Clothing after Reconstruction...HELP!!!

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Nicole32
Nicole32 Member Posts: 21
edited June 2014 in Breast Reconstruction

Hello everyone.  I need some advice.  I am scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy with tissue expander placement on June 2 and I need advice on what to get after surgery.  I know to get loose comfortable clothing but I will have drains in also.  I have seen in magazines tanks and such with pockets for the drains.  I have two small children (1 and 3) so I will have to be very careful with my drains so that they do not pull them out.  What should I get and where can I get them.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Im getting super nervous about my surgery and just want to be prepared for it all.  

Thanks!!!

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  • sarahjane7374
    sarahjane7374 Member Posts: 669
    edited May 2014

    Hi Nicole,

    Personally, I wouldn't spend money on specialized clothing.  What worked for me was safety pins.  Seriously.  I just used the big safety pins and pinned the drains to my shirt.  My kids are older, so no worries about them pulling on the tubes, but you could pin to the underside of your shirt.  There are also zip up hoodies with the pockets inside, which would work well for drains.  At times, I used a running belt (spibelt) around my waist and then hung my drains from that using big safety pins.  You could then put a top over it and the drains would be protected/hidden.   Drains are a pain, but you probably won't have them for very long (hopefully) and those camis and tanks are pretty pricey for the limited use they'll get.  Just my thoughts.....I've had drains twice - 4 at PBMX and 2 at exchange.

    Good luck with your upcoming surgery :)

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  • Moonflwr912
    Moonflwr912 Member Posts: 6,856
    edited May 2014

    My BS office gave me 2 camisole with pockets that velcroed in. I wore them for years through reconstruction. They are the Amoena Camisole. Check with your Breast surgeon's office to see if they have something like that. 

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  • laurie2025
    laurie2025 Member Posts: 117
    edited May 2014

    I purchased 2 of the cami's with the pockets inside from a local fitter here that works exclusively with mastectomy patients.  They are nice, because the pockets hold the drains (and hence the tubing) stays out of site, up above the bottom of your shirt.  And, they give you some kind of cheesy fake boobs which I did use to get home from the hospital.  Problem is, these camis hold the drains pretty close to your skin, and I felt rather, well, stuffed in there.  I was much more comfortable after purchasing 4 large diaper pins, and pinning the drains to the side seams of some older button-down shirts.  I wasn't going out most of the time, and it was more comfortable for me.  When it was time to shower, I just pinned the drains to a fabric lanyard. I had 4 drains. Worked great.

    Good luck to you.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited May 2014

    Check with your insurance co. Mine covered the cost of a comfy stretch cami (I think it was Amoena) with drain pocket holders. I didn't feel stuffed in or constricted as the fabric was very soft and stretchy.

    Wishing you the best.

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  • Susie123
    Susie123 Member Posts: 804
    edited May 2014

    Check to see if your hospital has a breast cancer nurse navigator. I went to a large hospital in the city with a very large support system, actually that hospital treated more cases of breast cancer than any other in the state. They had the specialized garments available that held the drains for free. Also, remember for that loose comfortable clothing to include button up tops, no pull overs. It will be quite difficult to raise your arms for a while.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited May 2014

    I woke up from surgery in a mastectomy camisole, so you might ask your hospital if they plan to use one for your surgery.  I did not end up being able to wear it because I was allergic to the fabric, but I found that it was easy to step into my own fitted tank tops and pull them up.  I f you are concerned about keeping the drains close to your body so that you don't have any issues with the extra tubing and small children you could pin the drains to the seam under the arm and put the tubing and drain inside the tank top.  That is essentially how the camisoles work, they just have built in pockets.  There is also a product called "Pink Pockets" which I will link - I believe it is a product that can be used on a variety of types of clothing.  I can't offer any thoughts about them because I did not use them, but they might work in your situation.

    http://www.pink-pockets.com/

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  • HomeMom
    HomeMom Member Posts: 1,198
    edited May 2014

    wow, those look awesome!  I bought a zip front hoodie that had the pockets in it but had to wear it for the entire week! This would have been easier

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  • mrenee68
    mrenee68 Member Posts: 383
    edited May 2014

    I used the pink pockets and they worked great. The hospital also gave me a pouch that volunteers had made for MX patients, I used that for showering so I didn't have to hold the drains. Good luck!

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  • Jenwith4kids
    Jenwith4kids Member Posts: 635
    edited May 2014

    the spibelt worked best for me.  I hated the hoodie with inside pockets, if you get one, order a size or two up. Mine was very tight.

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  • RainDew
    RainDew Member Posts: 305
    edited May 2014

    I went to Target and bought a very cheap hoodie w inside pockets - think it was around $20. It was great, so I bought another one - will be useful generally too, and much cheaper than the one I saw online for mx.

    Other than that, I used safety pins at night and a cloth lanyard in the shower (had one lying around from some work conference).

    They are a pain - but will pass quickly!

    Rain

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