Exchange City

Lady, after the front closure I mostly wore Victoria Secret Pink pull over bra and the bralettes. The cheaper bralettes that cost about $20. I have also found ones at JC Penney that are really comfy and only $20 and I got mine for $15 on sale! It is their brand Ambrielle. I did the Nordstrom's after EX, but I wasn't happy with it at all. I still have it but don't use it. Very expensive. I just love the soft bralettes. I don't need any support per se, but I love the feeling of having something under and around them. I have the gummy bears so they did require the 24/7 sport bra for 6 weeks. I pretty much wore a bra 24/7 for over a year. Now I don't sleep with one anymore. And as I mentioned in a previous post, I can sleep on my side about a year post EX and now can even lay on my tummy for a short period of time. I tried the Genie bra and it just wasn't comfortable on me. Every one is so different. I have bought so many bras that I could have an entire dresser drawer just for them!!

Robin

I had my exchange today and I feel great! No pain, good appetite, no nausea. So relieved.

Granma3X I too have a knot at the end of one of my underarm excirsions after my EX but I think it may be too soon to message much. I also have a few stitches showing on the outside. So I am lightly and gently rubbing my whole incisions. Don't want to disrupt any inside stitches since my EX was only 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Thank you Seedsally. I will take you advice and do lots of nothing.

Robin - thanks. I kept trying to think of Moon's mantra last night and couldn't get it right. So here it is again - the most important thing for everyone recovering exchange:

JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD

I had my tattoos in July 2015 through my PS office. They were "ok" but have faded and don't have a 3D look at all! They look like targets. I have found a tattoo artist in my area highly recommended and a former star on LA Ink reality show. I am so excited! He will be giving me west coast "Vinnies" so I am going to call them my "Cory's". His assistant and office manager is a BC survivor herself. That makes it even sweeter. She has had many surgeries due to complications with TE's, radiation and seromas. She has decided to not get the nipples but to have Cory tattoo over her scars with beautiful designs. Being 62 I don't think I would go that route, but I am so excited to have realistic tattoos. At the PS office, they use cosmetic grade ink and that just doesn't last. This will be permanent. He charges $600 but that is cheaper than Vinny.

Robin

Glad to see these exchanges going well. NSM girls, any issues?

Truly concerned about my outcome, wandering nip, TEs getting higher on my chest, above my IMF. It's hard to believe they are sutured down. My Exchange 12/15.

Tell me about your results, everyone happy so far? Are you wrapped up at first?

Thanks for hope

Keiki - my TE also migrated northward so I had about a half inch between the bottom of the TE and where the IMF was supposed to be. I had my exchange in Oct. and the PS had to recreate the IMF on that side by pulling tissue up from below the IMF and suturing it to the tissue covering my rib cage (this was how it was explained but I may have missed something). It was a little uncomfortable at first - I could feel it pinching when I moved certain ways- but the discomfort went away after a couple of weeks.

Smilethrupain - I had my exchange surgery on a Wed. and took the rest of the week and the following week off of work. I felt good enough to drive after the first week. Recovery was pretty easy, but I do not have young children. You will be able to do some chores that do not require lifting anything more than 10 pounds. I could do the laundry within a day after surgery, for example, but not carry the laundry basket. Sitting at the table for meals was no problem.

I hope everyone else is healing well. I feel good - counting the days until I can sleep on my side again (1 more week!!). I won't see the PS until Dec. 20, so don't know what the plan is going forward. There is some rippling and the lower outside right foob looks like it is not filled in - it's kind of flat compared to the left. My nipple is also displaced on the right. No nipple on the left, so I will need to make a decision about what to do about that. My right nipple is always erect as well. I will have to wear a bra with padding to cover that up, or will look lopsided with one nipple always on and nothing on the other side. I have heard that erect nipples can be flattened during revisions. Does anyone else have this problem?

wild tulip and smile .... I had my exchange same day as grandma3x 10/26. I only used 1 week off from wk. I could've gone back in half that time I think !! Nothing at all like BMX surgery as far as pain and recovery. I didn't lift and moved slowly but overall walk in the park comparatively speaking between exchange and BMX.

Grandma3x I'm healing very well but am nervous to try and sleep on my side lol afraid I will 'push' or displace them lo

bikefam, It took a good year before they felt like they were "mine". And sleeping on my side happed about the same time. Do you have gummies or rounds?

Robin

I started sleeping in my side as soon as I'd had my exchange..it was wonderful! They don't seem like mine when I look in the mirror but they feel fine and I think we'll get along fine. I'm just 3 weeks post exchange. There is definitely fat grafting in my future though. I wish comfort to you all. :-

bikefam. .... I hear you!? I will be 6 weeks from exchange next week and I want to sleep on my side so bad but worried about doing it !

All Ladies wondering about sleeping on side - I have anatomicals (don't know if that matters) & my PS said I could sleep on my side at 6 wks. post EX. She did say if you only sleep on one side it could create more pressure to that implant but didn't say it could cause a problem. I wore a surgical bra or sports bra per her request for the first 6 wks. I tried sleeping w/o a bra on my side at 8 wks. & it didn't feel right to me. Like Robinblessed & other ladies here have mentioned, they wore support bras to bed for quite a long time post EX so that's what I'm doing & I've had no problem sleeping on my side. It just feels better to have the girls supported!

Maybe I am being too cautious as far as sleeping on my side. I haven't tried sleeping in a bra (except at first when I had to). This is also my second implant-the first one ruptured at 5 months. I've posted about it in several forums, so maybe some of you remember. We have no idea why, but it has made me a little "gun shy" for getting back to normal activities. I sure don't want another set-back. But maybe I'll give it another try.

Thank you for all the responses about side sleeping! I love to hear about others' experiences. Thanks for sharing!