Exchange City
Comments
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Grier, and lou-lou!!! Congrats!!!! SO excited for you both! Hope you are feeling well. Get your rest, eat your protien for healing. Enjoy your new boobies!!!
Annemarie
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So...not sure if I should post this here. I'm due to have my exchange in the beggining of Feb. I hear alot that the women on here are not happy with the size of thier implants, that they are smaller, and flat compared to the TE's. What do I do if i'm not happy with what I get? Does ins pay to have them changed? I'm petrified i'm not going to get what I want. How long do I wait for "drop and fluff"? Am I the only one here who wants big boobs??
Annemarie
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Annemarie- I was one that was not quiet happy with mine. I am now a month and a half out and mine aren't so bad now. Still slightly smaller than what I thought they would be, but not by much. You have to keep in kind the TE's are a flat backed device whereas, the implants are round. So keep that in mind when doing your fills. I have been told it could take up to 6mos before you will see the entire edges of drop and fluff. Hope that helps.
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Andrea623,
I also had radiation (28 treatments) with expanders April/May 2012. My skin healed well afterward. I had my exchange surgery on Nov. 9 and had no complications. Incisions healed well, minimal discomfort, no infection, etc. The radiated side feels slightly firmer than the other side, but symmetry and overall appearance is very good. I just wanted you to know, because many posts I've read say negative things about TE/implant reconstruction and radiation. My outcome has been positive so far, and I hope for the same for you
Loves dogs0 -
C-squared,
I had an "On-Q" pain pump after my BMX, and I really liked it and thought it worked very well to provide local pain control. I think I required less oral pain meds because of it. The one downside for me was it was just one more thing hanging on my body (around my neck in a pouch) and along with my four drains, it made sleeping a challenge.
Loves dogs0 -
Annemarieh,
I had also read a lot of posts about women being unhappy with their implant size. The TE's usually project out a little farther than implants, but your PS should be able to place implants that are the same or slightly larger than your final fill volumes in your expanders.
If you have ANY reservations or doubts, I'd insist on meeting with your PS to discuss this one more time. That's what I did, and I ended up doing 1 additional fill about a month before my exchange, and had implants placed that were 50cc larger than my final fill volumes. I think the size is perfect for my body.
Good luck to you and I hope that you will get exactly what you hope for!
Lovesdogs0 -
Grier and Loulou.....I'm so happy for you!!! Congratulations on your new squishies. Please let us know how you are doing tomorrow.
Thank you Blessings for the extra special thoughts.
One hour left of eating and drinking a ton of water so my veins pop for my IV. Marcia I hope your surgery goes well tomorrow....it's so great to be at the end of these horrible TE's, it's been a long and painful 6 months!
Jill
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Good luck for today Jill47 !!!!! Good luck for tomorrow Obxflygirl !!!
I had a good night on the Laz-y-boy ! I'm a little bit sore but nothing compare to the BMX. I can't wait to see my new girls but I have a huge bandage ! My next appointement with my PS is January 24th....
My stats: height 5'6, weight 120, ribcage 28,5---expanders: Mentor medium height 350cc fill to 360cc---implants: Mentor CPG 323 anatomical medium height High profile 390cc 6cm of projection.0 -
LovesDogs (love your user name!), I'm so happy to hear you didn't experience any problems with your exchange! I'm thinking of having one more fill over the summer, as I'd like to be a little bigger, and hope it won't cause any problems. Will your radiated side soften up more with time? What kind of implants did you get? Thank you so much for sharing.
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Good luck today, Jill! It'll be wonderful to get rid of those awful TEs!
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My TEhad been bearable until my ps overfilled last week
I have my exchange 1 week from today, yahoo, please tell me that the discomfort ( stinging where alloderm stitch line is and muscle? soreness toward my breastbone ) will go away! Ugh ...0 -
You're almost there Merlcat, don't despair. You can do it!
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I had that too Mericat. It gets better.
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so glad to read about all the successful exchanges. I think I would have liked to have gone a little bigger on the fills but my radiated skin just would not allow it so on that side with the LD flap and harvested tissue my expander was at 330cc, the other side with just a skin saving MX is at 390cc. Can't wait till exchange to be soft again. March seems a long time away!!
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Let me add my name to the list of people whose exchanges went well. I had my exchange in September, and immediately noticed the improvement from the TEs. No drains, minimal discomfort, and nice and soft. In my first post-op appointment, i got my first really good look at them, and they looked very nice and "age appropriate". Clearly my PS has a good eye for appropriate size and positioning. I had my 3 month follow up last week. Things may need a little "tweaking" before we discuss nipples, so I'm going to wait until June to see him again and see what needs to happen. In the meantime, lots of scar tissue massage, silicone strips on the incisions.
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so I guess after your first post-op visit they give you instructions for Scar Tissue massage? I have heard this mention a lot, can soembody go into a little more depth about that?
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CindyLooWho: Thanks so much for the information. There was a comment earlier in response to one of my posts that claimed the TE's had more projection than final implants. I'm glad to get some confirmation that it's not necessarily the case. Whippetmom's recommendation seems to be right in line with what your PS says.
