Finally found a comfortable alternative to mastectomy bra

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mom2two
mom2two Member Posts: 1,352
edited June 2014 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy

I had a bilateral mastectomy in October and at first thought it wasn't going to be too bad dealing with mastectomy bra's and forms. Now however 7 months out I am finding the bras always rest right on the most uncomfortable area of my chest and the forms feel like their weight is pressing my chest in by the end of the day.

So I have been on a search to find something less taxing on my body. If I could sew I would be tempted to devise something myself. Anyway about a week ago I was shopping and came across this top that is stretchy and has short sleeves and a rounded neck yet high enough that it covers any mastectomy scars. The best part is that it feels so comfortable on. Its cut is where you can actually wear forms and bend over without anything showing but it doesn't have the actual pockets that would make it perfect for us boobless gals, its also great for wearing a top over it on the days I don't want to wear the forms.  I decided to contact the company and told them there was a need their product could meet with just a little alteration. Wasn't sure if I'd even hear back but then I received an email saying they would be interested in talking to me about it.  Will let you know if anything comes of this.

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  • Alpal
    Alpal Member Posts: 1,785
    edited June 2009

    Wow - this sounds great. Leave to a girl from Kentucky! Let us know if the co. really follows through.

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  • mom2two
    mom2two Member Posts: 1,352
    edited June 2009
    I will Allison, I was surprised they emailed me back too. Being uncomfortable and boobless has made me bold. Smile
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  • BoobsinaBox
    BoobsinaBox Member Posts: 550
    edited June 2009

    I'm looking forward to hearing what you learn as well.  Good work!

    Dawn 

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  • Alpal
    Alpal Member Posts: 1,785
    edited June 2009

    Yeah, I've gotten bold too. Mostly with my mouth!!!

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  • mom2two
    mom2two Member Posts: 1,352
    edited June 2009
    I am hoping they will get back to me this week. Playing the phone tag game right now.Undecided Wouldn't you think something like this would already exist for women with mastectomies. I've seen maybe a couple but they weren't really what I was looking for. Comfort being the number one thing.
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  • bettysgirl
    bettysgirl Member Posts: 938
    edited June 2009

    i hope this pans out and you hear back from them. Please keep us up to date.

    Comfort is key and I still have the port so no bra straps for me thank you and i still am tender enough that i don't even want to think about prosthetics yet.

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  • mom2two
    mom2two Member Posts: 1,352
    edited June 2009

    You know at first I thought the prosthetics were going to be a breeze, but now they feel like they are getting heavier and heavier. By evening I'd like to bounce them off the wall. The worst part of the mastectomy bras is that they go right around where your chest is the most sensitive after a mastectomy.

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  • lovinmomma
    lovinmomma Member Posts: 1,879
    edited June 2009

    What company makes the top. I am going to need something soon.

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  • mom2two
    mom2two Member Posts: 1,352
    edited June 2009

    Hi Kimberly, I was just reading back yesterday at the very first pages when the housekeeping thread started and there you were.Smile  So that makes you one of the founders.Wink As for the top I will have to let you know when I hear from them again.

    I actually am waiting to talk to the company rep before I tell you the company name. I want to do this right so it will be something available for everyone.  I just looked up the store name that I found this in and you will be glad to know you have one in Spokane so if the company agrees to the alteration you will have it at your fingertips to purchase.Smile

    Don't want to get anyone's hope up too high since we all might have different expectations of what is comfortable. But for me the way it is cut long in the bodice keeps the seams away from the mastectomy scar lines and the material is stretchy so it fits comfortably, cool. Plus like I said before the neck line is very fashionable and yet just the right cut that it conseals the surgical stuff. Same for the sleeves. 

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  • arbojenn
    arbojenn Member Posts: 100
    edited June 2009

    I am on the east coast, but hope I will be able to try this out.  When you get a website or phone number to order, could you post it?  This sounds so good!

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited June 2009

    I very much agree that we're all so individual--sometimes what's comfortable for one of us doesn't work at all for another. That said, I hope you'll check out some of the bras, camisoles and breast forms I suggest on my non-profit website, BreastFree.org. I don't mean to push my website, just that it's easier to link you with it than to re-write all the suggestions here. If you go to the Breast Forms section, there are some non-silicone forms, like the Amoena 126, that can be worn so comfortably in a Still You Tank Top (really a classic camisole)--I have a link to that in the Bras and Camisoles section. Also, the Silique Comfort-Lite is an amazingly light silicone form and much less expensive than many silicone forms. You can read about it in the Breast Forms section.

