Exchange City

It's probably the Bactrim making you queasy and ill feeling but let your doctor know if you get worse.

better today, just feel blah. I have a suture in near the top of my pecs, almost in arm pits but on the front....does that make sense? Assuming it was from the fg? It's hurts! Anyway, I think things are looking good, swollen and very bruised. I pushed on one (just a little)... What a difference!!

Ringelle- glad you're ok. We will get through this

just joining this thread Ladies.

I have Exchange scheduled for August 26 and am trying to prepare. I'm hoping some of you can coach me a bit on what to expect. Cant wait to get TE's removed. Have had them at full status for two months and am ready for softer and more natural feeling and shaped implants. I call them my coconuts!

My exchange surgery is outpatient and I'm expecting:

Drains, two weeks off work, no arm movement like at BMX, no weight over 5 lbs. 6 weeks before weight lifting and ROM exercise begins again.

Have not met with PS yet to see when he plans to fat graft. But have been warned it may take multiple sessions of lyposuction and grafting to achieve good results.

Can anyone tell me about the lyposuction process and recovery? I hear it is more painful than the BMX... gheeze...

Also, where do we get appropriate compression garmets, and how long must they be worn after lypo? How tight must they be?

oh and I have no drains! Not sure if this is common, but my is doesn't use them for this surgery.

Another question -- I ran into a friend in town who got her implants about 3 months ago. She said they were HEAVY and much heavier than her expanders or her real breasts. Is this common? She did say she was bigger than before so that could be it. I'm not looking forward to that!

I find it so strange that when I've asked my PS about restrictions both after TE placement and eventual exchange, they just tell me not to go crazy! I they don't give me a weight restriction or an activity restriction. Sometimes I think surgeons are in their own little bubble worlds!

I originally exchanged to implants with more ml/cc than the amount of breast tissue that was removed in my BMX. They felt cumbersome and heavy. My new ones are roughly equivalent to the amount of breast tissue removed and they don't feel heavy to me. Expanders are filled with saline, which is slightly lighter than silicone, but if you factor in the weight of the expander itself it would be very close or equal to a silicone implant of the same size.

Okay, now I feel like I missed an essential math class...TE size and size of breast tissue removed (which I had no clue of until I read the path report)....of course!  As someone who teaches math, perhaps this quantitative fact is more humorous to me that I have been so dumb/clueless...but I really never connected it until SpecialK's last post!

For me I have been thinking of the TE as an alien being inside of me trying to push out, but not really having a lot of logic behind it!

I go in later this morning for perhaps my last fill???  I am at 650 in a TE sized for 600-720.  I have heard lots of folks talk about overfilling saline implants, but I don't recall talk of overfilling TE's...so I expect to top off today at 700...or perhaps my PS will fill to the 720 max???

Regardless, that is way below the 1000+ removed at surgery...no wonder why the conversation is always "I'll never be able to make you as big as your natural side."

Learn something new everyday.

Thanks SpecialK (also saw your post on the TE board, thanks there as well)

When I asked about the eventual fill...he initially said 900-1000...so as to fit an 800 smoothly! Previously he has talked about moving my current across the chest scar line down to the IMF so I would lose some currently stretched out skin below that line...

From Whippetmom, she has said I would likely be in the 700 range, but perhaps more to try to better match the "native" side, so I guess I am with the range.

Grateful I won't pop!

Young,

I waffled between rounds and annatomicals throughout my fills. I had to decide 2 weeks before EX so my PS could order them. I was filled to 420cc. I decided on annatomicals and he put in 475cc Allergan 410 FF. I love them. They are more firm than the rounds and you can have drains it just depends on you. I didn't have drains because I didn't have a lot of fluid at BMX. You are obviously young, I am 62! So having bouncy squishy foobs didn't matter to me. It is a very personal decision. Good luck!

Robin

Thanks everyone for the replies! "They will not feel like rocks"... THAT's what I needed to hear! Doing my happy dance now!

