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Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate

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Comments

  • val61
    val61 Member Posts: 969

    Welcome, mamatwinz! Congrats on your exchange! My first guess is that you probably pushed yourself a bit too much your first day out:). As for sleeping, my PS advised me to sleep on my back for several weeks, just like after bmx. That was tough for this side-sleeping gal, but now I actually feel more comfortable in my back - just like sleeping in underwire LOL! I'd suggest something more supportive than the Genie bra for early on, especially because a you should have straps that adjust.



    Back to work for me! Have a fab day, ladies! Owl-love your bra addict list!!!

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    so can i get an adjustable strap bra cheap? walmart?  the adjustable strap one i have from surgery is literraly not even on velcro anymore so not sure how much support it is giving..i had similar trouble pre mx with putting adjustable bra straps to their max shortness!.. any recommendations for good side n under support post op. I have anatomicals so not much movement, but dang I am hurting today on right on side.  Looking for extra lift on left (I think she is a little lower) and side support on both.. I think that is what was missing from these new bras I bought...??  I did like the list too.. I am so not a bra person, at least pre mx I was not..had same water bras from college and have bought maybe 3 since then on clearance racks at macy's..that's it..  :)

  • 2nd_time_around
    2nd_time_around Member Posts: 14,084

    Ok. So I'm not really ready for a REAL bra, not 2 weeks since exchange but so looking forward to a real and pretty bra! After 16 yrs of mx-bras and taking DD out to VS the last couple of years for bras because she's too big for dept store bras that are cute for a teen and having such bra-envy! Went to Kohls just to try on bras, felt SO good to look at pretty bras for me! Still not sure about sizes, need to make appt with Nordies once I'm ready. See PS tomorrow for 2nd post-op so we'll see. Think it will be a while as I slipped in a water puddle at Sprouts on Monday and yanked my bad side (back to post-op swelling, soreness and pain unfortunately. We see how bad tomorrow).



    Dulcigirl... Will so want to wear my pretty pretties on the outside too!



    Mamatwinz... Welcome!

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    2nd time i was at kohls yesterday and ran errands and likely overdid ut and i hurt today. :(  omg stinging and burning pain on rt side and up to armpit..it was awful.  took pain meds 3 times  today..scared me a little..so i did not try on anything today..will look tomorrow some...lwt me know if nordstroms will fit u..they told me to wait?? altho would not have been able to go today and use my arms at all..tomorrow will be a better day!  would macys be good to try?  belks? i am just nervous that the one i got from kohls may not be good..did any of u guys get soft cups post exvhange? ir just support/sports bra?

  • sweetandspecial
    sweetandspecial Member Posts: 1,669

    I haven't had my exchange yet but oh my goodness I sure hope I can get back into pretty bras when the time comes.  I am so, so, so, so, so sick of sports bras and stretchy bras!  Sure, they can be 'pretty'.  Sports bras have come a LONG way since I was a high school athlete.  Oh wait.....I don't think sports bras even existed yet when I was in high school. lol!  But I want a 'real' bra. The kind that hooks in the back (or front) and has real cups and normal straps and comes in beautiful colors!

  • sciencegal
    sciencegal Member Posts: 546

    Mamatwinz have you called your PS' office to ask about the pain? If it came on where it hadn't been before, and is breaking through the pain meds, it is worth asking about. I hope you are doing okay.

    Healing cyberhugs!
  • JamieB86
    JamieB86 Member Posts: 183

    So. soem time ago I posted about my Chantelle bras I got on clearance at Bloomies.  Didn't wear the lacy blue one until just the other day. What fun! and so comfortatable.  Thanks for the heads-up ladies.  I never would have known.  (DH loved it too)

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    hey science..i am doing much better today!  i may have over did it on tuesday, thus the horrible day yesterday.  i talked with my ps nurse when i asked for pain med refill and she said incr pain fairly common after post op appt as most folks tend to overdo it!  i took one pain med today after running errands and instead of going home i stopped to pick strawberries from farm down the road.. :0  

    thanks runnermom...i have decent upper pole fullness on rt, but not 

  • violet_1
    violet_1 Member Posts: 335

    Oh my gorsh! Went to Walmart & they did NOT have the Genie bras! I ended up trying on tons of bras there & at Kmart--hate Kmart, but it's close by. Almost none of the stupid bras fit me right. BUT, I found out TODAY that my EXCHANGE surgery will be the 3rd week in MAY!!!! YAY! So, I just got 2 bras that sorta/kinda/not-really fit for now...lol! I could order the Genie bras, but not sure what size? Should I just wait now until after my exchange?

