To Bra or Not to Bra - That is the Question

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ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema
To Bra or Not to Bra - That is the Question
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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    Hello, Fellow Lymphadema warriors. I'm curious to know how many of you find your lymphedema is better when you don't wear a bra or wear one less often. Also, since my reconstruction results have left my boobs looking..well NOT good and very uneven, I'm curious to know what anyone does for shapewear to help this unattractive situation. I tried on various shirts bra-less last night and everything looked just awful. Granted this is by no means my biggest problem right now on my cancer road - but an improvement in lymphedema with less sleeve wearing and a reduction in my big arm would definitely help my morale. I saw a picture of myself from yesterday and while I am soooooo grateful to be alive and doing as well as I am, my jumbo arm is just not an attractive asset right now. I was doing so well a couple of months ago before this lymphedema kicked in. I was actually starting to feel positive and happy about how I look (in a bra with a normal arm!) It was nice.

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited March 2013

    Maria, I think there was a thread on this very question sometime ago. Lots of women found that using a shapewear cami with cups worked better than wearing a bra, because there's no firm band under the breasts. Have you looked at the Su-So page on shapewear?  http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Compression_camisoles_lymphedema.htm

    It reviews a lot of options, based on real women's experiences.

    Carol

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    Wow, tons of information here!!! Thank you. It's overwhelming right now to get through all this truthfully. So many thousands of threads and pages. I'm glad there is lots of information. I guess because I'm kind of in a funk I was hoping for some quick answers from the experienced. I'm SO SO worn out by researching stuff right now.

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited March 2013

    Mariasnow, I can identify with your shape, I use foamies to even out my reconstruction look. I tuck them into my cami and they stay pretty good especially if you stick them between the cami and boob holder part. They way they don't float out to the sky.

    I never ever. ever wear a real bra since truncal.Cry 

    By the way the pictures the BC surgeon showed me of recon jobs certainly don't look like mine. As good as he was,  I wish he would have been more honest with me, I may have gone flat instead.

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited March 2013

    Mariasnow and hugz4u, what is it about your recons that you don't like?  I'm getting ready for DIEP next month and I'm a little worried.  I had a UMX and lots of rads, and have a small amount of truncal LE, so I'm a little worried.

    Do you think your recons are too uneven--too scarred--too...what?  It can't be worse than this lumpy, bulgy MX scar and I'm so tired of wearing a foob on one side every day.

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited March 2013

    I don't care for my wide cleavage as my radiated side implant has migrated to the pit side. blah!

    It could be because I got chemo/rads then surgery with implants. So the BS was working with tough radiated skin first. Most people have... surgery/recon first then chemo/rads. But with the 10cm round, huge sucker parasite of a lump I had, they needed to chemoshrink it first so they could remove the dang monster. It was that sneaky Lobular cancer that doesn't grow in lumps so you cant feel it until it is too late.  Yah... it grew into the chest wall so that would also be hard to reconstruct with so much flesh missing. They didn't have Diep in my days or I may have done it. I sure didn't want to lose my stomach /lat muscle so there weren't many options left but implants alone.

    I use camis, shapers exclusively and underarmour at times. 

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited March 2013

    Thanks so much for your reply.  Have you thought about doing a DIEP now?  I think you'd be eligible for insurance coverage, if your original recon has gone bad.  I know these days they tend to try to NOT do implants recons after rads, because the skin is so inelastic and capsular contracture is a frequent occurrence.

    I had a lumpectomy, then chemo, then a mastectomy, then rads.  The team wanted me to wait six months before scheduling a delayed recon.  I know they can work miracles, and for me, they're going to need one.