    I'll be interested to see what happens with this new idea--I hope something good pans out!

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  • nagem
    nagem Member Posts: 353
    edited June 2009

    Barbara, Those Silique forms seem incredibly inexpensive. Just $110 a pair online. But I've never seen them in a boutique. Where do you get them? Also, on the sizing chart it suggests that I get a size 5 (for a 38B), whereas other prostheses I've bought are 3's. What size do you wear? (I think I've been wearing the same size as you in other products.)

    nagem (http://underthestinkwoodtree.blogspot.com)

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited June 2009

    Hi nagem,

    Silique is a new company and not yet in many boutiques. I ordered the forms from TrueKare. Their service was excellent. I wear them in a size 3 (they run a little bigger than many size 3s), which gives me a 34 large A/small B. If you try the 3 and they're too small, TrueKare will exchange them for the larger size. I think they're priced so low because they're new to the market and the company is trying to attract business. Mine are holding up just fine so far. The only drawback is that, because of the fiber back and polyurethane beads, the forms have to air dry, which can take a while. Given their (relatively) low price, I'm thinking of buying a backup pair, so I'll always have a dry pair available.

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  • nagem
    nagem Member Posts: 353
    edited June 2009

    Thanks, Barbara. Maybe I'll give 'em a try. Hope all is well. Let me know when you come to town next ... M

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  • BoobsinaBox
    BoobsinaBox Member Posts: 550
    edited June 2009

    Nagem,

    I hadn't noticed the prices on the side before!  But when I checked the Comfort LITE it costs much more than the others...$112 single and $200 for a pair.  I was set to order a pair this morning, until I noticed they are almost twice as much as the regular Comfort series.  They are still much less than most silicone forms, and they do sound comfortable, but I may need to wait, especially if I love them and want a second set!

    Barbara,

    Thanks for including the website here.  I've been thinking about these for some time, and while I am still very happy with my small PALs, I think the combo of silicone and beads would make a nice look and feel (for me on the inside and for the passing the hug test).  

    Dawn 

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited June 2009

    Dawn,

    The regular Comfort series are very nice, and the Comfort-Tex does have hypoallergenic fabric backing, so can be worn in a regular bra or camisole. The Comfort-Lite are so much lighter than even those lightweight forms, plus they use the new bead technology, so I think that's why they're more expensive. My Comfort-Lites in a size 3 weigh only 3 ounces each! I don' think the larger sizes weigh much more. 

    As I've said before, I feel as if I've been on a quest for the perfect breast forms. I'm almost ready to concede that "perfect" doesn't exist (my originals weren't perfect either Smile). But I do think that by mixing and matching, I've found forms that look good and are comfortable for almost any type of activity. 

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  • BoobsinaBox
    BoobsinaBox Member Posts: 550
    edited June 2009

    Barbara,

    I really related to your blog about not finding the perfect forms.  My "originals" were far from perfect, and I have been mostly content with my PALs as a substitute, but I, too, keep looking for perfect, or at least the right combination of things.  I appreciate your site, your blog, and your comments here.  I can't imagine negotiating this part of the journey without you!

    Dawn 

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  • lamuso
    lamuso Member Posts: 123
    edited June 2009

    Also had October mastectomy and I am very interested in learning more about this t-shirt.  Please let us know if anything developes with this company.  How simple it would be to put our froms in our shirts without the added discomfort of a bra.

