Exchange City

Luna5

Whippetmom...I just want to publicly thank you again for all the time you have taken with me and all the help you have given.  You do so much for so many and I pray regularly for your continued health and wellbeing.  All these volunteer hours you put in to help all of us who have found this wonderful welcoming place are truly appreciated.  There are so many wonderful, caring people on these threads who have helped me and so many others.  You are definitely one who deserves some kind of Volunteer of the Year Award !

At my upcoming 7th breast surgery since April, I will now be having another exchange instead of just revision thanks to your suggestions.  I will PM you with the details of which of the options my PS and I agreed on based on your suggestions.  Thank you again.  Since I am going under the knife anyway, it makes sense to go for what could really make me happy instead of deciding to just settle for what is there now knowing the step-off problems would worsen with time and gravity.

We have refined so many of the details through PMs, e-mails and pictures that I wanted to let all the people here know how appreciative I am of all the time you have given for my benefit.

THANK YOU !

Lap3

Whippetmom,

Hi, I'm hoping you can help me out with some information regarding implant size.  I am 180lbs. 5'4" with a 36in ribcage.

My TE's were Allergan style 133v series (expanded to 590ccs) my implants (that were put in 2 weeks ago) are Allergan Natrelle Silicone Implants style 15 457ccs.  

Although it has only been a couple of weeks since my exchange, I am already noticing rippling and a size difference between the two (rt side is larger and down lower than the left side).

I see my PS on Tues. so I am hoping you might have some advice for me.

Thanks for your time!

Lora

Estepp

LUNA5

what a beautiful thank you note to our Deb!

you are so correct in your words and so kind in your thank you

I believe, what Deborah does, is a ministry...

wbuggie

Hi Judy,

Got your PM and thank you!  I respond to your post as a PM as I think I have done enough public venting 8-{ 

Thanks!!

Wbuggie (little did I know how much the "buggie" part would play in when I selected my use name LOL)

TXBadboob

Luna, pop up timers and smuggling raisins!  LMAO!!!

Deborah is such a wonderful giving person!

  I was the one that recommended the Fitness Book!  I didn't know such a great book existed for exercises for each type of surgery and the problems surgery can cause.  It's a treasure!

  I have had my nips since last June, and I will try to post pics soon, so you can see how they have flattened out.  I still like them the way they are now.  I have not tattooed yet because I think I might need to exchange my implants for smaller ones.  I have quite a bit of rippling, too.

Have a great day!

Deen

pbebow

Luna5, in regards to your nipple thoughts... I have the same thoughts!  I thought I was the only one... when everyone keeps talking about not wanting their nipples to flatten out, I was thinking I want mine to be somewhat flat.  I had relativley small, flat nipples and I was still wary about going braless or wearing a thin bra that they might show through if I got cold.  So now I'm thinking I too would like to go braless or wear the sexy flimsy bras and not have to worry about headlights!  So my DH says don't get any (he is so awesome!) but I think I want something to feel more normal when naked, but I just want the idea of a nipple!  My DH is so sweet, he said he has fun with them the way they are right now with just the TE's so he doesn't care if I get nipples or not.  But I think in the end I will get nipples, my PS does the orgami type at the time of exchange, but just make sure and tell him to go small on nipples, big on boobs!

And yes, I think the selfless time that Deb gives to everyone is simply amazing, above and beyond!!! 

Good day ladies!

Paula

FACECRAFTER

You are welcome Julie.  And to Luna and others with the same question:

You can get nips after you have had tattoos.  As a matter of fact, the doctor has a guide to follow when he doing the nips. JUDY

mom2Bnegativex3

Juliempw, I am the same size of you and I want your boobs! I wanto to be that big. They are goingto either put 350's or 450's TE. What size did youhave? I wonder why I am measurineing my chest at 36? lol Whipp...is that why it doesn't sound right to you? Thanks again!

juliempw

mom2Bnegativex3.  Ahhhh Thanks!!!!  I had mentor 475 hp put in.  Where are you measuring?  I measure just below the breast all the way around.  My ribcage is 29 inches. 

Julie 

Lynbob

Are there any ladies here who are heavyset like me that are getting or having an exchange? I was already a double D when I had my surgery. I lost 8lbs of breast tissue with my mastectomy.

whippetmom

Luna:  Thank you for your kind words.  I appreciate them so much.  I am blessed! 

