Exchange City

Does anyone have hard area formed after exchange? I have a hard area under my foob. I do massage everyday, but the area is not softening

mammalou - Massage of the implants is recommended to prevent capsular contracture, which is when scar tissue that forms around the implant can contract, squeezing and distorting the implant.  There are different methods of massage, but it's basically manually moving the implants around in the pockets to keep them "freed" up.  Push to center, push to outside, push up, push down.  Many PSs also instruct to do massage of incision lines to soften them up and prevent scar tissue.

Each PS seems to have different rules about when and how to do massage so best to check with your doc to get his/her recommendations.

edited to add:  I have read that many PS also have different recommendations for smooth implants vs. textured so definitely best to check with your own doc before starting massage! 

My PS told me not to massage. I was wearing my bra 24/7 but last night I didn't. Still feel like I have the TE's but not so bad. I'm just very aware of them and they are not as soft as I thought they would be. Had my surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago so maybe they will soften up a little? They feel like the boobs you get when you first develop.

Don't think I will be a D again although that is what I was hoping for. But I can live with a C cup since I'm only 5'1". At least they are firm and high!

Erika8, My PS has several photo albums in her office. She has one she shows you when you are trying to decide if you want her to be your surgeon and tons more if you want to see how the different size of implants look on folks but it only shows the boob area so nobody would be recognized.

Not sure what links are on here. There are some PS photo albums on the internet. You should ask your PS to see his/her photo albums to get an idea of how their work looks after completion. I think my PS uses a poor quality tatoo person so I may get that part done elsewhere,dunno.

Good luck, do you have your TE in right now? When is your exchange surg? I am getting 600cc Mentor gel on Aug 2, what have you & your surg decided to get? I gotta call my friend who got vanity saline and recently they popped and she got gummy bears she says but she didnt have cancer. Are gummy bears really common in the USA now? Anyone know?

Hi, had exchange 10 days ago with lift reduction on good side. I'm very swollen on reduction side. Anyone know how long this lasts?

Erika8 - If you are referring to the "picture forum" that is a totally separate site.  It is a privately moderated forum.  If interested, you could send a PM to Lilah, Dawne Hope, or firni to see about access. 

Thanks graciousgal, looking forward to smooth sailing.

Tina,

I have been busy with a son's wedding and missed your June 27 post to me.

The only thing my PS had to say about my pain was at my 3 month post op appointment in February and he said that he had never had a patient with pain like I reported and appeared to clearly not believe me. But I was told at the end of the next visit in April that there was no plan for me to return, so it doesn't really matter that he was not interested in helping me.

My BS did refer me to a pain management physician who said I definately do have a problem, or rather 3-4 problems. That MD is working on it with me and sometimes I think it is getting better and then there are other days when I want to grab a steak knife and take these things out myself right then.  I am actively exploring options to resolve all of this.

Sort of, Tina.  It is actually more that he did not believe me about the level of pain and said he has never had a patient with pain like I said I had so I think he just put it out of his mind. While he is a very 'personable guy' and easy to talk to, he is actually not very empathetic. He seems to have a predetermined idea of what cancer patients think, feel and want so that unique needs or problems that don't fit into that mold are ignored or dismissed. That is probably a common trait with many surgeons. But we were done with the reconstructive procedures and follow ups so he was done with me as a patient unless I were to want a revision sometime in the future which I know I need for aesthetic reasons. It does not matter as I must deal with the pain issue now. I have had one consultation already about having the implants removed and different type of reconstruction instead. 

Hello - new here. I've only had 1 fill so far and have maybe 100cc on each side. My PS never really asked me what size I wanted to be...we just sort of talked about filling me up till I was happy with the size. 

I was a 34A prior to BMX. I'm 5'4, 140lbs, fairly bony on top and around my rib cage. I think I want to be a small to full C, but not sure if that'll be too much. Does anyone have any suggestions? How did you go about deciding on a size?

I'm actually pretty happy with how my TEs look so far (besides being painful). They already look very close to how I looked before surgery. 

So, for those of you that asked about the "gummy bear" implants, and I posted earlier that they aren't approved in US, apparently there is a company, Sientra, that makes them. Ironically, that's what I have but they didn't say cohesive gel, just silicone gel, so I didn't think it was the same! I feel silly. I can say for those curious, it is a nice shape, tear drop with a nice projection. But I do have cleavage ripples when I lean forward. That's why I didn't think it was the "gummy" kind. That explains also why it's so firm also I'm guessing.

Lezza - You'll do great! The recovery really is so much different. Just don't overdo it on your vacation, because it's easy to forget that we shouldn't pull, push or lift too much (my PS said up to 20 lbs is okay, and I'm 3 1/2 weeks out). So make sure you have someone else carry the heavy luggage, etc. But otherwise enjoy yourself. Are you going to get PT? It might be a good idea, so you can get things moving the right way and get advice on not overdoing it on your vacation.

two days to go- surgery July 5th

I am not to anxious about surgery, since this will be the 4th surgery since December.  I am more anxious about the end results, what is the PS going to decide to use when he gets into surgery.  He always says we can lift the native breast & make it a little smaller, but I don't want to be any smaller.  I told him it took me 55 years to get to this size and I don't want to end up smaller.  It would be different if I had huge breasts but that is not the case.  

How long after surgery does it take to settle and swelling to subside?  I am trying to get this all done this calendar year, so I don't have to incur another huge deductible.  If I am not satisfied with the first exchange surgery will insurance still pay for a revision if it is to go a bit bigger? 

rachelvk-  Thanks. It is July 11th, so 1 more week.  Hopefully my DH will pull my luggage too. I bought compression sleeves for the trip even though I am grateful I do not have lympderma.  I hope just to swim (except for a hot tub) and read on the beach!   Yes, PT will continue. Just will need new orders after the surgery.  My PT said some swelling may go down because I have one very tight expander now under my arm with all those nodes removed.  Any hints for the recovery time that helped you? Do you still go to PT?

Wishing others the best with their upcoming exchanges.