to wear a bra or not?

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AnnetteS
AnnetteS Member Posts: 180
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I am sure I have seen a bra/cami topic in this forum, but I can't find it right now.  I have been to the bras 101 discussion and have seen references to talk to your doctor if you have LE.

My PS knows I have LE and insists that I wear a bra.  And, I actually need a bra to hide the lumps and  bumps and scar lines in my reconstructed foobs.  (I want to punch people in the face when they say, "At least you get nice perky boobs now")

I know many of you swell ladies wear camis, and I've seen suggestions on which ones.....but can't find it.

I would welcome suggestions as to how to hide and possibly support my ugly foobs and not make my LE any worse.

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  • Suzybelle
    Suzybelle Member Posts: 920
    edited October 2011

    Hi, Annette:

    I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this - I can relate, although I didn't do reconstruction.  I had a bmx and I just go flat...no foobs or bra.  I find that the bra actually makes my truncal LE a good bit worse, so even though I'm not thrilled about how I look, I just go flat.  The bra is extremely painful, and the foobs are, too.  So I skip it.

    It sounds like your PS wants you to wear the bra for support, yes?  I know there are some really good camis out there that the women who have truncal LE wear - I'm sure someone will chime in soon with a good answer.  Laughing

    And I understand totally about wanting to punch people who say that...they just don't understand how crappy our options are, do they?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2011
    Hi, Annette. I used to have implants and have truncal LE. It sure was hard to find a comfortable garment. Compression bras actually made my LE worse, so I went with a cami. Not having that band under the breast area seemed to help. My LE is on the side of my chest and underarm area. I looked for camisoles with straps set wide apart, as they didn't cut into the underarm area in the back as much. The Maidenform Control-it cami was the most comfortable for me, but it did nothing for the appearance of my implants. I think there are better options that don't smush as much, such as those with room for prosthetics. Here is an excellent resource for both compression camis and bras:
     
     
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  • AnnetteS
    AnnetteS Member Posts: 180
    edited October 2011

    Thank you.  I knew someone would point me in the right direction :-)

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  • sundermom
    sundermom Member Posts: 463
    edited October 2011

    I got a Nike compression sports bra upon the recommendation of my LE therapist. It seems to keep the truncal swelling in check for me. The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't wear it under a V-neck dress shirt - which I wear to work several days a week. I also found a bra at Target called Simply Bare. It has a support of the underwire without the irritating wire.

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  • KS1
    KS1 Member Posts: 632
    edited October 2011
    Hi Annette,

    I've been searching for 2 years for a perfect bra or cami, but haven't found it yet. Among 7 or 8 types of camis I have tried, my favorite is the "Control it" mentioned by Tina337. I don't like the squeezing feeling around my waist and hips, so I cut it off at the ribcage to make it more like a sports bra.

    For what it is worth, I describe a bunch of other options I have tried at the following URL:

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64/topic/769165?page=1#post_2496090


    My favorite bra so far is Barely There CustomFlex Fit Full Coverage (#4546). It is not as comfortable as going braless, but it is pretty good:

    http://www.barelythere.com/bras/detail/4546.aspx

    Good luck. If you find something good, I think a lot of us would love to know about it. KS1

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