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  • Suzybelle
    Suzybelle Member Posts: 920
    edited July 2010

    Hi, Sher:

    I totally understand what you're saying.  I never felt comfortable with the foobs either - the bra hurt me.  I found out several months out from surgery that I had LE, which was causing some of the discomfort. 

    It took me a good 2 months to get totally comfortable going FLAT.  I know (men especially) some people notice that I don't have boobs, but I also know other people never notice it.  And honestly, at this point, I don't really give a darn.  I get dressed every day for myself - I like to look nice, and as long as I'm happy that's really all that matters. 

    But, it took me some time to get where I am now, and some days, I'm still self-conscious about it.  I hope you get to a place where you are comfortable, too!!!!

    Peace to you,

    Suzanne

  • blondie45
    blondie45 Member Posts: 580
    edited July 2010

    I am a unilateral here and though I am not that big the uneveness really bugs me. Due to insurance reasons I will be waiting until early next year to do hopefully a DIEP (I had radiation) and it is tough as it is very noticeable even in baggy clothes that I still have 1 left. Again, the insurance ruled and won when I wanted a bilateral and they called my surgeon the day before surgery and said no as the MRI only showed 1 side with bc. I found out my mom is BRCA negative so that is good. The surgeon that I want to do my DIEP said he could do mastectomy on the other side at the time of reconstruction if I would like. I will be thinking about all of it once I get to talk to him early next year when I get a different insurance carrier through open enrollment at my job. If I would have had the bilateral, I may very well have gone the no reconstruction route.

  • Sher
    Sher Member Posts: 540
    edited July 2010

    Here's a question..............when you go flat, do you wear something under your clothes in place of a bra like a cami or undershirt or? 

  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited July 2010

    NEWSBREAK: 

    I am, at this very moment, watching a TV broadcast of the bronze medal match of an international beach volleyball tournament underway in Norway.  (Do they have sandy beaches in Norway???)

    Anyway, back to topic...   Of the 4 scantily-clad women on the volleyball court right now (is it a court?), NONE has boobs.  Little bumps, maybe; the sort of thing you might see on an underweight 12-year-old who stuffed her training bra with kleenex.  But, that's it, folks.  They're pretty much flat.  And, their flatness is quite visible, considering what they're wearing (or, in this case, not wearing).

    Of course, the fans in the stands and on TV aren't paying much attention to their small boobs.  They're mostly craning to see what might slip out of those skimpy bikini bottoms, I suspect.

    And, based on hours and hours of Wimbledon viewing this past week, except for the Williams sisters, most of the female professional tennis players don't have much up-top either.  Who notices that?

    So I think those of you who are going flat-flat are in fine company.

    otter

  • Suzybelle
    Suzybelle Member Posts: 920
    edited July 2010

    Hi, Sher:

    I wear organic cotton camisoles under most stuff, but sometimes if I'm wearing a regular t-shirt I don't wear anything.

     Not wearing a bra is AWESOME.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited July 2010

    I don't wear anything underneath and I love getting the new soft t's and fabrics that are out there. It is very liberating. I was a 32D or BIGGER for over 38 years!

  • Sher
    Sher Member Posts: 540
    edited July 2010
    How true it is Otter.  Unfortunately I don't have the flat stomach to go with the flat chest!  Laughing
  • Turtletots
    Turtletots Member Posts: 35
    edited July 2010

    It depends on what shirt/dress I wear. if it's something that is lower-cut or if the fabric is such that the scars will sorta show through, i will wear a cami underneath. Like my cowell-neck tank top I will wear a cami of the same color underneath (both bought at target, btw), because the tank alone would show the scar through, and it droops down a bit.

    But most of the patterned stuff i wear no cami underneath. VERY comfortable!!

  • Lolita
    Lolita Member Posts: 231
    edited July 2010

    It has been about two years for me.  I agree that very few people seem to notice. I like to look at the fashion ads in the New York Times on Sundays because none of the models appear to have any breasts.

  • lilacplane68
    lilacplane68 Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2010

    back problems? no way! heavy boobs are usually the cause of back problems, not "no" boobs.  I also have been going boobless since Dec. of 2009. Had a consult about reconstruction and, at least for now. have decided against the many surgeries and recovery time, and pain involved.  At 69 yrs. old, who looks anyway? My hubby doesn't want me to put myself thru all that. I had radiation on one side (lumpectomy) 4 yrs. ago and have more scarring on that side so  my only option for reconstruction would be the trans flap; painful and extensive.  I have too much "living" to do to waste my precious time worrying about how I look to others.  I haven't noticed anyone staring and if they do, well then, that's their problem.  Body image is all in the mind. However, I would like to lose 100 lbs that I gained on 4 yrs. of steroid meds after my lumpectomy. duh!!  Margaret

  • lilacplane68
    lilacplane68 Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2010

    I sympathize with the stomach thing. I also have a large stomach to to a lot of wt. gain during chemo and meds. off  all meds now and have found my most comfy clothing is the big and tall men's hawaiian shirts. found some nice ones on ebay.

  • PauldingMom
    PauldingMom Member Posts: 927
    edited July 2010

    Can't tell. You look great! 

  • lilacplane68
    lilacplane68 Member Posts: 25
    edited July 2010

    I'm wondring if anyone has heard of, or tried the Nordstom Nu Bra silicone stick ons? would they work for a mastectomy survivor? I'm not a candidate for reconstruction, too much scarring and saw these on ebay.  I"m getting used to hving no boobs; never wear my foobs. I say if someone wants to look, it' s only curiosity and they dont' know me anyway, so who cares?  Margaret

  • lovemygarden
    lovemygarden Member Posts: 342
    edited August 2010

    This isn't about boobless-ness directly, but it does relate. Smile  The other day when my 20something son was visiting, I excitedly said to him "Look, my eyelashes [that I'd recently lost from chemo] are already growing back again!  Laughing  ".  He looked closely and then said "Oh yeah, so they are. But to tell you the truth, I'm so used to everyone having eyelashes that it never even registered with me that yours weren't there."

     I suspect that the same thing applies when we go foob-less: People are so used to women having breasts that 99% of the time nobody notices it when we go flat!

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