Lumpectomy Lounge....let's talk!
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You're welcome, Inkster. Wish I were more help!
HUGS!
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Inkster--I was a 36D before surgery and returned to it about a year and a half later. But during that time the seams on the cup pressed into my treated breast, creating creases that eventually disappeared overnight when the bra was off.. I have never liked underwires, but on my favorites the stitching alone was sufficient to press onto the still slightly swollen tissue. Both my surgeon and rad onc advised against underwires anyway, because of the residual swelling that takes a while to subside, and they also suggested a larger bra size for the first year if necessary. So maybe a different bra style would help you--I found 18-hr Playtex #4049 (back and side smoothing style) has minimal seaming and good support; their #4693 (with extra wide shoulder straps) worked fine during that year, as long as I didn't wear it for a whole day and thus create creases with the cup stitching. . .
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Florida2015--I had my regular mammo in Nov, lumpectomy in early Jan.; rads started mid-March and ended in the first week of May. Saw rad onc in June (1 month after rads ended), then follow-up check by surgeon in August. At that point he said to do the first post-surgery mammo in Nov., which would put 5 months between it and the end of rads, would put me back on my old schedule and would also give him a recent mammo for the one-year check-up. If the MSK folks mean one year post-surgery, then you might have to wait a bit. .As we all have seen, though, each doctor has his or her own schedule, though most like to put some distance between the end of rads and the mammo too.
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About swimming--another rad onc, another approach. My rads ended in early May, and my rad onc said I could swim, PROVIDED I slathered myself (not just the treated breast but also the whole irradiated side of the chest) with Aquaphor before heading into a chlorine pool. As for salt water or lake swimming, the lubrication is good too, she said, but even MORE IMPORTANT is to wear a rash-guard shirt when swimming in any kind of water (or sitting pool- or beach-side) to totally protect the irradiated area from sun. She was happy that I wanted to maintain my fitness level in a number of ways after what is only a minor outpatient surgery, after all! Again, different docs, different protocols!
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thx peggy
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Inkster: not sure if underwires are absolutely ruled out from now on (I'm still a D on the lumpectomy side after two lumpectomies--good support is a must!) but there are some decently supportive non-underwires out there for larger-busted women. Was it uncomfortable while you were wearing it? afterward? All standard disclaimers apply; I'm not a doctor, much less your doctor, different point in treatment, different treatment, blah blah blah.
Looking forward to visiting Seattle in August--my father lives on Vashon.
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Inkster, Since surgery, I have been searching for a comfy bra as I used to wear underwire. I was a DDD and am now about a D as I had reduction and lift. I did find a Bali Comfort Revolution bra that does not have under wire which is supportive and pretty comfortable. I have read on a few locations that it is not recommended to wear an under wire if you had lymph nodes removed to reduce risk for Lymphedema. Although, since about half way through radiation I haven't worn a bra thanks to the lift I have gotten by with camis and tank tops. I did put the bra on last night to go to a more formal event and it was OK for a few hours. Good Luck, MJ
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Hi Inkster, I am rather large busted too and had always worn underwires. For the first couple months I tried my old bras, but none of the felt good. They all had wires in different spots and would be rub on the incision or press in where there was some swelling and tenderness yet. I invested in a couple no underwire bras for a while. Now 4 months out, I can wear all my old bras and none bother me. It took awhile to get back to my old shape. Hope that helps.
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My incision is on the top of my breast/nipple, so there's a lot less stress on it when wearing bras. I've been wearing my regular under-wire bras pretty much since 5 days after my LX. I'm also a 36 B, so that helps, too. Everyone is a bit different! But I'd guess that underwires shouldn't be ruled out forever... Unless rads make your skin really, really sensitive??? --I might try and find some more comfortable bras, though... I can feel the wire pressing in on my treated breast. I ordered some of those genie bras, just in case, so maybe I'll switch to those for a while?
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I have a question... maybe a couple...
I had lumpectomy and lymph node removal June8, 2015. My lumpectomy is fine and does not bother me at all... its the lymph node area under my arm... it was great over the weekend.... yesterday it was really bothering me... feels like a ball is under my arm again... frustrating...I didn't wear my sports bra on Monday... just a shelf bra camisole, could that be the problem? or the weather, its been really rainy? I am sleeping without a bra.... I will put the sports bra back on today and wear it as long as I can...
Is your under arm area still painful, feel swollen, prickly, or anything else... and how long ago was your surgery?
