Exchange City

You guys are awesome you definitely feed my strength, I wish 'ya all lived next door!!

Good luck Amy-we're all there with you!

Babs

The mudflaps are at the end of the incision that goes from under the breast towards the armpit (axillary). When tissue is cut out and they sew up the edges of what is left, it pokes out a little or a lot. If you've got some extra fat under there, you're likely to have mudflaps, but thin women have them too. It all depends on how much breast tissue you have on the sides. I had a bunch.

Because I had some extra big FF breasts, my double mastectomy left some extra long scars that go a little bit into my...gulp...back fat. A second surgery due to infection resulted in the loss of more soft tissue on one side. My mud flap there looks like a mini boob but the other side isn't too bad. It will be taken care of with some liposuction during my next surgery but the mini boob will have to have it's own mini mastectomy.

Oh, Sandra, I have tears running down my cheeks from your post! 

"my...gulp...back fat"

"the mini boob will have to have it's own mini mastectomy"

I know what you've been through has not been funny, but you paint one hilarious picture of it nonetheless - and bless you for that!

Thank you Sweet and Sandra for the mud flap education.  Now I know what it is and what to look for...LOL.  I do know I have a dog ear on one breast at the end of the incision.  My friend had a breast reduction with lift and told me of her dog ears and I had to look that up.  Pretty funny the terminology that is used.  Mud flaps...Dog ears....

Will thinking healing thoughts for you, Amy on the 2nd...

HUGS, 

Di

I will be offline for a while, since I am going to LA (San Pedro) this week, heard it is raining hard there,  and then Sat. getting on a cruise ship for a 10 days...in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, hope to to get to see the mama and baby whales from my Aft deck balcony....which I will probably park my butt there with my camera, kindle books, and a diet coke or tomato juice or take catnaps in our cabin.....I will slather my lily white skin with SPF 30.....not into tans anymore.

Sandra,

LOL!!!!!

I can identify with the back fat BOOB

.....trying to find a swimsuit for water  exercise and to take on the cruise so my butt doesn't hang out if climbing into a boat....ordered a 32 in this and it fit great....them I turned around and looked into the mirror at my back and there was a BOOB above the V straps...ugh!

sent it back ASAP!

Di..that's a really cute outfit!!  Maybe one size bigger will do the trick like 4sewwhat said.  Plumbers butt can be a issue...too funny!  I have to keep an eye out for side boobs, back boobs...so many boobs. This way if I have it, I want to get rid of it asap!  I actually can't wait for after my exchange when the PS does the fat grafting. Hopefully it happens before the summer.  Now there are some area's that really need to go.

Have an awesome cruise!

Hi Shorfi,

Wow, you have really been rough a lot since 2004. I had seven weeks off after my Mastectomy because my job involves alot of driving and lifting. It went a long way in making my return go well and my energy being good. I was back for 6 weeks and then had my exchange ten days ago. I am off until 3/24. Revisions are best avoided by a healthy healing phase post both Mx and Exchange. Take more than what you need, you will be surprised at how much better you feel. You are also healing emotionally too!!

Take care..

Mimi

I was off 2 weeks after exchnge. I had no pocket work tho, so it was pretty easy. Probably could have gone back after 10 days.

Mimi...I worry so much about being triple negative. Also I took off 8 weeks after my mastectomy. But I guess I have to believe what my MO said, prognosis is excellent.

Happy Spring...How are you feeling? Are you nervous or as anxious as myself?

Shorfi...Oh yes, feeling the same way.  At this point not so nervous anymore because the TE's are such a pain in the butt that I just want them out already.  Too many times I bumped my boob into the door cause I didn't open it enough and it's always the left one cause its bigger. And on top of that, I can't feel anything so I guess it might hurt.  It's so funny that I sometimes stop in my tracks and laugh.  Do you know which implants you are getting?   

cjc1961 - Mine are silicone (Mentor HP Rounds) and tomorrow I'll be nine weeks post exchange.  Never had a hardness problem on either one of them, top or bottom.  It might be worth at least a call to your PS....

Mimi, I have never heard of a strap across your chest. What's the purpose of it?

Shorfi, the answer to your question about how long it takes to recover after the exchange is: nobody knows, not even your doctor. Everyone can make a guess, but it's just that...a guess. Not only are we all different in how long it takes us to get past certain healing stages, but so much depends on what your doctor is going to do at the exchange. If there is pocket work or any other kind of revision, that makes a difference. I've also found from personal experience that just because recovery from your previous surgery or surgeries went quickly or smoothly, the next one may be different.

Many women say the exchange is a piece of cake but I found it harder than the BMX and although that's the minority experience, I'm not the only one with that response. Prior to my exchange surgery, other women going through it in the couple of weeks before me all said it was easy so that's what I expected too. I believe not being prepared for an alternate outcome was part of the reason why I had such a difficult time at first. Since then I've read a few others who didn't have the easy time they planned on. I needed a full four weeks before I felt like I was making good progress. Before that it was two steps ahead one day and two steps back the next. I had to let go and let my body decide. Once I turned the corner at four weeks, it was smooth sailing.

I'm not trying to scare you. The odds are certainly in your favor that you'll have an easy time and be able to go back to work in record time. But please don't plan on a certain amount of time. It takes as long as it takes. You can push yourself but there is no sense in doing it. Your body will mutiny sooner or later.

My exchange was on February 10th.  I took two weeks off and that was the right amount.  I do need to be careful about lifting with my left arm.  It was so much easier than BMX.  Keep us posted!