Exchange City

shell...i always got upper back, neck pain after fills..like literally by the time i got into my car to drive home after fill..i took ibuprofen at home until it would go away..did a lot if neck stretches, back, and chest..it was not fun...but would ease up after 3-4 days once i was stretched out some...do u hold stress in your neck area too?  u think you are having muscle spasms? maybe ask md?  thanks for all exercise info..boy u guys r some superfit ladies!!  i didnt have time to call today, but will call ps tomorrow..i am pretty sure he said no chest exercises period..just stretches..but now cannot remember when i asked him??!??  i have not heard of callanetics..will check it out!  thank u!!  i walked 5k for colon cancer on sat to support my friend..and surprisingly was ok after..i even pushed a 3 yr old in a stroller..up hills..BOTH ways..haha..just had to put that in..    i did push the stroller tho!!    u guys r inspiring!! love it!! i am pumped n ready to go!!

Thanks Mamatwinz. Yes, all my life I have held stress in my neck and shoulders but it has gotten so much better over the years. Thank you for letting me know about your experience. Today I can feel the kinks getting worked out, slept on a pillow filled with husks of some kind - always helped in the past, and yesterday didn't do any weights in class - but lots of arm, neck and shoulder movement.  Also took NSAID and robaxin last night and feeling much better. Thanks again, I was getting concerned about how much pain I was in. It helps knowing the reason  - can prepare better next time!

I had no problem sitting up after exchange. Pretty good abs under the muffin. Lol. Sometimes I would forget and try to push off with an arm, which engages the pecs and that was uncomfortable.



I'm back on my bike trainer and treadmill, doing light weights with lots of reps for arms and abs...but anything that uses too much pec is still not good. I don't think I will ever be able to do some of those things again. I just hate that feeling of them contracting over the implants.

Hwranch~~ Yeah, same exchange date!! So glad you said that about being 'flat.' Makes me feel better.

Jess~~I'm still up in the air about nipple recon. I think i WILL.

Di2012~~I call it 'sharpei boob,' too. Mine is just on my left cleavage line. The doc mentioned fat grafting, but wants it to 'settle' more first.

mamatwinz~ Exercise--it's up to your PS. I'm a personal trainer, and i started working out again when I could. Nothing high impact; light weights, lots of leg work. MY PS told me absolutely NO chest exercises at all. He didn't want me to build muscle around the TEs, since the placement for the implants would be a little different (in my case, my implants are moved in closer together than my TEs were). Made sense to me. Even now, I'm not planning on doing any pushups or pullups--I want to wait for these things to drop, and then i'll get back into that routine. I have pretty solid pecs anyway, so at this point, I have WELL-DEFINED upper poles! hahaha! I DID do Brazil Buttlift, and when i did the floor exercises, I put a pillow under my upper body, which helped a lot. No Insanity or Asylum--too much jumping. Yes, P90X, but light weights and no pushups.

SO...my doc appt went really well. My PS is of the camp that I should always, always wear a bra--even a sports bra to bed. He WANTS me to wear an underwire during the day so it will help create scar tissue at the fold, which will ultimately help keep the implant in place. The sportsbra at night is to also help keep them nice. He's very thorough. Anyone else's PS recommend this? I did a quick Google search and it seems to be a 50/50 consensus amongst PS's to sleep in something supportive.

Still happy I have squishy boobs,

Steph

hi ladies

i just had my exchange monday...12pm and stayed the night in the hospital bc the anaesthetic made me sick as a dog

anyway...they look really really swollen, how long before this settles?  how long before you know what "you got", im all taped up but they just look like mellons

as for the bra debate - PS said a sports bra is fine, after 6wks whatever i want - did you guys go home in a special bra?

i cant feel a difference yet because i am so sore...please tell me that changes

stewbie - i just read your note about a bra at all times...how soon after exchange surgery did you wear one?  im so sore i cant imagine putting one on any time soon

Thank you for your answer, CindyLooWho.  Makes me feel better.

And thank you, Stewbie for that great explanation!

chawkins, sounds like you are on the mend!

