Exchange City

Lynae - My docs were at Methodist in the med center., BS was Dr. Lim and PS was Dr. Friedman.

I had Allergan 410 anatomical implants in 2011 & I am very happy with them. When the cancer recurred in 2013 in the nodes, the BS was able to cut it out w/o breaching the implant on that side. So the only difference is the side with the 2nd surgery and subsequent radiation is a bit higher & tighter. PS has said he can make the other one match but since I'm at 7 years. I'll likely just wait for 10 years.

Dafne:

Hello! I'll chime in where I can.

(1) I found Exchange SO MUCH easier than BMX. And I had loads of pocket work, so not the easiest Exchange. You will simply feel so much better and so much sooner -- that I think you'll have to contain yourself and not do too much, too soon. I do feel that the "iron bra" is pretty much gone. I'm 6 months past Exchange and really don't notice the implants all that much anymore. Some tightness in the incision area but that's about it.

(2) I have gotten small cold weather spasms but short and not really a biggie.

(3) I wore a surgical bra of sorts for about a week. Then went into these coobie (is that right?) type bras. Like a sports bra. To keep everything from shifting while the pockets healed. I actually still wear them a lot and sleep in them. For the moment, it's just more comfortable wearing something. Maybe just in my mind.

I actually like my implants but it was about month 3 before I think they settled and began to look how they should. Be patient!

You're going to do great. The recovery for this is much easier than BMX.

Eastcoast, thank you so much for chiming in and sharing, you really gave me some much needed encouragement. I just hope and pray everything will be ok for me too.

Jaymeb, hope you ll feel better soon. A day out of surgery is really a short time.

Dafne,

Glad you finally are getting to this point in your journey. I found this surgery MUCH easier than my mastectomy, in every way.

The implant is much better than the TE, but the implants get softer and better feeling over time. I am 4 months out from my surgery, and I really think that they look and feel great. I might have a minor revision, but that is not uncommon, especially with a unilateral mastectomy with a lift on the natural breast. I don't get any spasms, but I live in Houston where cold weather is not usual. I had some fat grafting, so I wore spanx-type compressionon the bottom for a month, as well as a compression bra for a month.

All will go well...Keep us posted!

Jaymeb,

As I suggested to Dafne, your implant will soften over time. I am 4 months out and it really feels nice now...I didn't have itching, but perhaps those are nerves/scar tissue healing?

You just had surgery...not as major as the mastectomy, but soreness is normal. I found that mine dissipated rather quickly in comparison to the MX. As for the lifted breast, it looked quite nasty for about 1 week, but then the stiching healed really quickly and it started looking normal around the areola again.

To me, things looked pretty good after about 3 weeks, but even better as time moved on. The implant dropped into the pocket nicely, over 4 months. It sat too high at first, but that is normal too. I always looked fine in a regular bra, so that was nice.

I will get a 3D tattoo, as well, but only after I determine whether I need a revision. Things need to be well settled so that the nipples line up! 4 months sounds about right, based on my initial exchange surgery experience.

Dafne, I know you are now recovering from your exchange. I hope all went well and you are resting comfortably. I know you have been waiting a long time for this! As others mentioned, the recovery is so much easier and less painful than the msx. Just be very careful and don't do too much too soon because you feel good. You still need to take it easy and let your body heal, inside and out! I felt so good I planted 5 rosebushes 10 days post op. About 3/4 way through, I wished I hadn't done it. Also, if you are unhappy with your results, do give it several months before making your final judgement. There is a lot of swelling post-op. The implants also need to settle into the pockets, and will soften a bit depending on what type you get. If there is rippling after swelling subsides, you can get fat grafting which greatly helps hide the ripples and also makes the implants more comfortable so you don't feel the edges so much. I waited 7 months before my revision, although I knew I would need one for sure about 4 months post-op.

Jaymeb, I hope you are feeling better. Do keep an eye out for any signs of infection. A big clue is redness, heat, any excessive discharge, fever. As Scrafgal said, things will get better after a few weeks. The final results will become more evident after 2-3 months.

