All About Gummies

Hi ladies!  I just got home from my exchange.  I got the 520g gummies.  I absolutely think they lookk great but I realize there is some swelling and things are going to change over the next several weeks.  When I am feeling a little bit better, I'll take some pics and put them on the picture forum.  So excited by what I see and feel, I love them so far, and can't believe what he has created out of what he had to work with.  I'm very pleased so far......

Do you find that the gummies don't have enough of an upper pole to fill out many of the bras? I've had this same problem with numerous bras I've tried on. My gummies are are 410 MF and MX. Are there styles that would have given me more upper pole? Should I have fat grafting? Everything looks fine and I only became aware of this problem when I started trying on bras.

Of the tons of bras I tried on and rejected, I did manage to come up with some gummy friendly bras:

Calvin Klein F3130
Natori 137005
Donna Karan 35237 (Sports)
Natori Understated 174025 Strapless

I also had ordered the Chantelle C-Chic wire-free bra and I really thought it would work but again, I couldn't fill out the upper pole. I think I would have the same problem even if I went down a cup size although maybe I should order it and see if it will work. Nothing to loose.

I've managed to develop a very serious bra addiction in the past two weeks. Bare Necessities is feeding my addiction. I needed a fix just before bedtime last night and logged in and ordered another bra. And when I woke up this morning I logged back in and again placed another order. I need an intervention!

Alright ladies, my pics are on the pic forum.  Have a look and let me know what you think!!  I think they look great so far, given what he had to work with. 

Thanks Lilah!  That's what I am hoping for.....not a lot of change, I really like them alot so far.  I hope there isn't too much swelling to go down because I love the size of them.  The slope is perfect, there are no ripples (I had bad rippling with the expanders) and they are so much softer than the expanders.   To me, they look like real breasts.....only better!  I think I will go for the 3D nipple tattoos at some point, but for now, I am done! 

He has a bandage wrap on me that I am to keep on for 1 week and then I can switch to a bra after I see him again.  I took it off for pics but it is a wrap around the top portion of the breasts right around my armpits and back.  

Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone! 

Hi Ladies I just had a huge long post that I wiped out by accident.... grrrr

I'll try again, First Im so happy I got directed here as Im hoping something like this would work for me...My storey:

Basically I had a lumpectomy with 21 nodes removed the tumor was 2-3 cm as well as another with a node attached & a secend node affected, then I went on to both chemo & rads on my Left side in 07/08.

In 09 I had Chemo again, radiation on my Right breast then a BMX with nodes (on right) I was supposed to have immediate reconstruction, I had a cluster of about 8 tumors as well as nodes affected under my arm in my neck & the internal mammory nodes about 7 in total. Since I was such a high risk for recurrence They decided I had to wait a year then would have a dorsi latissimus... w TE then exchage for inplants. Well my year would have been April 14 2011 and I now have bone mets to a rib (back right side #6)

My PS said no to any reconstruction, she is afraid of spreading the cancer in my rib by doing the DL . Also she says that because Ive been radiated on both sides, different times as well as it now being a delayed recon its just not possible to do simple one step or any other type of Implants ( I believe she talked with my onc right after the original dx of a few months )  Im just not willing to accept that without at least exploring all options. At first my Onc said I had a few months or maybe a year or so....... that has now changed after 3 weeks of really messing with my head. She has now said I could see a few years. From the research Ive done its more like 2 - 5 years for bone mets that is stationary. Quite frankly I believe Im being written off as a waste of money (Im in Canada & recon is supposed to be 100% covered)  I might only have a few years but I would like to spend them comfortable and not strapping a pair of prothsetics on to try to feel or look feminine. I was horrified this summer at how ugly the bathing suits & summer tops were that I could wear (Im sure the US has a much better selection)

So my dilema is trying to find some sort of reconstruction that is a little on the "easier side". Taking into consideration that both my breasts have been radiated at different times. I also don't have a lot of belly fat even when I put weight on... it sits right in the middle (apple belly) and since my newest dx along with new meds (clodronate) Ive dropped 25 pounds. So now there is definately no belly fat to work with.  Being stage IV I don't want to waste a ridiculous amount of time in recovery, but its really important to me to have recon of some sort done.... Will add to all that in that I'm in Canada so its going to take even more time trying to figure out how to get something like this done. I was a 38D but am probably about a 36 flat right now I would be very happy with a full B or a C cup.

