Post Op Bra ?
Hi All,
My friends mother has just gone through a mastectomy and i received the below text asking for help. Nb, I had a lumpectomy so told my friend i would ask the online community.
"Mum is up to 11 days after surgery. Her arm is still quite sore, which is one reason why her basic post op bra is painful. She thinks no one can fix it (the bra fitting/pain) and has to wait till 6 weeks post op to get the fitting done etc. Any ideas What she can do?"
So I guess the questions are; what have other women done for support of one breast whilst the other side is still painful. and What are the types of post opp bras (i had a very soft cotton one - no underwire, from Myers that did up the front with about 10 hook and eyes)
Any suggestions would be very welcome, Thanks
Comments
-
Hi Cathy, I also had a lumpectomy, but was lucky to find the soft sports bra, no wire, with a front zip at Kmart. The also have the little pockets for the inserts if needed. $20 for a two pack. The most comfortable thing ever.
4 -
Hi Cathy, I had a mastectomy 13 days ago and I have tried various bras and crop tops and am having no luck finding anything that I can wear for longer than 5 minutes. In addition I still have one drain in and it's so high up on my side that everything irritates it.
My poor remaining side has been swinging in the wind - so I'm interested in what advice others give! Sad that I can't help! x
1 -
Has she spoken to the breast care nurse about this problem?
They have a lot of knowledge and deal with same.situation day in day out and may be able.to help.
I had a lumpectomy so cannot really help as I am assuming mastectomy comes with a whole.new set of problems but what worked for me was getting a bra one size larger plus I got bra extenders and found as day progressed I needed to add extenders ... Also I used thick gauze to protect the wound site both from the cups and from the elastic.
I only got them at best and less as did not eant to spend too much for bras that would be a temporary measure
1 -
Hi,
Did your friends Mum get a My Care Kit? Get her to check with her breast care nurse. Berlei has a soft bra that is designed for after treatment. The link is here http://www.berlei.com.au/bcna
3 -
Many thanks to everyone who responded. I will pass the comments on and will post details on whatever has helped her.
Hugs to you all
Cathy x
0 -
Oh Naomi, my sympathies to you. I wish you a very speedy recovery and really hope that you get a reply that is helpful xx
0 -
Hi Cathy, I did have a left mastectomy (skin saving) with immediate reconstruction and my breast care nurse ordered me one of the berlei post op mastectomy bras. I did order myself a second one (as part of the kit you get a 50%off card with berlei). As for the pain in the arm was sentinel node biopsy done as this does leave the arm feeling very raw. Some of the wonderful ladies on here have advises they took lyrica tablets for the nerve pain. Also my breast care nurse advised that using a very thick dressing to act as a buffer between the bra and skin would help with the pain. It most certainly did. Sometimes just adjusting the dressings location was the difference between comfort and sharp pain. Even gauze folded acts as a buffer. Please tell her not to wait as 6 weeks of discomfort is a very long arduous time. And also good on you for coming to your friends mums assistance. You are indeed a nice friend. All the best to the three of you. Xx Cath
1 -
I am wearing these 8 months on from surgery. They are not too tight, I found the berlie too restrictive. Also the breast care nurse should be able to provide soft forms to start with. They also sometimes have sales for half price and send emails.
http://www.erilan.com.au/products/amoena-frances?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=816642377&gclid=Cj0KEQjwxLC9BRDb1dP8o7Op68IBEiQAwWggQMHq9TKQWpsf5hWOGf4i6G8iClZ0KEj1e2Q8MDzGtQEaAhx88P8HAQ
1 -
I must admit they are almost identical to the Kmart bras I purchased save the ones I got have a zip and yours have the eyelets.
It is great to know of the different options that we all find and can vouch for.
xo
1 -
To All the Wonderful members who responded to the initial question, below is the response from my friends mother:
Mum is so grateful to the online community for sharing
their experiences, care and wisdom. She put the bra on looser hooks and
added wadding between skin and bra which helped enormously. All the
responses were helpful for ideas and it was great to hear from others in
a similar situation. Please pass on our deepest thanks and Regards xx
6 -
I was given thick pads to go under the elastic of my bra when I came home from hospital. I had a reduction so the elastic sat on the suture lines. When these are no longer usable I plan to use thick sanitary pads under the bottom of the bra. They might also help protect other places from rubbing too.1
-
I have to agree with others, after my last lumpectomy, my Oncology Nurse brought in a care kit with a Berlei Bra to fit before I even left hospital, did she not get one of those?. It was the BEST, soft cup and wore it for quite a while until I got back into my normal bras. Hugs xo2
-
R the lumpectomy next Fri should I go beforehand to K-Mart and try for the zip up one at the front? I usually go braless at home and don't have big breasts - 14D. I know I would struggle doing one up at the back as my 5 core biopsies a fortnight ago are still tender and bruise is going. Is the berlei one done up at the front? No one
has discussed bras with me yet. Anaesthetist appoint. this Friday so possibly a nurse around to ask?0 -
I woke up from surgery with a bra on over my dressings, not sure if that was because I also had a reduction.
Do you have a breast care nurse? She will arrange an after surgery care kit for you with a bra in it.
Target also has some nice soft after surgery bras that do up the front, yes, it within be easier to do up the front, especially if you have lymph nodes out, they were the sorest part for me.
I found wearing a bra, especially at night, helped keep everything in place and reduced any pain.1 -
Hi @viking1, yes the berlei mastectomy bra does up at the front. Also make sure you take along a bra extender (spotlight sell them) as it's good to have that little bit of extra space in the banding (under the breast). Also ask your breast care nurse for some thick dressings to use as a buffer between bra line and breast (particularly if having sentinel node biopsy) can make a huge difference pain wise. Xx Cath2