Lap3: This is a case where I need to see photos.  I will PM you!

mom2bnegative:  YES!  Your ribcage did not sound right to me, based on your height and weight.  But there are some women who have a protruding ribcage and this can skew the measurement.  That is why I wanted to see photos..

pinkribbongirl

Hello all, I was just wondering about this drop and fluff that is talked about...I had my exchange surgery on Monday, and had the big unveiling at the ps yesterday!!  I have to say that I am very pleased with the new girls.  I hope they don't change much, cause I like the way they look now.  PS ended up using Natrelle Saline filled round implants, 450cc's.  They look very natural, and are soooooo soft and squishy.  My family is going to start thinking I have a problem, cause I keep feeling them and going in the bathroom and lifting my bra up to admire them:)  I'm sure they are not perfect by a long shot...but I'm just so grateful for the rock hard te's to be gone from under my armpits.

For all of you who have exchange surgeries coming up, good luck and lots of prayers to you for speedy recoveries and blessed squishy foobs.  Don't get yourselves too worked up over the surgery, as I did.  It was much easier than the mx's.  Not very much pain at all.  Somehow my jaw got out of place or something during my surgery, so that pain has been much worse than the boob part!!

Another huge thank you to all of you who shared all of your info and stories.  It is such a help to be able to ask all of the questions, and have them honestly answered by people who have actually experienced it, not the dr's who think they know what it feels like!

Thanks Again, pinkribbongirl

Anonymous

Thanks for the Radiesse info, Judy - just think - we can have plump nips and younger faces all in the same visit!  (I'm already in need of the latter....)

Lynbob - absolutely......we're all sizes here on EC....

Deen - thanks for offering to take more pics - that'll help us a lot

Kristinka - the nerve of that Nordstrom lady - and I thought they were all about customer service!  I do hope you find some bras that are relatively comfy and fit well, though  - especially after trying so hard!

I just got good news from my friend - the one who's been my rock since my dx.....she has very cystic breasts, but had a biopsy yesterday of a lump she'd recently found.....it's just a fibroid - yippee!

Firni

Some one asked about massage after having nipples done.  My PS told me I could massage the breast area but not to include the nipple.  Not to put any pressure on them at all.  I did not do any isolated scar tissue massage for about 2 weeks after the nipple surgery.  It's been working just fine to keep my pockets pliable and soft.

pinkribbongirl

Oh just one more question, my ps didn't say anything to me about massaging them at my apt yesterday.  How important is this, and how do you do it?  ( sorry don't mean to sound stupid!!)

pink-

musiclovermom

Lynbob - I am a big girl! you can PM  me if you have any questions...

Kimberly

cs7777

Hi all, I hope everyone had a good week, and I'm sending warm hugs to all who are recovering from exchanges and nips and all other challenges! 

Regarding the lymphedema comments a few pages back, sorry I didn't reply earlier but I was traveling (Lake Tahoe skiing - woohoo!).  There is lots of original research you can find on pubmed but reading it can be pretty tedious.  A good website with lots of summaries is the National Lymphedema Network (www.lymphnet.org).

Now I'm going to whine a bit (you've been forewarned!).  I was supposed to get my exchange this month and was SOOO looking forward to Yippee Squishy.  I've been planning to get the cohesive gummy bear, and to do so have to enroll in the clinical trial.  But it turns out my PS's clinic broke a trial rule a couple of months ago and got suspended, so now they can't use the implant until they work out the problems and get reinstated.  And no one can say for sure how much longer it'll take.  And to make it worse, there are 9 women ahead of me also waiting for these, and Allergan only enrolls so many women per month at each site, so even when they get reinstated I will still have to wait for the clinic to get to me, 10th on their list.  ARGH!!  The worst part is just the uncertainty.  Sigh.  I suppose I could find another PS in the trial, but it seems suboptimal to switch midstream when I'm otherwise reasonably happy with my current PS.  But, how long to wait????  I could also get a different implant but that's a mindbender too.  All in all, just a frustrating situation out of my control.  :-(

Thanks for listening...just had to get that off my chest...I hope everyone has a good weekend.

CS 

NavyMom

Hi everybody!  Thanks for all of your well wishes.  Yippee squishy!  My surgery lasted longer than expected and I had post op nausea so I stayed the night at the hospital.  Came home at 9 this morning.  As far as i can tell my foobs look and feel great.  I am still in the ace wrap.  According to my DH, PS told him she needed to do some extra work on my right side(cancer side) and needed to put something extra in there.  My port is out but when BS went to remove the lymph node in the right axilla she either couldn't "find It'' or it was too deep.  Poor DH could not remember what was said exactly.  So.......I am quite uncomfortable on my right side in the axilla area from all that poking and proding.   I am so glad that this part of the journey is over.  I am  looking forward to being part of the bra shopping chats. 

