Exchange City
Comments
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Sweetandspecial you have to be clear what you want and ask, ask, ask and ask some more. You have to live with the finished product.
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Sherry67....... I'm a little worried about Annemarie. Haven't heard anything from her at all? Hopefully, she will be in contact soon.
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Obxyflygirl1,
I hope all is well with Annemarie to... -
no.. I had been PM with her, but I have not heard from her since surgery. I have PM her twice since her surgery date, but no response...

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Mamatwinz--honestly, I can't recall exactly the size we're using for implants...500s are popping into my head--I know he goes with a smaller implant than the TE, so with me being at 550 right now, that seems right.
This is the worst fill yet, he told me it would hurt, and he wasn't lying! It hurts behind them--like they're rubbing my ribs raw. If I take a deep breath--ouch!!!
Steph -
stewbie..that is how i feel too..very tight and i find myself hunching over because of tightness and when i go to stretch, i really feel it..sometimes it is like a bar across my chest; pushingon my ribs.. pretty soon it will be just a memory!!! i called my office about scheduling a date and they were like..md has not dictated yet/sent to transcription, so they haven't called ins co yet..and apparently hosp will not schedule anything without ins auth..i told the girl at office today.."uh..in case u were wondering... I am not at all anxious or anything to get this scheduled.."!! I think it is the having the date that helps??!?? feel better..hope it eases off some! I hope my ps goes smaller and not bigger with implant..i guess i will talk more with him about it at appt in 6 wks..
i still do my stretches everyday and it does help with pain..!!! have a good day guys!
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Mamatwinz,
I know how you feel..expanders are awful..have had mine since 7/28/11 ...feels like a really bad tight bra you can't take off or move all the time but my surgery is friday hope all goes well.. -
Sherry I don't know how you have lasted...I don't know what I would have done.
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sherry..you soldier!!! that is a lOOOOOng time..U made it tho!!! Wow surgery Friday..you will do GREAT!!! I am very excited for you! I remember quite a few times i reached back to undo my bra until i realized it was just my TEs! HA!
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cindyloo..how u feeling today?
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Hey, ladies! I had my exchange today! Went to hospital at 6:00 am., was in the OR promptly at 7:30, and discharged by 12:30. It went great! I have lovely 800 cc high profile implants. PS said I had a little bit of scar tissue in the horizontal incisions that he removed, and he filled out the hollowness and divots in the upper pole area with Alloderm.
The pain is different from the BMX, too. This os more like a serious soreness, not excruciating pain like the BMX.
I can shower, but must wear a front close sports bra 24/7 I til further notice. All in all I feel pretty good and very happy for the first time since this journey started March 2012 with my bad mammogram.
I did not expect exchane to be this easy. Hope I will still be saying this at bedtime,😃 -
Oh, and please don't mind my poorly edited post... I am still loopy from the morphine and Percoset they gave me at the hospital! My mind is "drifty" today!
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When I woke from my BMX back in December 2011, the pain was unbelievable! My original PS had filled me will 350 cc's which I believe was part of the reason for my healing issues...
Anyway, I had pain, real pain, everyday those damn TE's were in. so many days I wanted to yank them out myself!
When I got my new PS we decided to fill super slowly, 50 max at a time... And even with that, skin was always hard, shiny, and painful.
It's all said and done now... Have my new gals in, a little smaller than planned, 425 gummies, but ever so thankful to have those A##holes out of my body!
Almost 2 weeks post-op and ladies I can breath for the first time since December 2011!
Hang in there those who are still waiting. The end does show up and it is wonderful! -
CrystalAnn, congratulations on being TE free!!!! Glad to hear everything went smoothly!
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Mamatwinz I'm feeling pretty good! Went braless today, just a wifebeater tee and the compression band. Got on my bike trainer too! I swear they change a little everyday.
Woo hoo cyrstalann!
DM13 I swear there were days when I wanted to cut the TEs out myself. I might have if I wasn't afraid they would put me in a straight jacket! -
Cindy, nice job on progressing so well!!
Congratulations CrystalAnn, yeah we've been so beat up by TE's that the exchange surgery is actually a big refreshing change.
Sherry....your perseverance is amazing. You've been through such a long treatment and extensive surgeries. I'm very, very happy for you!!
Annamarie's disappearance has us all concerned ) - : I sure hope you are o.k. sweetie, this forum is concerned about you.
Question ladies who are past your exchange and healed from the surgery. How long did it take your incisions to heal??? Note I was glued shut (no stitches). I'm just back from PS visit, it's been 4 weeks and my incisions still have scabs. My PS was in an emergency surgery, bummer, so I saw his boss/PS whose owns the practice. He seemed concerned and I had to remind the nurse I had delayed healing after the bmx which resulted in bi-lateral debridment surgery 7 weeks post bmx. This road is all too familiar. New steri-strips put on and restrictions have not been lifted. Back to see MY PS in 2 weeks. I thought today was going to be happy day, no more bandages, green light to run, sleep on sides etc. and a "see you in a month or two to talk nipples."