Rozem, so glad you feel better and sorry the anesthesia made you sick.  I had surgery a couple of years beofre my BMX that made me really sick afterward, and I told this to the anestheseologist.  She was awesome and even checked on me the next day, so I called my PS and asked if I could request her for my exchange, and they said YES!  Wasn't sure if any of you who haven't had your exchange yet knew you could request.

Di2012:  Yes!  I can actually make the girls (still TEs though) 'dance' to the beat of music if it's not too fast!

Cheryl_e:  I haven't had my exchange yet but I was able to sit up by myself after the BMX.  Like CindyLooWho, I guess I have better abs than I thought underneath the fluff.  My nurses just laughed at the way I'd get back into bed after being up, too.  I didn't like sitting on the edge, bringing the legs up and then trying to butt-walk my way to comfort so I got in the habit of just stepping up onto the hospital bed and sitting down kind of 'Indian' style instead and then stretching the legs out.  Yes, I actually more or less stood on the bed and sat down.  Must have been the pain meds, I'm not sure I could do that right now!

Just met with my PS today. Got a surgery date for exchange in 3 weeks!! I'm so excited I feel like Christmas is coming! He told me he would be putting a  Naturelle smooth round implant somewhere between 300 and 400ccs. I have a 500 cc expander in now (left MX only). He is also going to lift the original breast at the same time. Does it sound right that I have so much in the expander and then get so much smaller of an implant? I keep reading about people who get BIGGER implants than the expander so I'm wondering. He said this is how he matches....always goes bigger than actual implant. He also doesn't want me to wear a bra, even immediately after. He covers with gauze and steristrips and sends me home. Rechecks in 5-7 days, sports bra or something like it for a couple of weeks, then any bra I want. Do alot of PS go this route? Anyway, just delighted to get this horrid expander out! I'd like to take it home and burn it!

Feelingthemagic,

Congrats on having surgery

Melmcbee,

Congrats on finishing rads!!!

I think you'll find a variety of answers to your TE/implant size question.

My implants are much bigger than my TE's were. I'm three weeks post-exchange today and getting used to the "new me." Squishy is definitely better than the coconut shells.

Best wishes to you!

Dulci do you feel a lot better with the implants?  Remind me - are they cohesive gel? I need to know that there is a good outcome waiting for me 2 months way. I'm thinking of gettin mod projection cohesive teardrops for a natural look, but really need to do more research. I'll be filed to about 440 ccs  prior.

Appreciate any feedback any of you have. I'm tall at 5'6" at 140 lbs, slender upper body, don't know what an upper pole is but definately don't want that round separated look that you often see on older ladies with cosmetic implants. I want to look as natural as possible, of course with minimal ptosis. 

I had my 2nd exchange surgery last June. Very happy with the results. My PS used the sling on the side that had the cancer. The previous PS gave me too small of an implant for the pocket and they were under my armpits. They looked like I had footballs placed sideways in my chest. Now I just have to get my nipples & areolas. I've been on the fence about whether to do 3-D tattooing or just go with the nipples.

It's strange how PS all have different opinions on whether we should wear a bra or not. I was a DD before my DMX and now I am a C cup and rarely wear a bra which my PS said was okay. After having large, droopy breasts since I had my kids (20+ years ago!) I am enjoying the freedom of not having to wear a bra. They look great in a tank top and I have had no noticeable ptosis. I know if I get nipples I will have show through which is why I am still on the fence.

I know Vinnie Meyers is great but I live in Southwest Florida and don't want to travel to New Orleans. Anybody know of a great 3-D tattoo person in the Fort Myers area?

congrats to ladies who just had exchange!  am so happy for you!!

So those with TEs still and those who have had exchanges...do you have days where you feel pretty darn good and then days where pings of pain are prevalent and shoulder (or something else) hurts with certain movements and you wonder whats going on, or if something is wrong?  I have been feeling pretty good, then yesterday my shoulder was hurting with any forward motion, and odd pain near my scapula, and soreness with TEs and skin was tighter than previously??!!  I thought maybe I was in a time warp or something..and ofcourse was worried.  My shoulder is better today, but TEs feel tight again... do you guys experience this too/or did you when you had TEs?  Do you have this with exchange too?