Exchange City
Comments
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Anyone have drains at BMX and exchange? Did they come out sooner the second time? My exchange is this Friday, and for some reason I am panicking about the drains again. Mine were in for over four weeks last time. Wasn't so bad with winter clothing layers to hide them. Won't be so great in August and summer clothing.
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I have heard no drains at exchange.
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BayouBabe - I was told that the need for drains was dependent on the amount of pocket work done, if there is any. Also, my PS mentioned that if more Alloderm is used at exchange he always inserts drains again because the body usually reacts to it by creating lots of fluid. Drains are a pain, but better than developing a seroma. As after MX, the length of time drains are in would totally depend on the fluid output.
I was prepared for drains, but was happy to wake up after both my initial exchange and my revision surgery without any.
I hope things go smoothly for you!
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BayouBabe: I had six drain tubes after BMX (3 for 1 week, the other 3 for 16 days). I think I would have gone crazy if those last 3 hadn't come out when they did.....don't know how you stood it for a whole month! Hubby tells me I said 'm****r f****r!' pretty loudly when PS pulled #4). My PS told me some time ago that I'll have 2 drain tubes for 5 days with my exchange. I don't think I need any pocket work but I see him Thursday for a pre-op consult before exchange next Wednesday so that's on my list of questions. I think it's just his standard practice for exchange (he's pretty conservative and deliberate about everything).
Don't let the drain tube panic keep you from being excited about this step......you're getting rid of the turtle shells on Friday.....whoo hoo!!!!!
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Thank you sweetandspecial. You are right. I am getting super excited to be squishy again! I can deal with drains, just another little bump in the road!
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You got it girlfriend
.(Note: I edited my last post with a comment about my reaction when #4 tube was removed)
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Rose63: Good luck to you on Friday too!! God bless both you and BayouBabe as well as your medical and personal caregivers
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I had pocket work done on my cancer side and scar tissue removed from my rads treatment. My PS used strattice to build up that side since my skin was very thin. I did not have any drains. He said the strattice did not produce the type of weeping that alloderm does, so it wouldn't be needed. I had drains after the bmx and was glad not to have them again, but if they had been needed, wouldn't have complained too much cause they're better than a seroma!
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sweetandspecial, lmao!!!!
Good luck on Friday, Rose and BayouBabe!0 -
Bayoubabe: I had 4 drains for my BMX for varying lengths up to max of 11 days. Can't imagine having them for a Month! YIKES! My exchange is Friday too (side note: Y-A-H-O-O), and my PS has told me that I will have 2 drains this time, but for a much shorter period. I do need a lot of pocket work, so maybe that is why? We never talked about if he was going to use any alloderm this time. Are you getting any work or alloderm? Anhooo, he saidhe expects they will be in from 4 - 6 days only. So like you said, bump,bump,bump. It's sooo worth it.
Lisa Jayne and Andrea623: Thanks for the good wishes. I'm pretty excited and sometimes nervous at this point. But so very glad to finally get the show on the road. House cleaning today, cooking and shopping tomorrow. How bad was the range of motion after exchange for you guys?
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Rose: haven't had my exchange yet - next Wednesday for me (my birthday!). I'm expecting to be sore but not nearly as sore as after BMX and also expect limited ROM for the short term. A couple more good questions for me to add to my list for Thursday's pre-op consult. I'm in pretty good shape physically so I expect recovery to go smoothly for me.
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Rose, I'm almost 3 weeks out from exchange and my ROM is good.
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Lisa Jayne: What a great birthday idea! Well, maybe not parts of it of course, but symbolically a home run!
Bayoubabe: My surgery is first thing, 8:30am, and hope to be home by early afternoon. Will you be 'in' at the same time? How are you holding up? Mostly excited and occasionally nervous, like me?
Andrea623: So glad you are doing well at 3 weeks! My guess is that the ROM (probably all the aspects of recovery?) will be the same as I had after BMX, only (I'm hoping) maybe a bit shorter or dialed down. Is that what you've found?
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Rose, my ROM was better after exchange than after my BMX. But I had just finished physical therapy, because of issues with pain and ROM after rads, so I think that had something to do with it.
Do you know what kind of implants you're getting? Bet you're really excited to get rid of those TEs!0 -
Everything I've read here indicates the exchange recovery is a whole lot better than the BMX/TE placement surgery, at least for most. Makes sense to me. Breast tissue is already gone so there's no repeat of major tissue excavation and the pain from that. TEs have been in for a while so muscle and skin are already stretched and the pain/discomfort from that process is behind us (for most). New exterior incisions that need to heal, yes. New interior incisions on the pecs that need to heal, yes. Short-term ROM limitations, yes. What I'm NOT expecting is to feel once again like T-Rex like I did after BMX. You know how they have those short little arms. That's what I felt like because I couldn't extend my elbows away from my body at all for days and days, kind of like someone had duct-taped me around my whole body right at the elbows.
