Exchange City

MBJ

Lilah:  I just left a note for Fumi--I too am very sad that the picture forum is being closed down.  I imagine it is alot of work to maintain.  Maybe someone here who has the time will want to continue it.  I cannot imagine the time and energy it would take to maintain it.  Timtam will be so missed.

Anonymous

MBJ- Dang girl!  That is one hot new pic!  And that top is to die for!

MBJ

kate:  Thank you!  I was inspired by Lilah (and Pink) so I decided to post my after chemo hair.  I love the way it looks when it's wet and straight but then it just curls up into ringlets WTF!!??   The top, Forever21!!!  They had this whole line of retro stuff a few months ago although most of it doesn't fit because of my height, but this is the first corset top I have found that was long enough in the body!!   I am just hoping it fits after the exchange because I bought it pre summer and have only just started wearing it.  I have lots of friends in the design industry and Forever21 is notorious for making their pants and sleeves extra long, which is perfect for me.  I don't really have hips so I still wear clothes made for teenagers!  I just never grew up.  How are you doing? 

whippetmom

Wow MBJ...look at you!  So glamorous!!

Val:  So glad you have completed the journey!  Cannot wait to see photos!

MBJ

Deborah:  Thank you!  We were going to a party last night and I have to say, I felt very glamorous, even though it was my first venture out of the house without the wig!  Have you read the post on the Timtam site that Fumi is shutting the picture forum down at the end of August? 

MBJ

Ladies!  Has anyone found a spray on product to relax hair without using any chemicals?  Something that just washes out?  I am not happy with my newly kinky hair!  It's also too short for my straightening iron. 

Lilah

MBJ I love the curly blonde hair!  And that corset top is smoking hot!  I have to say you don't look uneven either (are you augmenting the native side?) 

Anonymous

MBJ- I'm doing much better but will be so glad to get the stitches out my PS put in for the Allorderm as they are very itchy!  I love Forever 21, too, as well as Buckle.  I keep telling myself I'm too old to shop there, anymore, but can't keep myself away.  I think most clothes they make for "my" age are downright hideous!  

Anyway,I know we have a lot of stylists on here who will probably chime in on hair products but here's what I love.  I have really thick, coarse and curly hair and have struggled to "beat" it into submission my whole life!  LOL!  I recently started using the Aveda products, though, and I love them!  I use the "Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener" with the Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother".  I am able to get my hair pretty straight with just a brush and blow dryer.  For a little extra shine I use their "Emollient Finishing Gloss".  

m-star

MBJ~ i have real problems finding tops/jackets/shirts etc with long enough sleeves. I have arms like albatross wings!!! LOL

aLSO TOPS ARE ALWAYS TOO SHORT IN THE BODY,WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW VEST/TANK TOPS oops had caps lock on =(

Do you have those really thin straighteners in th USA? i have some which are about 1 inch thick on the plate and the plate goes right to the edge making very short hair easy to straighten. I cant tell exactly how short your is from your pic. I do love it tho!

Just about to watch the world cup final here.Got a nice cup of milky decaf and gonna put my feet up.

Im backing Spain! For no other reason than Spain is next to Portugal and i love Portugal!

MBJ

Kate:  Thank you!  I will try it out.  I love the way it looks after washing it because it sticks up perfect but once it dries, it kinks!  When I had hair I used all sorts of thickeners (don't have that problem now!)and shine products and I always blow dried & flat ironed it with a 1" straightener to get the wave out.  Right now, it's a joke.  No flat iron can do anything yet.  My hair stylist wants to do a non chemical straightening procedure once it grows out that she says will last 6-8 months.  I think it's the Japanese Straightening technique wher they use a flat iron while the product is still in your hair.  In the meantime, I need product!!!

I will never be too old for Forever21--they will have to drag me out kicking and screaming when I am 80 because I will want the new again miniskirts and jean shorts with tights look LOL!!  I don't care what anyone thinks, in my heart I am still 16 and besides I believe when you dress young you look young--well, to some extent.  I guess if I had gray hair, wore a bun and reading glasses, had MATRONLY BOOBS, HA! and some major wrinkles I wouldn't be able to pull it off, but until (if) I get there, I will continue to shop there!

Kay:  Albatross LOL!!  That is me totally--Everything is about 2" too short. The whole tunic trend is great because many of the styles are extra long--perfect for you & I.  In London I love the H & M (which we now have here) and Topshop, though they can be a bit overpriced now.  We are going to be in London in October for my husband's work, so you will have to let me know where the "off the beaten track" cool places to shop are!  I so wish that you lived closer to London.  We could have a proper tea or go to a pub and have a pint!  Last time I was there I got to do an open mic and the mc invited me to do a show the following weekend but we were going home!  Haven't played in a long time--it would be fun if he is still booking that pub. I did play at a party last night and my TE side is really sore!

