Thank you, Barbara...

I'd like to join Binney in thanking Barbara/Erica for all the helpful advice she offers here at BCO, and for her wonderful website http://breastfree.org/

Finding the right combination of breast form and bra is a trial-and-error process.  Thanks to Barbara, some of us have had fewer trials and less error.

I think the more important thing she has provided me, though, is reassurance that it's okay to go "breast-free".  It's okay to decline reconstruction and even to go without a prosthesis and/or mastectomy bra.  I already declined reconstruction once, when I had my left mast/SNB 3-1/2 years ago.  (Has it really been that long?)  Thanks to Barbara, I know that if I ever have to deal with BC on the other side, I have lots of options.

otter

Barbara, when you do wash your forms via the thorough immersion method, does the water turn black?  I must have missed the washing instructions part (was just looking for a lightly weighted foam form) and it was quite a shocker when I washed the forms the first time.  Silly me, I kept washing and rinsing until the water was "clean and clear".  

Barbara, it's been awhile since I got the forms and washed them but don't think they took any longer to dry than my Amoena 126 forms.  If I'm remembering correctly, the black water was immediately noticeable, so I must have assumed the "silver" was coming off the outer or surface part of the form and kept washing/rinsing.  I never saw any weight difference from the 126 forms (maybe I washed it all out?) so never wore them.  Had I known there was a powder pouch enclosed and this is where the weight came from, I wouldn't have wanted this form in the first place.  

Didn't Amoena used to have a triangular 128 form that was the same as the 126 but with added weight?

Sher, maybe you should bring this back to the place you got it (or contact the place you ordered it from). There should be a little weight and yes, the powder is the weight source (one benefit is that it doesn't trigger metal detectors like other weighted foam forms do). You shouldn't be able to wash out the powder -- if that happened, you at least deserve a replacement or otherwise an opportunity to exchange for something else. This being a new form for Amoena, perhaps they still need to work out a few problems...

Here's the response back from Amoena on the 132 forms.

"The weight in the 132 leisure form is a barium sulfate powder (not an antimicrobial silver powder).   This powder has no known allergies and is a natural occurring mineral that is used for the weight in place of the standard metal pellets that are normally used.  Because this is a powder, if the form was saturated with water, then the powder would change colors and any of it that dissolved into the water would wash out of the form making it a little lighter.  The powder is designed to clump and not wash out like a normal powder does however it would take a little longer to dry out.  The powder is not contained in a pouch but in between two foam layers.

I would recommend that you only wash the cover with a wet cloth as needed.  SmartSilver technology is integrated into the back fabric, an antimicrobial treatment that inhibits bacteria growth which results in a more hygienic climate during healing and recovery.  This silver treatment does not wash or wear off and keeps working through the life of the form."

Follow Up FYI - I just received another email back from the Amoena rep offering to replace my forms  with either another set of 132 forms or the unweighterd 130 forms.  An interesting note is that the 130 forms are supposed to be a bit heavier than the older unweighted 126 forms.