All things bras & prosthesis
Comments
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Really never knew they sold them in stores...but it is the Genie Bra that has he pockets. Just bought them online today. Barbie
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Barbie: The Genie's do have pockets. You will need to do some tacking so your forms do not shift to the middle. If you look back in this thread, you will see more info.
Barb
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Thanks Barb -
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You can now get Ahh bras with pockets (check out the website), but I don't want to buy three pairs (they come in a three-pack) and find I don't like them. The company has a bad reputation re returns. I have tried the Genie bra, but I find it too tight and too short. I was hoping the Ahh bra would be longer and looser.
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Genie bra people, how are the sizes? Here they only sell the genie bras through telemarketing, and all they say is to order the same size as your shirt. I am 5'8", weigh 130 or so and wear a 36B bra. Is that a medium?
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Nagem: If it were me, I would try to find them locally to try on before ordering. I definitely would have to go up 1 to 2 sizes to overcome the length and tightness issues. I find they both come up too high under the arm for my liking.
Barbara
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nagem,
I couldn't find anything on the Ahh website that showed pockets. Can you provide a link? Regarding returns, I found that herroom.com and barenecessities.com both carry the regular Ahh Bra. I've ordered from both those websites and have had no problems when I've needed to return something. But they don't seem to show a version of the bra with pockets.
The Ahh bra comes up so high under the arms, I have a feeling that would be a deal-breaker for me, in any event...
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The Genie bra (available in BHS in the UK) has been a big disappointment for me. It cuts up too high under the armpit and come up very tight over all. The prostheses slop around inside the pockets and have to be stitched. I really object to being forced into buying 3 at a time as well. They really didn't work out for me and have been dumped into the "yet more mastectomy stuff that I have wasted money on and will never use" drawer. ;-)
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For comparison, I typically wear Large or a Size 12 blouse (occasionally mediums). I wear 36 bras. I wear minimally an XL/1X (Genie sizing) and seriously considered that if I was really going to wear them, I might consider going up to a 2X. In any case, I could not wear a Large on a bet. Even when fully opening the side opening, I would think that trying to cram anything much larger than a size 5 form might be difficult but others may have a very different opinion on that point.
Barbara
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I bought mine in Walmart and in single Pkg.Not sure if they are sold differently in the U.S.For me they are very comfortable on and work well with my Amoena contact set.But it seems like we all have different issues to deal with.Goodluck.
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Locally for me, they are both $19.99. Genie - 2 to a pkg, the Ahh - 1 to the pkg.
Barb
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Here is the link to the Ahh bra with openings for inserts, which I hear from other people can accommodate a light breast form (you'll have to copy and paste): http://fashion.hsn.com/rhonda-shear-2-pack-ahh-bra-with-inserts_p-6408268_xp.aspx
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I tried the Ahh bra with no success, it was too tight everywhere, and I chose 2 sizes bigger. My incision seems to be about 2 inches above where a bra band goes, and it is so sensitive there. I have given up on the sensitivity going away, although I do try still to gently rub the places to "desensitize" them as my physical therapist said, with some improvement.
I am still looking for something like a simple tank top with no bra band with pockets. I may just order another Pinxwear cami, but I don't like that I have to pay so much for something I wear every day.
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You have a bilateral, is that right?
So do I and I have some suggestions. During my whole breast problems/surgery/recovery I was covered in hives. 15 months of hives. My skin was a terror and was so horribly sensitive I could not tolerate the weight of bed blankets,or a purse, or jeans or necklaces, etc. (horrid winter heat bill, but that's another story). Anyhow, here is what I did:
Buy bra extensions, quite a few. Get a microfiber bra that is the right size for you and generous at that. Not a mastectomy bra, they are scratchy and stiff and not at all good. The bra I use is a Warners soft cup wire free, I'll get you the number if you want. They make the same bra by Hanes at Target, btw, though they are harder to find but half the price. It needs to be absolutely softest microfiber. Take this bra and put TWO extensions on it. The bra will be loose on you and that's what you want. Get some sheer mesh or very soft micro fiber and use this to make a pocket for the bra. It is easy to do this, just cut in the general out line of the cup and sew it in. My skin was so bad that all the knots I sewed had to be inside the pocket as I could not stand them to touch me. Buy the TLC micro bead foobs in the size you want. They are floppy and weightless. They will be shaped by the bra cup. If they are too small or move in the cup or touch your skin, sew the foobs to the edge of the bra so they will not move.
If you like you can wear a very soft and loose cami over this bra to help hold things in place with out pressing on your skin.
I still use these bras even now that the hives are gone. They are very comfortable and give a nice shape. I have never tried a mastectomy bra that came close to this one I made.