I love my new blonde although it will take one more go of bleach & toner to get the last bit of orange out!  We were in the middle of a second go with bleach and it burned my scalp too much so I made her take it off before it was done.  I can always go dark again but secretly I have always wanted to punk out my hair and I never had the guts so here I am!  It's like being 16 again except I no longer live with my parents so there isn't anyone to rebel against!

MBJ

Lilah:  You were my inspiration!  My husband took my picture last night before going out.  It feels very movie star platinum--much more so then the punk rock look I was aiming for.  I can't wait until it's an inch or so longer because then I can actually style it besides spiking it with product and praying it doesn't curl!

The top was definitely a find.  On my TE side I am Pam Anderson and the other I used a stick on pad plus a silicone gel pad stuck inside that to push up my natural breast so that they match.  I actually look voluptuous in this, which is unusual, to say the least, for this rod straight girl.

MBJ

Lilah:  You were my inspiration!  My husband took my picture last night before going out.  It feels very movie star platinum--much more so then the punk rock look I was aiming for.  I can't wait until it's an inch or so longer because then I can actually style it besides spiking it with product and praying it doesn't curl!

The top was definitely a find.  On my TE side I am Pam Anderson and the other I used a stick on pad plus a silicone gel pad stuck inside that to push up my natural breast so that they match.  I actually look voluptuous in this, which is unusual, to say the least, for this rod straight girl.

Anonymous

MBJ- I know a lot of the salons are now doing a keratin treatment that also straightens.  My stylist says it doesn't last as long as the Japanese technique but is supposed to be easier on the hair.  It lasts 3 months and she said it is $150/hour at the Aveda salons.  (She said mine would take about 2 hours!)  She said you also have to use special shampoo and conditioner afterwards.  She did tell me not to have it done until all my surgeries were over as the anesthesia can interfere and cause some of the strands of hair not to "take".

Love your attitude about staying young!!!!  You and I need to go shopping together!!! 

MBJ

Thanks Kate! I have never heard of the Keratin kind.  I assume it is also non chemical?  2 hours!  You must have a lot of hair!  Lucky you!  If I ever get to Arizona or you ever come to LA I would love to go shopping with you!  My stylist also told me to wait a few months.  I hope by October I can finally do something, but time will tell.  The chemo combined with surgery killed my hair.  I wonder why chemo makes it come back so funky though.  Really weird.  Chemo kick started menopause too, I think, though my Onc says my periods could come back up to 8 months after chemo, so we shall see. Every night I wake up drenched though.  Pure torture.

flacracker

My goodness this is a fast moving topic! I try to keep up but I can never get caught up!!! Oh well, I love how much information everyone has to share! I have 12 more days till my exchange and yes I am worried and happy at the same time! I have these TE's for almost a year now. From what I have been reading the exchange is going to be sooo much better!! I want to Thank everyone for sharing kind of what to expect. I will try and keep up with you all!

Lilah

Yep Kate I was going to recommend looking into the Keratin treatment as well... a friend of mine just had it done and it is remarkable!

whippetmom

MBJ:  I would not use a chemical straightener/relaxer on bleached/processed hair!  You could be back to no hair at all!! Since it is so short, just get a fixative gel - a firm hold gel - to keep the curls from kinking.

flacracker:  Congratulations!  You WILL feel better!

Lilah

Oh good point Deborah (geez what was I thinking?

Anonymous

Hey, gang!  MUCH better today - almost no stinging at all - yippee!  Still oozy, but PS said I probably would be for awhile.  You know it's funny.......even though I'm done, I don't FEEL done.....not yet.....maybe when I'm not changing dressings and still have PS appts on my calendar.....I'm already planning a BIG party in the fall for everybody who's helped me on my bc journey.  Sure wish y'all could come.....now THAT would be a PARTY!

Curls.........always my dream......stick-straight baby-fine hair is all I've ever had!

flacracker

 Can someone please tell me, after my expander are removed will the feeling of heavest and tightness go away from my chest.

thanks

Anonymous

flacracker -Yes!   ABSOLUTELY Yes!  The heaviness and hardness will be replaced with soft squishiness!  You may still have tightness, especially if you have a short-height TE and your PS uses a much bigger implant than your TE, but that will settle out fairly quickly once the pecs stretch.  There is HOPE!

Anonymous

MBJ- My stylist told me the keratin treatment (at least the Aveda brand) is safe to use with color treated hair.  She said they have two kinds so you just have to make sure they use the one for dyed hair.  

Val- Yep, we always want what we don't have- I'll trade you my curls for your stick straight hair!  Glad you're feeling so good!

flacracker- Towards the end I actually got to the point I wasn't even aware of my TE's anymore.  Then, after having them out I felt like a 50 lb weight had been removed from my chest.  You will be amazed at the difference.  Hang in there! 

