Exchange City

Texas357

Katey, I just had a "duh" moment because I've been wearing underwire -- pushing up -- while I'm massaging to push down! I'm going shopping today for different bras. I haven't bought any since my diagnosis. It's time!

Grakenmom

Katey - I have the same questions about underwire/push-up bras - would we really need them, or would they in some way, damage the pocket or implant?  Hope someone can chime in, I'd be really happy to get rid of underwires!

Reeltchr - so happy you're home and hope you're doing well. WOOHOO! Another step completed!

Hi BarbR - nice to meet you, and hope you find some answers here.

Mom2b - if you haven't already, you might wish to check out "Implant sizing 101" thread - tons of info on te's (that I wish I had read prior to my PBM). Be very specific with your PS and find out what type/style/size te's your PS plans to put in - also be as specific as possible about the end result you are looking for, because it all starts with the te's.

Anniealso - oh my gosh, I was rotfl at your post. I hope Thelma and Louise are well and behaving, and sure hope your onc starts to understand your humor!!  

And a few questions about scar tissue - I'm 12 days out from exchange, and I'm pretty sure most of the swelling is gone. I've been in the surgical bra, took it off for a few hours Thurs and Fri.  My question is that there seems to be harder segments that seem to start at the lower outer edge of the implants and continue under my arms (outer sides) toward the lats. PS said he did some liposuction from under my arms, so is this still healing, or is it scar tissue?  I'm afraid I won't be able to wear "regular bras", as it's right where a band would hit, and it's actually painful to put pressure on it. I can't even imagine trying to massage it.  Your thoughts?

All the best to those recovering and those upcoming!! xo, E

whippetmom

Chest wrinkles....a good description re: how it occurs

http://chestsavers.com/

BarbR:  Go to the thread Breast Implant Sizing 101 and provide information mentioned there about your TEs - style, volume and your implants, mfr, style, volume.  Then your height, weight, ribcage info. You can come back here with the info...

Texas357

My PS told me I could wear any kind of bra I wanted after the exchange. I'm just thinking underwires probably aren't the best idea if they are pushing up what I want to remain down!

whippetmom

mom2b: Many of us have implants which are LARGER than our tissue expanders!  It sounds as though you have not been on the pictures forum.  It would be very helpful for you to go there prior to your appt so that you can be prepared to explain what you want from reconstruction.  You will need to PM Timtam and she will give you an entrance code to our completely private photo forum.

http://community.breastcancer.org/member/11047/profile

BarbR

Now I really feel like an idiot. My breast surgeon and both oncologists said my PS is the best there is. He was great all during the expansion process and I told him that I did not want to be bigger than I was. If anything, smaller. He did not offer options to me with either the expanders (done during bi-lateral mastectomy)  or implants. All I know is that they were both Mentor. He really wanted me to get a Lattismus Dorsi Flap because of the radiation, and everything had to wait until all other treatments were finished. I was pretty strong about not wanting the flap; he feels I will be back; I guess he sees a lot of capsular contracture. At least I did my statistical homework on that.

I put my trust in him and assumed I would get the good result everyone promised. Who knows, maybe when the swelling goes down, I will. But let this be a lesson to all...get those particulars!

I will be seeing him March 16 and will have many answers after that. I have to be strong about not getting the bum's rush. Seems like he is headed for the door the minute he does the exam ;-)

Kristinka

Grakenmom - can you go to Nordstrom or another "fine" shop and get expertly fitted?  There are underwire and no-underwire bras out there that don't push you up, but provide great support overall.  Those are the kind I got.  Natori and Chantelle gave me the best fit.  They are not cheap, but neither has any other aspect of this whole experience been a bargain.  I like when the wire curves all around the under part of your foob, giving it a nice round pocket to fit in.  Good luck!

Texas357

Barb, your PS sounds like mine. She didn't want to give me a lift on my proph side because she said that my rads side would just keep going higher. We shall see! I just got back from bra shopping: bought no-underwire styles that will help to keep everything in place. I'm determined not to have flap surgery either.

CDB

Geena,

Thanks for the help with the Mondors cords.  I had been trying to massage them with just my fingertips and all I seemed to do was make one rib sore!  I'll give the palms a try.

Anyone bra shopping;

Macy's is having a sale thru tomorrow on lots of styles. 

Cindy

whippetmom

You can also find really high end brand bras at Marshalls and/or T.J. Maxx.  I bought some Chantelle bras at Marshalls six months ago for $14.99.  These were $60.00 at Nordstrom's. 

