery, kids bounce back so fast.I wish you luck in nailing those SOB's!
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shabby...mine felt pretty tight for a while. I wore a bra almost 24/7 for a couple of months. it's gotten better. exchange was 8/24 but still not as comfortable as the real thing.
layla2525...You deserve a pork chop! congrats on your loss.0 -
Honeypotpie - "ride them like a pony and then whip them with the crop!" TOO FUNNY!!!! I am composing the letter to Best Buy in my head...
CMartin - What? Layla gets a pork chop? I'm so envious!!!
Now that I think about it, you had your exchange two days after me, right? I cannot believe that I am still having the amount of pain and tightness I feel every day. I wore my sports bras 24/7 for over a month, and then when I was cleared for underwires, I didn't need to sleep in them. But it hurt when I didn't sleep in at least a sports bra...
I still have the asymmetry that the PS blamed on "excess fluid" from all the pocket work he did. I saw an LE therapist at the hospital a few weeks ago, and she gave me a bunch of handouts on MLD, and she ordered me two compression bras to wear, since Lefty is still bigger than righty. To her, it looks like it could be swelling from LE. (Still waiting to receive the compression bras.)
I'm also having sharp, pinching pains in Lefty when I raise my left arm, or stretch it out at a certain angle. My range of motion is good, but that pinching sensation is a b*tch. The therapist told me to stretch my pectoral muscle to see if that helped. So far, it hasn't.
And the Iron Bra feeling? Still there. If the New Girls weren't so squishy, I'd swear I still had TEs in. I really thought I'd feel much better at four months out.....
What's going on with you?
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By the way, it's still 2012 here in Cali....pretty soon, DH and I will watch a DVD, pop some popcorn, then at 9 pm our time, switch over to the TV channel showing the ball dropping in Times Square. Then we'll toast each other with mint tea and go to bed. We are SUCH party animals!
I just wanted to wish all my BCO sistahs a wonderful 2013, filled with love, happiness, and most of all, good health!!!
Thank you all for being here for me when I've needed it the most!!!
xoxoxoxoxo
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Question for you guys...after exchange, we are supposed to wear a surgical or sports bra. Do you guys know what the purpose of this is? the bra I am wearing is a bra similar to genie bra and has minimal support, but neither did my sports bra. Is it supposed to be worn for compression? Maybe my genie isn't compressing enough.
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csquared I kept my nips as well. But during radiaiton I discovered sicilione nipple protectors. You can get them at Target and Walmart. They just stick to your skin without any tape and after a couple of wearings you just wash with warm soapy water. If I am every allowed to go braless again I will be wearing them.
Blessing I had all that extra pocket work done at my revision last month. I am in a bra 24/7 per PS. Today I went for a CT scan and boy was it uncomfortable to lay there on my back without a bra on. PS even told me that this summer he wants me in an underwired swimsuit. Is your PS being this strict? I know it is because I bottomed out and he is wanting to take every precaution this time around.
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Could a few of you tell me what recovery or restrictions you had after exchange and for how long? Thanks!
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I was told "no pushing or pulling". 4-6 weeks. However, I decided to be more cautious and did no lifting of anything heavier than a glass, also.
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Obxflygirl1 -- My exchange is scheduled for 2/13/12, and the Surgical PA who coordinates the breast reconstruction program at my cancer center told me to take at least two weeks off from work, and if I had the time and could financially do it to take three. My PS nurse told me I wouldn't need more than a few days.. A little optimistic In my opinion. My pre-op packet from the PS said no heavy lifting, pushing or pulling for a minimum of one week. Minimal activities for the first four days after surgery. Do not raise your arms above your shoulders. After first week, full range of motion is permissible but lifting is restricted to 5 lbs or less. Return to strenuous activities after 8 weeks. Since I am a school librarian and teacher, my job is quite active and involves lots of lifting and upper body movement.
Every PS seems to give different directions, and since I haven't had the surgery yet, I guess I'll find out. I do plan on taking the Surgical PA's advice, though and take the three weeks. I found after the BMX, I needed to put my health and well being above all else when it comes to my cancer. I want the best result possible.