    Thanks!

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864

    Violet,

    Do you have a Bed, Bath & Beyond near you? That's where I got my Genie bras. With a 20% off coupon! ;-)



    But with your exchange coming up you really don't want to spend much. Do you know what your dr will be sending you home in? Some girls come home wrapped up, some in surgical bras,....My PS sent me home in a surgical bra and wanted me in it for two weeks. By that point I felt good enough to go find another bra that actually fit my new squishies. Now I'm nearly 3 months out and feeling like what I pick now will be the correct size. (Pretty sure I am all settled in.)



    No need to have a BPA! (Bra Panic Attack)

    :-)

  • sciencegal
    sciencegal Member Posts: 546

    Hi Violet-I am also in Nor-Cal and also having my exchange surgery the third week of May. Parallel universes!



    At this point I have one bra that works ok and it can get me through to the sqishy side. I hope you do too. The genie bra was too tight for me, even in size large, with the expander on one side (550ccs). I have a nice Freya bra with a pad on the natural side to even it up and lift.



    I bet shopping for a new bra will be a lot more fun without the expander!! I am thinking that what fits us now won't later in the summer.



  • Estel
    Estel Member Posts: 2,780

    Found this video on hand washing bras from Linda the bra lady.



    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=EiwGipS_7hM&desktop_uri=/watch?v=EiwGipS_7hM&feature=youtu.be



  • 2nd_time_around
    2nd_time_around Member Posts: 14,084

    Thanks, Dawne-Hope, very interesting video.



    That video will be coming in handy....



    Have had such an advanced case of bra-envy! It's probably been 17 years since I bought a pretty, feminine bra. Sigh. After 1st mx in 1996 have been wearing those unflattering (call them "industrial") bras to hold prosthesis. PS doesn't want me to wear UW's for at least 3-4 months, tired of wearing post-surgical close up the front ones. Love the ones you all have been posting, but not in my budget right now (no job for me since Oct., DH out of work for years), so had to get creative. Read about sizing and knew it took trying on, LOTS of trying on. May brings sales for Mother's Day, so had to take advantage. Tried Kohls, very few in my size (38DD, 38DDD, 40DD) depending on brand and style. Decided to JC Penney (had sale, buy one, get free and lots on clearance). Looked for prettiest, most colorful, UW's, non-UW's. Must have brought 50-60 bras to try on, several hours, but oh such an experience for me! Have to admit there were some tears too. Goal was a couple wire-free for right now, a couple (or more) for later on (also checked return policy, so ok there too). Wow!! Too much fun! Get a total of 7 for just over $100, plus took advantage of sales and coupons and got a new swimsuit to show off the girls. Years ago, would never have dreamed I could a pretty bra off the shelf! What an ego-boost!

  • Estel
    Estel Member Posts: 2,780

    2nd time around - Yay!  So happy for you!  Kiss

  • JamieB86
    JamieB86 Member Posts: 183

    good for you 2nd time around. enjoy your new pretties

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    yay 2nd time..wish u we could shop together!  :)  pre bmx i rarely bought bras..but found some good clearance ones at macys..i may try penneys later on..thnx! :)  i hope i have patience to try on lots of bras..i m the girl that tries on maybe 4-5 prs of pants and if they do not fit, or i feel like i look bad in them..i determine it is a bad day to shop for me, and its over...  would be cool if a group of us could meet one day.. :)   so regarding bras..my cotton support bra by bali that i bought to switch out from close front 

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    sorry phone issues..anyways when i wear it, i feel fine, but as the day goes on, i get sore?  ..so could it be bra is not good for me, or maybe not good for me yet(almost 3 wks post op) ?  or more related to wearing my first day back at work at just hurting from that?  maybe also because i have the sientra anatomicals?

