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Havent had time to be here much and get caught up. I had my 8 week up check up today, and I have to say I think I have the most wonderful PS. First of all he said my lat flap,radiated breast was just fantastic.  Said he was super soft compared to many others that have had the same procedure.  It is soft but since it has no feeling what so ever it is hard for me to tell, lol.  He said the other implant would drop just a little bit more and soften up where the scar was.

The tissue that he removed from my back sticks out further than the breast skin and I told him that was the only thing that really bothered me.  He said he could liposuction that out.  He could also do nipples at the same time.  At first I wasn't going to do nipples but now I have decided it would help me get a more normal look.  If we can do it all at once that is another plus.  The other factor is that I won't have to be under the deep anesthesia and not have a breathing tube.  I have about made up my mind to schedule this sometime July or August.  I can't believe I'm actually excited about this.

Boy all these posts about having family support really makes me jealous. I don't think I realized how much of this I had to endure all alone until it was all over. My mom was in an assisted livng facility in Florida and I live in Kanas City. She had breast cancer twice once at 30 and once at 80. I didn't see her the whole time I was dealing with this and I never told her. I wanted to, so bad, but I thought that would have been selfish. She was a little out of her mind too and I think I would ahve had to tell her over and over and I did not want to do that to her. By the time I got done with all the surgery and chemo and reconstruction I was going to try to visit her and she passed away. I said goodbye to her on the phone while she was unconscience in the hospital. She died from her breast cancer. I beleive she stopped getting mammograms at some point. The mass was so big they found it in a regular xray taken of her lungs when she was coughing a lot. The mass was not on her lung but on her breast. She had the breat removed and it was in two lymph nodes. They put her on aridimex but no chemo or radiation. She died two years later. 

Thanks for letting me vent . . .

Hugs to you, Carrol2. I lost my mom to cancer as well, and two aunts. Nasty aggressive breast cancer. (We dont have the BRCA gene but something else in our DNA, clearly). I am so sorry for your loss. I had a super hard time on mother's day, being alone and wishing I had her to talk to or take shopping, and I bet you had a tough day as well. But yes, it is so great to have this virtual family who "gets us". Thank you ladies!!



So, speaking of non-understanding male PSs, I had my pre-op appointment today (my squishy exchange is coming in a week- woohoo), and he told me that he does not want to reconstruct the other side with an implant because I am so likely to get cancer on that remaining side. How reassuring.



My lymph nodes are clean right now and I am sure hoping for the best! But I might need to get a female PS, after reading the stories on here. Geez!

Exchange ladies question for you all post op: my surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday, 05/22. It's my son's senior year and a lot going on over the next few weeks.



How will I feel 1 wk post op? I have his graduation ceremony to attend. My PS said she thinks I'll be fine. Just no big bear hugs lol



2-1/2 wks post op and I'm throwing a graduation party for my son. I'll have some help but will I feel ok for cooking, decorating, setting up, cleaning up, etc?



5 wks post op, I'm planning on moving to a new place (downsizing). Will I be ok for packing up boxes and moving light items? Of course I'll have help for heavy boxes and furniture.



Just want to know what to expect after surgery. Most ladies here say much easier than BMX and I know we all heal at different rates, but curious if I'll feel up to all these things coming up in the next few weeks??



Already know my PS is keeping me out of work for 2-1/2 wks so I'll have time to rest in between. Could I logically feel well enough to work from home a few hours a day 5 days post exchange if I wanted to?



Any advice is most appreciated! Getting excited and nervous at the same time!!



Jen

Thanks for the advice farmerlucy! Yes heart issues all clear. Turns out on second opinion I had no heart issues! Lol



Got a normal ekg result the second time around and cleared for surgery.



My PS said no drains this time around and no heavy lifting for only 2 weeks. I was surprised by that. But I'll make sure to take things easy and rest when I can. Gonna take things one day at a time and accept all the help I'm offered!



Jen

Question, I am 2 weeks post op for bmx with te's and the nurse did my first expansion today after my surgery so I am now at 330cc and she told me that the type of expanders I have only go to 400cc.  what the heck?!?!  I am tall and am not petite- As it stands with only 330cc I don't have much protrusion.  I am so confused...has anyone else heard of the expanders having a max amount of saline they can hold?  I'm wondering if the nurse was totally wrong.

Chantel -

Many PSs overfill TEs, some overfill by a LOT.  Please check out the "Breast Implant Sizing 101" thread.  You will find lots of helpful info in the thread header.  Whippetmom created the thread and is very knowledgeable, but she will likely ask you for your stats as well as manufacturer and model number of your TEs.

Thanks for the kind words. Mother and fathers day ahve become very sad for me. I decided to allow myself to be sad for a day. I wear my mom's jewlery on her bday and mother's day. Somehow I feel like she was still there or at least I still have a part of her.

Carrol2, My heart and thoughts are with you.  I lost both parents, my dad in my teens and my mom before I turned forty, but I have my daughter and husband and they are my world and treat me like gold. 

Thank you girls, I definitely need to look into it. Will find out what kind of TE I have and get more info.  Have a great day ladies 

Carrol2- I read a ways back about you not having a supportive family and feeling a little jealous.  I am in your same shoes.  My mom and dad have both passed away (my dad was never around) and my family is so disfunctional and messed up that I really only have one sister that helps me or makes me feel taken care of somtimes.  You are not alone on that!  Hang in there

wow thanks so much for the outpouring. This site really got me through this whole journey with support and information and just sharing and it continues to do that. You ladies have been ab amazing asset to me. 

...sciencegal..my ps is male and very sweet..!  My bs is male and very sweet..!  My primary MD is male and very sweet..!  My OB is male and very sweet..!  My med onc was female and apparently brilliant, but not so sweet...!  sooo different for everyone..!

Lala and 2nd time- I saw PS today to get some of my stitches clipped and I asked the PS if I would see any "drop and Fluff" with my Mentor HPs, and was told most likely not and if they did it would be so small it would likely not be noticeable. I do not have the flat hamburger bun look I expected and heard so much about. The lady who clipped my stitches today said "those look AMAZING!" I wish I could be as excited as they are, I told her I wasn't planning on a Playboy spread anytime soon, I just really wanted to put on a bathing suit or sundress without prosthetics. Maybe as time passes (and the pain in my sternum diminishes) maybe I will be as excited as they are about how the surgery turned out!

meimcbee- My hair was below my shoulders when I recieved my dx, so the process FEELS really slow, but I agree with you my hair IS beautiful, even if it's not much It's MINE!

MnSusan......welcome to the squishy side....you betcha!

Just testing to see if my info shows up below my posts