Left sided mastectomy. Bras?

You only get one berli post surgery bra in the my care kit , if you want more you can buy online anything  front closing ( important)  and soft  wide straps and sides,  and with a pocket inside for prosthesis . 

 I wore mine home from hospital ( ages ago) and the light insert . You feel really self consious but honestly no one notices. Take a light weight scarf helps to cover lost cleavage . ( scarves are your new friend) 

You can really wear any  stretchy soft pull on ( up from waist) crop tops too and pop a prothsesis in there. DD may need two temporary ones.

I am a dd now and the soft forms often only go up to as prosthesis size 12 or 13 which is about a D , but they vary . There are many different types of prosthiesis and fabrics and shapes. But most people start with light and soft versions.

https://www.berlei.com.au/bras/shop-style/post-surgery.html

There are several other brands of post surgery bras and brands too. Note some arepost surgery compression for when ladies have had complex recon surgery that has to be held firm and tight  , so you don't need that type that are stiff and very structured .

Amoena https://www.amoena.com/au/retailers/

( Myers also usually  stock the amonea post surgery ) https://www.myer.com.au/c/women/lingerie/bras/bras-post-surgery

https://www.kmart.com.au/product/2-pack-wirefree-post-surgery-crop-s124817/

Booty have a new post surgery one  www.boody.com.au/products/post-surgery-bra

Online masectomy stores Erilain /www.erilan.com.au

Tracey G Mastectomy./The masectomy store  https://www.traceyg.com

Once you have healed up and got your shoulder motion back, then make an apointment for a proper prothesis with a masectomy bra fitter, if you can't get to one, some of them do online consultations and post you stuff to try. But its worth a long drive to get to one in person if you can. After first fitting then you can reorder stuff online. It feels weird at first and takes time to get used to new body. But before you know it  you will just pop it on and get on with your day and no one can tell we are missing one boob.

Cancer be gone .

Hi there. I’m sorry, my memory of the early post-op days that you are anticipating is a bit blurry. But I will try to help.

I had a left mastectomy 2 years ago. Like you, I’m in the country, and that seems to be a factor in not having an immediate reconstruction. There was definitely some time spent in just a pyjama top whilst skin was healing and drains were being accessed - light, button down pyjamas were best. This also applies for days after you get home, as lifting arms above your head can be difficult. Then, I can remember wearing a soft form, in a mastectomy bra. The form was provided by breast care nurses before surgery and I bought a mastectomy bra by Berlei. I have to admit that I grew to hate the whole setup; it was soft but did not give a good shape and just felt like it belonged in a hospital.

I used to - and still do - go half-flat quite often. When out walking, swimming or working out I’ll wear a crop top or cross-over type top that accommodates one full side and one flat one. Stretch is the key so that you don’t have extra fabric flapping on one side. 

It was a milestone for me when I was fitted for a prosthesis and the right bra to wear it with (I wore them for the first time to a job interview the next week!). To begin with they recommended expensive specialist bras imported from Europe that held the prosthesis in place. Now that I have adjusted and know what shape and fabrics to look for I can buy bras elsewhere without help - I even bought some pretty lace ones from Target last week! But the help of a skilled professional in those early days was really key.

Good luck with your journey. I hope that you can find peace and confidence with your new shape. It’s a sign not just of all that you’ve gone through all that you’ve conquered. 

Hi TannieT​, Have you or your breast care nurse ordered a My Care Kit as yet? The kit includes a post surgery recovery bra, which may be appropriate. The kit also includes soft forms to insert into the bra pocket. Please call us on 1800 500 258 and we would be happy to chat and order you one. 

A mastectomy bra is the easiest option - both cups have pockets to hold a pad (in the early days) and then a prosthesis. To be honest, I wore my normal bras for ages with a soft pad but I don't recommend it, the pad had an annoying habit of moving! My oncology nurse provided me with a soft cotton form which I could fill with padding to the right size. Others have used knitted forms (check out Knitted Knockers!). I recommend getting fitted properly for a prosthesis if you decide to use one - I had a specialist who came to my home to do that, but my local Myers (Melbourne) has a good section for mastectomy bras, prostheses and swimwear.  A Google search on mastectomy bras should throw up local stockists.

Drains vary a lot - mine were done in four days but they may take a couple of weeks. It's best to let any fluid run its course, annoying as drains may be.  

Waiting to see how you go can be a good plan, even if you do decide on reconstruction later - it gives you time to adjust and recover. Just be aware that a soft pad is harder to adjust to than a prosthesis, it doesn't have the right weight and often doesn't feel like a part of your body. But it is the best option until your surgery is well healed. Best wishes.

Oh...and how long can I expect to have drains insitu for? Days? Weeks? I'm not sure at all what to expect.