Wearing a bra while getting radiation

Marlene_K
Marlene_K Member Posts: 508
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm gonna be starting radiation soon and have read so many posts about not being able to wear a bra. I haven't started reconstruction and won't until after rads, but I'm worried about not being able to wear a bra. I haven't gotten a prosthesis and at this point, I probably won't. I wear a form in my bra, but am worried that this will irritate me. I have never walked out my front door without looking like I've got two of em. Was anyone here faced with the same thing and what did you do?

Comments

  • jbug
    jbug Member Posts: 285
    #2
    I didn't have to cope w/your
    I didn't have to cope w/your situation during rads (lumpectomy). Am very confident that other sisters will be giving your advice. Everyone's skin reacts differently to the rads, so you may just have to go one day at a time. You may be able to wear your form/bra for short periods of time and give yourself as much braless time as possible. Early in therapy may not be a problem for you, though your skin may become more sensitive the longer into treatment you get. I went braless and wore very large sweatshirts and I was small breasted enough that you couldn't really tell.

    Hope your rads go well...use lots of the lotions the docs give you and get lots of rest. God Bless...
    Julie
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #3
    Hey Marlene
    Well I have an
    Hey Marlene
    Well I have an expander in so I have a "sort of" right breast but its about a C cup while my normal breast is about a DD ...so I had been concientiously padding my bra ...but during rads that just kind of went by the wayside ...you need to get a soft cotton barely there something for comfort and learn to use this cold weather to your advantage and LAYER!! I always throw on a vest or jacket or sweater nowadays and I dont worry about whether the boobs are evenly matched anymore. I just cover them up....It'll work til Spring anyway!
  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
    #4
    dyaneb123 said:

    Hey Marlene
    Well I have an
    Hey Marlene
    Well I have an expander in so I have a "sort of" right breast but its about a C cup while my normal breast is about a DD ...so I had been concientiously padding my bra ...but during rads that just kind of went by the wayside ...you need to get a soft cotton barely there something for comfort and learn to use this cold weather to your advantage and LAYER!! I always throw on a vest or jacket or sweater nowadays and I dont worry about whether the boobs are evenly matched anymore. I just cover them up....It'll work til Spring anyway!

    hi
    i had a lumpectomy i know everyone is different . i had 33 treatments and i wasnt allowed to wear my bra finally about 2 weeks after rads was over i started wearing it again. im big busted so i burnt really bad i just wore big sweatshirts. wishing you the best marlene!


    teresa
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #5
    teresa41 said:

    hi
    i had a lumpectomy i know everyone is different . i had 33 treatments and i wasnt allowed to wear my bra finally about 2 weeks after rads was over i started wearing it again. im big busted so i burnt really bad i just wore big sweatshirts. wishing you the best marlene!


    teresa

    You gotta be kidding me!
    No bra during rads????? I'm a teacher! I can't look so lopsided for 7 weeks while teaching!
    Good Lord! HOw about a tight t shirt with a prosthesis? I'll figure out something....
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #6
    Barely There has a soft bra.
    I'm not sure if it will work or not because I had a lumpectomy. This bra was recommended by my radiology techs. My guess is that it would work but it doesn't have much support. Feels great and gentle on the irritated skin. You can find them at Kohl's. The big issue is the underwire bras and other bras that are tight around the bottom. The cup isn't the issue. Good luck.

    Roseann
  • mickeymom
    mickeymom Member Posts: 117
    #7
    Use the form
    I am fairly large and going lopsided wasn't an option for me either. ( I also work in a school). I had 33 rad treatments in Oct, Nov and early Dec. My prosthesis is heavy and was hard to wear pretty early in the process. I switched to the form about half way through and it was fine, until I started to turn red. The burns made the bra hurt but the form really didn't bother me until near the end of treatments. The rads nurse suggested wearing a bra over a soft cotton t-shirt to protect the skin. It worked pretty well. It felt a little weird, but at least the skin didn't hurt. I wore sports bras a lot too, pinning the form in place. And lots of swearshirt jackets and other baggy clothes!

    Good luck with rads!
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #8
    roseann4 said:

    Barely There has a soft bra.
    I'm not sure if it will work or not because I had a lumpectomy. This bra was recommended by my radiology techs. My guess is that it would work but it doesn't have much support. Feels great and gentle on the irritated skin. You can find them at Kohl's. The big issue is the underwire bras and other bras that are tight around the bottom. The cup isn't the issue. Good luck.

