Exchange City

Peanutsgal, as the surgery gets a little closer and I am reading posts it brings back too many memories that I have forgotten. I must admit I am getting a little nervous. I have my Pre Op is tomorrow morning. I will let you know how surgery goes. Hang in there and hope all goes well with yours. As for the insurance company they are just going to have to DEAL WITH IT~

Good Luck

Kat

I am not liking the no housework thingy.  I am finally getting back into the swing of things, and it's all sit and around and heal again...ugh! Well, I guess for the best outcome you need to follow the rules.  I will be happy I am more comfortable after the expander's come out. 

Well I made it though to the other side.



Thank you to everyone for their kind words.



Things went well, the mud flaps are gone!!!! Things are looking quite swollen and uneven but I am hopeful it will all settle down.



If it will help anyone else, here is my experience:

Exchange surgery took about one hour, required only some skin revision.

- NO DRAINS!!!! PS said he would use them but I guess he changed his mind.

- I was supposed to have 500cc implants but my card says 650cc. Ummmmm, not sure how I feel about that. Wanted to be much, much smaller than my original 36G (a very long G)

- Have to wait 4 months for nipples but not yet decided if I want them or the 3D tattoos.

- Was not expecting to have this much pain - this pain is much worse than the BMX. Feel like I have been beaten with a baseball bat and the incisions burn.

- Not sure if the iron bra sensation is gone or not because the compression wrap is very tight.

- Incisions are very long, as long as the original mastectomy ones.

-I was at the surgical center for 8 hours total, from morning check-in until discharge.

-nausea and vomiting, I always have this after general anesthetic, eventhough I had meds to prevent it. Dry crackers taste like the best thing in the world right now.



Ok, I am so rambling on and on (it's the pain meds). I am sending out many happy thoughts and prayers to all the ladies with upcoming surgeries. Take care, Anna

AnnaCanada - congratulations on crossing over tothe squishy side!  Just goes to show how each of our experiences is unique.  At least half of your bullet points are the complete opposite of my exchange experience!  How many cc were you expanded to?  If you were only expanded to 500 maybe some of your pain is because larger implants were placed?  I do wish my PS had taken care of the mud flaps during exchange but I think he likes to let things settle so he can get a better feel for their appearance after any swelling from the exchange is gone.  Yet another example of how they each have their own way of doing things.

Rest up and take care. This too shall pass.  In spite of the pain and the long incisions and the nausea and vomiting and the worry about final size it sounds like it went relatively well.  I'm glad you're doing OK and you didn't have to have drains (that's a BIGGIE) . 

Thanks for the replies everyone. Seems like I'm going to need some help while hubby is away after all. I guess I shouldn't have listened the office staff person...she said she had breast augmentation and it was no big deal, but I guess the exchange is way different. The worst is not being able to snuggle with my kids before they go to sleep because it hurts to lay down. My last fill (overfilled) was so painful that I couldn't snuggle my 6 year old, he almost cried when I told him I was in a lot of pain....he was so upset at my pain. I was hoping he wouldn't know I was in pain again. I wanted these expanders out so badly that I took this surgery date even though I knew my husband had to leave the next day. Oh well.

I hope you can hug your son soon pTXunique! I remember when I couldn't hug mine. Soon I will be facing that again with the grand Kids I am praying for a quick recovery and please take it easy!

Thelightsofmylife61 sorry but I can't help you! Keep asking and checking different forums there has to be someone who can help. Good luck!

I hope everyone gets the rest they need tonight! Sleep well everyone!

Hi - was wondering if anyone else had this experience with their TE's. 

Right after my bmx, with only just a small amount of fill, I could tell that my TE's were not even.  As I am getting filled more, the unevenness is definitely more apparent, and requires me to use a little lamb's wool in my bra to even things out.

I asked my PS's assistant what happened.  She said that was how I healed.  They try to put them in symetrical, but the healing process can change that.  She said not to worry, that when the permanent implants go in, all will be fixed.