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  • Nensi
    Nensi Member Posts: 5
    edited September 2009
    Edible vegetable oil is generally not used as fuel dedicated servers, but lower quality oil can be used for this purpose. Used vegetable oil is increasingly being processed into biodiesel, or (more rarely) cleaned of water and particulates and used as a fuel. To ensure that the fuel injectors atomize the fuel in the correct pattern for efficient combustion, vegetable oil fuel must be heated to reduce its viscosity to that of diesel, either by electric coils or heat exchangers. This is easier in warm or temperate climates domain registration. Big corporations like MAN B&W Diesel, Wartsila and Deutz AG as well as a number of smaller companies such as Elsbett offer engines that are compatible with straight vegetable oil, without the need for after-market modifications. Vegetable oil can also be used in many older diesel engines that do not use common rail or unit injection electronic diesel injection systems. Due to the design of the combustion chambers in indirect injection engines web design services, these are the best engines for use with vegetable oil. This system allows the relatively larger oil molecules more time to burn. Some older engines, especially Mercedes are driven experimentally by enthusiasts without any conversion, a handful of drivers have experienced limited success with earlier pre-"pumped use" VW TDI engines and other similar engines with direct injection seo. Several companies like Elsbett or Wolf have developed professional conversion kits and successfully installed hundreds of them over the last decades.
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  • Allegretto
    Allegretto Member Posts: 8
    edited September 2009

    Yesterday I was in Kmart and got the idea to just see if there were any regular bras I could use with my right-side breast form.  I hate buying mastectomy bras because they are SO expensive, and because I live in a rural area I have to buy online or catalog, and more often than not end up returning it. I am most comfortable in a 38 but am small-breasted, so it's hard to find a good fit. My breast form is size.A.  Comfort, especially in summer, is my main issue, yet I do not like the feeling (or look) if I go braless.  I found a wireless bra yesterday that's incredibly comfortable 100% cotton, with wider straps and a wide satin "neckline" that is enough to keep the fake boob from falling out if I lean forward! The smallest cup size you can get is B, but so far it 's not too terribly roomy----might get a more snug fit with just a little padding. I've been looking for something like this for a long time---and the sale price was under 7 dollars!  It's called Bestform Body Cottons, style# 5006715.  They only had one in the store in my size, so I found them online and they come in 3 colors--black, white and pink.  I just ordered 3 more. I haven't been this comfotable in a bra in a long, long time.

    Gwen

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  • sherrymathew93
    sherrymathew93 Member Posts: 4
    edited October 2009
    Sadly though, many women are ill-equipped to deal with the rings effects of treatment and tumor removal and at the end of their battle with disease must continue battling the feeling that they have lost their femininity along the way.Medical supplyengagement rings companies and lingerie designers have finally begun to catch up with the demand of mastectomy patients for bras that offer the support and function that they need medically, while also providing the emotional relief of sexy and curvy intimate apparel. Styles have begun to shift from the standard full-coverage no-frills bra found in Grandmother's closet to the plunging necklines and lacy delicacy that womennecklaces & pendants have become accustomed to pre-cancer.
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  • melissa-5-19
    melissa-5-19 Member Posts: 391
    edited November 2009
    anyone out there wearing Bosom Buddy Breast forms?
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  • guinness
    guinness Member Posts: 5
    edited December 2009

    My mom wears the bralelluja and is in love.  She first hated the look and the big straps but it is apparently the most comfortable.  She got them in Nordstroms and had an pocket sewn in (free of charge) where she puts in her amoena prosthesis.

    the problem she is having though is that regardless of how comfortable, her bra shifts throughout the day.  Since she has the prosthesis in her right breast, during the day her prosthesis moves closer to the center of her chest

    Does anyone have this issue?  Right now we have a strap that she hooks at the bottom of her bra and hooks the other end to her underwear.  This has helped it stay in place better.

    Does anyone experienced this issue?  If so what kind of solutions have you tried?

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  • melissa-5-19
    melissa-5-19 Member Posts: 391
    edited December 2009

    I am so sorry, I am not that far along in this journey- i will be listening in however- these ladies usually have an answer.

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  • loviesgigi
    loviesgigi Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2011
    Hi Kimberly, three years ago I had a bi-lateral mastectomy.   After all this time I find mastectomy bras and prostheses very uncomfortable to wear, so I  rarely wear them.  I wear cotton, button-down-the-front, short sleeve shirts in summer, and only wear the bra/prosthesis when I have to. This sounds very interesting to me and I would love to find out more when you get more information.  Thank you.
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  • momofthree2011
    momofthree2011 Member Posts: 39
    edited July 2011

    I was given Amoena covers when I first got my prosthesis and never used them. I just put them on today and noticed how it helped with perspiration and the heat. It feels really comfortable. I wish I would of worn them sooner!  I called the place where I had got them and ordered 3 more packs. Here is the item #49416008 in case any one wants to try them. 

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