bra during radiation

linpsu
linpsu Member Posts: 747
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I had a left mastectomy in July and will begin radiation for 7 weeks in mid-September. I am currently wearing my post-surgery camisole with the puffy insert. But I go back to my teaching job next week and that camisole is too bulky to wear under nice clothes. I went to the prosthesis-fitting lady who will be helping me after I complete the radiation to look at options, but she really couldn't help me. She showed me a much sleeker-looking camisole with an insert, but said they won't want me to wear any kind of inserts during my radiation weeks due to irritation. I can't go back to school with one boob. Can anyone give me any ideas of what they did to make it look like they were "normal" during radiation? Thanks so much - I know some of you wonderful ladies will have some suggestions!
Linda

Comments

  • heidijez
    heidijez Member Posts: 441
    #2
    in the same boat. . .almost
    will have left mastectomy within next ten days. . . work for a catholic school. . . am worried about how i will be able to dress . . . hope someone has some suggestions
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #3
    I am sooo jealous...
    I'll put that aside for the time being...

    A lot will depend on how well you tolerate the radiation. I am at the end of my radiation..2 more regular treatments to be followed by boosts and the doctor that examined me this week told me to keep up whatever I am doing as my fair Irish complexion has done quite well. I can say that a Persian lady also receiving treatments with me is not doing so well and she only had a lumpectomy. Her bosom is quite ample and the poor thing is extremely uncomfortable. There is wisdom in NOT wearing something that may irritate your skin further...I have seen her skin.

    I am wearing oversized jog bras at this time for my lonely left girl needs the support, no soft form over the missing right breast. I am fortunate to have good range of motion and pull it on and off quickly for treatments. I have been wearing oversized blouses and will likely alter a jog bra by sewing in a chamois pocket to wear a soft form this weekend.

    I will tell you that I shower before bed, slather on the Aquaphor or Udderly Smooth while my skin is still moist reaching as far as I can reach and throw on an old sweatshirt to sleep in. I only apply cream once a day, at bedtime.

    Oh, and I am a teacher as well. I will continue to wear loose fitting blouses and comfort clothes. There might as well be some 'perk' to this damned cancer card.

    Best wishes
  • filimu
    filimu Member Posts: 74
    #4
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy said:

    I am sooo jealous...
    I'll put that aside for the time being...

    A lot will depend on how well you tolerate the radiation. I am at the end of my radiation..2 more regular treatments to be followed by boosts and the doctor that examined me this week told me to keep up whatever I am doing as my fair Irish complexion has done quite well. I can say that a Persian lady also receiving treatments with me is not doing so well and she only had a lumpectomy. Her bosom is quite ample and the poor thing is extremely uncomfortable. There is wisdom in NOT wearing something that may irritate your skin further...I have seen her skin.

    I am wearing oversized jog bras at this time for my lonely left girl needs the support, no soft form over the missing right breast. I am fortunate to have good range of motion and pull it on and off quickly for treatments. I have been wearing oversized blouses and will likely alter a jog bra by sewing in a chamois pocket to wear a soft form this weekend.

    I will tell you that I shower before bed, slather on the Aquaphor or Udderly Smooth while my skin is still moist reaching as far as I can reach and throw on an old sweatshirt to sleep in. I only apply cream once a day, at bedtime.

    Oh, and I am a teacher as well. I will continue to wear loose fitting blouses and comfort clothes. There might as well be some 'perk' to this damned cancer card.

    Best wishes

    I went to Target
    and got some camisole bras that were "pre-formed" with a kinda stretchy camisole overlay. That way you didn't have to have any kind of insert inside of it, but it gave you the look of having a regular figure under most shirts or sweaters. and it was pretty comfortable too, with a fairly narrow elastic band holding the bottom of the "bra" portion in place under the overlying lycra/satin camisole. I wore that even right after my surgery and pinned the tabs of my drains to the underlying band and just pulled the camisole part down over the drains until I got them out. Then I'd put a loose shirt over it, so the "lumps" didn't show. I wore those til my reconstruction, and nobody could have told I had no boobs, or was undergoing "expansion" if I didn't tell them.

    The camisole bras were priced, I think around $16.00, and were in small, medium and large, not cup sizes. Just an idea that might work for you in the interim.
  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    #5
    filimu said:

    I went to Target
    and got some camisole bras that were "pre-formed" with a kinda stretchy camisole overlay. That way you didn't have to have any kind of insert inside of it, but it gave you the look of having a regular figure under most shirts or sweaters. and it was pretty comfortable too, with a fairly narrow elastic band holding the bottom of the "bra" portion in place under the overlying lycra/satin camisole. I wore that even right after my surgery and pinned the tabs of my drains to the underlying band and just pulled the camisole part down over the drains until I got them out. Then I'd put a loose shirt over it, so the "lumps" didn't show. I wore those til my reconstruction, and nobody could have told I had no boobs, or was undergoing "expansion" if I didn't tell them.

    The camisole bras were priced, I think around $16.00, and were in small, medium and large, not cup sizes. Just an idea that might work for you in the interim.

