Exchange City

Ceci-246

thank you, Star! That’s a relief to hear that reabsorption happens. I look awfully misshapen right now, so it’s hard to tell. But since this is a revision, I have the experience of knowing that reconstruction changes a whole lot in a few months

rachelcarter35

Yesterday I finally got my areola tattoos. They need to heal but already feel much more complete. It makes such a difference.

Shoregirl

Thats awesome Rachelcarter!! So happy for you, congrats!!

CBK

I tried before but didn't get I reply on this topic. I developed LARGE hematoma after exchange surgery 9/28/18-Yeouch!

Bruising and pain has subsided. But breast remains hard and slightly swollen(the swelling has improved dramatically)

Has anyone waited hematoma out and not gone back for surgery? And how long did it take to heal/or not completely?

I'm currently in PT doing very well and back to yoga and doing light PT approved weight exercises. Completely under the direction of my PS. PT is familiar with breast reconstruction/mx patients so he's a huge help!

Thanks ladies!!

DebAL

congrats on your tattoos rachel!

rachelcarter35

CBK: Does your instinct feel like your level of activity is acceptable? I didn't have hemotomas but had pain and hardness. I dropped back on upper body activity to let things heal. I also started to moisturize and massage with coconut/lavender oil because everything was feeling hard and tight. I still do slow mobility movements. Everything is feeling better. hope that helps a little.

CBK

Rachelcarter-

My PS has always been of the mindset of “keep moving”, obviously within reason. Once the drains were out on any surgery I started getting back to my exercise routine. Even with hematoma, I had weight bearing restrictions for a bit, but I’m back planking it, downdoggin’, modified chattarungas/mixed with some full ones and now light weight/resistant band training, ROM exercises and lots of pec stretches that are being recommended by my PT guy.

It’s a fine line, because being stagnant is really not good for our healing either. That’s not just my feeling, it’s my PT’s that has extensive training and over 25 years working with patients. My Accupunturist/ chiro says the same thing; Stagnant energy can create a host of its own problems.

I’m lucky because I have a long history of yoga therapeutics in my background. So I am somewhat versed in modifying poses . But I've been really patient building back up and I have this amazing PT now that my PS referred me to.

I know I’m going to get there, I just have no idea how long getting there is going to take!!

I don’t have ok to massage yet, my PS said maybe around 3 month mark that may happen. But Mr. Hematoma may delay that further.

So wait when was your exchange surgery? I think tightness is common after exchange surgery!! The more PT stretches my pecs and loosens up traps/ scapula I feel like a different person.

Insisting that my PS send me for PT has really put my mind at ease, and I do feel like I’m doing everything I can to heal properly. I don’t feel conflicted on doing too much now, that PT is managing the ship!!

rachelcarter35

CBK it sounds like you are on it. I agree we need to keep moving. My exchange surgery was nine weeks ago. I started in with weights too soon and felt funky at about 4 weeks. I think it has been extra challenging because of the revisions of the pocket on my right. I'm not 100 percent but better.

CBK

Rachel

I had extra revisions on my right too. I expected exchange surgery to be a breeze after my previous ones. Didn’t turn out that way. But hey it could be much worse so I’m trying to stay positive.

Damn hematoma. My surgeon offered me opportunity to go back in and clean it up and I was like hell no! Maybe I should have done it but so not into going under anesthesia again!!

Wow you had your tattoos done already? Did you have nipple reconstruction?

rachelcarter35

My previous PS did them during my mastectomies. I call them origami nipples because they are really just tucks at the end of my scar. I had very large breasts so there was a lot to work with. They removed my nipples and a large bat shaped piece of the skin. My scar is shaped like an anchor and ends at my new nipples. My previous PS was horrible as a person but he did a great job with my nipples.

CBK

Rachel

I love it... you fired your arrogant PS?

Wow I didn’t know that could be done (nipples) I need to ask my PS why I didn’t have that??

Seriously I would be in the looney bin if it weren’t for my incredibly capable and overly kind PS. Not only do I think she’s brilliant, I think she’s an amazing person.