Sorry if this doesnt make sense... I had a part of it written out on another site but it was missing a lot of info. So ANY input would be greatly appretiated... good or bad. Personally I figured the firmness of the gummies would work in my situation, but???

Thanks & Hugs, Suz

Suz, first off.....Hello neighbour!  I'm in Alberta! 

I am so sorry you are dealing with all this on top of everything else.  Being in Vancouver, I would guess that there is ALOT of plastic surgeons you could speak to for a 2nd or 3rd opinion.  If this is something you want, I think you should definetly explore all options.  I haven't had rads but I do know it can make the reconstruction a lot more difficult.

I wonder if there is anything to that statement that there is risk of spreading the cancer?  Is that possible?  It's hard to think that it would be a cost thing that is motivating them to tell you it's not a good idea. 

I can't believe they would tell you initially that you only had x amount of time left.  That's just not true about your diagnosis.  You have bone mets, and you could see many many many years so they can't just write you off as a waste of resources for getting reconstruction.  There are so many women who have been living with bone mets for so many years.  Hang in there and I would suggest at least talking to one more doc about your reconstruction. 

((((HUGS)))) I wish I had more knowledge of what your options are.

Suz -- any surgery other than implants involves MORE cutting and recovery.  The only thing that might take less time to recover from is the one-step with alloderm implant surgery... where instead of getting a tissue expander and expanding the pectoral muscle (and the skin) over months before exchange to a "permanent" implant (they are not forever but must be exchanged after 10 or 15 years), what they do is use alloderm to create a sling for the implant (which sits on top of the muscle).  By necessity this form of reconstruction usually only results in small breasts... they can't go too large.  You might want to ask about that... because this way there is one surgery and one period of recovery.

Just checking in......3 weeks out and still loving the gummies! 

My gummy will be arriving  (in my left breast) in 3 days - I'm excited and really hoping I like it.

He wants to do a round in the natural breast for the best shape matching so no gummy on that side.

I'm amazed at how different the gummies are 3.5 months post op. They've gone from being completely stationary to the point where I now have enough movement to make bras fit that didn't fit before. A month ago I had bought the Chantelle C Chic (no underwire)  and it was too large in the upper pole. I decided to keep it . . . not sure why. Today I noticed they were on sale at Bare Necessities for $21 (I had paid $60) so I pulled mine out of the drawer just to see if it would fit. Fits perfectly! So of course I ordered another one because it's just such a comfy bra.

I still have a ripple in the cleavage area that I will get filled sometime down the road. I want to get through the nipple procedure first before dealing with the ripple.  I also noticed a really odd thing . . . when I'm standing and I lift my arms straight up, I have several ripples running vertical exactly where the upper pole meets the lower pole. They completely disappear when I put my arms down. I'll ask the PS about this.

And that's my gummy update!

Mantra -- good to hear!  I agree mine also have really softened and feel really good after almost 9 months. 

Sharon2010 -- how are you doing???  We haven't heard from you in awhile and you've been in my thoughts...

Heebie Jeebie -- 1.5 weeks is nothing girl!  You probably still have some swelling on your natural side so give it time (they may just even out).  After my surgery (which involved a reduction on my natural side and lift) there was a lot of swelling on that native side... which has now gone away (I'm almost 9 months out from surgery now).  And my gummy side has softened considerably.  I have no ripples unless I bend forward and hunch my back (so um I just don't do that  

Marie, That's how I felt the night before, scared & excited!  Love the "hope it fits, because I don't want to take it back"  that's funny.  Good luck tomorrow! Cheers! Dee

Good luck Marie!  I am now about 6 weeks out from my surgery and I am still happy with the gummies.  They are loosening up a bit and I can move them a little and squish them together etc.  When I squeeze them, they have some give now, not like before, so I am hoping that continues as the months go on.  I am very happy with them so far.

Yaaa Marie!

Wishing you luck today, am thinking of you as you take this next step. Big Hugs, Suz