  • 2nd_time_around
    2nd_time_around Member Posts: 14,084

    Thanks ladies! Felt like a kid in a candy shop! When I brought the first batch of bras, maybe 20+ to the dressing room, I was overwhelmed. Such pretty, pretties! Told myself I was making up for lost time: figuring all the time I didn't spend in the last several years was made up for yesterday. So grateful I had a great sales lady, she started to tell me there's a limit, that's when the tears started, told her my story (she was closer to my age and not a young-un), she said to have fun! Would love to have company shopping!! Someone to laugh with when I get crazy. Wish I could figure out how to post photos here.



    Reminds me of having to take DD to Victoria's Secret; she's very blessed in the boobs dept (not from me), she's tall, slim, long legs and probably a 32DD (hard to find, especially when her friends where all the cute little junior-size bras).

  • Layla2525
    Layla2525 Member Posts: 465

    Anyone tried the Victoria's Secret sports bra with the gel?  They just sent me a catalog and I thought at my age (60) ??   All the regular bras in there are underwire. I used to wear those kind all the time. However, now I find them extremely uncomfortable. Gel bras for gel boobs?

    Happy Mother's Day!

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235

    Sorry, a little vent here...just had my second underwhelming fitting experience at my local Nordstrom's today.  Spoke with a very pleasant young lady last week on the phone and made an appointment with her.  When I showed up a few minutes before my appointment today I was told that she was busy with a customer and that she was "passing me off" (actual words used) to someone else, but that person wouldn't be back from lunch for a while.  When second person finally showed up she seemed a bit put out.  Her phone rang numerous times and she proceeded to stop mid-sentence to send texts while in the dressing room with me.  When I finally gave her the stink-eye she told me that it was business, that she was also a personal stylist. 

    She brought me all of three bras and declared that the first one I put on fit me perfectly and was soooooo pretty.  When I pointed out that the cups were a little loose she decided that I was best off with the exact same bra I had worn from home.  Boo, very disappointing.  I had told her what I was looking for and during that waiting period I was actually having trouble finding many bras in my size (34DD).  They honestly didn't seem to have a lot of stock on hand, I was quite surprised.

    Sorry for the negativity, but this is the second such experience I've had at that store.  I don't get it...   

  • Dulcigirl
    Dulcigirl Member Posts: 864

    Tina,

    That just stinks! I have gone twice...two different Nordstrom's. Both times were unplanned stops. My first stop was early morning right after opening and I lucked out by being met by a mastectomy certified fitter. She was very kind, although looking back I believe she should've brought me more than two styles to try. My second stop was in the evening. It was a smaller store and did not look like they had much stock. The young girl working alone could easily have been overwhelmed with the several customers she was helping at once. But I waited patiently in the dressing room and because of her I have a wonderful sports bra that I love AND my fav everyday bra (Wacoal La Femme). She went "in the back" to get both of them in my size.



    Don't give up. But you may want to call and ask for a manager, explain briefly your two experiences and ask who they would recommend and what would be the best time to come in. I would not turn it into a chance to put down the clerks, but merely state your need and your wish to find the best opportunity to meet it.







  • Carrol2
    Carrol2 Member Posts: 1,477

    TinaT sorry you had a bad expereince. I work at Soma and once in a while we get busy and a customer who needs attention does not get it and leaves unhappy. In the two years (almost) I have worked there. I have seent it happen twice. We do take appointments and in both cases this was not an appointment, if it was they would have gotten undivided attention. But when they pop in on a weekend at peak time and there is a big sale going on it can get crazy to try to run around and help everyone in the store at once. Usually if a customer is unhappy we offer them a coupon for $10 off for the next time the shop hoping they will still come back and they usually do.

    That said a customer was in yesterday that told me she went to Nordstroms because she had an apointment with the American Cancer Society for a fitting. I never heard of this but perhaps you can look into it with AMS.

  • Lilah
    Lilah Member Posts: 2,631

    Tina -- with two bad experiences at that location, I would complain.  Something isn't right.  The trained expert who helped me at my local Nordstrom's told me they specifically have trained employees (not all of them but some of them) to help BC reconstruction shoppers.  Was the original woman you made an appointment with the trained expert in that store?  If so, you deserved better and if it were me I would complain and say that the only reason I went was for the trained fitter, etc.  What a disappointment!

