Prosthesis and bra

gyl_wrght

I had a mastectomy two weeks and I am so frustrated because I don't know who to talk to about getting a prosthesis and bra. I have so many questions. How long should I heal before putting on a bra? Who will fit me for a bra and prosthesis? Do I need a prescription? I've looked on the internet and there are so many different kinds - one for after surgery (no one mentioned this-- should I have already gotten one?) I'm just confused and don't know who to ask or where to turn. I've been told about places to go to get one, but I'm not really able to go shopping right now and I don't have a bra to wear when I go shopping. I know I'm rambling, but I need help!

Marcia527

I didn't wear a bra for the
I didn't wear a bra for the longest time. I still haven't gotten a prosthesis. You might ask the surgeon when to start wearing a bra. My cancer center had a gift shop and they could measure for bras and prosthesis. Or call the ACS at the number on this site and ask them. If you wear really baggy clothes and layer them, no one notices you don't have a bra on.

jthor54

just got my prescription
just got my prescription for a bra and prosthesis last Friday when the last tube was pulled out. the pamphlet they gave me suggested to get fitted after four to five weeks or until you incision is healed. the lady at the medical equipment shop was very helpful and supportive. good luck on your journey.

Minuz

Hi, I contacted the American
Hi, I contacted the American Cancer Society when I first came home and they sent me a bra and a soft form to start out with. I than found their catalogue TLC and used them to get bras and forms. The dr gave me a script and I sent the bill and the script to my insurance and was reimbursed. Hope this helps. Good Luck
Minuz

Miss Murphy

Bras and Prosthesis
I also had a masectomy. There was a nurse on staff at my mamo place who I guess is on staff to offer support to those with bad mamos. She stayed in contact with me for a couple of months from my diagonis till sometime after I saw an onc. She was very helpful in telling me about what I refer to as the fake boob shop in my area. It's a boutique type place that has everything one might need while dealing with breast cancer and the lady that runs the shop was awesome in helping me thru what I needed before and after surgery- she also had breast cancer. You will need a scrip from your doctor for a prosthesis and also for your bras. My initial insurance paid for 4 bras and two prosthesis - even tho I only needed one fake one!!!!! My currant insurance only pays for two bras a year and I need a script. You can check your phone book yellow pages and maybe there will be a shop like mine. I know that medical supply places carry these items but I feel lucky in that I have a place where I can get fitted and feel comfortable. I had to wait about 6 weeks before I could get fitted. In the meantime I had some Vanity Fair bras that amazingly had a pocket that I could fit a soft shell in ( found those at fake boob shop. Those shells also sort of worked in my VS bras that were padded - just stuffed a couple of shells in the empty shell. I think I started wearing one of my bras a couple of weeks after surgery - it's important to feel as normal as possible and mine didn't seem to bother me.

Hope this helps and good luck to you. This web site is awesome!

Skeezie

Miss Murphy said:

Bras and Prosthesis
I also had a masectomy. There was a nurse on staff at my mamo place who I guess is on staff to offer support to those with bad mamos. She stayed in contact with me for a couple of months from my diagonis till sometime after I saw an onc. She was very helpful in telling me about what I refer to as the fake boob shop in my area. It's a boutique type place that has everything one might need while dealing with breast cancer and the lady that runs the shop was awesome in helping me thru what I needed before and after surgery- she also had breast cancer. You will need a scrip from your doctor for a prosthesis and also for your bras. My initial insurance paid for 4 bras and two prosthesis - even tho I only needed one fake one!!!!! My currant insurance only pays for two bras a year and I need a script. You can check your phone book yellow pages and maybe there will be a shop like mine. I know that medical supply places carry these items but I feel lucky in that I have a place where I can get fitted and feel comfortable. I had to wait about 6 weeks before I could get fitted. In the meantime I had some Vanity Fair bras that amazingly had a pocket that I could fit a soft shell in ( found those at fake boob shop. Those shells also sort of worked in my VS bras that were padded - just stuffed a couple of shells in the empty shell. I think I started wearing one of my bras a couple of weeks after surgery - it's important to feel as normal as possible and mine didn't seem to bother me.

Hope this helps and good luck to you. This web site is awesome!

Check with your surgeon as to when you are ready to get fitted with a prosthesis. I had to wait 6 weeks. But I had already gone in for a get to know you appt. with the fitter and wig fitter. It is a shop for all things mastecomy. Check with your insurance co to find out what is covered. Mine coveres $300 yrly for breast prosthesis and 4 bras yrly. And I need an Rx and it has to be a certified fitter. And I tried on lots of bras until I found the right style and she tried several fake boobs as well. I got a post surgical camisole and wore it once. It was hot and I didn't like it. My ins paid for that as well. But some here absolutely loved theirs so we are all different.

