Vent: A few thoughts on mastectomy bras.

Yes, where do you get tank tops with pockets?  That sounds great for the summer.  I have some camisoles by amoena but they are expensive and not all that comfortable but better than a bra.  I started wearing swim forms by Naturalwear on a daily basis last week and they are more comfortable. I have post-mastectomy pain even after 2 year.  I'd love any advice.  

They Are all old fadhioned in styling and not at all sexy or attractive...

Lori123, insurance didn't pay for your Amoena camisoles? Mine did. (I'm assuming you have insurance. ... Could be wrong)

I have 3 Amoena camisoles, royal blue, white and black. They fit great and have a cute rhinestone "a" on the back and spaghetti straps. Get lots of compliments.

Sere, you aren't alone.

I hate freaking mastectomy bras. They are usually comfy but sooo unfeminine. I wish someone made bras for women who wear partial prosthesis. I can wear a low cut bra because of where my surgery scars are and where the prosthesis needs to be but of course no one makes one, that I know of.

Crystal - be sure to check with whoever you are buying them from - sometimes they can simply "code" them differently for insurance purposes. Blue Cross won't be the wiser as long as they get a code they like.

Melrosemelrose, thanks for telling about yoga tops at Marshalls/TJ Maxx with pockets. Will check out there soon. Had been looking for some fitness clothes like that. 

Well, I just looked at the info and it really isn't clear. So I can see why people get mixed up.

Crystalphm, don't let the confusion keep you from getting the comfortable camisoles you deserve to have. The other ladies have given good advice.

It's the retailers' responsibility, not yours, to know what's covered. No difference between a sport bra, camisole, or "regular" bra -- when they are designed to hold a prosthesis. I have had all covered thru my insurance (Aetna and now United Healthcare). It's hard to be pushy when we are tired from fighting cancer, but this is a needed undergarment. Good luck getting what you need and deserve.

Thank you Tarheel for the gentle push, I truly was ready to let it all go. Now I am going to follow through because I think I really deserve that amoena cami. I don't use any insurance for bras, so I deserve a few camis.

Hi Sere! 
I wasn't well enough to go to the boob store for a good while, and then my Mother became terminally ill, so it was delayed 2 years.  In the mean time, I actually wore some of Mom's that she once used.  She decided to stop bothering & go boobless.  LOL! There were several different kinds.  Some I hated.  Some were ok, but not great.  It depends on what kind of bra you are looking for.  I finally went to the Boob Store last week! I found several that I loved.  I saw the ones I don't like too, but I knew about them & that saved time.  I decided that I should NOT get all one kind in case I wasn't happy with it later.  I got a camisole bra, which is really pretty & useful.  The lace comes up high enough that if wearing something with a V-neck it will dress it up & provide coverage.  I found one bra that was absolutely gorgeous & super comfortable.  I couldn't believe it.  Usually pretty ones are uncomfortable.  It was made very well with wider straps & more band underneath.  I did get a seamless t-shirt bra that is super comfortable, but I decided I should have a sport bra, which I ordered over the phone.  Maybe you didn't end up with a good fitter.  That can really make all the difference in the world.  After telling mine about how much touble I have because my prosthesis is so perky, then my real boob is not so perky & not shaped so perfectly.  She had what I call boob helpers & suggested I try it with my real boob.  It was just enough to cause both sides to look more alike & more real.  It made a tremendous difference.  I also got a swimsuit that is a 2 piece with good coverage.  I am very happy with it.  It is modest, but not prudish.  Maybe you should check another shop or look online.  Mine also let me get 2 camisoles & gave me a white tanktop with a pink ribbon on it that had boob pockets in it.  I felt the quality was really good.  I didn't buy any of the vivid colors, but they had some red, purple, pink, blue, etc.  All colors are not available in all bras though.  

I know I'm not exactly complaining about them, but I'm hoping that this might be helpful to you.  If you would be interested in any of the ones I have, send me a message & I'll see what company produced it & what it's called.  It sounds like you are wanting seamless.  I only got 1 seamless one, the t-shirt bra, which I wouldn't wear if I didn't wear the boob helper on my real boob, because it has thin material, but it is super soft & comfortable.  They call it the naked bra because of how good it feels.  LOL! Hope this will encourage you & help you find some bras that work for you.  Hang in there.  Good bras do exist! God bless & best wishes! 

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I've been having similar problems w/bras. I had my bilateral five years ago.  I did not realize that my chest would be visible in V-neck tops, etc., or when I bend over to pick up something. I've used my insurance benefits to try numerous types of mastectomy bras, but I honestly, I don't like any of them.  I'm very tall, and not small boned.  My chest size without the forms is 39, so I need a 40 and the cup size I like is a B.  It's impossible to find them.  Even the ones made for us, don't fit correctly.  I finally discovered a very cheap solution.  I was in Walmart, and found a plus size sports bra, with removable pads.  I bought one, to see if I could wear it, because the forms are a bit heavy.  Anyway, I removed the pads, and inserted my forms inside.  It worked wonderfully!  I went back and purchased five more.  They were very inexpensive, and comfortable.  I find that the mastectomy bras cut me right over where my scar is located.  I feel like a sausage in them.  The scar is tight, even though I use moisturizer daily, and acts like a rubber band, so an ill fitting bra exacerbates the tight feeling.  I am always pulling on the other bras, trying to move them.  The Walmart bras are soft, and the band is not tight.  They are similar to sports bras, but softer.  The only complaint is that after wearing one for a day, the forms sag.  I've been trying to find a sports bra like the Walmart bra with adjustable straps, but nobody makes them for plus size women.  Also, the bumpy chest (uneven) over the scar is still very visible.  I don't wear v-necks or anything revealing.  It can be a problem trying to find anything nice to wear, but maybe a clever seamstress will be address our problems -v- some corporate man.  I wanted to say that I purchased a mastectomy bathing suit this summer, and hate it.  I found that the Walmart bra, in other colors (i.e. black), under the suit, holds the forms in place a lot better than the suit.  Don't waste your money on mastectomy bathing suits.  If anybody knows of a plus size, comfortable sports bra w/adjustable straps that does not cost a fortune, please reply to my post.  Thanks!