She travels overseas once a year to do charity work, her own charity.. doing different reconstruction surgeries in 3rd world countries. I truly admire her.

No one, no matter how good they are deserve to treat us like s$@t, the woman that did my ovary removal fell in that category. See you later!! Ugh!!

rachelcarter35

Yes eventually I fired him as I was getting closer to my exchange surgery. I didn't feel heard. I felt completely confused about implant selection. It was confusing because I thought he was experienced and capable. He would talk to my husband instead of me and barely answer questions with as few words or details as possible. I went to my new PS mostly for just a second opinion on implant selection and realized that this is such a brutal process and we can expect BOTH good bedside manner AND competentcy.

Taurus75

I had a double masectomy and reconstruction at the same time on Oct. 15th with only two lymph nodes removed and no chemo or radiation. I have stopped with the saline injections into the tissue expanders but every week I have to get a large amount of seroma drained from both breast especially the side that did not have the cancer. It is very painful but my doctor says it should not be but it is. He is not concerned because the fluid is clear. The breast is completely surrounding expander with fluid especially on the bottom that has so much it sloshes (sp?) around. I have been wearing compression bras but the absorption is not getting any better and the fluid just begins to build back up 2 days after the aspiration. Tomorrow will be my 4th aspiration. I was so proud to be off of any medications for pain and infection including Aleve but now I find myself unable to sleep around the 4th day after the aspiration when it is very full. Trying not to get discourage but my doctor just keeps saying seromas do not cause pain, like it is in my head but I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. (Passed kidney stones without drugs!) Unlike kidney stones though there is no time of relief. At least with a stone you know once its passed, the pain is gone.

Has anyone else experienced this? Have you found anything to assist with the reabsorption besides a compression bra? How long does this last? I have to go back to work soon and I can't sleep. Any advice or remedies would be so greatly appreciated!!!

Also as anyone had any problems getting their energy back?

Have a great holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!

CBK

Taurus

I don’t have any concrete answers for you but if seroma is large I’m sure it can cause pressure and pain. I had seromas after BMX and lat flap. They are quite common. They will go away eventually, but they do so on their own timeframe. No way to tell exactly when.

I did NOT wear any compression garments. PS’s differ greatly on what they tell their patients to wear post surgeries.

It’s super positive the fluid is clear!!👍And fantastic nodes are clear and no chemo!! That’s much to be thankful for!!

star2017

Taurus, I’m so sorry you have been struggling. Regarding the pain, there’s research that suggests many healthcare professionals do not take women’s pain seriously. There actually is special training about this, and I think you need to keep pushing your doctor. What an obnoxious thing for him to say.

If seromas don’t cause pain and you’re experiencing pain, then something else is going on and he needs to work with you to figure it out. Just doing the same thing over and over again with no improvement seems unacceptable.

I did have a seroma too (on my prophylactic side too weirdly), but it wasn’t constantly growing, and reabsorbed in about a month.

I’m so sorry, and I wish I could help you more. Is it worth getting a second opinion?

VegGal

Drastically increase your protein and vitamin C intake. Drink plenty of water to keep your system flushed. 

The seroma will cause pain when it gets so large the traumatized tissue gets stretched and irritated. 

Go get yourself some protein!

HikingLady

Taurus75: Ditto what VegGal said above. Her explanation about the source of pain makes good sense. I have been guided (by a Naturopath and two physicians) to have a lot (80-100g) of protein daily for a bunch of weeks when recovering from surgery (also during radiation and chemo) and that's for cell repair. Which costs the body a lot, and you can help by supplying protein, an important building block of those cells. To do this, I looked up charts of how much protein was in which foods, so I could plan my food accordingly. Also antioxidants, of course. Fresh pineapple is another idea.

I had a seroma with my 2003 lumpectomy and it took a long time to resolve, so I sympathize hugely. Reabsorption and healing just takes longer for some people, for all kinds of reasons. All the more reason for your PS to listen and give you whatever will help. Maybe a muscle relaxant, like Flexeril, or Lorazepam or something else to help manage the pain. Keep advocating for yourself and speaking up about the discomfort.