Mykidsmom

Hello ladies - I have been away for more than a week w/ work and then skiing in Canada. We had a wonderful time. I updated the surgery list w/ two exchange surgery dates, but probably missed many more. Please PM me and I will add your dates. Hugs to everyone! - Jean

fairportlady55

Jean: hope you had a great time skiing!!!!!! Thanks for adding my name to the upcoming surgery list. Wow it seems like not long ago at all that I was considering all this: and now the finish line is in sight!!!

whippetmom

Jean:  Maybe we can get a new avatar of you on your skiing vacation where we can see your full face!!! 

cs7777

mom2B: I'm hardly the worlds expert, but here's one perspective....  Your concerns about TEs are understandable, but what's more important is how you want to look with the implants.  Like you do now?  Larger? Smaller?  Really perky?  Kind of droopy? Etc. If like now, take pictures of yourself clothed and naked and have those for comparison as you go through the process; once you're in TEs your doc won't remember "how you looked before".  If different, find pics of others how you'd like to look and take them to your PS.  That way s/he can pick the right TEs and be planning the right implants.  And you can bring your preference of implant type/size/etc to that conversation by info you learn here (follow earlier posts about Implants 101 forum etc) and elsewhere.

All that said, my perspective on TEs is that what we look like with them implanted is all over the place.  Those who win the TE lottery look pretty natural, while the rest of us look whacky, with TEs that are too high, low, in, out, or shaped funny.  The good news is that it appears that most of these issues get substantially resolved by revision when the final implant is put in.  As for overexpansion, or underexpansion, that varies hugely between PSs.  Each seems fill based on various things about you (e.g., shape/size/weight, desired final breast & implant, rads, tissue coverage, etc.) as well, it seems, as their filling practices generally.  I at least feel the TE phase of this is a crapshoot, and once you pick your PS you pretty much have to go with the way s/he uses them because that's their practice. 

Bottom line is, if you're going to obsess over something, make it on deciding on how you want to look in the end and communicating that to your PS, not on TEs. 

Good luck!

Anonymous

Regarding underwire bras and "dropping" :  my ps  - the "bra fanatic" - did say that to help facilitate "dropping" faster to loosen the bra straps.  That maintains the support of the implants, yet allows them to drop into the pockets (albeit a bit slower)

juliempw

Maggie, Thanks for the book recommendation.  I'll download it on my kindle, I was wishing there were something like that!Geena, Thanks for mentioning the YMCA program, I think I'll look into that.  I went back to Bikrams Yoga this week.  I love it but it is intense and very time consuming so I'd like to find something to supplement.   Deborah, Thanks for the anti wrinkle website.   Is that bra what you actually sleep in or have you found others that seem to serve the same purpose?  In your last email to me you also mentioned not using anything on your scars because of the impact of softening the scar on the overall appearance of the breast.   I don't quite understand how softening a scar can impact the entire breast that much.  Do you have any more information about that? Julie 

BarbR

 cs777 Well said and very true... 

Lynbob

Hello Ladies

I have no idea why it took me so long to get here! This whole process has seemed like a bad dream. I was diagnosed Dec 4th 2009 and suddenly it is March 6th and I am just biding my time until my exchange surgery. My PS told me he likes to wait at least 3 months from the surgery date so the earliest date for the exchange would be April 13, 2010.

I am so relieved to have good news from my pathology that it hadn't dawned on me that I have no idea what happens in the exchange. The PS's nurse told me he uses my own skin to make the nipples. Is there somewhere on here to see actual pictures of this? Ugh, I hate being a newbie, ha! I absolutely love the expression "Yippee Squishy!!"

You guys rock! {{hugs}}

KorynH

Contact TimTam (member user id). She has a web site where we have all posted photos that you can see. The implant exchange was a piece of cake for me....totally painless. Much more comfortable that TEs! Feel free to write me with any quesitons!

Best of luck!

Koryn

Embraced

Hi!  Will you explain more clearly how I can get into the photo gallery, please.  I was just diagnosed with IDC and will have a BMX soon.  I will be meeting with the PS next week and want to be prepared before meeting with him.  I feel so sad about loosing my own breasts and would like to be reconstructed similarly to my own. Your post said that it's helpful to look at the pics but that it's necessary to PM Timtam for access.  What does this mean?  I'm new to navigating a forum and don't understand the lingo.  What is PM?  And who is timtam? 

musiclovermom

Hey KorynH ! - How are you Girlie??? Nice to see your smiling face here today! I love that pict!