For a wig, again you need an Rx for a "cranial prosthesis" and a certified fitter (again check with your ins co to see how much they will pay). I found my shop thru an acquaintence but check out the yellow pages. Don't worry about going out without a bra. Just wear loose tops. I preferred dark colors or patterned material.

Check with your surgeon your next appt. and get a Rx for the prosthesis. He'll know exactly what you're talking about.

If your ins co doesn't cover anything you probably won't need an Rx. By the way, the fake boobs are really beautiful and no one can tell the difference. And the bras are pretty too.

How are you feeling after your surgery?

Hugs, Judy :-)

Rague

Can't help you with going
Can't help you with going through insurances as I'm VA so I contact my VA PA and she puts in the request and they handle it. They call me and tell me to see someone at the local VA hospital, where to go or the store they contact calls me to come in.

Since surgery (Oct 21, 09), I've been using a soft fiberfill form that the Cancer Society gave me with my old bras a week after surgery when the bandages were taken off. I had a lot of problems with a LARGE seroma so I wanted that to be resolved so I could get a better fit. Last time I saw my PA, she said that it was definately time to move on and she was putting in the requests. So I got a call from a local medical/health supply store to come in for fitting. (Very knowledgeable young woman and took about 45 min. with me with all they had in at the time.)They had quite a bit of bras and prosthetics there but not what will probably be the best as they had the next size smaller and next size bigger so just waiting now for the order to arrive to see if indeed it does fit - if not there are other options they can order in. Also being winter (it's quite cold here), wearing several layers of baggy clothes all the time to stay somewhat warm, it's worked fine but spring/summer will eventually get here and it's back to T's and tanks.

i would think that the best person to start talking to is your Primary Care Dx. or the Navigator at you CCI.

Good luck!

mickeymom

Don't rush
Great advice from everyone else. The only thing I would add is to be careful pushing too fast to wear the prosthesis. The weight of the prosthesis and the bra around your ribs can make you sore and swollen. (Yes, I did this.) When you're ready to wear it, go slowly and only wear it a small amount at a time, worknig up to wearing it all day.

In the mean time, I didn't like going without a bra so I found some soft, sports bras that I bought one size too big. That way it didn't rub on my ribs too much but I still felt supported on the non-mastectomy side.

Victoria1566

A local Komen Foundation
A local Komen Foundation volunteer gave me one of the soft forms on the day I was diagnosed, so I used that for the first several months after the surgery. At first, I would just pin it to a men's athletic-type undershirt that I wore over my bandages under my clothes; then later, I pinned the form inside some stretched-out bras I had in the bottom of my underwear drawer. When my incision had healed to the point that I could stand pressure on it, I contacted my surgeon's office about where to get a bra and prosthesis.

I still use the soft form when I swim. I just stuff it with polyester filling and put it into the pocket of the mastectomy suit I bought on-line. When I'm done I throw away the filling and hand-wash the form.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

kms3566

I just got my bra
I just got my bra and prosthesis on Tuesday. I had a double mastectomy on Jan 1/29. I was not aware of getting the camisole for after surgery until few days after. I sent my husband to the store, I talked to the lady on the phone and she did a great job of sending him home with something that worked great, I still where it at night. Your Dr will let you know when it is OK to go, usually as long as your incisions are healed, 4-6 weeks I was told. My Dr's office had several different certified shops to choose. Most insurances will cover these, as long as they are certified. I was fitted and tried on several different styles of bras and different sizes of prosthesis, I actually went up from the size I used to be. They were very kind and knowledgeable! However, it did take almost 2 hours and I was exhausted when I got home, so much moving my arms that I was not used to since surgery. I have a wig fitting scheduled for Friday and have a couple girl friends going with, chemo starts on 3/10. Best of luck to you!

carkris

kms3566 said:

I just got my bra
I just got my bra and prosthesis on Tuesday. I had a double mastectomy on Jan 1/29. I was not aware of getting the camisole for after surgery until few days after. I sent my husband to the store, I talked to the lady on the phone and she did a great job of sending him home with something that worked great, I still where it at night. Your Dr will let you know when it is OK to go, usually as long as your incisions are healed, 4-6 weeks I was told. My Dr's office had several different certified shops to choose. Most insurances will cover these, as long as they are certified. I was fitted and tried on several different styles of bras and different sizes of prosthesis, I actually went up from the size I used to be. They were very kind and knowledgeable! However, it did take almost 2 hours and I was exhausted when I got home, so much moving my arms that I was not used to since surgery. I have a wig fitting scheduled for Friday and have a couple girl friends going with, chemo starts on 3/10. Best of luck to you!