I hope you get some relief!!!
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Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried extenders, and while they do solve the tightness problem, the highness problem remains. A typical bra sits at a very uncomfortable spot on my chest, and I find myself tugging at it constantly. I've been wearing makeshift garments--camisoles folded up to form a pocket and stitched up the middle and the sides so the foobs don't travel--but I wish I could find something that looks a little more "normal." (By the way, I had a rash too for months after my mastectomy.I suspected it was shingles, but perhaps it was hives. The doctors didn't have a clue what it was.)
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Has anyone here tried the new Amoena Energy Light forms? I've just tried one on & had a look at them- they look good, but I wonder do they really work?
They are supposed to be cooler to wear, with climate control & warmer when you need them to be.
I know its not hot in the States at the moment, but it has been hot/humid here & I hate wearing my bra & prosthesis when it is. I get hot & sweaty & uncomfortable! At home I can go without, but need something for out & about...
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Regarding genie bras - I bought them at Walgreens, 2 in a package for $19.99 I think...I do not like them, I went up two sizes and they still seem tight in the wrong places. I keep trying to wear them but always can't wait to take it off. I met with a fitter last week and tried on lots of bras - most I had to order but one of the bras seems like it will be similar to Genie but way more comfortable (and more expensive, unfortunately). It is ABC 503 - it is cotton with some lycra and very full coverage. It has a lot of lace but the lace is very soft, not scratchy (I knew to be careful of that from some of you here - thanks!). I'll let you all know when I have had a chance to try it. I ordered ABC forms too, the extra lite ones (1041). It's so hard to decide when you're making these expensive decisions! My insurance covers 1 set of forms and 4 bras. I had a great fitter, I think I tried on almost every bra in the shop...so we'll see.
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Hi kt1966,
I have a pair of the Amoena Energy forms. I do find them better than other silicone forms at regulating heat, but still at times I perspire behind them. There was a woman on this forum quite a while ago, though, who had purchased the forms and loved them. She used them for exercise and found they made a big difference. So, I would say if you want silicone, they're probably as good as it gets, other than experimenting with microfiber-backed silicone, like the Anita 1055X, which is one of the first forms I tried and still one of my favorites. They're not as light as the energy forms, though, and more of a hassle to wash, since you have to wait for them to dry.
Although I'm in the states, I spend a lot of time in Miami and know what you mean about heat and humidity. When I wear my Energy forms and know it's going to be hot, sometimes I find the best thing is to fold a plain Kleenex tissue in half or in thirds and put it behind my bra. It really absorbs the perspiration and hasn't fallen out yet! But I would much rather find a more elegant solution.
The other thing I do when it's hot is to wear my Amoena 132 weighted leisure forms in an unstructured bra. They have a very natural shape, are reasonably soft for foam forms, and I don't perspire behind them!
On the side where I had previous radiation, I don't perspire at all. Literally the only issue I have with breast forms is the perspiration on the non-radiated side when it's hot and especially when it's humid. Otherwise, I find silicone to be comfortable and attractive.
I'm always looking for perspiration solutions. I'm glad Amoena has worked to develop the Energy form and other Comfort + technology forms. It's a step in the right direction but, for me at least, doesn't entirely solve the problem.
Barbara
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My prosthetic fitter is coming to my house on Tuesday. Decisions, decisions!!!!!
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I wore my Genie bra today and although it was a little tight, I think it's going to work fine. I am only 4 weeks post-BMX so nothing is going to be 100% comfortable at this point. I inserted my TLC micro-bead foobs in it. I will be buying a larger pair of micro-bead foobs anyway, but found that the Genie bra compressed them a bit more than my camisoles do. Thanks for the tip about stepping into the Genie bra.
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Thanks Barbara. I appreciate your help. I'm ordering an energy light form from overseas (they are too expensive here! twice the price) as I like the brand & the weight etc- good to know it does mostly work.
I haven't seen the weighted leisure forms - they sound good. I'll have to look into getting one of those too. Sometimes I wish I'd had a BMX, it would be easier to go breast free
Summer seems to leaving us now, the mornings are getting cooler, but hpoefully I'll be prepared for next summer (its always humid in summer here). Thanks again.
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Beacon, I would appreciate knowing the number of your warner's bra....and when you say use extensions, do you mean to have the bra so loose it slides? What kept it from going up and rubbing the incision?
I am starting to see ***loose*** is part of the answer here for me. I measure 36 inches with no breasts...well, I have no breasts so that is my measurement, and I buy x-large camis and the TLC mircobead foobs as well as the memory foam ones.