FACECRAFTER

sorry I took so long to answer but  VAL- no need to worry about anything being stuck to the gauze..it is fairly normal to have some sticking even with a bunch of bacitracin or vaseline or A&D or whatever.  If it continur=es to stick after 6-7 days then I might be concerned.

m-star- No the tattoos are NOT like body tattoos..We use anesthetics...No feeling, nada.

JUDY

Estepp

WELCOME to our... " sweet shy Lurkers!!!" You are always welcome to speak up.. or just read and learn! I personally am SO happy when I hear a TaTa Sister say she has learned more on EC in the last two weeks than she EVER learned about Implant based recon. WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

BRENDA.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I am so so so sorry sweetheart.

Sweet Val... I am sure you look great!

Judy... you are beyond helpful to us in your trade!! THANK YOU JUDY!

KATE.... and anyone with curly hair WANTING it straight.. YOU HAVE TO GO BUY.....

PAUL MITCHELL SMOOTHING LINE!!!! If you cannot find it.. I can send it to you. You can pay me through PayPal.

You need to get:

The shampoo/cond...... the the Straight Works... the the SERUM!!!!

Uses these daily. This will cost you about 22.00 a month.. NOT BAD AT ALL!!!!  This is my cost to you... All four of these product will cost about 40.00ish... and last two months. ( my cost) I am thinking it will only be about 10 bucks more where you live and No shipping cost..:) But if you want me to get it and ship it.. I sure will. My Salon does this a lot. I personally am the one who does this.

You use this daily.. blow out the hair.  AMAZINGLY SOFT AND STRAIGHT!

I have been offline for a few days... and I hope you all are doing well..!

If I missed any questions.. PLEASE feel free to PM me and I will get back to you quicker this way! I am about to go into 50 hr work weeks for the next three weeks... so I will not be reading as much as normal! PM me for immediate response.

PICTURE FORUM:

This is understandable on Fumi's part. She has ran this a long time. I can see where she is ready to pass the buck and move on. We love her for opening this and putting this out there.

LADIES... If I had not had the picture forum two years ago... I would have NEVER know what I was going to look like. This site is beyond important to newly DX woman. Young ladies and older ladies alike... who want to know what they will look like... naked.. or in a bra... or in a bathing suit..etc! With all types of reconstruction. This sight... is a ministry and a NEED! 

Love and prayers for you girls! I love reading all your stories after being in a " bad dream"" all weekend myself..LOL... all is good now.    

Hope4future

Wondering if the cold airconditioning air hitting your chest makes it hurt?  Ever since my BMX my chest hurts if it gets to cold.  Now - is this in my mind or does it actually hurt?  Maybe with all the fat gone it is more sensitive?  Does anyone else feel this way?

Estel

Hope4future - I wouldn''t say that my chest hurts when exposed to the cold, but it is definitely more sensitive.   

 Also, when I drink anything cold, it feels like I'm pouring it down my front.  FREEZING. 

sftfemme65

I have a question, if someone knows the answer to this I would love to have it .  If my implants shift, a breast drops out of the pocket or something weird down the road, like lets say 2 years later....will insurance cover fixing it?  Or is it considered cosmetic at that point? 

Thanks,

Teresa

Jazzygem

Hey Teresa, my ps told me that insurance should cover any reconstruction...no matter how long after original surgery.

So good to see you post!!!  I miss you girl!!!  I can hardly wait to see you in Vegas!!!!  HUGS HUGS and MORE HUGS we will be able to give!!  WOO HOO!!!  Please tell me your daughter is coming too!!!

m-star

Laura~

i used to work in a salon that used Paul Mitchel and i love it. I used to use The Conditioner (that leave-in one) and i LOVE the small of Freeze and Shine!!! mmmm, mmmm.......! Very good products. We use some really nice products at my work made by Alpha Parf/ Semi De Lino. They have some lovely products for smoothing and straightening.

I have a meeting with my boss in a couple of hours as he is being a complete AR$E about me going back to work!!!! He is trying to get me to go onto long-term sickness benefit until after my next surgery in 3 months but i am refusing. I have been signed 'fit for work' as from July 22nd and thats when i intend to go back. So he now said he is putting me back on basic wage seeing as my clients have been divided between other stylists now and i'll be starting from scratch again.

I have spoken to a solicitor (which he does not know) so i am armed with my facts when i go and am ready for a heated 'discussion'!!!!!!!

WWWWOOOOOOAAAAHHRRRRRRR!!!!!! <------(WARRIOR CRY! LOL)

Emme

Well, I'm going for my fill today...armed with a few questions   i hopw i walk out of the office with a plan...hope fully an overfilled saline one!

Good luck with your meeting M-star.

Emily