Good luck with your exchange on the 24th! I wish you the very best with your procedure and hope you feel so good after that you feel like overdoing it (but don't do it!). What time is it schedule for and what time zone are you in? I'll be getting my last fill at 4:30 pm EST that day.
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JamieB: Thanks. I do appreciate the information. It seems like the ladies who express disappointment are typically those with low or moderate profile implants. I'll certainly discuss in full with my PS to make sure we're on the same page as far as projection goes. I think he knows where I stand on that. At our initial consult I was wearing a top that was very figure flattering and emphasized the late girls very nicely. We very clearly discussed the fact that the goal (if I had a BMX, which wasn't a known fact yet) would be to look as good as I did that day, within reason, of course.
Blessings to all the bodacious babes on these threads!!!
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Question for all those who have already had their exchange. Assuming no complications how long was your recovery period from the exchange surgery? I'm thinking mostly in terms of going back to work. I have a desk job so it's not strenuous. I talked to a woman at the gym today who is currently doing chemo, then has rads and expects to have exchange in June (we have the same PS). I am eternally grateful that I needed neither chemo nor rads, praise the Lord! Anyway, when she told me her exchange recovery was going to be six weeks of being allowed to do absolutely nothing I was floored! I was under the impression from these threads that it's more typically something like a week or two at the most. And remember, I'm not talking about getting back to the gym, just getting back to a desk job. And this is assuming no complications with the surgery and immediate recovery.
Any input is appreciated. I'm part of the project management group at my office and I'd like to give my superiors an idea of how long I might be off for this surgery. It's a big jump from two to six weeks in the project management world.
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I had my exchange this month and plan on taking 5 weeks as my job can be physically demanding as a floor RN but my PS said I could go back in 2 weeks if I wanted.
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Sweetandspecial my surgery is scheduled for 9:15 ET on the 24th.
My pre-op is tomorrow.
She told me that when she does exchange surgeries on a Thursday most patients are back at work by Tuesday. The restrictions are longer but for a desk job should not be an issue, unless you have complications.
My STD is approved thru 2/13, but my goal is 2/1. That will be a full week following exchange and I figure I can manage one day and then the weekend. I figure that I JUST HAVE to be more comfortable without these awful TEs .0 -
CindyLooWho,
Which brand of implants are you using..0 -
annemarieh - my PS pointed out that there is only a difference of 2cm of projection between the smallest implant and largest, and often larger size comes from width and how they sit in the pocket - because they are soft (not hard-backed like a TE), they don't project as far. My implants are Mentor HP, smooth, round and I have two different sizes but they are symmetrical. I have a 600cc in the left and a 650cc in the right, the difference in size is due to extensive issues with skin healing and multiple surgeries. I measure a 34DD in a well-fitted underwire bra, but I look like a full C cup. I am fairly petite 5'2" and wear a size 2-4 top, although sometimes they are a little tight across the front now! I had 550cc TE's that were overfilled to the same size as the implant on the right and 575 on the left but he put a 600cc in to achieve that symmetry.
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My ps is using mentor high profile gummies.
I was barely a B before BMX, with no fullness. Everything I bought had to be altered on top. I want to be a full C. But I told her if she is not sure, go bigger.0 -
Hi sweetandspecial: I had my exchange yesterday and other than sleeping a lot today, I'm not in any pain. I start back to work on Monday, but work from home so it's not as much pressure as going into an office. My PS did my nipple reconstruction at the same time so I have a little "cone of shame" protrusion from each breast...I would think that would be my biggest challenge in an office setting. : )
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Lifechangingyear, CindyLooWho and Grier: Thanks so much for your comments. They make me feel much better about the recovery time I might expect. I halfway suspect that the PS told my gym friend it would be six weeks because she's really a bit of a jock and would try to overdo it if she's not on tight restrictions. I think she's a PE teacher at our local high school or middle school.
CindyLooWho: Oh, I wish you so much luck and happiness with your exchange. May the force of squishies be with you!
Grier: I'm so glad to hear your surgery apparently went very well and you feel so good. I haven't had to make the nipple decision yet, but at this point I'm seriously considering foregoing another surgery and doing 3D nipple tatoos. My hubby doesn't mind either way after what I've had to go through already and I'm thinking with tattoos the headlights will always be off and braless would then always be an option. I wish you the best with healing and recovery. Enjoy the new girls!
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Grier....cones of shame...lmao....Lolololol
I have to wait for mine, but that is funny!0 -
GRIER..LOULOU AND JILL.... Congratulations! I am set for 7:30 in the morning. Met with the PS today and we are on the same page. She's even going to do a little lipo suction for the underarm fat. Thinking of you girls and wishing you fast healing.....Melody
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Good luck tomorrow, obxflygirl!
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Obxflygirl!! Good luck tomorrow!!! Best wishes on a speedy recovery. When you are feeling up to it, let us know how it all went!!- Annemarie
Special K~Thanks for the info!! It means alot!! You have gone through so much...wow! I always try to take your advice when I can! I'm afraid if I select the rounds, they will look fake, but you just had the grafting done. How are they looking? My exchange is coming up in a few weeks, (nothing in writting as of yet) and i'm in the seat where i'm afaid i'm going to HATE the implants.
Again, thanks for everything-Annemarie
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