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  • finallynow
    finallynow Member Posts: 27
    edited March 2013

    I try not to wear a bra whenever possible because of lymphedema and just for comfort's sake.  It has been easy this winter since I always wear sweaters and sweatshirts.  Once it gets warmer, I will probably have to wear a bra most of the time to hide my boobs better!  I feel like the outline of my mastectomy scars are visible if I am just wearing a tshirt with no bra. :(

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    It's a few things...my non-radiated side sits bigger, lower, and farther out towards my armpit than my radiated side. There is absolutely NO WAY I could pull off any outfit and look good without some pretty strong shapewear. As a result I am also uneven in the middle of my chest. The left side sits farther away from my breastbone. And I have lumps, ripples, and some radiated skin where the blood vessels broke. I also have "corners" from the implant being just slightly too large for the pockets - the skin could stretch over time to accommodate but my PS said it might not. Because I have a tiny frame, this is a common issue. I got the smallest frame implants. I'm actually going for a consult at another PS on my insurance plan for a nipple reconstruction consult. This way I can get his thoughts, and the visit is covered by insurance...sneeky. I'm not in the $$ right now!

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    finallynow, I also have bought nipple covers that cover the scars in t-shirts perfectly. There are even prosthetic nipples that adhere nicely that cover the scars. You can get these cheap on Amazon.com. I know it's another hassle in our lives...but it does look better. And you can get glitter ones! Still, I can't really pull off the braless thing. I see a revision in my future. But, I'm scared because my PS said my radiated side can't be revised due to the skin thinness...so I would have to revise the other side. Still, I'm holding off on areola pigmentation or any nipple procedures as I believe I will get evened up in a couple of years first. The good news is I actually have some faith I will be around. For a while I felt nothing but the Grim Reaper.

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    I found out that TONS of plastic surgeons use services to put up pictures on their pages and they aren't even their surgeries! It is somewhere in the tiny print. My surgeon is highly reputable and voted one of the best, blah, blah, blah...but my surgery still looks much worse than the pictures online. If I knew...I would have went smaller to minimize the problems - absolutely.

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited March 2013

    Gosh, Mariasnow, I'm sorry you're in this situation.  I've done A LOT of reading and researching before scheduling my DIEP, and there are actually some research studies that demonstrate patient satisfaction is higher with an autologous reconstruction (TRAM, DIEP, any of the flap procedures) than with implants. 

    Not that anyone one my team would even consider an implant for me--my radiated side is pretty much a mess.  Completed adhered to my chest.  I also have radiation wound scar adhesions on my back, around the back of my arm, and together, they've given me a very painful frozen shoulder.  I'm hoping next month's surgery can help with releasing some of the scar tissue.

    I know what you mean about the grim reaper!  After my diagnosis I was a mess for a long time.  But time goes by, we keep putting one foot in front of the other, and the other side of this enormous speed bump eventually arrives.

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    Great hearing from you sbelizabeth! Always happy to hear from a fellow cyclist! On a great note, I am actually quite physically comfortable with my reconstruction and able to get active again. I did an 80 minute circuit training workout last night with the spinning bike and dumbbells - best workout I've done in a while!! So, I may just focus on counting my blessings. I made an appointment with another local PS who is very highly regarded to get an opinion on anything I could possibly do in the future to improve my reconsruction results so I know some options. But, I'm not sure I want to play with fire because as I said, I am physically comfortable and infection free. One decision at a time! My boyfriend's opinion is not to do anything for vanity reasons - just focus on my good health and feeling well for a good long while.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited March 2013

    I do wear a bra, and my LE has been very manageable but I try to purchase bras with really wide straps… it helps a lot. I also might not wear my strap as tight on that side. I also have a shoulder issue from a car accident from right before my nipple recon/fat transfer surgery. If the strap is too tight it hurts. So it can be a nice reminder that my strap is too tight.

    I prefer to wear a bra because on boobie prize is a little lower than the other. My PS also recommends it because we don't want it to drop anymore. It's actually more comfortable. I have a wide cleavage (or valley) but my former smaller breasts were that way too.

