Exchange City

Leahv----thanks for the Genie bra idea. I went to try to find front zipper or closer sports bras and they are really hard to find. I didnt want to spend a bunch of money on something that I hope not to wear long. I did find some at JC penneys which the sales lady told me are discontinuing. Which also shocked her because I guess a lot of BC patients buy them after their surgery she said. My surgeon told me UnderArmour has front zip sports bras also but they are more expensive. So i wrote a long note from me to just say thanks!! Haha!! Maybe my pain meds are making me chatty!

Hi mamatwinz... Did you have Whippetmom give you a recommendation for implants? Was glad I did. After I spoke with PS and she gave me same recommendations as Whippetmom, I stopped looking at other options. I'm usually the one who fears and freaks out easily. Proud of myself this time I didn't - I kept my eyes on the prize - how I would feel and what I would look like AFTER implant. With our BCO sister doing so well, that's what I wanted too. Kept busy Thursday, cooking for a friend just getting out of hospital in ER, getting my paperwork and other stuff for hospital ready. Didn't hurt that I took a Xanax in the evening and got okay to take another first thing yesterday, helped to calm me when PS was very late.



Just hubby and me at home, I crashed in my favorite recliner, my "place" for months. When we got home, DH put sheets over the chair because even though I thoroughly vacuumed the other day, felt so much better (and didn't know if cats slept there yesterday. DH tried to wake me several times but I just mumbled so, he knew I was okay. Do you have someone watching the boys on Tuesday so they'll be safe and preoccupied so you can sleep and rest comfortably? My first mx 16 years, my parents stayed with my kids (son 15, daughter months before 3 yo), made it a fun day for them with trip to the park, some fun dinner, so DH could be with me during the day, take a quick nap, return to hospital to spend the night with me (he slept in a chair with head in my bed). You'll do just fine!

thnx ..again..2nd time!  thnx fippym  hugs to both of u!  yes i did talk with ps about whippets recommendation and first said he is nit a nimbers surgeon re te and implant matching exactly, plus projection went down at 500cc vs even 475, and he know i do not want flat pancake boobs..plus i think my tes are wide fir my body just from what i have read, but cant change that now and didnt head to bc site until after mast/te placement.  but no am thinking 45s may be too much proj for me? (is too much proj ever a bad thing?) and no

Just had my first look at the girls.  I love them!! I know there's some swelling and things will shift a bit, but boy the look good. The doctor was definitely right, 440cc was plenty.  I wouldn't even mind if they deflated a bit.  I have nice cleavage and I can actually see my lats from the front for the first time since 12/21. The runaway leftie is right where it belongs.  No hamburger buns and only the vertical incisions were reopened.  The inframmary scars look so much calmer now that they're where they're supposed to be and there's less weight for them to support.

The only bummer is the drains.  They're the only thing that's causing any discomfort, but with all the cutting, stitching, and rearranging that was done, I'm glad the drains are there.

Hi Mamatwinz,

I'm 5'11" and have a muscular, athletic build..my weight fluctuates between 150 and 160, but most of it is back, legs and shoulders.  My ribcage, waist and hips are quite narrow for my height (the ribcage measurement comes to about 32.5" but a significant part of that is my lats, my waist is 26-27" and my hips are maybe 36" on a full day).  Essentially I have a thin woman's torso and very long tall girl appendages.

I didn't really have a specific size in mind. I just wanted balance and symmetry.  Based on my previous bra size, I would say this pair is well into a C...which is right on target for almost six foot.  I pretty much left things in the PS's hands.  He knows what my lifestyle is like and knew I wasn't looking to turn myself into a busty bombshell, so he went into the OR with both the 440s and the 500s.  When I spoke to him after the surgery he told me he'd tried the 500cc, but they were just too big and I would have been unhappy with them (they also didn't fit properly on my chest with pockets I had).  I'm inclined to think he would have been right.  I wasn't at all happy with the TEs at 470.  The 440s are perfect bikini boobs, just in time for summer!

I'd be happy to post a pic if could figure out how/where...

Di2012.....sounds like you have some fun shopping trips in your future for some cute skinny strapped tops!!! Enjoy.

So glad to know that I'm not the only one freaking out about exchange surgery and camping out in the implant sizing 101 thread! I think I've read it "cover to cover" twice now. Whippet mom responded to my last post and this is so embarrassing but I got that crazy feeling like when you see a celebrity at a restaurant or at the airport. I'm not usually star struck, but she's a Superhero in my book.



Moni and Di congrats on your exchange!

Di thanks for the visual aid!