Good luck to everyone with upcoming procedures/surgery.

Navy

musiclovermom

Glad you made it home safely NavyMom! Speedy recovery and Yippee Squishy to you!

Kristinka

rainy day blues in the Bay Area - hope some of you are having a sunny day.  Though I guess it was a good day b/c there were no bra returns plaguing me!  Julie, good idea about the bra give-away in Los Vegas...my stack is growing by the week.

Congrats, NavyMom!  Pain meds will be your best friend for a couple of days.  Best of luck healing quickly and completely.

juliempw

Pinkribbon, I am SOOOOOO happy for you!  The drop and fluff will most likely just improve their perfection, how lucky you are!  Looking at them and touching them all the time, it's pretty hard not to, they are pretty darn cool aren't they!?

 CS, Ugh!  So sorry about the trial.  The gummy bears are cool but you might consider something else, I'm not sure they make that much difference.

Navy, glad you're home hope you get to feeling better quickly.  

Kristinka, I was kidding, get your money back and btw it's nice and sunny in new mexico.  Perfect blue sky with not a cloud to be seen and fabulous mountains covered in snow for the background.  I love this place! 

Julie 

2Xsenough

Well, I'm letting out a big tentative exhale after seeing my surgeon today. I was worried about some little BB like bumps on the lower pole of my BC side. She thinks they are granulomas that have formed around some internal stitching, but wants to recheck me in 6 weeks. She also said that for some reason, if there is a recurrance, the little BB like bumps will form just along the scar line. Good to know.

Good luck to all girls with upcomming exchanges and congrats to you new squishies.

Bobbi

juliempw

Bobbi, Excellent news!  Interesting that she says they would only occur around the scar, my onc instructed me on full breast self exams with the implants so it seems like we should be watching the whole thing not just the scar.  I wonder if what we would find in other areas would present differently?

Julie 

Kristinka

a note about boobs and screen savers....when I came back into my room just now, there were photos of my foobs flashing by as a kind of huge boob screen saver!  I have a mac and all my photos are stored on iphoto - so needless to say, I've moved the foob photos to another folder.  Glad it was me and not my 16 year old boy who walked in...

congrats to you, Bobbi!  what a relief! 

musiclovermom

LOL - I have a MAC too and every time I open iPhoto my TEs are front and center!  But I have daughters!

Delilahbear

Lap3 - You sound like you are built like me. I am the same height and just a few pounds heavier with the same ribcage dimensions. My TEs were Mentor Siltex HP overfilled to 700cc and my first saline implants were mentor HP filled to 750. While they looked ok, the pockets were too big for them after about the first month so the PS exchanged them for Mentor Moderate Profile Plus to give me more coverage over the breast bone. These he expanded to 960 to give me about the same projection as the 750s. Sounds like you are smaller busted than me. I wear a 40C or D depending on the manufacturer. PS says all bras are manufactured to specs for the brand and can vary drastically so he never talks in cup sizes, only ccs and dimensions. 

I hope you can sort out why the girls seem to be dropping at different rates.

Nancy 

Lilah

Kristen -- OMG you are cracking me up! 

bcincolorado

Hello:

This is my first post on this thread.  Yesterday my PS said we were done with fills and he wants me to "heal and settle" for 5 weeks and I'll go back for mesurements and decide about implants then and schedule surgery mid-June.  He wants 3 months of healing.  So I guess 3 more months of a softball inside of me.  According to him the exchange surgery is easy and is a "zero" compared to what I've been through so far.  For those of you have already had an exchange, do you agree it is easy?  I think he'll need to do a "lift" on the other side to even me out too.  How long for real recovery afterwards?  Any advice is appreciated!

Luna5

Judy, Thank you for the answer.  I was sure you would know!  I will continue reading all the great advice you give here all the time to learn as much as I can to hone my questions.  I will wait to zero in on scheduling 3 D tats until I have healed from this next exchange...hopefully without infection or complications.  I am currently planning the tats for sometime in the fall but don't want to get ahead of myself considering all the complications and setbacks I have had to date.  I live about 5 hours north of you and am willing to travel for this procedure.

I'm thinking that if I am not sure I care if I have nips...I can try the tats first and then decide.

FACECRAFTER

Gee Luna, You are more than welcome.  And  don't think complications.  Think yippee squishy!!  then wait three months..and visit sunny Florida -- I'd love to help put the icing on the cake!!

JUDY