All things bras & prosthesis
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thanks Ariom,
Yes, I agree this has become my favorite board! Why not, it's fun, positive and informative. It's helping me move on.
Best,
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I've had Mondor's, too. Weird when it first happened (about a year after my initial lumpectomy and radiation, then again after my bilateral mastectomy three years later), and painful. But once I learned how to stretch and carefully "massage" along the cord, it resolved quite quickly.
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I have found the blog of my dreams!!! Foobs and bras and other stuff too. I am obsessed about this and have enjoyed all your posts. Still learning so not much to add . Thanks for all your input. Got the swim gear together and am pleased the Amoena swim form. Swim outlet.com is good site for swimsuits and they have some on sale. So stocked up on those . Believe me if a bra or suit has even a tiny slit I will get my big foob in it!!!!!!
More later
O2
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O2, and knit doesn't ravel.....
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I didn't realize that Mondor's is rare. I had it too, but it resolved fairly quickly.
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RR, I tried to find out as much as I could about it, but found that it is not too uncommon in women who have breast augmentation, but my Surgeon called it rare, because I was only the 2nd patient he'd had with it, after a Mx and he has specialized as a breast surgeon, in 3 countries.
Apparently, it can be caused by any kind of trauma to the breast and is also linked to Axilla cording. One of the small studies I found said that when biopsied some of the cords had lymph and others were blood.
I find it interesting that it can return, mine did, but much less than the first time and that it just resolves on its own, with no detrimental effects.
I was having myofascial release massage at the time and the therapist massaged mine quite vigorously and I think that helped to break it up. I will never forget the sensation of turning over in bed and one of them snapped!
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Ooh, the snap. That is something I sure don't miss.
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I need a new foob. If you are a Double DD or up what brand do you prefer? The place I will be getting my new one doesn't carry the old one. Plus my insurance doesn't cover them so what can I expect to pay.
Thanks
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Hi Kittydog, I am a Uni D and have both silicone and weighted, foam forms. I lean more to the foam these days I really like the weight and the feel.
If it were me, I would go and be fitted for a few different types of forms to know what suits you and what weight you prefer, also the bras you decide on, make a difference too. For me, fitting was important, for the first purchase and then I found everything else, through searching the internet.
The Mx specific bras, are cut to take the weight of the prosthesis and have wider straps that don't fall down, they have a generous opening for the pocket too. I think it is wise to purchase these Mx bras, even if a bit pricier, than conventional bras, especially if you are a larger cup size.
When you get a feel for what you like and the size you need, go and search. Ebay is a great place to find what you need at bargain prices, it is just a bit of a luck of the draw sometimes to find your size. Metromedical online is a great place for all things Mx. at good prices. I know you have wonderful outlets in the US, maybe there is one somewhere for Mx supplies? Let me know if you find one!
The silicone forms can be very expensive, but I think in the US, I am assuming you're in the US, the basic Amoena can be bought for under $200.00 with their top of the range being well over $300.00. They do last very well, if you take care and wash them regularly and keep in the box when not in use. The foam forms vary in price, but the TruLife weighted foam forms are $40.00 each or 2 for $72.00 at Meomedical, they don't last as long, but they are very comfy and have a washable cover.
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Thanks. My current favorite bra is kind of expensive but the place I am going gave me a great deal since my insurance doesn't cover them anymore. I have used the foam ones but they just didn't sit quite right. I will start setting aside money then for the new foob. Hoping my old one will last till I save enough money.
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I've never heard of mondors but I will ask my PT about it today and be proactive about it! Thanks for bringing that up.
Best,
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yes, Ariom is the expert and I am a newbie but I agree with going to a fitter who can let you try on different weight and types of foobs with different bras. For example, I love my silicone foob and I love how it looks in the Amoena Angela bra that I purchased. But in the hot weather, like right now, I'm preferring a weighted foam form in a lighter stretchy Marlena bra. The foam seems cooler than the silicone. I still really like the way the silicone feels and looks so as the weather turns colder, I'll be back to that. Both bras have a completely different look about them with the forms. I hope this helps.
I also had really good service from metromedical.com.
Best,
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I had good service from that company too.
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KittyDog, I just got a silicone breast form: ABC Diamond 10287, and it is unbelievably comfortable. It is much cooler, and conforms to my body shape better than my foam form. I also found a Jodee molded cup T-shirt pocket bra, style 810 that fits the form perfectly. I used to be a 34DD, but reconstruction left me with 650CC implants.....one of the implants failed due to radiation healing problems, so I now have one foob and one flat! The Jodee bra is a 34D and the protheses is a size 6. I am so sorry that your insurance will not cover your costs. How do they get away with it considering the 1998 Fed. Law, and the Affordable Care Act? Life is not fair.
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thimble,
Thanks for the ABC diamond silicon form info!
Has anyone bought the ABC pocketed 3/4 length t shirt? I was wondering about the fit and sizing. It only comes in a light pink. I wish they had more bold colors but I'm thinking of getting one for fall. I'm a size 6 ABC form. Somewhere between 34B and 36B, Depending on the style. I'm about a size 10 shirt.