Thank you
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Welcome, Eellek, to the pain in the a** known as a SLNB incision! That darned thing stays annoying for months - at least for me. Not really hurting but I'd notice it. It still seems to be sensitive to being rubbed or sweating - funny because the nerves still aren't back to normal. I found I have had to continue my underarm stretching exercises and my BS says I will probably want to do them for life. I haven't particularly noticed swelling. I wore either nothing (during rads) or a padded camisole I got at Walmart which doesn't rub that incision. I do wear regular bras now. I'm a 36A (and small at that) and sometimes wear a very padded, underwire bra when I want to have...SHAPE but the underwire can still rub As you can see, it's been nearly a year since my Lx.
Since you do have that "ball" under your arm, I'd give the BS office a ring today. Amazing how the actual Lx heals and mostly doesn't bother but the underarm....well, being in polite company I'll just say ARGH!
HUGS!!
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April, for some reason radiation seems to make your breast more sensitive. I was lucky that I could go braless most of the time. Then I graduated to Walmart's padded camisoles - have a ton of them. If you are interested, buy up at least one size from what you normally wear since they are body hugging (the bra part is just fine). I'm thick through the waist and buy a Large and probably could wear an XL. I wore the Genie bras right after my surgery but found that they were rubbing my 6 o'clock incision once the steri-strips came off (about 3 weeks).
I find underwires (which I have never worn on a daily basis being a 36A) annoying. They have always irritated me. Of course, I have them and do wear them - most are heavily padded for when I want a busty look.
Other than going braless during radiation and having very slight redness, I really had no SEs from the rads. I was totally exhausted before starting my BC journey and radiation didn't help but I don't think it made fatigue worse although it was hard to tell.
Keep exploring your options. And keep in mind that just because one thing works today, doesn't mean it will work tomorrow
HUGS!!!
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I late
Inkster, about 2 months post radiation I was able to go back to my under wires. The lymph node incision site was the area that took the longest to heal and stop being so sensitive to pressure from the underwire.
J
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Inkster, I was finally able to go back to underwires after my skin healed from rads. I could not wear my old bras because they pressed in the wrong spots. Above is a picture of the bra I found that keeps my girls from jiggling. It's called a Bali One Smooth U with side support. I tried on many, many bras before I found one that worked. If you buy them at Kohls or JCPenney they will take them back if they don't work out for you.... That way you can wear them for a few hours or all day and see if they work for you.
My PS said as long as the underwires don't bother you, you can wear them.
April and anyone else in rads, DO NOT wear underwires or tight bras during rads.... or until you heal completely. I found out the hard way. Anything that puts pressure on the areas radiated will increase the tissue damage. For me, the damage was awful. I was better off when I wore soft, loose bras (a size bigger) with no underwire.
Eellek, I second everything Peggy said. Call your surgeon immediately! Right now. You should not have a ball under your arm. It might be nothing, but it could be a problem.
I'm not saying this is your issue Eellek, but I will share this info in case it applies to you or can help someone else. I met with a lymphedema specialist a few weeks ago and she stressed that if drainage isn't working normally it should be addressed ASAP. Through massage and other techniques proper drainage can be restored if addressed early.
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Good advice, Poppy!!!
HUGS!
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You are so fabulous! Thank you for the excellent bra advice! Bali is my normal brand - perhaps I'll go see if I can find a comfort revolution bra and see if it does the trick until the day I can return to my favorite polka dot underwire bra. Or perhaps some new lingerie shopping will be in order once I get through chemo and rads. That sounds like fun, actually.
Hope everyone's day is happy!
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I like polka dots! Hope it's soon, Inkster. Buying lingerie is always fun!
HUGS!!
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Following the bra thread(s) with interest--that's the next practical question up for me (Found out today my surgeon got clean margins after lumpectomy #2) I'm lucky in that I did not need surgical examination or removal of any lymph nodes, nor do I care for underwires now or before surgery.
Definitely going to ask the oncology team this question--if "What bras can I wear during radiation?" makes male physicians uncomfortable, they may be in the wrong specialty--as all patients are different.
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Queen, FANTASTIC on the clean margins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My male oncos have had no problem with female questions. I'd be finding someone else if they did!
HUGS!
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VERY fantastic! The "what if I need a mastectomy" sent my stress through the roof--don't wanna know how I'd have reacted if I'd needed chemotherapy. I am humbled by the women who've been diagnosed with more advanced cancer.