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited March 2013

    Thanks, lago. I went online and found a couple of inexpesive bras with really wide non-binding straps. I am in the same situation. My reconstruction really needs the support. I too did some major damage to my arm in a bicycling accident years ago and the compression sleeve tends to "talk to" my reconstructed elbow! Luckily, we are driven to make things as good as we can for ourselves and we stay motivated to find the best options. I really like the Spanx Brallelujah because of the wide band and wide straps but they are pretty expensive and don't last well or stay looking nice at all. I'm looking for another manufacturer who may have copied their style for a lot less $$!

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  • Lymphgirl
    Lymphgirl Member Posts: 40
    edited April 2013

    Hi there - I'm new here but after 1 year of trying different things, i like my Amoena Hannah Cami, I use a light cotton tank to take the pressure off the thin shoulder straps and when I can't wear that I go back to the expand-a-band breast binder.. I have nerve damage where normal bra bands hit and it hurts too much for bras. I ordered my first jovipak night garment and then a jovipak lumpectomy pad to put in my cami during the day.  Things are now coming together.

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited April 2013

    With breaast LE, I went without  a bra for awhile because my ' regular' bras bothered me.  BIG mistake ( in my case).   I switched to a sports bra and finally , an OTC <regular store brands>compression cami and the breast LE is MUCH better.

    I may be back in the sports bra once summer weather hits, but I really dont think I will ever go braless again.

    Trial and error, ladies.

    I do have  a FREE spanx up for grabs if anyone thinks they can fit it, just  click the Lymphedema forum and look for the thread.,  The post is only about a week old.

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited April 2013

    Hi lymphgirl

    Welcome!

    Pls let us know how things go with the night garment as I am looking into one myself !

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  • ahdjdbcjdjdbkf
    ahdjdbcjdjdbkf Member Posts: 645
    edited April 2013

    I have landed in a good place with the two bras that work for me. My lymphedema both arm and chest are a lot better with the switch. I went from 2 cm swollen in my arm to a half cm!! I am very pleased about this. My chest is less swollen and more light pink in the swollen spots as opposed to the bruised looking purple it was. The winners - Spanx wireless soft cup with front closure for regular wear and Wacoal bralette for exercise. I wear both on the looser side and when I'm at home - no bra. I even took two flights this week and was still only a half cm swollen. I did wear the gauntlet on my flights. I'm opting for safe over sorry with this thing.

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  • Ibethewife
    Ibethewife Member Posts: 26
    edited April 2013

    Mariasnow,



    I where camis that I picked up at my local shop for cancer patients. They have a built in compression bra, and they are made out of bamboo. This is great if your on a hormone therapy as they wick away moisture. I wear mine especially when I don't wear my compression sleave.

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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited April 2013

    What brand are they ibethewife? Can we order them on line. I love the bamboo idea.

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited April 2013

    Bamboo fabric is amazing. I have some shirts made of it that I wear to workout, and a bamboo T shirt I sleep in.  Wicks so much better than most of the synthetic wicking fabrics my other exercise and hot-weather gear is made of.  I hope ibethewife can help out with some details on the cami.

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  • Ibethewife
    Ibethewife Member Posts: 26
    edited April 2013

    Hugz4u,



    The brand is Amoena. They range from $45-$60. A little expensive but worth it:-)

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  • purple32
    purple32 Member Posts: 3,188
    edited April 2013

    Never heard of anything like this made with bamboo. I started to google, and look what I found -

    http://www.nznature.co.nz/products/742/1837/bamboo-leisure--activewear/bamboo-shelf-bra-tank-top

    I just love the looks of these tops , though I confess, I would not pay that price unless I could try them on.

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  • pkeiles
    pkeiles Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2013

    I recently have been experiencing some trunkle swelling/pain and discovered it was because of my bra. I have since been on the hunt for a comfortable bralette. I started by looking for the perfect bra but they all were too tight and uncomfortable. The bralettes seem to be a better choice due to the wider sides and looser fit. Of course as a 36A I could go without one, but I still feel self conscious without something. And camis seem like a great idea but can be hot.



    Any other suggestions by others who are on the smaller chested side? (Patiently waiting for my next online order of candidates to arrive). :-)

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