One thing I think may be setting me back is when I work at home, I go flat, so I am only wearing the foobs 2 or 3 days a week, and so I never build a tolerance for it all.
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Ok, this isn't bras or foobs, but along the same line, what is comfortable to sleep in? I mean nightgown with sleeves? T-shirt? What are you all wearing to bed?
I always wore long sleeved cotton nightgowns for most nights, and I end up struggling with them all night it seems, bunching and pulling in the wrong places. I do sleep hugging a thick pillow to stop my pains I was having in my shoulder and chest, but add the pillow to the nightgowns and I am always tangled.
I do live where it is cold....
But even with the cold, anyone wearing anything semi-attractive?
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hi Crystal, The bra is 2072 Elements of Bliss Wire Free.
I measure at 34, they tell me, but would NEVER wear that size. I buy the 36 and put two extenders. Yes the bra is loose, it has contact with my skin but is not stretched on it. On me it doesn't ride up.
For sleeping I wear only a cami, all cotton, no lycra, a loose one and nothing else. I used to always wear a night gown/shirt with long sleeves as I got cold at night. However when I had my hives that was no longer an option, so I went to cami and I got used to it. I still get cold though, my heat bill is worse than it used to be.
you'll want to experiment til you find something that works for you. It's out there!! Plus over time what works for you will change so you want to keep looking at options.
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kt1966,
I hope you'll let us know how you like the Energy form once you've tried it out. I didn't realize New Zealand summers had high humidity. I should have realized, given how lush and beautiful the country seems from films and photographs I've seen. If you don't mind my asking, what part of New Zealand do you live in? I love that on these boards I have a chance to "meet" women from all over the world. Even beyond the English language and breast cancer, we seem to have a lot in common!
Barbara
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But Crystal, if I measure just my ribcage, where a bra band would go, it only measures 30 inches. Yet I wear a 36 bra and it is not loose. I am not sure how that works, but I found a formula on some mastectomy bra web site for working it out.
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Hi Barbara,
I'm in the north of the north of the North Island. The rest of NZ is pretty good for summer, not so humid, but up here it is! Being an island we have quite changeable weather- '4 season's in 1 day' as the Crowded House song goes...So sunny but showers often, this summer has been a non-summer with lots of overcast days.
The winters are mild & wet (8-15 C daytime, down to 0 C for the odd frosty night or single figure temperature normally).
I should probably move to Otago in the South Island where the summers are hot & dry! But that gets really cold in winter (snow) & I hate the cold
Like America I guess, lots of different climates- none perfect!
I've ordered the form, so just waiting for it to arrive from England now. I'll let you know how it goes.
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Jane, In the vein of super stretchy bras with smooth fabric that make them so similar to the Genies but with adjustability, my favorites are from the least coverage to the most coverage, Classique 769, Amoena Marlena, and TLC Cool Comfort. Both the Marlena and TLC have fabric that is meant to wick moisture.
KT1966: My birthday splurge was a pair of Amoena 392 Natura Light with Comfort+ in size 6. I love them. It is still winter here so too soon to really know how they will be in the summer. I am afraid I am too much of a Princess & The Pea girl for the Energy forms - couldn't rip them off fast enough. Probably why the Natura Lights were such a good fit for me - soft smooth flowable back but with the Comfort+ feature. I live in hot country also so am hoping they will work when summer comes around.
http://www.metromedicalonline.com/amoena392.html
For those that wear the forms with the nobby backs, did you like them immediately or did they have to grow on you. Memory foam pillows were like that for me. Hated them at first and now they are my favorites.
Barbara
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Oh wow Starak!
I never thought about how the bumpy bits would feel... Its like trying bras on, I always find they're ok in the shop for the 5 minutes you have them on, but then after half an hour or so thats when you can tell if they're really comfortable or not! I hope thats not the case with the energy forms- a lot of money wasted otherwise
I think I'll look into the lights as well as the leisure forms- too much choice, too confusing! We need to try things for more than 5 minutes! Not possible I know....
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I wore my memory foam foobs for about 8 hours and did pretty well, in the pinxwear surgical cami which has pockets but no shelf bra.
I wore the TLC cami with the bit of lace at the neckline in a size too big (one size bigger) with the TLC Microbead foobs and I had to take 3 advil to stop the pain. I think it might be movement against my chest...or this shrugging I find myself doing to let the elastic band of the shelf bra drop a little lower.
I am going to find/try the elements of Bliss...but do you wear it so loose it can move? or just snug enough so there is no movement? I keep reading your post Beacon, and I see how you sewed your Microbead foobs into the cups so they wouldn't shift, I do like that idea.
I am starting to think something is wrong with me. Why can't I get foobs right?
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