Exchange City

Been gone from these boards for a while so trying to play catch up. Only 15 more sleeps until my exchange and I get to join the squishy club. I seriously can hardly wait. My final fill was 3 weeks ago and they have done their job of stretching the muscle because now they move back and forth and up and down, sliding across my ribs. It is the strangest sensation. While sleeping on my side, I wake up in pain and have to switch sides. So, a lot of interrupted sleep and the fatigue from my BMX has never really gone away. But, I lead a sedentary lifestyle before BC and now with the fatigue and continued muscle spasms I'm leading whatever is lower than sedentary......slug? LOL

But this slug had to get moving for better or for worst. My DH who in July 2015 had heart attack/CABG x4/stroke/1 month hospitalization/3 months outpatient therapy and had a miraculous recovery, recently started having cardiac issues again. At only 9 months after his surgery, we just found out 3 out of his 4 bypasses are clogged. He is scheduled for an ICD placement 6 days before my exchange. He can't drive until he has his followup at the 1 week mark which is the day after my exchange surgery. So for 2 days neither one of us can drive AND my hospital/surgeon is an hour away. We are lucky our oldest daughter can get time off work to drive us to my surgery, and then our younger daughter is taking my DH to his followup appt the following day. In between all this he has other appts and I have to go with him to interpret the medical lingo etc. So, busy busy busy...

So the good news is I'm keeping my mind off BC, but it's not exactly for a good reason. I keep praying that things will start getting better and maybe even easier....... But I know we are lucky cause I take care of him and he takes care of me; we're a team! At least it is starting to feel like Spring here in Michigan. Its supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny this weekend....yeah!!!! Gotta look forward and try to find positivity wherever I can these days. Sunshine and warm weather......hopefully Spring is finally here to stay.......that's miracle enough for me.

Cyber hugs to all....

Huello everyone. I wanted to a dress Staceysue. Did you consider the fact you can delay the exchange for a while? Once everything is healed you could wait fir the exchange until you have been ack to work fir awhile. I know it's not ideal but it is a while option. I had one expander in for almost 2 years due to problems with my other ide. My PS aid some had been n for ore than 3 years. Your PS could also withdraw a bit of your fill to make them more comfortable for you. Something to discuss with your PS but perhaps a way for you to handle that?

Thanks, Moonflower, that is what I've decided to do. I applied for a job last week and they called and did a phone interview and I should hear from them Monday. I was honest with them about the fact that I'm going to have to be on light duty another three weeks and then have an exchange surgery maybe this fall. I assured them I'm not sick, I won't be calling in all the time, I'm not dying, I don't need chemo. It is so frustrating how long all this has been taking and the toll it's taking on my career. I told my new PS I thought I was big enough and I just want to get the implants and be done with it and go back to work but he said I'm rushing things and we need to just slow down and make sure I get the results I want. He doesn't think I'm big enough, thinks we need to slow down. GRRRRRRRRR

Stacey - it is important to remember that you lose volume with exchange because the implant does not have a hard back like the TE and doesn't push forward and provide projection in the same way. So if you are happy with your current size in an expander, it is important to note that you will look smaller than that after exchange, as kingster noted above. This is most likely why your PS doesn't want you to rush and is indicating that you should continue to expand so that once you exchange you will look as you do now. I also echo that you can keep the filled expanders in place for a period of time if you wish to return to work now. I had the left in (after it was replaced the first time) for just over 7 months, the right for 16 months. With my new left expander it will be just over five months between placement and exchange, including the couple of months between last fill and surgery.

staceySue, I lived with 1100cc expanders for 16 months. It's not ideal, they are uncomfortable but I lived a completely normal life. I have to say, my exchange was a PIECE OF CAKE, I imagine because I was so thoroughly stretched. I honestly had only a day or two of down time. I know the feeling of urgency to get it all over with but your surgeon is right, you don't want to rush it, get it right the first time!

Your implants will definitely look smaller than your expanders. I am a size 16 & I have 800cc saline implants over filled to 1140cc so they are firmer & give better projectionthan silicone or normal saline implants. Even so, I look like I'm about one cup size smaller after my exchange... so keep that in mind. I think I've finished up at a 38DD

Hi Ladies, Long time no see. So nice to see more people moving to the squishy side! Ahhhhh. I had my implant surgery on 10/7 and breathed a sigh or relief because I felt like the marathon was over. I convinced myself I liked the hamburger buns on my chest. Actually they look good in clothes but if I'm wearing a thin bra and a t shirt they look "lumpy", just not smooth, especially the left. The PS said he would like to do more fat grafting, actually 2 more operations, and the final he would suck out as much fat as I want him to. I am wondering if I need to replace the implants vs all this fat grafting. Does anyone have experience with replacing? I do wonder if I need both. I guess there's not much of anything in between in implant and the skin so you get a few bumps and my pecs are such that I can make the implants dance! Would fat grafting fix that? I hate thinking about another operation or 2 but also think I want to be a little happier with what I have. And I'm not even thinking about meeting with Vinnie until I know what the long term game plan is. xoxo, Becca

I had my exchange surgery on the 7th and everything went great. I had very tolerable amount of pain the first couple of days and only had to use Advil after that. I am returning to work tomorrow and feel I should do ok with it. I am not unhappy with the way they look now and I realize that they will look better without the stitches and would glue. The only part that bugs me and I discussed with my PS before is I have what I lovingly call side boob. It is just a swollen fat pocket I guess in my side even with my breast. I thought they would be taken care of with exchange surgery but it is still there. PS thinks it will go down with time but I have had it since my BMX. Does anyone else have this problem?