Did anyone else have that experience?  I was so looking forward to going through the next couple of months not dealing with forms or stuffing my bra :0)

Thanks!

Pat

Ive been lurking here just reading up for edification sake, I had bmx 3 weeks ago and TE.  Just to add that my PS doest use alloderm- he said he used to use it alot but the infection and complication rate was so high he couldnt justify it, so I have just the natural muscle there. Not sure if thats why Sweet's PS doesnt either.

BoatinGirl, I also had unevenness as I was expanded. The left side ended up 2 inches lower than the right (I actually measured). It was very obvious to everyone if I was wearing a shirt with stripes or writing on the front. PS said it was due to skin stretching and sagging and not the muscle. He asked which breast I liked better (right side) and then he made them match during the exchange surgery. It is too soon for me to remark on the final product since I am only 2 days pot op.



Goldie4040, mud flaps are the extra bits of skin that hang down on the sides of the incision, like a mud flap on a truck. My PS said he leaves extra skin to accommodate the expansion process. I have also heard others call them dog ears. I would link you to a photo but could not find any posted. I have a photo of my own but am not sure about the rules for posting.



pTXunique, so sorry you are having pain issues. Glad that you are going to get some help during the post op period. It sure is hard watching our kids watching us go through these challenges. I wish you all the best.



I have a follow up appt with the PS today so I can ask him why he used the larger size implant.

Lightsofmylife - I am sorry your IMF hurts so much. My implants are big and sub-muscular. At first they were put in with no Alloderm and after about 9 months the right implant threatened to break through the skin and all shape was lost as well as odd coloring on bottom pole of foob. PS said the only way to thicken up the skin and keep the implant was to put in alloderm sling and use alloderm in pocket to get more thickness. 5 months later we had to do same for left foob. This was over 2 years ago and I just had surgery to stitch pockets to rib periosteum as the alloderm has not held either. I will have another surgery to correct the lateral side of left as it did not hold to the ribs and needs some more attention. I think PS would really like me to go to smaller size, but that was tried and they don't fit my broad chest. I have 960 saline implants and they are same size as my original breasts prior to BMX. Hope this info helps.

Gosh, Minustwo.  I am really sorry you are going through this.  I have heard that rads can ruin an implant, but that would be something you should ask your PS for absolutely correct answer. I know women who have had rads with the expander in, and that might be an option for you.  They could put a filled expander in to keep your skin stretched, and then when you are ready they can give you back an implant.  I am just taking a wild stab at this, not sure if my advice is correct, but it's something to ask about. 

Goldie:  Thanks for your response.  No - I had original surgery done at Methodist in the medical center.  BS & PS are both there & BS had MDAnderson residency.  My MO is at Baylor.  I'm sticking with all my original docs although I'm looking at one of the MDA "suburban" hospitals for the rads so I won't have to drive to the med center every day.  I have a consultation set up.

Minus Two,

I had one implant removed, although not because of radiation. It was 14 days after BMX with immediate reconstruction. The skin was too thin on that side and the blood supply not good enough to support the tissue. PS had to remove necrotic tissue. Not enough left to cover implant so he took it out and put in TE. Surgery more difficult to deal with than original one because of muscle spasms that were bad for first 7 days. Eased up now at day 10. PS hopes "beat up" tissue will expand a bit with fills but doesn't think same size implant will ever fit. So at exchange surgery, remaining implant will be removed, extra tissue excised, and both sides will get smaller implants.

myers421

I have had the same pain when as Im getting near the end of fills currently filled 550cc in my 133FX 550. Beleive I have one more fill this coming thurs. As far as the pain the day of fill is not to bad, the next day miserable and then the following day just uncomfortable. The pain is common. WHat I have done during the filling process is take 1/2 a Hydrocodone abt 2 hours before appt, and then 1 every 6 hrs the next day. Do you have anything leftover from BMX?

i am 5'4", 130-140lbs, 34" ribcage, so yes we are very close to the same size. what style of implant is your PS thinking?