Air travel with silicone prothesis

Hi Deborah,

I'm glad you addressed this - cause I think about it often.  I haven't travelled yet but I'm terrified that I'll be pulled over and searched like those poor old ladies you see on the news on TV.  I'd be totally mortafied!     Will they detect it in a pat down?  Do you put your prosthesis in your luggage and go without on the plane?  Like you said - that could cause trouble too.  I really truly believe they should have a protocol for us cancer chicks - God knows there's enough of us.  Some kind of pre-screening - then give us an OK card we can flash each time or something of the sort.  Respect our dignity!  Has anyone else travelled with their prosthesis?  I'd love to know how it went.

I normally wear unweighted foam forms when I travel, but bring along silicone forms in my carry-on. I have NEVER had a problem with the silicone forms in the carry-on. Once they searched my carry-on, but it turned out that the problem was a small glass jar of baby food that I had with me for my toy poodle, who was travelling with us.

Until the last time I flew, I have always opted out of the new scanners and had a pat-down. At those times, I did tell the agent that I wear breast forms, just so she wouldn't be surprised that they don't feel real (since I had the foam forms on).

The last time I flew, in March, I decided to just go through the wave scanner and see what happened. I went right through, no upper-body pat-down. Since I had on foam forms I can't say whether I would have been subjected to a pat-down had I been wearing silicone. But I think the TSA people have gotten more sophisticated about identifying breast prosthetics as well as implants. At least, I hope so. When the new scanners first came out, I heard complaints from women with implants as well as from women wearing breast forms. So, hopefully, the TSA is learning about those of us who have had mastectomies. 

First time traveling last week with my micro bead forms, and I was sent through the full body X-ray scanner at Dulles. An agent then appeared and pointed at my bust, saying "are you carrying anything there?" I said in a low voice that I had no breasts. She then asked again, and I said that I had breast prosthesis. She said that she was going to pat me down and proceeded to do so right there, going around and between my forms and down my rib cage. I started to tear up. She then took me to have my hands swabbed for explosives. When done, I sat down and cried. Returning from LAX, I went through the regular scanner and had no problem. I didn't at the time have any other forms. I've had a long time recovering from surgery with skin necrosis so I have not been able to go to a fitting yet. Should I be using the foam or silicone, or will it not make any difference if I go through the full body scanner? Should I refuse the full body scanner? Next time, I will be traveling with coworkers so I'd like things to go smoothly.

I haven't flown since the "enhanced screenings" began, and I haven't decided what to do yet.  One thing I did decide was that I will not go through a backscatter X-ray scanner, no matter what the experts say.  The federal government cannot require that I submit to a whole-body X-ray.  Nope.  Sorry.  Not gonna happen.  Not without a medical reason, even if there is reasonable suspicion of something (and "reasonable suspicion" better be a lot more than a microbead breast form).

If the backscatter machine is all they have, I'll opt out and get a patdown.  The millimeter wave scanners are less threatening to me (at least they seem so).  If a millimeter wave machine is what's being used, I might go through the scanner.

But, I never wear my silicon form.  It doesn't fit -- it's the wrong size and makes me look lopsided.  (It was the wrong size when I bought it, but it was the size the fitter insisted I needed to wear.)  So, I wear a fiberfill form in my regular bra when I'm out and about.  I don't know what I'll do if confronted with a flight I must take.  So far, that hasn't happened, even with 2 family emergencies that resulted in funerals.

Mary625, a TSA screener pointed to your bust and asked, "...are you carrying anything there?"?  I'd have been tempted to point to her head and ask, "Are you carrying anything in there???".  But then somebody would have to post bail.

otter

Yes, the TSA agent did indeed say that. Exactly that.

Otter,

I share your concern about the backscatter x-ray scanner. But, like you, I'm less worried about the millimeter wave scanner, so that's the one I recently went through. I must say it was pleasant just going through and not having to deal with the pat-down. 

When I opt out, I always tell the TSA agent right out front that I wear prostheses. I want to do whatever I can to get through security as quickly as possible. Every time I've opted for the pat-down, I've always done it in public, but I've always been offered the option of going somewhere private. Except for one bad experience (an agent who seemed to hate her job), the agents have always been courteous and minimally invasive. The one thing I worry about is where is my stuff while I'm being patted down. So far, I've always been with my DH, so he deals with that. But if I were traveling alone, my first concern would be to make sure my possessions were all where I could see them.

I'd prefer not to be singled out and patted down, but I don't mind people knowing I don't have breasts, so that makes it easier to deal with the "public" aspect of the experience.

Thank you for all your tips. I have a family vacation coming up, and it will be my first time with prosthesis. It's nice to hear your experiences. I hope the TSA agents will be more educated with travellers like us and learn better manners in handling pat downs. Take care everyone.

I just when through my first "pat down" while traveling this past weekend. 

I totally will not go thru the scanners so I just told them I needed to opt out.  They brought over a female TSA rep.  They carried my items off the xray table and brought them over so they would be with me, not left out where they might get taken.  However, they were the ones who were allowed to bring the things over.  I was not allowed to touch them or take them off the conveyor belt.

I was wearing a molded cup bra with micro bead forms.  they asked me if I had any medical devices and I just said "no".  I figured if I said anything it might make things worse and anyhow, from my point of view a heavily padded bra is not really a medical device .

They did a decent and respectful job.  They did not actually touch the boob area, but went on the sides and over the cleavage area.  It was much better than I feared.  We did it out in public and there were some others do so as well.  I figured if we got into it over the bra I would whisper my problem and ask to go to a seperate area.  But there was no problem.  It was not traumatic.  Yay!

Newfmama: Ask for a woman to inspect your suitcase and always ask them to put clean gloves on.  Deal from a position of power. We feel so victimized by this disease that it's hard. It's so hard when we don't know what's going to happen. 

I remember my first time traveling after my port was put in.  The lady TSA agen did a pat down, really a side swipe on my port and just about sent me out of this world with pain.  After that I always said loudly " I have a port, do you know what that is?" Most don't, but I tell them to be carefull and that they will feel it.  I also remeber the first time I went through the backscatter machine. I was tired of asking for a pat down.  The machine started up and sounded just like my PET/CT scan machine and I started to cry silently.  Then the TSA agent kept asking are you hurt, are you hurt? what's the matter? I said very loudly so everyone could hear.  "I HAVE BREAST CANCER" that shut him up and moved me right along. 

When I wear my foobs.  I tell the TSA lady who is going to pat me down that I have fake boobs because I had breast cancer.    They usually don't say anything.  Some have.  

I travel about every month  to see my ageing mom. I still have my port in. It's different all the time, even with the same two airports.  Just got back from Europe and didnt have any secondary pat downs. Airports in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway. Didn't have to take off my shoes in Europe either.  Hmm.  No enhanced screening at Newark, NJ. Still  Newark was a nightmare I'm trying to forget, but Cleveland was great.  Every airport is different even if I just went through it 3 months ago.  Also, different airlines have different machines at the same airport. Here in Phoenix, AZ, Delta still has old style scanners, just walk through, no problem,( as of 2 months ago) Southwest is backscatter where you hold your arms above your head. Back scatter, Full pat down, 1st time, chest patdown 2nd -6th time and  two weeks ago NO patdown. I was estatic. A good example of how it changes all the time.