I go to a medical supply
I go to a medical supply place that specializes in mastectomy supplies bras and prosthesis and goes through insurance.

cathyp

kms3566 said:

I just got my bra
I just got my bra and prosthesis on Tuesday. I had a double mastectomy on Jan 1/29. I was not aware of getting the camisole for after surgery until few days after. I sent my husband to the store, I talked to the lady on the phone and she did a great job of sending him home with something that worked great, I still where it at night. Your Dr will let you know when it is OK to go, usually as long as your incisions are healed, 4-6 weeks I was told. My Dr's office had several different certified shops to choose. Most insurances will cover these, as long as they are certified. I was fitted and tried on several different styles of bras and different sizes of prosthesis, I actually went up from the size I used to be. They were very kind and knowledgeable! However, it did take almost 2 hours and I was exhausted when I got home, so much moving my arms that I was not used to since surgery. I have a wig fitting scheduled for Friday and have a couple girl friends going with, chemo starts on 3/10. Best of luck to you!

Insurance coverage for prosthesis
Unfortunately, all insurance is not created equal. Mine covers 70% of the cost. I may end up owing over $200 for what I picked out. Call you insurance to find out your specific coverage and/or limitations.

lndsmom

I had a mastectomy on 11/30
..and I don't have my prosthesis yet. I just finished RADS on 2/22 and I was told to wait 4-6 wks after RADS was done to get my prosthesis. Most of the time, I don't wear anything...except layers to hide my asymmetry. When it counts, I'll wear a sports bra or cami with the fabric fiber-filled fake boob I got from the surgeon to even things out.

I have a script from my surgeon for the mastectomy bras and the prosthesis. I know I will have to call my insurance company for guidance on where to go to have it covered though.

Good luck!!
Penny

Mama G

lndsmom said:

I had a mastectomy on 11/30
..and I don't have my prosthesis yet. I just finished RADS on 2/22 and I was told to wait 4-6 wks after RADS was done to get my prosthesis. Most of the time, I don't wear anything...except layers to hide my asymmetry. When it counts, I'll wear a sports bra or cami with the fabric fiber-filled fake boob I got from the surgeon to even things out.

I have a script from my surgeon for the mastectomy bras and the prosthesis. I know I will have to call my insurance company for guidance on where to go to have it covered though.

Good luck!!
Penny

See if there is a medical supply store in your area
OR ACS office. Both were very helpful. There is a very soft bra that snaps in front for right after the operation. My local ACS office had lots of donated bras, new and slightly used for free as well as the soft "filling" to use right after surgery.

Good luck! and God bless.

cabbott

Prostheses
My hospital sent me home with two post surgical bras and a little pillow-like prosthesis stuffed with polyester batting so I could leave the hospital able to look "balanced". You can use a shoulder pad from a clothing store or make a little form for yourself and stick it inside of a sportbra or one of your old bras to make due. Sometimes a camisole from Walmart for under $10 with a pillow form safety pinned in feels best when you are still healing from surgery. That way nothing presses on your stitches. The pin keeps the form from moving and you don't want it falling out when you are out in public! It can be a very small pin though if you have the finger dexterity for that. The advantage of surgical bras is that they have velco attachments and pockets for all those drainage things as well as a pocket that holds in the form. They can also be used with a regular prosthesis when you are ready for tht. They also sell post surgical camisoles which some folks prefer. The disadvantage is that you have to pay big bucks and you will only use them for a month or so, so the cheap way out is often enough. Once your stiches are healed to the satisfaction of the surgeon you should get a prescription for a prosthesis. The first bra and prosthesis should be fitted by a professional fitter if at all possible. You can look in search engines for mastectomy prothesis fitter and your state. Your local ACS or Breast Cancer support groups will probably know where to go too. I went to a boutique at a hospital in my state and found it to be very helpful albeit expensive. I bought a swimming prosthesis and a silicone prosthesis the first time around. The regular prosthesis would have been too heavy to look right in the bathing suit with the mastectomy pocket. Then I lost weight and got a very small prosthesis that works okay with either a bra or a bathing suit. I was glad I didn't have an implant!! I just found out that you can buy mastectomy bras for under $40 at Amazon.com. That is almost half price! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm seriously thinking of it since I have what size I take and know what I like now. Another place I have tried several times is Jodee. they used to be just mail order but now they also have a website: www.jodee.com. I found that mastectomy bras fit much more snuggly than I was used to. Of course, I had never been fitted before. I vaguely remember my nurse telling me to gradually get used to the prostesis a few hours a day and then add a bit, but I can wear it all day now and rarely even think about it. My surgery was back in 2002.