Ask anyone that knows me.....I have a strange way of looking at things sometimes. lol!
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Lisa Jayne: you crack me up with your T-Rex reference...but how accurate for me too. Very much elbow-and-down movement for the first few days. But then it came back really pretty quick for me. I could reach the top shelf in the fridge in 3 days or so. But not enough strength to take down a liter soda bottle from that shelf for close to 2 weeks I think. I've told my husband I'm going to re-arrange the fridge this time and I get the bottom shelf!
Yes I agree is it reasonable to think this recovery will be easier/better than the BMX. Think you've outlined why that is so very well. Now we'll just have to wait a few more days to know if reason will win out, or if T-Rex will come out of retirement to roar in the tundra once again. (I guess they maybe didn't roar, but what the heck
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The T-Rex in Jurassic park sure had a crap your pants scary roar.
I didn't keep real good track but I know I couldn't even open the fridge at first and as a matter of fact I remember three days after BMX we had guests for dinner (the first of many meals they brought). I asked my husband for a glass of milk. Bless his little ole heart, he brought me the biggest heaviest glass glass we had in the house filled right up. I had a hard time raising my arms enough to reach the glass by my dinner plate and actually had to use both hands to have the strength to get it to my mouth. Sounds like you regained ROM way quicker than I did. I didn't push it, though, so perhaps I could have got it back sooner. I remember a real red-letter day was when I could put dishes away on the top shelf in the cupboard. For someone who's always been very active and very flexible (high-school gymnast) it certainly forced me to be more appreciative of the native physicality I was blessed with and which I've always taken for granted.
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Andrea623: I started doing some very light upper body weight training around 3 weeks ago, and I've noticed my TE's just seemed to "click into place", and feel more integrated in my body after that. So maybe that will help me the way your physical therapy did.. I hope!
I'm going with Sientra silicone smooth rounds (NOT anatomical). The PS said he is targetting the 440cc size, and will also bring in the 410cc and 470cc to have options. He says we really need to go with the Moderate Proj in my case, instead of High Profile, because I just don't have much fat or skin on my chest and they would look very 'stuck on'. I think I like the sound of the more natural profile, but I have to say the low projection numbers make me nervous. But then he points out how very small .5cm really is (the diff between mod prof and hp). My head knows he is right, but my gut is still nervous. Personally, I think I'd like him to set his target at the higher 470cc which gives me an extra .1cm
! Maybe I'll mention that pre-surgery when I see him. But don't want to end up too big in the CC count either. You know goldilocks - not too small, not too big.0 -
My surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am Friday. My surgeon said to expect drains, but not a definite. Lots of pocket work on both sides (ugh!). Righty needs to be moved in. Lefty needs some scar removal due to radiation. Fat grafting (from thighs) as well. Not looking forward to binder in August! Hope the weather stays cool! Not sure about more alloderm - currently some on both sides.
I think I am just a bundle of nerves for so many reasons. Last surgery was a bi$&@ due to BMX, recon, and oomp. all at same time. My husband starts a new job (same company) on a different shift on Monday after my surgery. I will be left with my two preteens all day long by myself. And, as if that isn't enough, my dad starts his chemo right after my surgery. Just a little anxiety. Maybe pain pills won't be such a bad thing!
Best of luck Rose and sweetandspecial! We can be excited and nervous together!0 -
Oh, I am getting Mentor silicone implants. Shooting for 550 HP, but PS will be bringing in 500 and 600 as well into operating room looking for best fit.
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I haven't posted here in a long time. I unexpectedly had to have another surgery on my "foobs". I started complaining of a painful lump on my chest wall (upper right quarter of right breast). It didn't show on ultra sound but PS said it needed to come out. My implants were also beginning to bottom out - again. It had been 2 1/2 years since alloderm last revision. This time he took the implants out (tried to get me to go smaller and I said "no") and removed the chest wall growth which I think was a fibroma - he had a frozen section done - then stitched the pockets to the cartilage of the ribs and replaced the implants and restitched everything. Had me wrapped like a mummy in guaze, a sports bra over that and then ace bandages around everything. So far the pain is not bad. He took the mummy wrappings off yesterday and will take stitches out on Thursday. He said the cartilage stitches will cause some costochondrosis for awhile, but so far so good. I just hope my many bras still fit as can't afford new ones not working at SOMA any longer. In sports bras for 3 weeks at least. Didn't tell anyone at either job that I was having anything done - just taking vacation and not doing anything - and had procedure done at a surgery center not associated with hospital where I work. I hope this helps all my issues and it is my last surgery for a long time.
