Breast forms and garment recommendation while healing fr bilateral mastectomy

alabama_survivor

I will be having a bilateral mastectomy around the middle of January. I am doing chemo before surgery and will be finished December 15. I will be having radiation on one side only following surgery.  I have decided not to have immediate reconstruction.  I was just curious what some of you in this situation might have done about breast forms and garments, especially when you first came home from the hospital.  I am familiar with the TLC catalog.  I will be fitted for professional prostheses once treatment is done and everything heals.  I was just wondering what some of you might have done in the meantime.  Also,  what do/did you wear when you left the house? Thanks.  Jeanelle

VickiSam

I had a bilateral ... what worked for me -

was a loose fitting blouse with snaps, or buttons.  

My muscles, nodes and breast cut   - so I had limited mobility, very limited arm movements for weeks.  After a few weeks - and okay'd by my plastic surgeon - i wore inexpensive sports bra's -  3 bra's for $10, fruit of the loom -- front snaps.

What has your Doctor or his staff recommended?  Do chat with him/her or staff about clothing, what to expect after surgery, drains, recovery time.

What I found along with way  ..  was that many Sisters in PINK here on our board - had clever, creative ways of handling rashes, mouth sore - sleeping than my Oncologist, his RN/ whom went thru BC herself, side efforts and more importantly SUPPORT.

 

Vicki Sam

taysho

I realize my situation isn't

I realize my situation isn't the norm, but I had a double mastectomy with bilateral lymph node biopsy on 11-19. I regained motion in my arms very quickly and was just wearing t-shirts about 5 or 6 days after surgery, a size bigger than what I typically wore to accommodate room for my 4 drains and then just a zip front jacket. I am about 2 1/2 weeks post op and wore jeans , washed my hair in the sink and styled it with mousse and gel and wore a t-shirt and 1/4 zip pullover to my 2 week follow up! It's still a psychological thing for me about feeling the need to wear a bra, there isn'timuch there! Lol I have been wearing just tank-tops under t shirts, I went today and met with a lady at the cancer center and picked up a tank that has pouches and Velcro pillow type things that go in and with a shirt on over I look just like I did pre op! I went from a full D to having my sternum area stick out farther than where my breasts were. Pre op I went into panic mode about finding shirts that button,snap, and wrap but I never even wore any of them, I just went to goodwill for thoes shirts. I bought me 2 pj sets that the tops zipped up and that's what I wore around the house.

I am 28 years old and active, not sure of your personal circumstances but for me this has been pretty easy and painless and I think a lot of it has been because of my attitude and positive outlook! I will start chemo in the next few weeks so hopefully that all goes as well! Good luck and hopefully your surgery is as easy and painless as mine was! 

VickiSam

I had a bilateral ... what worked for me -

was a loose fitting blouse with snaps, or buttons.  

My muscles, nodes and breast cut   - so I had limited mobility, very limited arm movements for weeks.  After a few weeks - and okay'd by my plastic surgeon - i wore inexpensive sports bra's -  3 bra's for $10, fruit of the loom -- front snaps.

What has your Doctor or his staff recommended?  Do chat with him/her or staff about clothing, what to expect after surgery, drains, recovery time.

What I found along with way  ..  was that many Sisters in PINK here on our board - had clever, creative ways of handling rashes, mouth sore - sleeping than my Oncologist, his RN/ whom went thru BC herself, side efforts, and more importantly SUPPORT.

 

Vicki Sam

VickiSam

taysho said:

I realize my situation isn't

I realize my situation isn't the norm, but I had a double mastectomy with bilateral lymph node biopsy on 11-19. I regained motion in my arms very quickly and was just wearing t-shirts about 5 or 6 days after surgery, a size bigger than what I typically wore to accommodate room for my 4 drains and then just a zip front jacket. I am about 2 1/2 weeks post op and wore jeans , washed my hair in the sink and styled it with mousse and gel and wore a t-shirt and 1/4 zip pullover to my 2 week follow up! It's still a psychological thing for me about feeling the need to wear a bra, there isn'timuch there! Lol I have been wearing just tank-tops under t shirts, I went today and met with a lady at the cancer center and picked up a tank that has pouches and Velcro pillow type things that go in and with a shirt on over I look just like I did pre op! I went from a full D to having my sternum area stick out farther than where my breasts were. Pre op I went into panic mode about finding shirts that button,snap, and wrap but I never even wore any of them, I just went to goodwill for thoes shirts. I bought me 2 pj sets that the tops zipped up and that's what I wore around the house.

I am 28 years old and active, not sure of your personal circumstances but for me this has been pretty easy and painless and I think a lot of it has been because of my attitude and positive outlook! I will start chemo in the next few weeks so hopefully that all goes as well! Good luck and hopefully your surgery is as easy and painless as mine was! 

taysho ----Wow .. quick recovery --

I am so PROUD of you ...  Yes,  YOU.   My bilateral happened after months of TCH chemo thereapy infusions - so I guess my body, was tired and weak.  

Excellent way to start your journey - surgery first - then chemo.

 

Vicki Sam

desertgirl947

I had the bilateral, then

I had the bilateral, then chemo, then radiation.

I was healing when the weather was cold, and so I got by with baggy tees under flannel shits.  I also was all right with pullover tops that stretched a bit, making them easy to get on/off myself.  

When I needed to look sharp, I went with button tops, a little loose, so  could wear something under it (like a tank top)..  I also went with tops with texture or with some type of design -- plaids, stripes, seersucker, paisley, etc. -- to detract from my flat chest. 

I got fitted for my fakes before I started radiation for two reasons:  (1) in case my skin had some healing to do and (2) I would be returning to school -- I work in special ed -- before I was done with rads and did not want to miss time from school that I could avoid.

I am 2+ years in remission.  I rarely wear "the girls."  It just depends.

ee