First day out of exchange surgery and I'm feeling so much better! Still some soreness but NOTHING like the metal bra feeling, which is gone! PS told me to be patient about arm pit cave and she was right - arm pits are back to normal Came home with front-close bra, not mummy chest. Took the bra off to check, the girls look symmetrical (my first requirement), they're definitely closer together resulting in cleavage, will reserve judgement about size after the big tapes off. The Percocet is making me dizzy so I'm not up to showering today, maybe later or in the morning. My hubby is actually being very nice to me. Have my post-op on Monday, will get all the details then. Squishy side feels so much better! My family says I'm moving so much better now compared to mx surgery recovery.



Lala... Was talking with my family about arm pit pain earlier. Saying I was hoping it won't exist any longer, especially in the grocery store refrigerated/frozen section. I've have this sore spot on the back of my shoulder for months. PT would massage/work on and I'd get temporary relief but it continued to come back, realized earlier today, pain isn't there so probably TE related. I asked PS if I could wear Genie bras after i no longer need the surgical bra and she said that would be perfectly ok. And I can't wear UW for several months.



Mamatwinz, 3rd generation, and Keetmom... Hang in there - your turn is almost here! Wishing you easy and little pain next week!

right back at ya, jen!!    same to keetmom!  agree..u guys are amazing!  

Mamatwinz, Jen, Keetmom... Not much longer - your day is almost here! Prayers and thoughts are with you! Get your comfy chair ready, you'll need it.



Melmcbee... It felt like my surgery day would never get here. Slowly it was getting closer to my name. You will be there soon, hang in there!



Feeling a little more sore today, like I worked out too hard, but easily manageable. Pain pills made me really sleepy today. See PS tomorrow, will report back tomorrow. Good night all!

Jdevonm,



I hear ya on the getting impatient. I'm a bilateral so I'm not going through the same thing, but I'm afraid a revision is in my future. Immediately after surgery I had a large pucker in my cleavage on my left side. Well, the pucker has filled in but that side is not as well centered as the right. It really needs to be moved in a little more. I'm so hoping that the "drop and fluff" disguises it enough that it won't bother me. I'm really afraid that it's just wishful thinking. I promised myself that I would not obsess, yet here I am obsessing! At least if a revision is in my future I can wait with squishies and not the TE's. See the PS Tuesday.....will see what he says.

jdevonm - Sorry it's been a struggle for you and that you are unhappy with your results so far:(  Most PSs do order several styles and sizes to have available in surgery.  Implants are medical devices (like pacemakers, etc) and patients are supposed to be given a card with all the info at discharge from the hospital.  They are supplied with each implant.  It is likely that your PS office will not have the card, but they should be able to provide you with the info about your implants.  If they can't, I would contact the medical records dept. of the hospital.  If the cards aren't there they should at least be able to give you a copy of the surgical notes which should have stickers off the implant packaging.

If you haven't done so already, I would suggest checking out a thread called "Implant Sizing 101".  You will find lots of helpful info in the header of the thread and Whippetmom, the thread creator, is very knowledgeable about implants. 

Hang in there!

jdevonm---I agree with everyone. You should have been given your implant cards when you were discharged. I was. I got 600cc on MX side and 120cc on native side. It will definitely help for you to find out how many ccs he put in each side. Everyone told me that my MX side looked bigger clothed but in my birthday suit, they all said native side was bigger. I'm not happy to have 2 different sizes but now all are saying in clothes they can't tell the difference and that was what I was shooting for. My PS told me at 1st followup that he really wanted to put in an 80cc on native but didn't have one so put in 120cc. Then at second followup when I asked if he would swap out to the 80cc if I wanted, he said 120cc was the smallest they make. Well, I happen to know different and told him in no uncertain terms "No, Mentor makes and 80cc which you mentioned at my last visit." He seemed shocked that I knew much less remembered so I said "Just know that I'm a big fan of research and there isn't much I don't know about implants at this point in my life". He said he'd be happy to do whatever I wanted as long as I waited at least 3 months for everything to settle to see if I actually felt the need for more surgery. I think that's very sensible advice for me and you both. I'm 4 weeks out and do see that they are more balanced and symmetrical. I believe that PSs have a god complex more so than most surgeons and you have to smack them down once in a while. You can look up the different brochures for Mentor and Allergan implants and make a copy of all the sizes they have. Then see if Whippetmom has any thoughts on what she might have suggested for both sides. That way you can go to see him with all the information in hand. And maybe tell him you will wait a few months for drop and fluff and decide at that time what to do. But make sure he understands that YOU will be making that decision! Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Oh, and no, they didn't give me any of the cards you have all mentioned. I think the PS's assistant said she was going to have to mail them to me or something but didn't have them at the time for some reason.