Bras 101: The Great Post-Exchange Debate
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PeggySull,
I am also direct to implant, 10 weeks tomorrow. My surgeon said no under wires until 8 weeks. Good luck!0 -
If anyone is planning (or needs- don't we all) a trip to the Florida Keys, the ladies at the Lion's Lair in Islamorada were very helpful and managed to find something to help with my current pre-exchange status- 38c/38DD!! I got both a bra and swimsuit there. They wery helpful and interesting ladies who took plenty of time with me. Of course, everyone is on island time there and they are not as busy as a Nordstrom's or Soma store!
Let's all go, I think we deserve a vacation (I was in Miami for a conference and drove down one afternoon, but definitely need to go back).
Good luck to all who are seeking a good- and painless fit. I am excited about getting my exchange next Thursday. Finally!!0 -
Tina, I'd call the manager & find someone there who is knowledeable about mastectomy fitting.Sorry about your experience! I've always had a fab. exper. w/ Nordsrom.
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Violet....she was a mastectomy fitter
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Went to a different Nordstrom today and worked with a very nice young lady. Put me in a different size than the fitter at the first Nordstrom and I trust her since she actually spent some time (and wasn't texting while talking to me!). Much better experience......
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So glad your visit to Nordstrom went better! We expect the best from them.
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tina..i might go this werkend..!0 -
Tina -- so glad you had a good experience -- finally! There is something wrong going on at that other Nordstrom if you ask me. I do think you should complain somewhere so that they can get their act together!
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Hi ladies, did any one of you experienced a change in bra size after 3+ months post exchange? I will be 11 weeks post exchange on monday. Since yesterday I had been experiencing some pain on my right upper pole. Yesterday I have to take off my bra and that relieved the pain. Can't do it today because I'm at work. I tried to loosen up the strap and it help a bit but the pain did not completely go away. I feel bigger and fuller when I woke up this morning.
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Hi ladies am wondering what type/brand of bras you recommend for post exchange? I exchanged to squishes on Wednesday and for now was told to only wear my surgical bras 24/7 for the first week. When I go to my post-op appt with my PS next week I will ask what I should be wearing going forward. Have heard different theories on sports bras/underwires. I did have some pocket work done on the right side in the IMF.
Jen0 -
Thirdgen,
Just like all other things each PS seems to have a bra preference. Since yours knows the particulars of your surgery be sure to ask what he/she recommends for you....and why! My PS said whatever kind I wanted.
Next step? Try and fail a whole bunch of bras til you find what works for you. My favorite is the Wacoal La Femme. I also like my Natori sports bra, but am going to try a Bendon as soon as it arrives.
Be sure you go find a certified fitter somewhere, because your reconstructed breasts will not fit bras quite the way the originals did. AND it takes a couple of months for the swelling to all go away, so don't go invest much early on.
Happy Bra Dreams!! Lol.0 -
Tina, I would contact Nordstrom management at that store. If I were I supervisor, I would want to know if my employee was not doing her job, especially in such a sensitive situation.
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Hi, looking to see if anyone used a body shaper camisole after exchange. I am two weeks post op and plastics said I could wear anything that wasn't an underwire and kept them in place. They are uncomfortably low and and I am concerned with bottoming out on the side where the dermal matrix failed. Any thoughts?
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Thanks Dulcigirl! I'll just wait until my post-op appt on Friday and see what my PS recommends as far as what type of bra to wear. Like you said, I don't want to invest too much too early. Will definitely get formal fitting when the time is right. I can wait to go happy bra shopping for a few more weeks or months when things settle down! Lol
Jen0 -
Hi BCS22, i am wearing a body smoother which is more comfy than the sports bra they advised me to wear right after exchange.
I switched to this because i am mostly just laying around in bed this weekend. It seems to give the same amount of support.