Jaymeb,

I didn't have radiation. It was not recommended, given the results of my mastectomy, tumor size and node negative status.

Reconstruction was a no-brainer for me too, for the same reasons. I know all about the new "go flat" movement, but I had to be honest with myself about my need for breasts. I knew from the beginning that I would have a reconstruction. Even knowing that I would be reconstructed, I still cried the night before my mastectomy. Just the thought of saying goodbye to my breast was traumatic for me!

At my 4 week post-op with my PS, he told me that I no longer had to wear the compression bra and that I could wear any bra that suited me. He felt that most of the swelling had gone down by then, so I didn't have to worry about too much of a sizing difference (in terms of cup size) after that point.

I took myself to Nordstrom for a fitting immediately--as in, I left my doctor's office and drove directly to Nordstrom! I couldn't wait to get a regular bra!! Also, it paid off to get a professional fitting because I never would have guessed my actual size. I knew that I was bigger but I never would have thought that I would be a DD. Well, that's what I am now. I would have thought that a DD was too big, but it really looks quite normal on me, given my frame and size. The Nordstrom fitter was great. She brought me different styles to try on, and I selected a few. I really felt quite wonderful wearing a new bra and looking quite normal again.

I also had some fat grafting done, during my final exchange. He added some fat to my natural breast that I got lifted, just to give it the same full shape as the implant side. He got that volume just right!

On Monday, I am 4 month out from the surgery, and we will discuss next steps. If I need a revision, I am certain that it will be minor...possibly including some fat grafting to add fat to the side (near underarm) on the implant side. I don't have a lot of body fat and that sometimes facilitates the ease of ripples showing through. So, I will keep everyone posted on how my PS meeting goes on Monday...

All in all, I feel great about how things turned out. I know that you'll feel the same way as the weeks and months pass!

ok ladies I’m coming to you seeking advice... I had my exchange surgery last March (2017) 3 months after finishing radiation. My skin held up really well. In this last year my implants have gone from symmetrical, to assymetrical to back to symmetrical. Overall things look really good in April my new PS will be rebuilding my nipple and doing fat grafting on both sides. The radiated side his intent is to soften and improve the skin, on both sides he will also be filling in spots and do some plumping of other areas. I had FG with my initial exchange....not sure how recovery will differ. Anyone out there have recovery from FG as a revision surgery only??? Any advice you can offer up would be wonderful. #strengthinnumbers #noonefightsalone #imasurvivor

I had strictly FG'ing done in December. It worked out great because trace amounts were still there from September's revision and that gave the new grafts something on which to cling. All the ripples went away and are still gone.

Recovery was easy, other than the donor areas. I had extensive bruising as she had to go hunting in a lot of places to find fat and leave me with good looking donor areas. Still, that was all good within 2 weeks.

Congratulations and good luck!

My exchange surgery is March 21. Things have gone well with my TE. I had a unilateral mastectomy, end of Nov.

I'll scroll up now and read others' posts.

Michelle:

What a great post for future Exchangers to read! Everything you said is so true. I'm about 7 months out from Exchange and things just get better and better.

Patience is key with reconstruction.

Eastcoast- That’s wonderful news... I have followed your posts along the way, I’m glad things are doing well. I really like the whole reconstruction thing needed to be said, by no means is it a magical experience. I really wanted our fellow sisters to understand the incredibly looooong process of reconstruction.

TrmTab I have also followed your journey and am so excited to hear about your weight loss. This is also something people do not realize about the reconstruction process and how it affects the results. I have also lost some weight since my initial exchange ( No reason to switch implants) unfortunately with a UNI you will have that issue when it comes to losing weight. I remember before BC my boobs were the first to deflate, now I don’t have that issue which leaves me kind of meh. I will continue to follow your journey and hope the revision goes well. Hugs to you both!

Landri:

Can say that implant(s) are SO much more comfortable than TEs. And I had an okay TE experience. Not horrible but implants a dream in comparison.