All things bras & prosthesis
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BarredOwl
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bumping for our new sisters.
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Good work, Glennie!!
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hi ladies someone has probably already asked this... but after a UMX, were you able to wear your old bras? or regular bras? with or without prosthesis?
Sorry if it’s trivial. but i’m looking at a UMX at the moment as part of treatment. reconstruction is... up for consideration much later on. (unlike the US, where recon is covered by insurance, it’s nt covered where i’m from). i just wanted an idea of life in general after a UMX.
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MKN, I had a double MX, but did try wearing normal bras after (with prosthetics). I know many women wear them without a problem, but I could not. The band caused swelling on the side where I had lost lymph nodes. It was very uncomfortable. But yoga tops and other stretchy things like that are fine.
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Hi mkn the answer to your question really depends on how you find you feel - emotionally and physically. It certainly is possible to convert regular bras by sewing a little pocket in, or having someone do it for you. If you have any government cover for freebies (mastectomy bras and/or prosthesis) it is worth getting the special bras to see how they are made. It is not unusual to find that after surgery bras may not feel as comfortable as they did and you may need to change to a different style from before - it really is a learning curve. You could go for a fitting after you have healed, just for the heck of trying on the different kinds and only purchase what you really think is going to work for you. Best wishes with your surgery and give yourself plenty of rest and TLC.
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My doctor didn't want me to wear underwires and that's what almost all of mine were. I did add pockets to a couple that weren't underwire. I have a pack pain triggered by the bra band so I mostly wear the all stretchy kind. And not the athletic because they're too tight. The bras have a pocket for a modesty shield. I make the opening a little bit wider and slip in a foam prosthesis. Do ask you doctor, because his/her opinion may be different from mine.
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thank you ladies for responding!
i have a UMX scheduled soon and i’ve been reading through most of the threads about what it’s like after a UMX.
bummed about the surgery to be honest but i know it has to be done.
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mkn, I think we were all bummed about the surgery, especially at first. Fortunately time makes it less important. Best wishes for an easy and successful surgery and quick recovery. With only one side done, you still have an unaffected side that can reach and push and can be slept on. I think sleeping was the hardest for me because my preferred side was the mx side. Took me a little while to sleep easily on the other side.
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Oh Wren, me too. Have learned to do my back now but my foetal curl is still the one I want to do in cold weather!!
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HI all,
Can't find it now, but someone seemed to suggest that the foam forms are smaller, generally, than the silicone forms. Eg. sz. 2 silicone form and sz. 3 foam form. Just wondering what your experiences have been.
Also, don't know if it was on this forum or not, but a uni-friend did indeed get regular bras at Nordstrum and they would sew in pockets for her foob. Insurance covers this. Also, they have mastectomy fitters, but I never went back because the one near me is a bit of a hike.
Thanks, Hogwarts
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I think my foam is smaller than my silicone. It's a couple of years old now, so perhaps it was larger before.
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Hi Wren,
Thanks for that info. How has/have your foam foob(s) held up? Some suggest it's not as durable though don't remember where I read/saw that. Any special care you need to take with yours?
Thanks, Hogwarts
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Hi Hogwarts,
I still have all the foam forms I've ever purchased (my surgery was almost twelve years ago), and they're all in good condition. I tend to wear mine in a pocketed camisole, so they don't get dirty quickly, but sometimes I wear them in a bra without pockets.
I now prefer foam forms, like the Trulife Tri-Leisure and Tri-Featherweight, which have removable covers. That way, I can wash the covers and not the foam. I have a couple of pairs of dedicated foam forms that I use for swimming, but I rarely swim these days, so not sure how well they'd hold up with constant immersion in chlorine or salt water.
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My foam form has held up just fine. I may need a different size because I've been losing weight.
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I wish I had known about the foam forms after my BMX. My insurance pays for 9 bras a year and a pair of silicone forms every other year. There is a boutique right next to my surgeon's office at the hospital so that's where I went, as they are the only store near me. They never told me there were foam forms, so I ended up getting the silicone forms. Now I will have to wait a year to get the lighter weight forms.
I hardly wore the silicones and mastectomy bras last year because they were uncomfortable. I also didn't like the sports bras with knitted knockers because they weren't comfortable either. I just had scar revision surgery last month and now I am very comfortable wearing either of them. But I got so used to going natural so now I don't wear my foobs unless we are going out and I am getting dressed up.
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Fortunately the foam forms are far more reasonable in price.
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Hi all,
Are we talking about foam rubber/latex forms as opposed to memory foam? And if they come with covers, are these cotton on the back or synthetic. Barbara seems to love the memory foam, but I got the impression from various vendors that foam forms are generally rubber/latex foam, which seems to me to be less dense than memory foam and will breathe more in summer heat and humidity.
Will have to check to see if other forms are available more often if they are less pricey than the silicone forms. My primary is Medicaid. Anyone know? There is such a learning curve to all of this and I'm nearly 3 years out.