    Target
    Thanks for the suggestion! I will head to Target soon - I love that store but never thought to look there for a bra/camisole.

    Linda
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #6
    linpsu said:

    Target
    Thanks for the suggestion! I will head to Target soon - I love that store but never thought to look there for a bra/camisole.

    Linda

    I read a post that said she
    I read a post that said she used tissue and stuffed her bra. Kinda like when we were kids. I had a lumpectomy and durning rads I wore a mens T shirt and then a very loose bra over the T shirt.
  • KayNYC
    KayNYC Member Posts: 495 Member
    #7
    Kat11 said:

    I read a post that said she
    I read a post that said she used tissue and stuffed her bra. Kinda like when we were kids. I had a lumpectomy and durning rads I wore a mens T shirt and then a very loose bra over the T shirt.

    bras during rads
    I had a lumpectomy in March. Started off wearing sports bras in a size larger after surgery and during radiation. Switched to a camisoles when I became sore and swollen. I eventually found the body shaper camisoles at Target for about $19.00 (Assetts)worked great. They work well particularly with the lymphedema of my breast and trunk. I am a D cup so I needed support that the camisole seems to provide without causing irritation or restricting lymph flow. For the office, I wore roomy blouses with drape cardigans (flowing)as I work with children and adolescents in a hospital based clinic.
    Perhaps you can insert a soft cotton stuffed flannel pocket into the camisole. You won't want to put any pressure on that side or cause irritation. It will be tender and there were a few days I felt like anything that touched the radiated area was irritating.Of course we are all different but I hope this is helpful.
    Hugs, K
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #8
    heidijez said:

    in the same boat. . .almost
    will have left mastectomy within next ten days. . . work for a catholic school. . . am worried about how i will be able to dress . . . hope someone has some suggestions

    I had a lumpectomy, so, my
    I had a lumpectomy, so, my rads oncologist just didn't want me wearing an underwire bra as it might irritate me. Good luck!


    Jan
  • roseyposey333
    roseyposey333 Member Posts: 68
    #9
    finishing radiation this week
    i had a lumpectomy and now having radiation, have 3 treatments left and feeling pretty sore under my breasts especially. i am large breasted so going bra less was not appealing to me but the pain forced me to let the girls be free from constriction. i am not working so guess its different for me but since it is September you can get away with covering up on those days that you just can't wear a bra. my oncologist gave me some cream that is used for burn patients and a gauze like material, much softer than gauze though and it has a slightly sticky side that goes on the breast but comes off easily, but why I am telling you this is because I put a piece of it on my nipple area so i can go out and not have anything showing.
    not sure this helped you because i didn't have a mastectomy but wanted to let you know that being comfortable is #1 priority for us, we have been through enough to worry about looking perfect all the time.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #10
    After my mast. last Oct. I
    After my mast. last Oct. I wore my old bras with the little 'fluff' the local ACS sent me post surgery. Worked great for me through 12 weekly Taxol and the start of rads - but remember that we are all different. I got my pros. during the 2nd week of rads and never had any problems with wearing it. I did have problems with bad burns after rads were over so went back to old bras and 'fluff' when I went 'out'. Worn white t-shirts that were changed every hour to 2 hours when home (which I was almost all the time here) as bandages would not stay on.

    Talk to your rads Dr and/or his/her nurse for what they suggest based on who you are and your situtation. "Fitters' are just that - fitters.
  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #11
    I had a double mastectomy
    I had a double mastectomy last January and have had such bad neuropathy from the node dissection even thinking about a bra hurt! I did try some at the mastectomy boutique...three before the pain got too bad. I am normally a size 38, but because of pain, I had to get a size 48 with triple or four hooks in the back...all the way around uncomfortable. I saw my surgeon yesterday and she said Kohl's has a bra called Barely There, perhaps by Bali but she couldn't be sure. She herself has problems with bras digging, etc and is picky about having comfy, soft bras. She told me to try those (depsite my objections because I am done d-o-n-e with bras). Maybe those would help? Maybe someone will try them and find out how they do. I have no idea but just a suggestion.
  • renee616
    renee616 Member Posts: 181
    #12
    cinnamonsmile said:

    I had a double mastectomy
    I had a double mastectomy last January and have had such bad neuropathy from the node dissection even thinking about a bra hurt! I did try some at the mastectomy boutique...three before the pain got too bad. I am normally a size 38, but because of pain, I had to get a size 48 with triple or four hooks in the back...all the way around uncomfortable. I saw my surgeon yesterday and she said Kohl's has a bra called Barely There, perhaps by Bali but she couldn't be sure. She herself has problems with bras digging, etc and is picky about having comfy, soft bras. She told me to try those (depsite my objections because I am done d-o-n-e with bras). Maybe those would help? Maybe someone will try them and find out how they do. I have no idea but just a suggestion.

    I know a woman whos been
    I know a woman whos been wearing socks to stuff her mastectomy side for 23 years. Very soft & comfortable! Shes actually quite large breasted. I went braless to radiation then put on a sports bra after, but i had an implant immediately following surgery.

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