But I have a different situation-only unilateral and the implant is still riding high, much "perkier' than the other side.0 -
Hi ladies--Question for ya'll.....I am 2 months post exchange and still having major bra issues. My PS told me to wear whatever I wanted 2 weeks after surgery (I had the lollipop incision) underwire included. So far I have been unable to find a bra that I can tolerate for more than a couple of hours. He says all my swelling is gone. I feel that some is still there along the side of my ribcage. When I wear a bra that I think fits, within an hour or so, it feels like it's digging into me. Then when I take it off, I have marks from the bra but only on the MX side. This tells me that the bra fits the natural side but there is still swelling on the MX side. Is it unusual to still have swelling at 2 months? I've probably tried about 80-100 bras. The closest I've come is the Warner 2003 which still isn't comfortable. I've had 3 different bra fitters measure me and all agree I'm a 36C but I try all the sizes and still no comfort. I've been wearing the bras I bought from the wig boutique to wear with expander...hooks up the front and has pockets for prosthesis. It's not perfectly comfortable but the best so far. I'd just love to wear something nice for once! Am I expecting too much too soon?
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Lala - I am SO sorry you are having trouble! To be honest, it was at least 2months post -exchange before I was remotely comfortable in a bra. I don't think I necessarily had swelling....but I definitely wasn't comfortable. Redness isn't necessarily indicative of poorly-fitting bras, though, do don't throw anything away just yet! Can you describe where your discomfort is? Along the IMF (under the foob) or lateral? And where are the marks that you mentioned?
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val61---Good to know that I'm not crazy! When I take the bra off (underwire) I will have the mark of the wire on the side of my foob, but I won't have a mark on the native side. That's why I think I still have swelling although I can't really see it. I didn't have an IMF incision. Only around the areola (and sorry, that's the donut incision not lollipop!) for the lift to my native side. Not bothered by a bra at all on that side. It's my MX side that's causing all the problems! The implant still feels like it's under my arm pit and any underwire feels like it's digging in to my side. I get marks there from the wire as well as marks from the elastic band but only on the MX side. How long does it take on average for all the swelling to go away and will I ever be able to wear a nice bra again?!
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Hi Lala, I'm behind you by a couple weeks (exchange 4/19). My PS doesn't want me to wear UW's for a couple months (didn't like them prior to uni-mx/bi-lat recon in Oct; 1st uni-mx, in '96). Sent me home in a very uncomfortable surgical bra with hooks in front, adjustable/Velcro straps. Fabric/gathers under IMF VERY comfortable, it's been tossed. Had to get 2 post-mx bras back a couple months ago because 2 sides were different sized initially (ins covered) and needed mini-prosthesis to even them out till fills evened out: t-shirt fabric, hooks in front, have been living in them at home. PS warned me not to spend lots of money on expensive bras for about 3 months as there's a chance after foobs settle completely the bras won't fit the same. The first bra I've been wearing is sooo very comfy: it's a Barely There #4085, very stretchy, no UW's. I think I wear about 38DD now, pre-mx (pre-mx, 38C/D). Funny thing, they're around $30 at Kohls and other place, sales online (many colors), but saw them at Walmart in beige around $10. PS said those, along with Genie bras are great for now at they keep girls from moving around.
Even so, sometimes at the end of the day, the side that hd a lot more work done hurts a bit IMF - PS says this is part of healing process. Hope this helps!0 -
2nd time---I knew you weren't too far behind me and was wondering how you were doing. Sounds like you have the same type bras as me. Got them from the Breast Center because my MX side was so different from the native side with the TE. I was able to add prosthesis to even them out while I filled. They are mostly comfortable for me just not real attractive and show through some tops so I have to watch what I wear. And with it getting hot, they get more more uncomfortable!! I like hearing what other PS say. Mine is very hands off once he gives me the new foob. He pretty much says do what I want as far as lifting or exercise and wear what I want as far as bras. He even told me that my new foob won't really drop which it has quite a bit and definitely softened now that I'm massaging it. He was surprised! He's very young so hasn't really figured out how these things affect patients. This board was who taught me how important PT is for healing. Otherwise I'd still have major pain but once I did PT and got back my ROM, I am doing much better. This board helped me with scar treatment, after MX pain, now bras, as well as loads of other stuff! Thanks for your advice. I will go to Walmart today and look for both those bras!! As to pain, I've come to realize that most of it comes from right where I had my 2 drains. I've heard that those sites can ache for a long time. Anyone have residual pain from where there drains were?
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Hi lala, I agree about the usefulness of these boads- SO much more info than what our docs give us.