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Bummer Jill....😥
She took my strips off Monday. One small scab. I started using Maderma today. She has said right along that I have good skin and heal well. I have nothing to compare this too so I have to believe her.
Did they give you any suggestions on thing you could do to help the healing? Do you smoke? -
its nice to see that the thought of cutting out the TEs personally was a feeling others had. I thought i was the only one that fantasized about that.
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DULCIGIRL .....thinking about you tonight! Happy Valentine and Victory day tomorrow!!
Crystal Anne.......congrats. Let us know how you are progressing in the next week. -
Cindy....I run ultras....well at least I use to before bc and all these surgeries! So not a smoker. PS thought my skin was in great shape pre-exchange. I did too...applied lotion liberally twice a day for months post debridment. I'm doing everything right, it's just frustrating. The new steri-stips are the waterproof kind so they won't come off until my next appt. and I can't apply anything to boobs or do anything to tax the incisions. Thanks for writing back ( - : do some spinning for me.
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Ultras...holy cow.
I'm not spinning. I actually have my road bike in a trainer set up in my foyer! I love my bike. Last year I did a 15 mile ride for The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp. It's for kids with cancer. It was 3 days after my dx. I ride the shore a lot so I wasn't ready for the hills. I'm going to be ready this year!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. ❤ -
crystalann congrats!!! since I am still in TE stage..how much did you have your TEs expanded to..what size were you going for, etc. I am just curious... Did you ps tell you that you would be smaller, same, bigger with implants vs TEs? I have been worried because my TEs look huge... I am going to make sure with my ps that he will be using smaller implants for droop..not bigger ones... i have heard from some that the appearance of implants is smaller than with the TES..have you guys heard the same?
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Hi,ladies!
Now that it is evening, I am in a bit of pain where the surgeon filled in with Alloderm. I took a peek before putting pajamas on and they are wider with less projection than TEs, but I am not concerned. Reading these boards each day helped me to garner some patience and know that they need to "drop" into the pocket, and "fluff." When they do, i know they will be Awesome! -
Thanks everyone...im getting 550HP Seintra think that's a C cup which I hope it is..
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Nighty night everyone!! Tomorrow morning I'm "off to see the wizard." ;-)
Hope he brings his A-game tomorrow! I even made him a Valentine. (Oh!!! Poor word choice! I really hope he brings his perky full C game!! Lol)
I am so excited about getting these TE's out! I'd do it again if I had to and days were no problem, but I cannot wait to sleep in my bed again. Aaaaaaahhhh!!! -
good luck! how much did your TEs have? how big are implants and quick ht/wt..just curious as i am going for c too and have TE
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dulcigirl~
You GO GIRL!!! What a GREAT day to get new boobies!!! Here's wishing you the surgeon's best "C" game!!! Good luck & keep us posted!
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His "C" game - too funny -

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Mamat:
I'm 5'6" tall. At the moment I'm stuck at 149, but before diagnosis I was 140 or less and I'm determined to get back there. Under TE chest measurement is 31.
I had the short height expanders. Allergan 133SX 13. I'm at 650 in the left and 600 in the right. My PS is more concerned with shape than cup size, but these feel huge to me! He's taking in a few different sizes, but planning on the Style 45's because he feels like the base width/projection ratio of those will look best on my frame. He's guessing the 650's or 700's will be the ones. When I asked about cup sizing he of course said that's hard to predict, but a very rough guess would be 200 cc's per cup size. So if that works I should be a full C. Time will tell.
Most importantly the cancer is OUT and soon these TE's will be HISTORY!!!!!
I'll check as soon as I'm able. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! -
mamatwinz you were asking about size. I am 5'3" and weight 114lbs. I was expanded to 400cc's, I asked for 450HP smooth round, but ended up with 400cc on one side and 425cc on the other. PS said I was just too tight. anyway I have always worn a 32 band but was a AA. I now were a 32D. I think I look more like a C, I had asked PS for a full C or small D and that is what I ended up with. I think 500 would have looked OK on me but DH would not speek up about what he thought until my fill at 400 and then he said stop you are are going to look too big. He loves the way I look now.
Ladies I go for my 2 month follow up for my implant revision. I think my right boob is good but I am afraid that my lefty is not holding up again. I guess I'll see what the PS has to say tomorrow.
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