Lynbob - Welcome - I am so glad you found us - this is a great thread! My exchange 2 weeks ago was so easy and I went out to dinner on the way home from the hospital! BUT I did not have revision work done at exchange. Everything was looking good and in the right place. So it was Yippee Squishy for me immediately! no pain or recovery time involved...

Embraced -  To PM Timtam means to send her a private message. Timtam is her user name like yours is Embraced. She will then send you info on how to access the pict forum. I see that this was your first post - that may mean she won't grant you access instantly. Before I was granted access to the site, I googled everything and watched the surgery videos but found that most of them on you tube were not not the surgery I was having... not many of just implant procedures after BMX...

Tell all this to your PS. They should have before and after picts of their patients. I wish I had been able to see the steps of reconstruction before hand, but once I made my decision, there was no looking back. I am so happy with my results.

Let me know if there is anything I can help with!

Kimberly

wabiwoman

Julie and other yoga people - when you do your yoga, are you able to do the plank or downward dog?  When I did this process I was really clear with my PS that I needed to be able to use my whole body again, but she is telling me that for the rest of my life I'm going to have to go easy on my pecs..... is that the experience of others? 

Geena

whippetmom

To contact Timtam:

http://community.breastcancer.org/member/11047/profile

Look to upper right and click on "send a private message".

You need to request entrance into the pictures forum which is a very protected site.  Typically there is a waiting period - a moratorium of sorts - until we know a little more about you!

Kristinka

Welcome to Lynbob and Embraced!  Embraced, it's so great that you found this thread before your surgeries - that way you will be so informed as you plan with your surgeons.  Kimberly's advice about bringing in photos to your PS is wise - I think that showing my PS pictures of what I wanted helped him to figure out my implant size/style.

To those searching for comfortable bras without underwires, Wacoal's Soft Cup Contour
856167 Awareness bra fits me well and has no underwire: http://wacoal-america.com/viewdetail.html?table=bras&key=305.  Wow, I just checked out the Wacoal website, and they have some beautiful bras.  

bobcat

Geena - I do yoga occasionally and have no problems.  I do planks in boot camp and lots of other pec exercises - not too heavy on the weights.  My PS said I could do anything.  I am over a year from exchange and do not notice problems/issues from any of these exercises.

NavyMom

Hello Geena........I do yoga and aerobics.  I have not done the plank, or push ups since BMX in June 2009  I can however do downward dog.  I guess I try to put more weight on my feet than on my hands in that position.  I have only returned to my gentle yoga class and have skipped my hard core yoga classes all together. (I found it challenging even before BC) 

Good Luck

Navy

Mykidsmom

Geena - Like you, I do notice a difference in my pecs. When I x-country ski it feels a bit wierd and I do not do push ups any more. But I am almost a year out from my exchange surgery and my limitations are minimal. I do yoga w/o any issues.

Deborah - My niece took a number of photos when we were on vacation. Perhaps I can use one of them when she emails them my way.

Kathy - I am so pleased you are scheduled for your exchange. The implants are so much better than the TE's!

Luna5

Geena,     thank you for asking that question.  I am curious as well.  I was in such a blur at the beginning of all this that there were many questions I didn't think to ask.   I sure hope the answer comes back in line with your expectation prior to this process.  If you made your expectations clear, it would be very disappointing to find that you were not fully informed of long term limitations.

reeltchr

Hello Ladies - I am recuperating. I do get tired but not in pain per say. I do get an uncomfortable feeling sometimes.My left side (no TE) is a little odd looking. I know that the muscle is still swollen and the implant has not dropped or anything. I'll see my PS this week and he'll have some "splainin' to do about the L side. I'm not passing judgement yet, but I do have a little anxiety. Just one day at a time.

Hannahbearsmom - My best wishes for a successful and easy procedure tomorrow. It is much easier than the Mx.

Pinkribbongirl - Best wishes for you as well. It is definitely an easy procedure.

Will George Clooney's new gal sport a ring? Guess I'll read about it tomorrow! Chris

Texas357

Geena, when my PS cleared me to exercise she encouraged me to do any upper body exercises without limitations. However I've got to watch it because of the mild lymphedema I have. Otherwise I can do anything to exercise the pecs.