I'm at 450 cc TEs, I prefer anatomical shape silicone for replacement. My pre-surgery PS appointment is next week. He will fill me in on all my options and what to expect. He uses drains after exchange and I anticipate having them for weeks like my BMX. Hate those things but they seem to work! Absolutely no showering while drains are in. My BMX drains were in for 5 weeks, and removed reluctantly. I had to be bound for a week to prevent seromas. Ugh, it was hard to breathe. Fat grafting will likely not happen until 6 + weeks after exc. And I've been warned we may need to repeat grafting to insure a good outcome. I'm hoping he takes all of stomach fat away! That would be an upside to all of this!

So spanks after grafting, or similar 24/7.... surely can you shower?. ..

How about this "no bra" concept? My PS PA's say wear a bra 24/7 with TE or Silicone. I'm really bummed by that recommendation - I HATE bras. Anyone get a good explanation of pros/cons of bra or no bra after?

I'm actually excited to get exchange surgery. Looking forward to putting this phase behind me. My TE's sit wide on my chest (no cleavage), one is at least an inch higher than the other and my arms rub them when reaching forward. PA'S said PS will adjust the implants and alloderm to be balanced and achieve symmetrical position. Boy I hope so.

Are your exc surgeries outpatient too? Mine is!.

All the same weight restrictions after BMX will be in place.

Strangest thing I've noticed since my BMX is That now I can "flex" my foobs! Gives me all sorts of possibilities on the dance floor in the future!

;-)

LRGO2016, I have annatomicals and didn't have drains but was told it was a possibility. I only had drains in for a week with bmx. I don't have a lot of fluid so probably determined that. BUT, being wrapped for a week and wearing a sports bra, no wires, 24/7 for at least 6 weeks was a requirement! I wore one for much longer. I still wear one everyday and just about 2 months ago I stopped sleeping in one. I am 18 months post EX. I wear bralettes now. Love them! I didn't require any fat grafting. My TEs were filled to 420cc and he used 475cc implants.

Follow your dr instructions! Remember, just because you can doesn't mean you should!

Blessings, Robin

Hi all!

I saw this site when I was first diagnosed but I have never registered or posted until today. I feel very lucky that during my first ever mammogram they were able to detect the DCIS. Very ironically, a neighbor and friend had been diagnosed with Stage 1 just 5 weeks before me so I have had someone to talk and commiserate with.

I had a BMX, skin sparing, with TE on July 21. They removed 677g of tissue on my left (non cancerous) breast and 767g of tissues and tumors from my right. I had 600cc Natrelle TE put in, along with Alloderm to hold things in place. They were able to fill me to 420cc during the initial surgery.

So now I am 4 weeks (have had two films - now at 540cc) out and need to decide what implants to have put in. I am 5'8" and 170 pounds. We have narrowed it down to the Natrelle 410 FX at 560cc or the Mentor MH 620cc. My PS says she has had less rippling with the Natrelle and I think I am okay with the 6.5 projection vs the Mentor 6.9 if it means less rippling. I don't have a date yet for the exchange, but my PS says 2 months from last fill.

Thoughts between the 2? And thanks for just being here y'all

Welcome OrcaPorkka! You are currently on Exchange City. This is a good thread here for preparing for Exchange surgery.

You will probably be able to get more detailed answers about sizing on Breast Implant 101. This is Whippetmom's helpful board that will get you pointed in the right direction on sizes and types. Please follow the instructions on the very first post in the thread.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics/746448

Another good thread is TEs: A Beginner's Primer. Here you can ask questions during the expansion process.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topics/819027

As you find your way among the threads, be sure to use the Favorites feature so you can find your favorite followed topics more easily.

Best wishes to you, Mominator

Hey BethL, how did you feel after exchange and grafting?

I'm more nervous about discomfort from lypo and drains than the exchange itself. Any lessons or recommendations you (or other post exchange ladies out there) can share about recovery in the first two weeks post op would be appreciated.

I get two weeks off then back to work, Spanks-bound for 8 weeks.

Orka, welcome to the site. Lots of great people in here. Hope you find these threads helpful. This is my first "rodeo" so to speak, so it's all new to me. I'm stumbling through the journey with lots of good help from ladies in here. Good luck with your journey.