What about swimming?

dodinita
dodinita Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I´ll take my mother to the beach who had a mastectomy recently and I would like to know if she has to wear a special protesis or she can use her silicone prothesis.

Comments

  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #2
    They have a special prosthesis made for swimming which will not be affected either by salt water or chlorine from the pool. It is also very light weight and a lot more comfortable. Check into that because I don't know if the other prosthesis can get submerged in water, Hugs, Lili
  • LindaR48
    LindaR48 Member Posts: 26
    #3
    I believe it depends on the type of prosthesis, and the company that makes them. The instructions that came with mine said it could be worn for swimming. As was mentioned there are also some made specifically for water activities.
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #4
    I have no experience with prostheses, but I would expect the manufacturer to have some information about the particular one she is using. If you did not get written information with it, I assume there is a website or phone number you can go to. If not, try asking your local American Cancer Society for information on the specific type she has, or ask her Dr. or nurses.

    Whatever you find out, have fun at the beach! seof.
  • NorcalJ
    NorcalJ Member Posts: 187
    #5
    There are some special protheses that can take chlorine or ocean water. Just see what the manufacturer says. Also, how long ago was your mom's mastectomy? Make sure it's O.K. with the Dr. that she's healed enough and is able to go to a public pool, or the ocean / river. Is she getting chemo? If her immune system isn't up to it yet, you may want to be careful in public "shared water".
    Otherwise, hope you have a great time---good time of year to swim!
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #6
    You say she had a mastectomy recently. The doctor will not give her permission to go in the water until her stitches are healed, about a month after surgery for most folks. Even then, she needs to be a bit more careful to not fall on her surgery area or attempt any strenuous swims in rough water until her body is fully healed. I used a hollow-backed swimming prosthesis in my Land's End tugless tank when I first went to the beach. It worked great. The hollow back made it lighter than my other silicone prosthesis so it didn't sag on the prosthesis side when I got wet. Foam stuffing and shoulder pads simply wouldn't work at all when wet. But when I lost 15 pounds, I dropped a bra size and the new prosthesis was so light that I really didn't need a swimming prosthesis anymore. The saleslady said that silicone would take whatever my skin could take in terms of water.It was light because I was down to the next to the smallest size in the book, I think a "nearly" 34 A. More endowed than that and a swimming prosthesis is needed if you get wet! Also, a swimming prosthesis is under $100 and my regular job is over $200. So if you want to do much swimming, the swimming prosthesis might be a better buy in the long run. Since I only swim once in awhile and fit the smaller bra size for now, I'm using my regular prosthesis for swimming and for regular wear. A great beach umbrella is a must too! Sunshine accentuates scars and some cancer meds make you sun sensitive. Sunscreen and bug spray can protect her from lymphedema. My family gave me a wheeled cart to haul my beach stuff and I love to go, but I still take precautions so I can stay out of the doctor's office as much as possible. Have a great trip!

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