Good Luck to you! Let me know how it goes.0 -
Thanks, Crystal! I will let you know. I will have my pre-op Jan. 16 and exchange the next day, so I guess I will find out more then. Hospital is 4 hours away so they scheduled back to back so we wouldn't have to make 2 trips. Ready to move forward and see what the next chapter brings:)
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Obxflygirl, since your pre-op is the day before your surgery ask your PS office to call in your pain med prescriptions way before your surgery so you'll have them on your drive home. My PS told me I could return to work after a few days (I work in an office so I'm ok with limited motion), so I plan on returning to work the 22nd. Restrictions are the same as nsbmx, 6-8 weeks no arm lifting, no heavy lifting (re: grocery bags are a no-no), no pushing/pulling (re: no vacumming), no running, walking is o.k.
I wish you the best, my big day is the 16th. Jill
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obxfly- I had my exchange 12/5, my restrictions were( still are) no lifting. The day after my surgery I was literally up bouncing around, cleaning, washing and folding laundry. It's vastly different from TE placement. I don't know if I will be having a revision on my "new" girls but neither me nor my PS like what they look like right now. I will probably be lobbying for it though. Although I am really tired of surgery, I will probably hold off on it for several months, anesthesia is horrible on the system. I had three surgeries in 6 mos (june/sept/dec), I think it took a toll on my body and system.
Good luck to everyone having their upcoming Exchange surgeries, it is so worth it to get rid of those damned TE's (although I really did like mine after I was done with fills).
Much Love to all of you!
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Exchange Surgery slated for 2/1/13. Dealing with frozen right shoulder and hysterectomy recovery. Hoping that my shoulder will let me have the exchange surgery as planned.
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Melinda_in_NC - Even though I had a ton of pocket work done at exchange, my PS just told me to wear whatever sports bra was comfortable 24/7 until he gave me clearance to wear a "real" bra. Compression was never an issue, but support was. I wore either my Genie bras or my zip-front JCPenney sports bras.
Sherryc - no, my PS was very blase about which bras I should wear. His feeling was that after the lateral capsulorraphies, those New Girls weren't going anywhere! However, when I met with the LE specialist at the hospital before Christmas, she immediately ordered me two Belisse compression bras with Jovi-Pak inserts, because she felt that Lefty was so much more swollen than Righty.
Ladies asking about post-Exchange restrictions - please repeat after me:
JUST BECAUSE I CAN, DOESN'T MEAN I SHOULD!!!!!
There is a real tendency here to try to push it after Exchange. The PS will tell you to not lift more than a certain weight, or stretch above a certain height, and because dang it, you feel so good, you think you can take on all your regular duties.
Trust me - those restrictions are given with good reasons, and if you decide to ignore them, you may find yourself paying a big price.
At the very least, you can bring on more pain, and at the very worst, you can open up internal or even external sutures.
So just be patient, be a GOOD patient, and listen to your doctor! You'll have plenty of time to get back into the swing of things...but in the beginning, just take a chill pill and relax.
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Ladies, Listen to Blessings2011:
JUST BECAUSE I CAN, DOESN'T MEAN I SHOULD!!!
I felt great after my exchange but it was very easy to think I could do more. Fortunately, my family and co-workers kept me honest (most of the time). When I did too much, my body would let me know. I've had no negative outcomes, but you never know. You have come this far, why take any chances?
Best wishes.
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Blessings after my revision and all the pocket work like you had my Ps has told be absolutly no sports bras. He said they push you down and he does not want to take any chances so I am in an underwire 24/7. He even told me to get out of my surgical bra which I was sleeping in.
Ladies do listen to Blessings. I was one of the unlucky ones. I had exchange and three months later had to have it redone. PS lifted my fold 3cm and lot's of internal stitches because my implants bottomed out. Hopefully they are not going anywhere this time but it has only been a month. They are symetrical and look really great but I can already tell they have really dropped, just not sure if enough to have to have surgery again. Mine probably would have done it anyway but in looking back after my exchange I felt great and probably overdid some things. At 6 weeks I went back to upper body weights at the gym and two weeks later noticed things did not look right. PS has given me lots more restrictions this time around. I see him in a month and we will see what he thinks this time and how much longer my restrictions will last. All he would commit to after surgery was the restrictions until he sees me in Feb and then we will take another look. I am being very careful this time around because if he has to go back in again the next time he will be stitching my fold to my ribcage. That sounds awefully painful and I don't want additional surgery.