Spent too much already on Cobbie-type bras only to have the synthetic material, in combo with the silicone foobs, hold in heat and moisture. The lack of seams was wonderful, however.
Anyone have experience with this Cool Comfort bra and does it really keep us sensitive gals comfy in the summer?
Cotton, with the fewest seams (any texture irritates) is so far the most comfortable. Can't wait to try the Criss Cross bra by LuisaLuisa. There are so few lightly structured, cotton mastectomy bras available. Did wear the ABC cotton leisure bra for the longest time, but after a while the pressure of the closure on my sternum got to be an issue. Has anyone experienced this?
This is great to see all the brands and product numbers/names being given; thank you all for that!
Hogwarts
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There is someone on here, possibly Erica, who wears the bra inside out to avoid seams. I have no idea what kind of foam my foob is. It doesn't feel like latex. The covering is nylon on the front and something softer and fuzzier on the back. I can't weigh in on the heat discussion. We only have about 2 warm weeks per year here where it would be an issue.
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Hogwarts I am one of those who only wear the prosthesis for major dressy occasions. When I got my current arrangement I thought I might start wearing it every day as it was a revolution comfortwise, however I soon went back to not bothering with every day, not through discomfort but just because that is me.
This bra (below) has been the one with which for me has had the least issues of any unwanted pressure. It is an ordinary bra, but if ordered from the mastectomy bra supplier here they will give me the option of them adding pockets, however I don't use the pockets as I got a self adhesive form that works very well with it. This means I can get the bra from numerous non mastectomy suppliers. The self adhesve form works very well, miraculously so. As I use both bra and form so rarely heat etc have not been an issue. I am sure it would also work fine with a lighter form but would poss need the pocket for that.
Good luck with your search. I know I have been through a lot of discomfort trying to find something I could live with and I know there is no guarrantee what works for me will work for you, it is all trial and error, but it is good to have lots of info. You may then discern some new combo you would like to try. That was how I ended up with the sloggi and the self adhesive. Self adhesive are expensive but in Ireland a mastectomy patient qualifies for a freebie every 2nd year so I waited for my freebie to try it out. However I think if I had dealt with the company online it is willing to send a sample one if you pay in advance. You then try out and if you dont like the sample you send it back and they refund you. If you do you send the sample back and they order you a new one. Seem to remember seeing that online. So it may be that some expensive options may have a trial or return - it is worth looking around online. XXX
Sloggi Double Comfort Crop Top
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Since there began to be more reporting on latex allergies, most foam forms are no longer made with latex foam. Amoena used to make a foam form with the latex foam that I liked, though it didn't have removable covers. But it had a very natural shape. I bought a couple of pairs of those forms back in 2006-7 (in two different sizes) and still have and wear them. I haven't researched this, but I don't think companies generally use latex foam anymore.
My skin gets irritated easily and, while I don't turn bras inside out, I do mostly use my Still You camisoles for daily wear. There are no irritating seams and just a thin band of elastic around where the bra band would be. I've found it hard to find bras, with or without pockets, that don't irritate me after a few hours. I like the Elita bra, but it's not cotton and when wearing it I do get hot behind my forms if it's warm outside.
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Hi feeling feline,
I'm so glad you found something that works for you! That's a nice looking cotton bra, but it's too bad it doesn't have a pocket for modesty 'cookies.' I've tried those kinds of bras with my forms, but everything like that comes in some kind of synthetic. And my skin is so sensitive, that the idea of self adhesive forms gives me shivers.
Thanks for your idea!!! Hugs, Hogwarts/Judy
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First of all, thanks you to the many women who have contributed to this topic! I have spent the last month or two reading all the way through this and I have learned a lot from the rest of you.
I had a right side mastectomy on 4/26/18 so I am still in the healing stage, which also is the "wondering what will work for me and how soon I can try it" stage, at least for me.
I got a little puff form from the cancer society store, and it was a crazy unnatural shape on me. Using my art background, I began removing fiberfill a bit at a time and created a much more natural shape. Alas, this more natural shape is now for someone much smaller than me and the foob just looks silly next to my natural 34C.
Then I tried out a microbead form from the same website, and it may work well for me later in a more structured bra, but in the compression-type sports bras I am wearing now, it looks like I am wearing one boob and one cinnamon roll, which, over the course of an hour, is trying to work its way up to my mouth.
I ordered a trulife unweighted foam form from ebay, and it looks more boob-like, but I ordered a size that is clearly smaller than what I need. Today however, thinking about some of the folks on this list who used Coobie pads to augment or replace a foob, I tried placing a folded AB pad behing the foam foob and the result is the best one I have seen so far for myself. I have been using these AB pads (I think that is medical supply terminology for abdominal pad) under the compression bras to fill in the concave area and make myself more comfortable. They have also been handy to cushion elastic at the armpit that was clawing away at some swelling there.