    Roseann

    I had a lumpectomy, but I am
    I had a lumpectomy, but I am in my last 2 weeks of rads. I just burned. I can not wear a bra for now. I was told I could try a sports bra, but I did not find that that worked for me with out pain. I got out my summer tops, the ones with the bra in them. It's soft enough, has some support and I wear something over the top of it. I also bought a soft cheap bra, a few sizes bigger in size not cup. Keep in mind you might not have any problems at all. Not everyone burns. Good luck
  • contrail
    contrail Member Posts: 129
    #9
    Bras and Radiation
    You'll be able to wear a bra during radiation, but you certainly will want one that is comfortable and won't irritate your skin. I visited a shop in my area that specializes in bras for women who have had mastectomies. They had what I was looking for. I also had an expander in when I was going through radiation, so I didn't need a prosthesis. The bras I got from this shop have little pockets in them where you can put that soft filler that is used in making pillows and stuffed animals. This might work for you. It would give you the appearance that you want and probably wouldn't cause much irritation. Good luck!!! Connie
  • pitt
    pitt Member Posts: 387
    #10
    Marlene, I am in my 7th week
    Marlene, I am in my 7th week of radiation and have been able to wear a soft cotton bra up until this week. (Every one is different but I didn't burn until now.) Anyway, you cannot wear an underwire bra but other types are okay. Just get what's most comfortable for you. I am currently wearing camisoles with a built-in bra. I'm okay with material touching my skin but you want to go for natural fibers and softness. Good luck to you. Oh - start with the creams they tell you to use on day 1! Don't wait until you need them to start using them. I followed this advice that a fellow sister gave me and I have had very good results. Best of luck!!! Pitt
  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #11
    I am large-busted (F-G cup)&
    I am large-busted (F-G cup)& teach in a middle school, so going braless was out of the question. I purchased "Just My Size" cotton bras in a larger band size. I was able to wear a bra every day, though at the end I cut squares of white flannel to put between the radiated area & my bra during the last couple of weeks. After radiation everything healed up pretty quickly.

    The nurses were not too helpful--their solution was to go braless, but in my job, I just couldn't. Good luck - it will be over before you know it!
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #12
    Tux said:

    I am large-busted (F-G cup)&
    I am large-busted (F-G cup)& teach in a middle school, so going braless was out of the question. I purchased "Just My Size" cotton bras in a larger band size. I was able to wear a bra every day, though at the end I cut squares of white flannel to put between the radiated area & my bra during the last couple of weeks. After radiation everything healed up pretty quickly.

    The nurses were not too helpful--their solution was to go braless, but in my job, I just couldn't. Good luck - it will be over before you know it!

    I couldn't wear a bra for
    I couldn't wear a bra for the last week. I got some mens tank top ribbed undershirts that are very soft and helped hold me in place. I liked the idea of wearing the bra on top of the undershirt I bet that worked.
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #13
    Sher43009 said:

    I couldn't wear a bra for
    I couldn't wear a bra for the last week. I got some mens tank top ribbed undershirts that are very soft and helped hold me in place. I liked the idea of wearing the bra on top of the undershirt I bet that worked.

    Okay, now I feel better....
    The bra over the t shirt might work, except that I'm in FLA where it's HOTT! hahaha
    I'll just plan on getting some nice soft bras and stuffing them with socks or kleenex like I did back in 9th grade.
  • Marlene_K
    Marlene_K Member Posts: 508
    #14
    Mama G said:

    Okay, now I feel better....
    The bra over the t shirt might work, except that I'm in FLA where it's HOTT! hahaha
    I'll just plan on getting some nice soft bras and stuffing them with socks or kleenex like I did back in 9th grade.

    Hmm...
    Ok, this might work, Lorraine. I suppose we'll have to take it one day at a time like Pitt suggested... maybe we won't have a problem with burning, but I thought it might be nice to be prepared. I kinda like the idea of stuffing with a soft sock. Here's another question. Did anyone used to go tanning before BC and tan without anything on? Here's a theory. I thought if the skin was already conditioned to getting radiated light, perhaps the burn won't be quite as bad?
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #15
    Marlene_K said:

    Hmm...
    Ok, this might work, Lorraine. I suppose we'll have to take it one day at a time like Pitt suggested... maybe we won't have a problem with burning, but I thought it might be nice to be prepared. I kinda like the idea of stuffing with a soft sock. Here's another question. Did anyone used to go tanning before BC and tan without anything on? Here's a theory. I thought if the skin was already conditioned to getting radiated light, perhaps the burn won't be quite as bad?