Best,
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The bra that holds my heavy real boob up the best is an Amoena Ella size 42D. The foob is by Anita and a size 12. I would really love to have the other one off but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
AETNA gets away with it because they have a special deductible for durable medical equipment. That deductible you might as well say they don't cover it because it is $2500 a year. Same goes for my lymphedema garments so I just don't wear those anymore. Talk is that my husbands company will be changing soon. I hope the next one will cover stuff better.
Metromedical is a great company. I have ordered from a sister company lots of times trying to find a good bra. That company is PinkBra.com. If they don't have it, it then gets shipped from Metromedical.
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Ahhhh....yes, I forgot about deductibles. They are the splinter as we slide down the bannister of life! I met my deductibles for the past two years and failed to realize that is why I didn't have to pay anything for the bras and breast form. (I guess they really cost me about $10,000!)
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Hello! I am from, a women's center in the Philippines.
Our country has the highest rate of Mastectomy in Asia, as of 2013. With this in mind, we want to help Filipina women gain access to affordable and high-quality mastectomy bra & breast prosthesis.
I am hoping that you would be able to help us by answering the following questions:
- What is your preference for foam breast form, unweighted or weighted?
- What are your issues or complaints with foam?
We are hoping to develop a foam form because it is more affordable and advisable for tropical countries like the Philippines.
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Hi, I just thought I would answer you because I am very interested in "weighted foam forms". I have silicone forms and micro beads, but mostly prefer to wear the foam form, in leisure clothing.
I prefer the Tru LIfe weighted leisure foam form 611. I've tried a few other brands, but for me, this is the best in quality. projection and feel. I like that it has a removable cover to keep clean.I also like the type of foam they have used to manufacture this form.
I have no use for unweighted foam forms, so can't comment on those
I would prefer the weights were non metal, to stop the issue of security in airports and being scanned. I know one company is now using powdered stone as the weight. Another is useing a mix of PET beads with foam.
I am very interested in what is coming out, in this type of form. I think there is definitely a place for the low priced option in the market.
Good luck with it!
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for those with uni MX, I think many would like a weighted form in order to feel balanced. Weight also helps to keep the bra from riding up. Otherwise my natural breast pulls one side down and the foam form just floats up.
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glennie19, boy is that the truth! I also notice in my case, (flat on one side and silicone implant on the other) that the reconstructed side pulls my lightweight form toward the center of my chest making me look most peculiar. Matching weights truly makes a difference.
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I have used both weighted and unweighted foam. The unweighted was just too light and didn't stay down. I liked the foam weighted one but it just wasn't weighted enough in the size I needed. The foam also didn't last long but it was better than nothing. I too would like to see them weighted with something other than metal.
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There is at least one form that's weighted with something other than metal -- the Amoena Style 132 leisure foam form. I think Ariom has talked about it here or on another thread. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have a removable cover. I use it sometimes, but also like the Trulife 611, which does have the removable cover.
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Actually, I recently got a pair of the Amoena 132 weighted foam forms (which I am growing to like) and they do have a removable cover.
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The Amoena weighted form is weighted with powdered minerals, so no security issues at the airport. I recently got one of these and this one does have a removable cover, with the Diamonte "A" on it and it comes presented in a pink drawstring bag. I haven't worn it for long, only a couple of weeks, but I find it to be harder, firmer foam, than my favorite, Tru Life 611, so I haven't really gotten used to that, too firm feeling yet. I was hoping it might give a bit, with wear. I'll keep trying it, but I always come back to the Tru Life.
My biggest disappointment in weighted foam forms would have to be, the Nearly Me asymmetrical, I have bought twice and they are so huge, not even close, to the right size on their charts. They don't have a removable cover and are very hard foam. I am glad they were both really cheap on sale,because they won't be of any use to me.
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I have learned that 8 is not the same with different companies. :-/. Very expensive lesson......
O 2
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02, that's very true, but what I object to, is when companies give a size chart, that relates to bra sizes and they still arrive too big. Grrrr It isn't practical for me to return them, from Australia, but I always write and explain that I think their sizing is off.
How hard is it to put a form in a bra and work out what size goes with what???? It isn't rocket science!
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Ariom, I hear you. I live in Greece, so anything I order via the net is not stuff I can return easily. I got one pair of micro-bead foobs at the beginning. According to the chart the size 5 was a 36B, my old bra size. The things looked somewhere between a C and a D on me. At least they were cheap.
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Hello Momine, I haven't seen you in a while, I hope you're well!
It is really frustrating when you do as much research as you can, make the decision and then pay for the postage from O/S and it is still the wrong size. Fortunately, I have only had a couple of failures and I am able to pass on these items to the girls in my local BC group.
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That is cool that you have a group like that. Here cancer is still quite taboo, and once you are done with treatment you are apparently supposed to pretend it never happened.
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