Also, just wanted to add that my PS didn't overfill my expanders because I was having a lot of pain with fills. I was a DD before and I went down to a full C. My implants are 550cc. They seem to fill out my skin quite nicely.

StaceySue - your plastic surgeon is the most qualified to tell you what's proportionate for your body so I'd take his advice! As for the overfilled implants, that's as high as they'll go. I'm a size 16 so I needed bigger implants than they make just to get a proportionate size. It was a loooong haul trying to find a solution to the problem of 800cc implants being the largest FDA approved. A lot of plus sized women are in the same boat.

Rebecca - my boobs dance too. I've been told that fat grafting MIGHT help but mostly it is what it is. We don't have any cushion over our pecs to hide their movement. I'm getting my nipple reconstruction on Wednesday but after that I'm going to talk to my PS about fat grafting. I don't have any lumps but one is smaller than the other. Hoping we can make some minor adjustments. A little lipo would be a bonus LOL.

mvspaulding - I also had the side boob but it went away completely once my implants dropped & fluffed... Well, I have a tiny bit left on one side but that side is a tiny bit higher than the other still so I guess it makes sense. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it just yet.

Kingster - I have not

Hello everyone,

There is HOPE!

Well I am happy to say that I am having an exchange of implants!

June 17th I will have these complications resolved I hope and pray!

I have a nasty case of Capsular Contracture which is causing a whole set of other issues.

I also have Dynamic Deformity which also have it's set of issues.

I am so grateful!

Robin

Jessie, thanks. If there is no other cause found, then I will assume it's the implants. My periods have always been regular also. I wouldn't mind just missing periods, but I also have the fatigue, cramps without a period, slight nausea, and headaches frequently as well. These implants may have to go, because I really do feel quite crappy. I have had the implants in for one year. Pituitary tumors cause this too. I see endocrinologist in a couple weeks.

Jessie, I will PM you when I find out anything. My gyne at my annual ordered these labs because this is a change from my normal. Also, ovarian cancer is in my family history, and I believe he is being very cautious. He did tell me that "prolactinemia" is not a normal part of menopause. I am having an endometrial biopsy Friday due to a "thickened" endometrium. The fun just keeps on going:/ I do find comfort in that someone else in my situation could be having this problem too. I've never really heard of this before.

Oh Kingster I am glad there really isn't anyone around to see it!!! LOL

I was crying all the time but I know it will be fixed one day!

I have now Natrelle Style 20 round smooth silicone high profile 600cc

I am getting Mentor round textured silicone high profile 600cc, If there is a style I don't know it.

I will have an increase of Botox injected into my chest muscle, because the first time there wasn't enough and three weeks later it started again and has progressively gotten worse.

I will be posting some photos soon to show what it looks like maybe that will be some help to someone else when they start wondering if they are the only ones.

Warm wishes,

Robin

Things are starting to get real for me. Went for the preop and the countdown begins. Dr is thinking 550 implants but that's all I really know at this time. My expander is 550 but isn't filled all the way. He stopped fillings but said I have plenty of skin to put in the implants. I'm just very nervous that I won't have the size I had before. I was a 38D-38DD depending on the bra. I want to have a full shape and have cleavage. I feel like a crazy person looking at so many pictures because I just want to have one surgery and hopefully be done. I'm going to talk with the navigator about all the choices and take it from there. I do know she said something like he takes in about 10 choices. I'm a size 16-XL top so I want to make sure I'm in proportion. I'm also having a tummy tuck at the same time and some of the fat will be placed around the implant to make it look more natural he said. Has anyone had this done at the same time. I'm not having a diep because there is only enough to make me a size A.

gardner - If you have been expanded to significantly less than the max fill on your expanders, even though you have enough skin, the pocket behind the pectoral muscle may not be large enough and your doc may not be able to use a larger implant. It sounds like you are having a combo of implant and flap (is insurance covering this as an implant/flap combo, or are you paying out of pocket for part of this surgery?) but I am concerned that you won't reach your desired size with the expansion you currently have. I would ask for further clarification and another discussion about the pocket if I were you. Most docs take a number of options into the OR, that is standard - I am just not sure how large an implant will fit behind your muscle.

I'm just not sure how your PS would fit a 550cc implant in a pocket currently expanded to less than 300ccs, regardless of your skin laxity. Have you posted on the 101 thread and gotten any feedback from whippet mom about this