Hope all is well with everyone.
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Delilahbear - hope this is your last surgery as well. Wishing you an easy recovery and pain free days! How long before you have to go back to work?
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Delilahbear: Prayers for a comfortable, speedy, complication-free recovery. Sounds like you should be more sore from the description of all the work he did
. Can you explain what costochondrosis is? That's a new one for me. I checked with my good friends at Merriam-Webster online and they told me that word isn't in the dictionary . Thanks! 0 -
Delilahbear, I certainly hope this is your last surgery too. I had to look up costochondrosis, and it sounds painful. I'm glad you're doing all right and hope you have a smooth recovery.
I love the T-Rex arms analogy! I had my DH buy straws, because I couldn't bring my arms up after my bmx. Thankfully, ROM was not affected by my exchange, but I could not open the fridge or freezer by myself. Now that I'm getting more strength back, I have to start cooking dinners again, darn it! I liked it better when DH cooked or we went out to eat!
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Lisa Jayne, T-Rex analogy was perfect! Haven't heard it defined any better. You have such a great sense of humor! That will help get you thru the next step(s).
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Bayou- I had drains in for all 3 of my surgeries last year. For my BMX drains were in for a week. For TE placement those bitches were in for just over a month. For exchange surgery they were in for a week. I'm scheduled to have surgery again in October for nips and some tweaking and I'm preparing myself for drains once again. Best of luck on Friday.
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BayouBabe, Thanks for the well wishes. I go back to my part time (4 hours) tomorrow and then again on Friday and my regular job next Monday. It has been nice having time off to do nothing but heal.
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Bayoubabe and Rose63 good luck on your surgery Friday. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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I am worried about my exchange surgery too. I had a tumor size 7 mm and SNB 2 nodes 0 positive. Invasive lobular carcinoma. Bilateral mastectomy. I have 2 sisters with breast cancer. I was getting closer screening than most people and it was found on an MRI. I feel guilty posting this. I am so lucky, yet I still had my breasts amputated. I feel this whole process is BARBARIC. If men had to go through this, things would be different.
My nipples are at different heights and pointing in different directions. If he had said that he couldn't do it, I would have not tried to save them. They fail to tell you that they end up being deformed any way and don't look like they used to anyway. Or even close to a normal nipple. I have asked if he could just remove the nipples at the exchange surgery and then make new ones later. Now he say that would create more problems.
My plastic surgeon came highly recommended but I am not happy with the placement of the TE. He said he could do the nipple sparing surgery but now that it is time for the exchange, it has become a big problem. He will have to do a breast lift on both sides. This will cause more scars. He put the TE in too low. I had cancer on one side but the other prophylactic side has been deformed. I am so sorry that I agreed to that. Part of me wanted to get past worrying every few months. Now I have permanent deformity because of it. I was told that if I did the bilateral I would have a better outcome. What a joke. I have sent for my surgery records because I am wondering if my surgeon was even there. I have been adding up everything he has said and it doesn't make sense.
The first thing he said at the hospital after surgery. "why is this so lateral" my thought was "You put it there" I was on drugs so I didn't question him. The TE is way too much to the side, and too low. I kept telling him the whole time I was getting the fills, that I was too low and too far to the sides. He would say I can fix that. I asked him about the thin skin on my "healthy" side and he said "I don't know why they did that" now my foobs
need to be lifted. after the fills were done I was scheduling surgery and the nurse told me that I could h
Pick Tuesday or Thursday. I said what about Monday? She said Oh he never does surgery on Monday. I had first surgery on a Monday, so does that some student did it?
He told me once "Well you didn't have cancer did you?" Well I definitely do.
I went into this process thinking that I would have choices. What a crock! The only choices that I have had are between a crappy choice and another crappy choice. Has anyone had to deal with anything like this?0 -
Lucky: I am so sorry you are having to go through all of this. Are you at a University Hospital or a Cancer Center? If not, is there one anywhere near you? It sounds to me like these doctors are not very experienced at this kind of surgery. You do have choices. If you are not happy you need to get another opinion. Make sure you get a Breast Reconstruction Surgeon. You should NOT have to be going through this!! Hugs and prayers going to you.
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