There have been a lot of threads on this subject and one thing we all agree on is that we don't want the "Fall Forward" which occurs when you are wearing a top and a bra that doesn't sit high enough on the chest. Bending over makes the weight of the form pull away from the chest, revealing the empty space and sometimes the scars too.

The Genie type bras that are available from department stores work quite well for the smaller size in silicone forms or for lighter weighted foam forms which a lot of us are wearing now. The Genie camisoles are good too, for those who want the slight compression of a fitted garment. I still find that both these garments are cut a little low in the front, for our needs.

My favorites are the Amoena Valletta camisole and T shirt. They have the bra built in to the tops and can hold light weight or full silicone forms. They are cut well on the chest and wash really well.I have them in every color and I am still wearing the first ones I purchased right back at the start when I first discovered them after my surgery.

I hear a lot of people saying that they find the Mx bras aren't nice to look at, but I think that there are very few stores that actually keep the whole range of bras that are available. Take a look online at the different brands own websites. I mostly buy Amoena, because I find the quality is fabulous and they make some beautiful mx bras and camisoles. They also have a fabulous range of clothing, all with bras inside, there were dresses and tops and matching jackets and pants. They look great and are comfortable beyond what you may expect.

When I first started to research what was available for us I discovered another manufacturer called Marika, they are yoga and athletic wear. They do some sports bras that have the pockets for the small modesty pads which can take a form in them and they are cut high on the chest  Geo Storm is the style I find works well. They are around $50.00 each normally, but at the moment they have a 35% off sale including the clearance area, where there are 2 colors at $20.00, less 35%. I wear them with an athletic jacket zipped up to mid chest. They are very comfortable and just look like you're wearing a top under your jacket. Lots of women here have tried these bras and have been happy with the result.

When it comes to the swimwear, I have found that although I can make do with some regular swim suits, the Mx designed suits by Lands End or Amoena are far superior. I am in Australia, so we have a very hot summer and I live by the water, so I wear swimwear a lot. Amoena do great tankini tops, some with  adjustable straps which hold a form securely, sit flat on the chest without any fall forward and they can double as a top, with a sarong or casual pants.

Although I have tried a number of swim forms, micro beads and silicone, my favorite is the Amoena clear swimform. It has ridges on the back so it doesn't make any slurping noise when you swim and the clear silicone doesn't show through your wet suit.

There are many companies putting out camisole style tops with shelf or pocket bra tops in them, but unfortunately, most are just cut that bit too low in front to really work for us, especially if we are larger than a "B" cup in a form and fall forward is an issue.

One of my favorite places to buy from is Metromedical online. They have really good prices on both forms and clothing and bras. I recently bought more Weighted foam forms, Valletta T shirts and Camisoles on sale there for about half the usual price. I think they are still on sale.

I live in a small coastal town so I do most of my shopping on the internet and have discovered that I can buy most items for a fraction of the price in the US than I can get them here. I do always research things as much as I can and will have a fitting for a brand I am interested in, if it is available here. There is a huge amount of Mx specific lingerie out there that most never see, because the fitters seem to just keep the bare minimum of Mx bras etc in stock.

Ebay is another really great source of items. A lot of stores sell there and you can often get discontinued styles for a fraction of the recommended retail price.

Once you get a feel for what suits you and the necklines that will work for you, it gets so much easier. I threw out all my low neck tops after realizing I had exposed myself, with a fall forward in the supermarket soon after my surgery! lol     

Hello "camp Lejeune" Lady---I was searching online for deals on Naturalwear bras, a few weeks ago I went to Positive Care which is located inside of Schwartz's Intimate Apparel. I found them in 1994 after going through a lumpectomy in 1994 at 37. The first "stuff" that I was fitted with was matronly and awful and it made me cry. So I asked people for help. I donated the poorly fitting silicone form and yucky bras. And positive care was able to give me a properly fitting donated form. So I cried some more and it was from relief. These people have been properly fitting me for years and I cry tears of relief every time. And then I forget about it and live my life. Without the form my right side looks a lot smaller than the left side. A month or so ago I had to wrangle a referral form to pay for the four bras and the silicone breast form that I was fitted with. The bras are nice looking. I also have an Amoena sports bra and it comes in beige and black. The black could be worn under dark tanks and if some of it was showing it would be alright. Best wishes to you "camp Lejeune" Lady. North of Chicago there is a nordstroms that will sew pockets into bras you purchase there. If I were you, I would try to find a seamstress to help you sew fabric into a bra you like. I must add this warning: weak support will not help you when wearing silicone breast forms. With a comfortable fit I feel just fine. Survivor of a treatable tumor.

I havnt had a chance to read all the comments as my two year old is being two....BUT, 

I went to Nordstrom and bought regular bras and they sewed pockets in where I needed them. So I was able to get some "cuter" things than what was offered on the shelves for me.