They better not be uncomfortable answering these questions, because the questions need to be answered, and certain questions will come up. (Today's 'where did my modesty go?' moment was standing topless in front of the breast surgeon giving my elevator speech about what I expected to get out of post cancer plastic surgery. Not an unsympathetic man, by any means, or without humor, but more than slightly pedantic. I'm left feeling I've conversed with Eeyore.)
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Queen, you would have done what other women have done being confronted with Mx and chemo: cried and gone right ahead and done it with determination. I'm humbled too.
My modesty left decades ago. Certainly no place for it with breast cancer.
HUGS!
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Queenmom, Fantastic news about the clean margins!
I scared the poo out of my plastic surgeon. I told him my breast surgeon's job was to removed the cancer; his job (the plastic surgeon) was to make me happy. Poor guy looked terrified! He did make me happy, BTW.
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Poppy, you must have looked formidable when you told him that!
HUGS!
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Pontiac: (ruefully) I'd have managed, I'm sure! The desire to live is a phenomenal one.
Poppy: (giggling) I can just imagine you scared the snot out of the plastic surgeon! I will confess that the realization I was going to get a breast reduction (and hopefully lift) out of this assuaged my temper a bit--I've had backaches for thirty years because of my breast size.
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I love the feistiness of our ladies. Damn we are good! Breast cancer has just made us show our true selves to the world. Bless us all.
HUGS!
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Roger that, Ladies!!!
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I mentioned the slight tenderness at my SNB site at one of the intro to the services offered by the Breast Center folk (they had a PT person, a social worker, and meditation person, plus the usual nurse practitioners)... The PT person immediately wrote out a prescription for me. She said if there was even a hint of a problem that might turn into any lymphodema, they could show me exercises that could help fend that off. I actually haven't followed up with that, since it's not really swollen or limiting range of motion or anything... and I only had 2 nodes removed for testing... but it was nice that they were so quick to give out anything that might help.
Actual swelling at the site... sound like it might by a seroma or something? But definitely not something to ignore.
I have some seroma-ish swelling at my tumor site... no pain though, and it's at the top of my breast, so it isn't getting rubbed by my bra.
--I do expect I might have to switch from my regular underwire bras as I finish my rads, though. My skin is getting a bit more sensitive as it goes on...
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Checking back in here after being away a long time due to work and life sucking all my time and energy, but I just met a deadline yesterday and catching up a little on things. Peggy, Trudi, Ndgrrl, good to "see" you all again, and glad to see you're still there with wonderful advice for newbies. It feels like a long time ago when I was one of you, back last December when I was Dx. Anyway, it's been about 3-and-a-half months since I finished rads, 6 months since my Lx, and I'm glad to say I feel totally back to normal in most ways. Energy level is back to pre-rads level, radiated skin is fine (maybe still slightly more sensitive than before), scar healed far better than I would have expected back at the end of February, when I checked in with a PS prior to starting rads, just to see what my options might be. I'm scheduled for follow-up with her next week and honestly trying to decide if I even want to keep that appointment, because at this point I seriously doubt I'm going to decide on plastic surgery or any kind of reconstruction. Yes, I have a scar and a dent, and a slightly downward-facing nipple (DCIS was at 6 o'clock), and who knows, maybe I still have some swelling because there's still a little fullness on top (I'm quite small, have always been 34A). After a lot of searching, I found bras that fit and I like (mostly wireless, which is hard to find, especially when you also need to have racerback or cross-back straps for an old shoulder injury). But recently I did try an underwire again, and found that it didn't bother me. Not that I need it for support, but I like the fit and the straps, and it gives me another option. I just don't think I'm up for another surgery when things are working out okay just the way they are. So I may cancel PS, not sure. It's at an inconvenient time, all the way back down to Johns Hopkins which will take forever, and I'm thinking, why?
I have my BS follow-up and mammo of Lx breast on Aug. 12, so I'll probably be nervous that day but hoping all goes well. I am now a card-carrying member of Medicare with an awesome supplemental policy that pays for everything (too bad I didn't have it this past 8 months!), so no worries. Except hubby broke his leg and has been on crutches now for weeks . . . I'm glad to be the one not out of commission for a change, though.
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Ndgrrl, so glad you have a new PS you're happy with! I hope all goes well with everything now, and with your move, and congrats on the upcoming grandbaby!
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Hi Kay! Glad you are doing so well. I'm with you on the PS. Doesn't seem like something I really need or want.
So sorry about DH - that's awful. Nice that you can care for him this time!
Isn't Medicare wonderful???? Worth every penny. Thank you Uncle Sam!!!
HUGS!
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