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235

    Sorry for the griping - in the big scheme of things just a minor irritation.  I guess I just wasn't getting that "we are here to help you" feeling between being told by one of the floor staff that I was being "passed off" (just a bad choice of words, I know) and the texting.  I just think it is the height of rudeness to stop in the middle of a sentence to read and answer texts - twice - while in an intimate setting like being in a locked dressing room with a stranger who has her chest bared to you.  No excuse me or I'm so sorry or let me step out until she finally realized my mouth had dropped open and I was just about to say something.  I think it would have been a different experience if the woman with whom I had the appointment hadn't been tied up with another customer, she was very pleasant and helpful on the phone when I made the appointment.

  • mamatwinz
    mamatwinz Member Posts: 193

    sorry tina..i will be calling them soon to get measured, etc.  I talked with them about two weeks post op and she wouldn't see me until 4-6 weeks post op..she was nice on the phone tho.. She put me on hold to ask someone something so i think there is a certain person who is the "go to" person for these fittings.  maybe u can see who their go to person is and ?ask their schedule for a couple days and say that you will try to come in, but not sure on time and wanted to be sure that particular lady is there because of what happened..i bet they will be VERY nice to you then...no store wants bad customer service...  :)

  • Estel
    Estel Member Posts: 2,780

    TinaT - I'm so sorry!  Yell  For it to happen TWICE is unacceptable. 

    I agree with Lilah, you need to call and let them know.  Even though Nordstrom doesn't carry a lot of bras in my size ... they have bent over backwards to accomodate and help me.  There is something wrong there.

    Is there a privately owned bra boutique, MX shop somewhere near you?  There is an "Anne's Bra Shop" in St. Louis that I love ... I've been there a few times and every lady that works there has experience with MX/reconstruction patients ... maybe there is a place like that near you?  I hope you can find somewhere that can help you and give you a good and helpful experience ... I'm really sad for you.  There is no excuse to be treated like that ... twice.

    Do call and let them know that you are disappointed and that you expected better.

  • tinat
    tinat Member Posts: 2,235

    There's another Nordstrom's in my area and I may give them a shot...it's just a little farther away.  Perhaps I hit this store on two particularly bad days.  She did measure me yesterday at a 32DDD (yikes!), but the two bras she brought in that size felt uncomfortably tight and the cups didn't seem to fit well so I'm doubtful.  And, yes, she was a mastectomy fitter.

    Thanks, all!!!

  • PeggySull
    PeggySull Member Posts: 368

    Okay, I went bra shopping today. My PS said no underwires. I am 6 weeks after direct to implant surgery. I didn't ask why or for how long, but since I'm not seeing her for nine weeks I'm guessing it's for that long.



    I've been looking at posts in this forum re underwire vs no no underwire. PSs with all different opinions.



    What I want to know is if anyone wore an underwire at this stage and had any kind of problems with their skin or implants. I'm half following PS orders I bought one okay no underwire bra and two beautiful underwires. I'm too scared to wear the underwires yet.



    Anyone here hurt by underwires?



    Thanks for any responses!



    Peggy







  • Estel
    Estel Member Posts: 2,780

    PeggySull - Where are your incisions?  If they're in or near the IMF it would be wise to not wear an underwire for a while ... if your incisions aren't anywhere near your incisions ... maybe you could.  I didn't have direct to implant surgery so I don't know.  

    My PS told me no underwire for three months after I got my implants.  I went for about a month and then started wearing underwires because that was the only way I could alleviate pain ... the underwires just felt more comfortable for me but I did try to follow my PS's instructions ... at first.  Wink

  • p22nut5
    p22nut5 Member Posts: 26

    PeggySull-my surgeon told me no underwires too. But 2 1/2 weeks post op I could feel my left implant moving around ( sideways and upward ), so I went to get fitted and started wearing underwire since then and never felt that movement anymore. When I went to see my doctor I told him what I did. He did not disagree this time. He just told me to wear whatever is comfortable. Few weeks ago I started feeling some "bubbles rising" when I move my arm to a certain position or when I yawn, so I started wearing underwires 24hrs/day. I still feel that "bubbles" every now and then but so much less. I will be 10 weeks post op this coming monday and everything is looking good.

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