And, I echo what CBK said---yay that the fluid is clear, and that you didn't need chemo or radiation!

As for getting your energy back. What a huge surgery you've been through. Expect a bunch more weeks before you get your energy back, and the seroma means that's still quite a bit in the future. Healing (cell repair) is exhausting.

Drink a lot of water, eat the protein and antioxidants and REST ... watch something silly on Netflix?

Warm wishes to you and huge empathy.

Kleo

Hello, Everyone!

I had my exchange surgery a month ago. And today was officially told that i dont need to see my surgeon anymore unless i decide to do fat grafting (in 6 months or so). So i figured its time to share my story in case someone would find it helpful.

I was diagnosed with advanced DCIS at a young age. My tumor was actually palpable, i was getting sharp pains during my periods and after work outs. And i have strong family history of BC so i knew something was terribly wrong.

With that being said, stage 0 diagnosis was actually good news for me at that time. I was prepared for much worse. The bad news was that DCIS has occupied more than 50% of my breast so they said i still had to go for mastectomy. I was devastated! I had naturally large beautiful breasts. I was still young. I googled mastectomy reconstruction photos and was horrified with what i saw.

I was advised by both of my surgeons to opt for double mastectomy for better cosmetic results and for the fact of not having to go through radiation and 5 years of hormonal therapy. But that was just too much for me at that time. I was not ready to let both of my breasts go. So i opted for one side mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Mistake!!! I wish my medical team was more persistent at that point.

Long story short. My nipple survived and all of my skin survived. And even with my expander still being filled i already saw that it does not look as bad as i expected. My surgeon made the cuts under my breast so they are barely seen. There is less visible scaring than after breast reduction or breast lift actually. My natural breast was pretty big for my frame with some significant drooping so i needed a breast lift with implant for my healthy breast. At that time i realized that the doctors were right (as pretty much always!) - i should have gone for double mastectomy. It just made sense. So i went back to my surgeon 5 months later and had prophylactic mastectomy on the other side as well.

I did not have much pain or discomfort from the expenders. I had them in for over a year

With the exchange surgery i prepared myself for not so great outcomes to be honest. I also read this forum and knew that things only start to look normal after a month and you can not get discouraged with what you see immediately after your surgery. So i was not waiting for any miracles. I think its important to hope for the best but understand that this is not a boob job that you are getting.

My surgeon picked the size for me and picked the implant type. I did not even ask any questions, i trust the guy completely. He is the best in one of the best hospitals in the US. He opted for round smooth "gummy bears". He said they are the only kind that would look good after mastectomy with less rippling and the most shape.

He did some additional pocket work to bring my breasts closer together and he cut off my mastectomy scar because it did not heal right. So i had more pain than expected because of that. But still very manageable. No drains. Only took oxy on the first day and zero pain killers after, not even Tylenol. Went back to running errands AND DRIVING after 3 days.

Of course i could not help but look at the results under all of those surgical bandages. On the day two i looked and i saw no other then Pam Anderson=) They looked humongous! I thought no way this is only because of swelling! My surgeon went too large. I was concerned but chose not to panic. They also looked like two pancakes with nipples pointing down. But they were so much softer than the expanders!!! It was pure joy to touch them after having those salat bowls in for almost a year=)

Went for the first post op a week after my surgery (i read here that some people were concerned about not being closely followed immediately after the surgery - dont worry, its totally normal to only see your surgeon after 7 days). Was told that everything is even better than expected. Was told to massage the lower part of my boobs (under boob area=)) and to wear sports bra 24/7

Went for my final appointment 3 weeks later. Things changed a lot by the 4th week post op - for the better i mean. So don't panic right away, my dear ladies. Wait for swelling to go down and for the implant to drop a bit. You will see how much better things will be getting each day.

