Secondary breast cancer both breasts removed years ago. Chest red an swollen bra's are so painful any ideas for bra replacement would be very helpful desperate
Hi colleen ... I had problems trying to find a bra too .. but m an s do a wonderfull soft mastectomy bra .. I brought 3 .. and they are so comfortable ... when my scar was sore I put a couple of cottonwool pads there ... hope that helps a tad ... x
Hi Criss
Thanks , did that after Opp yes the pads were helpful. . But now chest is red and swollen. No bra will work have tried waistcoat pockets stuffed with kitchen roll
I was going to make some with inner pockets for prosthetic boobs but get too tired I wondered if anyone has same prob and if they had found a solution only wear waistcoat to local shops of if the great grand kids visit . It's quite hard to find waistcoats that work or can be altered to work. I buy on line as not enough energy to go clothes shopping thanks for your post I agree that worked fine before secondary cancer kicked in X
One of our guides on here, [@Jolamine] has used Knitted Knockers I think. Might be worth chatting to her, she’s very knowledgable about all this stuff
Hi one thing I think would be a good idea is call your oncology team or Dr as that happened to me, and I'd got an infection under scar ... needed lots of antibiotics to clear it , and a couple of drainings too .. so don't leave it ...
I often go round now at home with nothing there ... give it room to breath ... have you got falsy from oncology nurses ... they gave me 3 .. two for day and one ultra soft one for night ... maybe worth asking .. they just fit inside mastectomy bras ... good luck ... Chrissie x
my fault I didn't explain. no infection swelling and redness is cancer will not improve neck face arm chest area all swollen cancer gone into lymph nodes so they don't work hence swelling. It's not a medical problem as such
knitted knockers are good if u can wear a bra I can't. My chest is swollen with cancer and water as lymph nodes not working can't drain water any tightness around chest hurts can't use stick on ones would have to stick it on cancerous chest ouch! Lol
Bless ya ... just hope you can find something to ease the pain ... sometimes l just loose it with cancer ... as if we don't face enough ... that is really not fare ... let us know if you do find something as the info may help others in that situation ... fingers crossed for you brave lady ... Chrissie
I am so sorry not to have been able to reply to you before this and to read about the condition of your breasts and the difficulty in geting a suitable bra. I have had 2 bouts of breast cancer, The first was 8 years ago and the second was 7. I had a lumpectomy the first time and a double mastectomy second time around. I developed lymphoedema in both arms after that and now attend the lymphoedema nurse for 2 weeks in every 12. Here I get manual lymphatic drainage of head, neck, chest, arms & groin, followed by bandaging of both arms, which leave me looking like the Michelin man for 2 weeks. In between, I wear elastic sleeves on both arms covering from my fingers to my shoulder. I have a thicker waffle type sleeve for night time, as it is supposed to be more effective.
With you mentioning swelling and having lymphoedema too, I wonder whether you might maybe need some treatment for it? I know that it is difficult to get this treatment in most parts of the country as there is great demand for it, but it is worth a try.
The nurse here is very good and supplies me with my elastic sleeves and she has started to supply me with bras too. She has recently ordered me a new type of bra which zips down the front - sounds a bit like what you are attempting to make, but a little more supportive. It seems very soft, but of course, it is not until I try it for myself that I will really know how good or bad it is. Unfortunately, the wrong bras were ordered for me last time by mistake and I am waiting for the new ones to be delivered. I cannot remember the name of them, but will let you know as soon as I get them.
Have you tried maternity or sleeping bras? I didn't find the maternity ones any help because the pads tended to irritate still. However the sleeping bras were very soft, although obviously they didn't have a great deal of support. Some of the first time bras for young girls can also be useful. What was your natural size of bust and do you still stick to this size or have you downsized? What type of prosthesis do you wear or have you tried, or are you currently not wearing any?
I see that Rileyroo has mentioned that I have tried knitted knockers. I have, but only for swimming with. I have found them tremendous, as they are filled with bath scrunchies, so are both light and don't retain water for too long. I have now obtained the American pattern for these and am currently attempting to make an everyday pair for myself. These could be helpful for everyday inside a sleeping bra, but I mostly use the prostheses with the minute polystyrene beads now. There is no weight to them and the only drawback is that they can 'draw' the breast occasionally.
The Silicone prostheses that I get from the NHS are just too heavy for me now. The advantage to the polystyrene ones is that they are also a lot cheaper to buy than silicone ones. M & S also supply a very lightweight foam insert which is very soft and comfortable. This comes in 3 sizes. This is usually found amongst the bra accessories and shoved in some forgotten corner, so ask if you cannot find them. I have stitched some of these into certain clothes where I find a bra difficult to wear. I just pop them into a prosthesis pocket and stitch this in place.
You are obviously quite willing to think outside the box with this. Sometimes we have to. I am interested to hear how your running vest will work out.
I find it hard to believe that there is such a poor supply of post surgical bras in the shops considering how many women now need them.
Do please let me know how you get on. We are always here for you.