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Sherryc and ladies- thank you so much for the heads up on over doing it as that is my nature.
I am having my TE replaced in my right breast and a slight reduction and lift on the left so they will hopefully, match-ish. I have complete zombie Barbie boob on the right- alloderm and no nip. I still haven't decided whether or not I want to bother with getting a nipple or the tattooing ....0 -
Was woundering if anyone has the mentor memory gel implants and how do they like them....
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Sherry67-
That's what I have. My exchange was on December 4th so they're fairly new. I like them but other than real boobs, I have nothing to compare them too. I think they look pretty natural. They're still changing but so far I'm really happy with them.
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Loriio,
Thank you so very much for responding...0 -
Sherry67- I had my exchange surgery on the 18th of Dec 12. I have memory gel implants. I do LOVE the feel of them and honestly so does my hubby. It's the closest thing to real breast tissue that I have felt (on my body in a long time). Does your PS have any in the office you can feel?
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!!! I went to see my PS to discuss just wtf happened here between what I wanted and what I received. He started by apologizing for not fully seeing my vision as I saw it and blames himself solely for my unhappiness. He said he will do whatever we have to, to make me happy. These pancake foobs are on their way out. I see the PS again on the 31st of Jan. At that time we will make the next surgical date (giving me time to heal so don't end up as Swiss cheese that cannot hold anything in my chest). During that surgery he will place in and fill TE's again but this time to 1100-1200. I will have no other fills and he is giving me the option of 800cc HP's or Silicone 960's overfilled as much as he can. He has also agreed to do fat grafting as a staged process to avoid large redistribution. This is all covered by my insurance or pro bono work. I couldn't be happier and I feel heard! Thank you ladies for all the support and kind words of encouragement!!
Blessings- I would love to read that letter lol wapish!(that's the whip cracking)
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Yay for you, Honeypotpie, for voicing your opinion loud and clear! I'm glad it appears that you will get the foobs you were expecting in the first place!
I still don't think it's fair that the maximum authorized size for "covered" reconstruction is 800 ccs (Mentor, anyway). Some of us start out with big assets and just want to feel "normal." And I believe larger breasted women know that they are subject to more ptosis than less-endowed girls. If they are willing to accept other increased risks of complications, they should get what they want in the first place!
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I think it must be harder for the naturally large breasted woman wanted to stay large. I guess I was lucky that I was so flat to start with that anything seemed larger. I actually came out of BMX with TE's the same size as I went it which not not big but unless you knew I had a BMX I looked the same size. I am just waiting for someone that does not know I had BC to ask me if I had a boob job...hehe
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My expander "flipped" and has been all out of place with no explanation since the beginning and I had the Alloderm. Still I march on with my misplaced saline pillow hoping all will be well for my 1/23 exchange. I feel like I am hoping against hope since my radiated side is bright red and irritated. It was the non-radiated side that flipped. It looks ridiculous but I am grateful to have it anyway.
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Mariasnow after one of my fills I could feel the bottom edge of the TE. It was freaking me out. When I showed my ps she said that is because she had to fold the TE to slide it in and as it fills it unfolds. After the next fill it went away.
Maybe your ps had to do something similar. I'm not a big girl on top so I get what she was saying.
My exchange is 1/24. I'm excited and nervous but still cou ting the days. I hate these TEs so much. I haven't had a normal day or a good sleep since BMX in October.0 -
You gals are one at after me- I go for exchange, reduction/lift and fat grafting on January 23- cant wait to be rid of the creepy expander- the metal port is what really freaks me- yuk.
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My exchange is set for January 17th, in Chapel Hill. I will be a week ahead of you girls. It can't get here fast enough! Here's to all of us January Exchange girls.....hooray!
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Mericat I can feel my magnets too. Ugh. It is freaky for sure!
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