I have to say that i am very happy with the results. Everything looks very natural, very close to what my natural breasts looked. The size is just right, there is very natural drooping. There is some minor rippling. Its not visible most of the time but its palpable. So i am pretty sure i will go for fat grafting. My surgeon told me to come see him in 6 months the earliest if i decide to do fat grafting. But he does not think there is much need for that. My husband and i both think that i will need it (might as well, after all this drama lol)

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions! And good luck to all of you!

P.S. Forgot to mention that i lost all of sensation in my breasts unfortunately. Everything is numb. My breasts were super sensitive before so this really is a big downside for me. I heard that nerves might grow back and blah blah blah but i am not holding my breath. It is what it is. I will say though that my arm pits are weirdly very sensitive in a good way after the mastectomy=)

Bcbc

Oh, Cleo. Thank you for such a positive post. I'm six months out from bilat mastectomy and an scheduled for revision/exchange surgery one week from today. I am so excited to finally be getting rid of these TEs! I'm having revision to have pre pec placement since I've struggled with lots of muscle spasm pain. Unfortunately, that means a little more complex surgery and going home with 4 drains, but I'm ready for it! New boobs by Christmas!🎄🎄🎄

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Becky

Moderators

Welcome, Kleo! Thank you so much for sharing your experience, it's always to helpful to hear stories such as yours!

The Mods

Shoregirl

Hello ladies! I am just curious if anyone here has downsized implants by close to 100cc and how it went. I am swapping my 440cc Full profiles for either 345 or 360cc Moderates on Dec 4. I don't think he will be tightening the pockets though as he plans to add fat at a later date to fill the difference in projection, just under 1cm difference. Just wondering if they will look kind of baggy until I get the fg!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Kleo

Best of luck to you, Becky!

You will see how much less emotionally draining this surgery will be. You are almost there! Finish line!!!!

Has someone here had fat grafting with gummy bears? Does it make things significantly better or not really worth it?

robinblessed54

Kleo, I am curious about your gummy bears being smooth. Are they not anatomical? Mine are the

Allergen 410 textured anatomical. I was filled to 450cc and he used a 475cc implant. I had no need for fat grafting because these fit perfectly in the pockets.

There is no need for FG because the texture holds them in place. There isn’t much movement but I am ok with that. No rippling at all.

There are a lot of ladies that have had FG that will chime in. Happy Thanksgiving all

Kleo

Sorry not sure if mine are anatomical. I will look for the passport if its important. Mine are round smooth gummy bears one is around 550 cc another closer to 600 (big i know but my breasts were pretty huge=)

They are soft and squishy. There is some minor rippling that is not very visible (only if you are really looking) but is palpable. Its on the sides closer to my arm pits. Which is why i was wondering how much better it gets after FG. My surgeon also does not think i need FG

Lolarg

Hi everyone. Im going in for exchange surgery in December. I was told by my plastic surgeon that she doesnt want to fill my Expanders too much because my implant size is going to be double the size of the expanders. Is this the case? Right now Im not happy with the size of the expanders and my surgeon didnt want to fill me more because of the reason I just explained.

Can someone help

Shoregirl

Lolarg, I'm not sure as my expanders were filled more than my implant size. I had the round ones. I think the anatomical or teardrop shape they put bigger implants in than expanders. I would check back with your ps to be sure and comfortable with your upcoming procedure. You don't want to be facing a revision down the road in the chances you are unhappy with the result.

LinnyG

Left TE exchange to silicone implant, Right reduction and lift. Anxious, but this site is so helpful. Thank you!

TrmTab

Three weeks out from my exchange...!

Question: for those of you who took arnica or ate pineapple, when did you start...two weeks out?

After my Sept 2017 initial exchange I bruised terribly...in part I believe that the implant was too big and too firm to slide into the pocket made. There was a lot of pushing and pulling. Received a TCX-800. Will be exchanging to an SRX700 or 750, so slightly smaller but a lot softer.

Also, post surgery upping of protein is pretty common, did anyone up the protein prior to surgery?

Thanks, TT

VegGal

Yes, I increased protein a couple of weeks prior, as well as increased hydration. I began arnica the night of exchange and added in liposomal Vit C. 

star2017

I ate pineapple in that first week after surgery