    Sorry, I have no clue.

    Sorry, I have no clue.
  • ladybug22
    ladybug22 Member Posts: 646
    #16
    Marlene_K said:

    Hmm...
    Ok, this might work, Lorraine. I suppose we'll have to take it one day at a time like Pitt suggested... maybe we won't have a problem with burning, but I thought it might be nice to be prepared. I kinda like the idea of stuffing with a soft sock. Here's another question. Did anyone used to go tanning before BC and tan without anything on? Here's a theory. I thought if the skin was already conditioned to getting radiated light, perhaps the burn won't be quite as bad?

    tanning bed
    cant help you there never been in a tanning bed
  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #17
    ladybug22 said:

    tanning bed
    cant help you there never been in a tanning bed

    I only burned badly in 2
    I only burned badly in 2 spots and they were where there was a fold in the skin that they
    couldn't get rid of through positioning my arms...one under the arm and one under the colar bone...but though they looked terrible, with the creams they really didn't hurt...
    I wore some sort of bra the whole 7 weeks and it didn't bother me til maybe the last week.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #18
    pitt said:

    Marlene, I am in my 7th week
    Marlene, I am in my 7th week of radiation and have been able to wear a soft cotton bra up until this week. (Every one is different but I didn't burn until now.) Anyway, you cannot wear an underwire bra but other types are okay. Just get what's most comfortable for you. I am currently wearing camisoles with a built-in bra. I'm okay with material touching my skin but you want to go for natural fibers and softness. Good luck to you. Oh - start with the creams they tell you to use on day 1! Don't wait until you need them to start using them. I followed this advice that a fellow sister gave me and I have had very good results. Best of luck!!! Pitt

    I was told that I could wear
    I was told that I could wear a bra, just not an underwire, if I wanted to and if it felt comfortable. I did at first, but, then stopped wearing one as I didn't want to irritate my skin. You should discuss your situation with your rads oncologist and do what is best for you. We are all so different in our treatment and how our skin reacts.

    Good luck!
  • ncarlisle
    ncarlisle Member Posts: 1
    #19
    roseann4 said:

    Barely There has a soft bra.
    I'm not sure if it will work or not because I had a lumpectomy. This bra was recommended by my radiology techs. My guess is that it would work but it doesn't have much support. Feels great and gentle on the irritated skin. You can find them at Kohl's. The big issue is the underwire bras and other bras that are tight around the bottom. The cup isn't the issue. Good luck.

    Roseann

    Barely There crop top
    I'm currently undergoing radiation and while my skin is fine so far, I've been obsessing about finding a more comfortable bra. I found this post and checked out Barely There bras. Their crop top bra is fantastic. Doesn't offer a lot of support, but it feels great on your skin. Thanks to all for sharing.
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #20
    dyaneb123 said:

    I only burned badly in 2
    I only burned badly in 2 spots and they were where there was a fold in the skin that they
    couldn't get rid of through positioning my arms...one under the arm and one under the colar bone...but though they looked terrible, with the creams they really didn't hurt...
    I wore some sort of bra the whole 7 weeks and it didn't bother me til maybe the last week.

    Tanning beds
    Never been to one and never want to.I feel those tanning beds are dangerous.Fake sunlight or whatever.I would have to think some radiation.

    What I am thinking now is "Do I want to get some sun this summer" since I have breast cancer.I know it is a different type of cancer but I do have worries.I will be talking to my oncologist to see about this. Last year I got a little bit only because it was my 45th Class Reunion and wanted to look good.Making a decision this year.

    What I am thinking if we use high sun screen (whatever the highest is) it might be OK.

    Lynn Smith
  • jendrey
    jendrey Member Posts: 377
    #21
    Lynn Smith said:

    Tanning beds
    Never been to one and never want to.I feel those tanning beds are dangerous.Fake sunlight or whatever.I would have to think some radiation.

    What I am thinking now is "Do I want to get some sun this summer" since I have breast cancer.I know it is a different type of cancer but I do have worries.I will be talking to my oncologist to see about this. Last year I got a little bit only because it was my 45th Class Reunion and wanted to look good.Making a decision this year.

    What I am thinking if we use high sun screen (whatever the highest is) it might be OK.

    Lynn Smith

    ...
    Methinks wearing any kind of sunscreen is a no-no. Sunscreen may have zinc or alum in it and THAT would not be a good thing with radiation treatments.

    Best to ask radiologist if sunscreen is ok. =)

    edit: I mean wearing sunscreen WHILE having radiation treatment is probably not good.

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