I'll see my surgeon later this week for a 4-week checkup and see what advice she has about when I should schedule a fitting for a silicone prosthesis.
As far as interim bras go, I tried the Champion zip-front model and the elastic nearly killed me. Ouch! Then I tried Jockey's similar looking model and found it more forgiving, although the elastic at the bottom tends to roll or just scrunch up so it gets less comfortable as the hours go on. I tried Fruit of the Loom's many-hooks-up-the-front model. I saw reviewers had recommended going up a band size in these. I did that and it was tolerable for sleeping. Then it occured to me that going up two sizes might be even better, so I did that and it WAS even better. At some point when it was cutting into the bulge at the lower front of my armpit, I had the idea to unhook the top one or two hooks. Instant relief. And later I tried unhooking the bottom one or two hooks for further relief from bra bite. I'm thinking I may want to try going up still another size. At $12 for a package of 2, I can afford another experiment. These Fruit of the Loom bras are pretty good to wear during the day when I want to go half flat (although the compression on this bra flattens out the natural boob a lot, too). I do have to tuck a few folded AB pads in there to fill in the concave part, but I am comfortable going out for a walk with this arrangement. I have been sleeping in these most nights; this is where I have tried unhooking top and/or bottom hooks. I reckon that under clothes, this would create some serious lumps and bumps.
I was reading a review on Amazon about these bras with their many hooks; the reviewer recommended that those using these post-surgery whould be sure to don the bra before taking their Percocet, as connecting all the hooks and eyes required some coordination. I'm only using Tylenol, so I can't blame the drugs, but I need serious light to fasten this bra, especially the black version where it is harder to pick the eyes out of the black background.
Virginia
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Hi Virginiaab,
Your description of trying to do up all the hooks and eyes on mastectomy bras made me chuckle. I was a small gal before my BMX 3 years ago and wore stretchy, comfy step-in bras before surgery. After surgery and when the swelling finally went down and I could go to a fitter, I got some cotton leisure bras that had 5 hooks up the front. Another style had 5 up the back. Before surgery, the most hooks I ever encountered were 2! Anyway, I had to sit down, load the bra pockets with my size 2 silicone forms, do up the hooks and then turn the dang thing around! Or reverse this with the hooks-in-the-front bra. What a zoo to get dressed. ;-)
Tried some TLC foam and fluff forms after surgery, but the edges rubbed my chest wall. The silicone forms became too hot last summer and I learned about knitted knockers. Not good either. Then I tried the Jockey Coobie-type bras. While generally comfy, the combo of the nylon and silicone forms got to be too much, especially in the summer. I tried this combo over a shortened cotton tank top. Better, but the bunching of the tank fabric and the rolling of the bra band was yet another cage of monkeys. Even trying the knockers didn't work because of the knocker's texture against my sensitive chest wall skin. Sigh....
Being an artist, I'm used to thinking outside the box. So, I tried a large size of all-cotton Fruit of the Loom sports bras. Cut slits into each side and loaded the foobs. To keep from having a uniboob, safety pins were used to separate the silicone foobs. But the weight of the silicone foobs meant they hung half-way down my chest in this unstructured bra. (Mastectomy bras can keep a battle ship in place!) Anyway, droopy I've never been at a former size 34A. Too funny. The knockers were perky but wanted to ride up to sit under my chin. I had to keep pushing these foobs into their proper place.
Found out that my insurance will cover 2 sets of foam foobs/year; yipee!!! I haven't worn foobs for about 3 months because 1. shingles now and 2. it's now summer and I've gotten spoiled not wearing anything and don't want to endure the heat or irritation. So when my shingles completely clear, I'm going to give the weighted foam a try in the cotton sports bra. I think this will work for me. The size cotton sports-type bra that wasn't too tight for me was a 38, so you just need to experiment to find something that works for you.
There are youtubes that show how to make a pocket in a regular bra if you sew, or can find someone who can do it for you. I think Norstrom's can fit you with a regular bra and do pockets, at least that's what worked for my vicar.
Good luck. Know that not many people will notice what's going on under your clothes except you. I have friends that are trying to drill that into me and I'm still a work in progress. Keep at it and you'll find something that works best for you.
Hogwarts (Judy)
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I have been wearing Genie bras and a weighted foam foob. One problem was keeping them at the right level. I just figured out that I could load the foob and hand sew above it to keep it from riding up. Since I'm 77, the real side sags, so I sewed across the bottom of the Genie bra to keep the sagging at a higher level. I just tried out this in public and it was wonderful to have the boobs be level. Now to do my other bras.
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Wren, what you did to that bra was brilliant! I had put a row of safety pins around a microbead foob in a genie camisole and ws going to stitch it later, and your idea about similarly corralling the flesh boob with stiching below is genius! I can't wait to see if it works for my physiology and the present foob.
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