Exchange City

Citykitty:  It's such a strange process but they will blossom and become more and more real looking and natural to your body with time.  I used to love my small B's and my D's now look like a small C in clothing and I have learned to embrace my new, fuller and perkier breasts and I have to say, they look better then my originals.  Hugs! 

Jeanne, I think it is quite common to go under the breast for exchange surgery.  That's what my PS did.  Then the scar is hidden under the breast and you don't start over with a new scar healing front and center.  I had just presumed they would use the mast. scar but now I see why putting the exchange scar in the IMF is a good option.  I'm sure different surgeons have their own preferences.

Rebetata,  good for you getting your nips!  Rest assured if you need to you can easily get a nip reduction which can be done in the office.  I had one nip that was bigger from the beginning and although they both shrunk a lot, I had them take a little off this week when I went in for fat grafting.  So far it looks like a better match.  I'll post soon on the pix forum.  The one thing I would say is wait 6 mos. before doing additional surgery, for me, they continue to shrink incrementally for a good while.

hiya everyone- back from atlanta- missed you all- gonna take some updated pics and post-

I will go take a look Ann97

Thank all you ladies with unimx with t/e ! all had good ideas i knew i could not have been the only one ever to go through this in the summer. I will try all your ideas see which was is most comfy. I already feel less stressed thanks again all of you !!!!!!!

OK, I am coming out of the fog, but still not feeling normal yet.  My DH says it is the combination of having the exchange surgery 10 days after my last infusion, plus months of chemo, then surgery.  I just feel really tired and think I am anemic (sp?).  The implants seem fine, although it is slightly sunken in on the inner left breast right where the original BMX scar starts.  It was actually worse with the TE, but it is still a little sunken in.  Anyone deal with that before?  Also, is it OK to go without a sports bra for about 6 hours?  I have a cami with a shelf bra that I can wear.  I need to wash my sports bras and am hoping that the sun, which is finally shining, will dry them quickly.

I am amazed at how well you ladies are doing with the exchange surgery.  I am jealous.  I was hoping to be feeling better.  Don't get me wrong, it feels great not to have the TEs, and got rid of the port too, but I thought I would be able to do more stuff by now.  

Also, some of you have mentioned a place to post pictures of our reconstruction.  How does one get access to it, or is just if you have an issue with reconstruction?  Thanks. 

Beacher: I'm a BMX but one tumor was 8cm and the other 3cm so even with the expanders I have a bunch of "skin sparing skin" hanging 3 " down on the left side.  I too thank the other ladies for bra ideas for summer.  Houston is already over 90 so I needed something lighter than a camisole under my tops.  Ended up most comfortable with a Smooth Bralet by Cosbella.  It's sort of a sports bra, but a tank style w/o the racer back and is made of 70% bamboo.  I got one at Nordstroms & ordered a second from Zappos.  Also I've been buying some wild patterned tops so the disparity isn't so obvious.

Sorry, I guess this is a bra thread issue.  Since I'm new & don't know any better, do you post in both places?

My exchange surgery is scheduled for 9/13 with Allergan Inamed 410 implants.  I'm worried about getting too big, but got some very helpful advice from Whippetmom.  Thanks again.

Thanks for all of your posts.  It makes me think I'm not totally nuts with all of my questions & issues.  I'm single with one 40 yr old son who came from another state to nurse me through the surgery.  He was great, but needless to say he's sick of questions.  Thanks for being there.

I have read that a lot of people go considerably larger with their implants than they were with their tissue expanders.  Towards the end, the fills are so painful (for me anyway).  I can't imagine going up to 100cc larger all at once with the exchange surgery.

For those of you who went larger with your implant than you were with your expander, did you have a lot of pain from that added size and stretch?

Rebetata and meJoy,

Thanks so much for the encouragement!  I am emailing my PS now, if I don't get a response I'll call the office. Thanks again!

Hi, I'm new here too so I am also a little confused about implants larger than the TE.  Sounds like it really varies but does anyone know if you get better results with implants that are larger than the expanded TE?  Does this just apply to non-gummy implants?  When you are going from a TE to a gummy can you (or should you) go with a bigger size?  I will be expanded to 400 but PS recommends 350.  I thought overexpansion allows for the foob to settle in a more natural place.   Thanks!

Lilah - thank you for the advise.  I had to have the exchange surgery ASAP after chemo and before RADs because I had an issue with the fold of the TE on my left breast (cancer side) pushing out at the incision on my left breast.  Originally the plan was to have radiation done with the TEs.  PS had to stop fills and in fact deflated me, and I had to be very careful with exercises, how I slept, etc... until I could have the surgery.  

I had also decided to downsize, was a saggy, flabby 36D, so it I am fine with where I ended up.  PS actually had three different sets of implants and actually expanded me a bit more during surgery until he thought I was at the correct size for my body, keeping in mind that I wanted to be smaller, and then used the appropriate implant.  That is how I ended with with 300cc.  I don't actually know which saline implants he used, the hospital was suppose to mail me the info but have not gotten it yet, and I forgot to ask him at my first follow-up because I was so out of it.  I will find out this week though when I see him again.

Yeah- they want us to let it all heal...it is worth it though in the long run. I figure when I finally hit the gym when released I will see rapid improvement after being such a damn slug for so long:)

Hi Everybody,

I have not posted for awhile, just  enjoying reading about everyone's progress and support.

I am six weeks out from BMX with TEs.  Still some pain and discomfort and feeling tired.   I'm waiting on Oncotype DX results so that makes me anxious.

I do have a question--I am scheduled to start fills the second week of May and I was wondering how you-all decided on your size at the end.  I have confidence in my PS and of course, will talk to her about it, but I just don't know because I usually wore stretchy,one size fits all bras,

I know she weighed my breasts after surgery, but I wasn't too crazy about my intact, middle-aged saggy non cancer breast.  I had already had a lumpectomy in the right.  So I am kinda clueless about what size I was prior to surgery.  did you just eyeball yourselves as you went along with your fills?

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

rowan- dawne is absolutely right- a lot has to do with our bodies. The most important thing is to have a PS you trust and can discuss things with. Then you do it as a team...it seems like a lof the PS take in several sizes into the OR to see which fits best with what you have after the TEs. Keep in mind that the exact same implant looks extremely different from person to person. Which is why you need to communicate well with your doc. I wanted my curves but did not want to look like I would accept tips from passing strangers:)

 I was  expanded to 450 and thought I would burst- the doc put in Mentor HP 550s and through the voodoo magic of our individual bodies...it looks like i have landed up a 36 full c...much nicer than my 36 longs prior to bc:) I would have kept them, in fact, I had made the decision to not augment very shortly before being diagnosed with BC...funny how life is sometimes.

yeah Jan! Were the girls good for you at the mall?

I start my personal trainer tomorrow...YIKES!!!!