Exchange City

How many people have had to do follow up surgery to their exchange? 

My foob and my boob are clearly two different sizes.  The PS planned to put in a small implant on the boob side, but my skin was too thin.  Will be talking to him in a few weeks about possible next steps.  So not thrilled at the idea of more surgery.  Yuck.

Runnermom and TLR:  Best of luck go with you tomorrow and Friday.  I'm one week post-op today and continue to be pleased as punch with my results.  I actually laid on my tummy comfortably this morning for a while (until my lower back started screaming!).  My girls are looking awesome!  My wish for you both is safe and successful surgery, pain-free recovery and much happiness with placement, symmetry, cleavage and all!

Good luck to rummermom and TLR I hope for the best for both of you!

Sweetandspecial I am so happy that you continue to improve and are happy with your results!

Thank you everyone for the well wishes and words of encouragement. I think I'm ready. Cleaned all week and just finished bathing the dog (the last thing on my to do list). My sister and daughter will be here tomorrow so I'm sure that will help keep my mind busy. I will check in after surgery to update everyone....thanks again.

I had a follow up appt today two weeks after exchange. Not happy with results, neither is the PS.  He used 286 style 15 implant. It's flat at the lower pole, very tight and smaller than my native breast. He only filled TE to 280. He said I'll likely need another surgery. He wants me to wait a few weeks to see if the implant softens ( drop & fluff?) a bit.  But option 1 is to remove it and put the TE back in to stretch skin. I told him NO WAY. 2nd option is to cut me open again, release the scar tissue, and put either alloderm or dermamatrix to create the sling.  I have no idea why he didn't use alloderm or something similar back in May when the TE migrated south and he had to cut me open and push it back up. Or why he didn't use alloderm at the exchange, given the problem I had in May. I plan to get a 2nd opinion on my options and want to have the right questions to ask. I am questioning PS judgment because he didn't use the alloderm in the first place. Anyone else have this problem after exchange. I'm just so disgusted at this point.

Signs of infection unfortunately, call your PS and start antibiotics as soon as possible!

Chi:

Oh no! I hope it's not an infection sounds kinda like it could be ...definitely go see your doctor! So sorry please keep us posted.



Violet

Sending healing thoughts to TLR and Runnermom!



Violet, forgot to mention I put a layer of t-shirt between bag of ice and skin , not directly on skin.

Okay now this is weird. I got up this morning and the redness is gone!! There is just the one spot that has been red since BMX, but the rest is gone. I just don't know what to think about that. I have my appt. Tuesday and I'll tell him about it. I did do a lot of work yesterday. Laying tile in my kitchen and grouting. I wonder if that could have been the cause?

How do your implants feel? My PS used a lot of strattice because after having everything stretched by the TEs, plus radiation, my skin and tissues were very thin. My radiated side seems pretty much immovable and reminds me a lot of the TE, minus the hardness. It's still very uncomfortable to sleep on that side, as the lower right edge feels very firm. When wearing a bra, I feel like I've got my TEs again. While the implants are softer, I just feel rather let down I guess. Will they continue to soften? I wish I was like some of you lucky ladies who come out of your exchanges and things look and feel great almost right away. Maybe I'm just expecting too much?

Had my one week post-op this afternoon.  All is looking good. I can wear sports bras for now because that's all I have besides the surgical bra (it's just NOT styling for summer wear!).  Going to try for an appointment at Nordstrom's in Troy Michigan (about 3 hours away) for Saturday to get at least 1 or 2 non-wired bras so I can have something pretty to wear back to work next week.  I continue to be pleased as punch with softness, symmetry, placement and cleavage .

No word from Runnermom yet?

Sweetnspecial,

Try to get your appointment with Joanne. (Somerset Nordstroms) I'm sure there are other great fitters there, but she helped me just a short time after exchange and she was so kind and patient!! Have fun!

Tomorrow is three months post exchange and I'm going to celebrate with a trip to the Nordstrom fitter, too.

Sweet: YAY!!

Tell her I said thank you! She won't know who I am at all...but she helped me in February with no appointment when I wandered into Nordstroms for the first time ever just to look at bras for ideas...not to try anything. I ended up tearing up when a nice lady asked if I needed help...and she (Joanne) made me feel safe and "normal."



Enjoy!! FYI: HUGE HUGE mall with lots to look at on both sides of the skywalk.

Sweet:  I love the stretchy teeny-bopper $5 special bras from Walmart!  Since I always had to wear expensive heavy padded bras to hide the headlights and give the 40D girls the support they needed, I am thrilled to now be smaller and wearing this chintzy elastic bandeau-type bra.  I always hated underwire bras too so I don't even want one now.  I am keeping the "glass is half full" attitude through this.