What did you end up using for scar treatment? Or anyone? I have not found those posts yet. Tomorrow at my PS visit my steri-strips will come off so I can start treating the scars.
Then I can join the great bra debate, looking forward to it.
I am currently in a bodyshaper, its all I can tolerate so far.0 -
sciencegal - I'm sure that different PSs have different recommendations regarding scar treatment so yours will have his/her own. Along the way my PS and his PA have recommended silicone scar strips or Kelocote (a silicone gel) as well as scar massage with either any sort of lotion or in the shower when the skin is slippery with soap. I know different people simply make better scars than others due to genetics, but I massaged and used the silicone strips and had good success.
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Thank you- I have never heard of either- will check them out.
I did ask my PS and he simply said that I need nothing, his work will leave a minimal scar (typical surgeon, kind of lacks bedside manner but he IS very good).
SO I figured it would be best to query those who have "been there done that". I end up getting most of my best info from these posts!0 -
sciencegal - I didn't start any scar treatments until the incisions were fully healed and I had the OK from my PS.
I think all good PSs do their best to make incisions that will be as inconspicuous as possible. Mine has told me that I make nice scars so I know the surgeon can only take you so far and obviously the rest is up to general health, genetics, skin coloration, etc.
There are a number of brands out there, but this one was the better of the two brands of silicone sheets that I tried (got them on Amazon):
Scaraway C-Section Scar Treatment Strips, Silicone Adhesive Soft Fabric 4-Sheets (7 X 1.5 Inch)
This was the more expensive of the two, but it lasted longer and stayed in place better. My incisions were IM so bra band was right on top of the strips. The PA recommended getting the C-Section strips and cutting them down for my IM incisions. Silicone sheets are re-usable, but they eventually lose their "stick". You have to clean them between uses with a bit of soapy water to keep them sticky.
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Wonderful info- Thank you!!!
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Hi ladies I am curios about scar treatment too. Where can you find these silicone scar strips? Can you buy them in stores or only online? Now that my incisions won't be opened again I want to do all posible yo reduce the appearance of the scars.
Jen0 -
Silicone scar strips are available at the drug store (at my CVS, for example).
Lala -- it's possible that the foob needs a larger cup size than your native breast. (OR there is still residual swelling). I know that my native side is slightly smaller -- especially laterally which is normal since implants ARE wider than natural breasts -- what size are you wearing now?
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Great thanks for the info Lilah!
Jen0 -
As Lilah mentioned, silicone scar strips are widely available. Your local drug store has them, but I found the best price online (Amazon).
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Lilah--I'm currently wearing a 36C. I was measured with a 34" ribcage and all the fitters add 2". Believe it or not, but most of these fitters tell me my native breast is larger. I strongly disagree just in the sense that the foob is wider, as you said. It doesn't fill out the tip of the cup in some bras but in many it does. The foob also has more in the upper pole so more bras fit better on that side. I find my biggest problem is the feeling that the "tip" of the underwire feels as if it's poking my armpit. Again, I feel this is due to swelling although I can't really "see" it any more. It's just like the deep marks the elastic leaves on the foob side under my arm. I feel that is all part of the same swelling. I'm thinking I need to just walk away from bras for another month and see how things look then! I just really feel like treating myself and bras were going to be the ticket!! Oh well, another letdown from BC....just another hurry up and wait!
Sciencegal--As far as scar treatment, my PS said to do whatever I wanted (of course) but when PRESSED, said to go to CVS and buy ScarAway sheets. I buy the 1.5"x3" and cut them in half, then lay them end to end on my MX scar. I only use them at night while sleeping (and I wear the soft MX bra to sleep in so I know they won't get rubbed off) and use each one for about a week. That would give you a 2 month supply. Then for the aerola scar (which you may not be dealing with), I bought the New Gel sheets that are the circular clear aerola ones. You get a pair and use each one for 1 month, so a 2 month supply. Both sheets I just rub under cold water when removed and I lay them out to dry for the day. When I take the sheets off in the AM, I use Palmers Cocoa Butter in the jar and rub it on the scars, then I take the Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion and rub it on both breasts. This not only helps with scars but the massaging has softened up my implant (Mentor smooth round) so much that it's drooped to almost exactly match my native breast and my husband swears it's almost as soft!
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