Exploding Prosthesis??

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geebung
geebung Member Posts: 1,851
edited June 2014 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
Exploding Prosthesis??
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  • geebung
    geebung Member Posts: 1,851
    edited November 2007

    I am flying overseas tomorrow. During the flight I'm planning to wear my camisol bra with the softee insert as it is so much more comfortable than  my mastectomy bra with prosthesis. (Sorry if these questions may have been asked before but I don't really have time at the moment to search through all the posts)

     1) If I pack my prosthesis in my big suitcase in the luggage hold, is there a danger of it exploding due to the pressure? A friend of mine just returned from overseas and during the flight, a small bottle of shampoo ruptured in her bag. So now I am worried that my expensive prosthesis might meet a similar fate. As the container with its little hammock is bulky I didn't want to take it in my hand luggage.

    2) If I did take it in my hand luggage, am I likely to be asked what it is? With all the rules and regulations about what can and cannot be taken on board these days, is it going to be an object of suspicion? (Isn't anything containing a gel suspect?) I can imagine that it could be quite a funny situation but airline staff who check you in are often lacking in a sense of humour!

    Any advice will be very welcome!

    gb 

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  • caaclark
    caaclark Member Posts: 936
    edited November 2007

    I can't answer the first question since I have only flown a few times since my mast. and have carried on.  But I can answer the second question.  When I packed my swim pros. in my carry on bag I had no issues with it at all.  They did not even ask me what it was.  I thought they would have questions but they did not.  Hope that helps.

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  • geebung
    geebung Member Posts: 1,851
    edited November 2007

    Thanks caaclark. I just rang the store where I bought my prosthesis and was told that, yes, it is best to take the it on board because the extreme cold in the cargo hold can damage it. She also said that they don't advise wearing a silicon prosthesis on long flights because your body heat combined with the pressurized cabin can cause blistering - I should have asked if she meant me or the silicon! She said it would be fine to just nestle the fakey in something soft in my carry-on luggage.

    So, problem solved.

    gb 

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  • AlaskaDeb
    AlaskaDeb Member Posts: 2,601
    edited November 2007

    I have worn my silicon prosthesis on the plane and they are fine. 

    I have also had a set in my baggage on three different flights with no damage.  The luggage compartments in planes are pressurized now aren't they?  They have pets in crates in the luggage compartments, so I would think they would be heated too.

    I wouldn't worry about it either way. 

    Deb C

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited November 2007

    After a number of uneventful flights with breast forms on and extras in my carry-on, my carry-on bag was tagged for a search yesterday on a flight from Boston to Miami. I had my silicone forms on, but the boxes for them were in the bag. Plus, there were a pair of foam and a pair of Still You non-silicone forms in the bag. The guy searching didn't bat an eye, but took out the boxes to re-scan them. I thought he wasn't going to give them back to me and said "Those are for my breast forms, which I'm wearing right now, but I need those boxes to store them!!!" I'm not sure he really understood what I meant. Turns out the problem was two tiny glass jars of baby food I use for treats for my toy poodle, who came with me on the flight. They let me keep the boxes AND the baby food.

    I really didn't feel embarrassed. In fact, I thought it was sort of amusing (though I didn't enjoy having all my stuff rifled). I would have been upset if they had confiscated anything. Regarding the effect of cold on breast forms, I'm shipping my car down here and I packed my extra pair of silicone prostheses in a bag which is in the trunk. Sure hope the cold up north doesn't harm them (the car will sit up there a few days before shipping). 

    Barbara

    BreastFree.org 

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  • janniexy
    janniexy Member Posts: 28
    edited November 2007

    I've worn my protheses when flying and had absolutely no problem.  I haven't ever carried them onboard or packed in luggage.  I had the empty boxes for storage in my luggage.  Unfortunately they take up quite a bit of space.

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  • LizFL
    LizFL Member Posts: 377
    edited December 2007

    I have worn mine and also put it in my luggage with no problem.  I generally pack things in 2 gallon ziplock bags so that I can easily redistribute things if the luggage weight is a problem.  On a recent trip at the last minute I put a ziplock bag containing bras and a gel swim form in my carryon luggage as it wouldn't fit in my other bag.  Apparently the swim form showed up as something strange so my luggage was searched.  I had forgotten it was in the bag and the guy searching my bag looked really confused as he was handling the zip lock bags...he was about to open the bags when I remembered the swim form was in there.  I told him I had a mastectomy and was carrying a prosthesis....he couldn't give me back my luggage fast enough (glad he didn't pull out the pros to examine it....but makes you wonder about security).  I got upset over the incident and started crying...not sure why as I don't get embarrassed easily any more.  This was over a month ago and now I can laugh at it, but from now on those things will be in the checked luggage.Laughing

    Liz

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited December 2007

    Wow! This is a really interesting thread.

    Liz, I'm really sorry about your experience. I've surprised myself more than once with unexpected tears and had to stop and realize what troopers we all are to go through such upheavels in our lives and just keep marching forward. We think we're doing so well AND WE ARE! But those sudden demands for explanations really can unravel us. Glad you're laughing now. You're one sturdy lady!

    gb, I'm glad for the explanation about the "blistering" -- who knew? A friend had her prosthesis split on a flight to Ecuador. She felt something itchy sort of creeping down her stomach. Surprised It turns out that silicone is very, very sticky and very hard to get off your skin (not to mention your clothes), especially in one of those airplane bathrooms. And Ecuador is a long, long way to go. Frown Not one of her better travel memories.

    I wonder, would keeping it in a prosthesis cover help prevent the blistering, does anyone know? 

    Happy trails!

    Binney 

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  • LizFL
    LizFL Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2008

    Binney...thank you for the kind words. 

    OT...I am going for routine scans this week and am like a demon with PMS.  Anyway, I've had a bad case of canceritis the past few weeks.  Thank heavens for Advil...it did get rid of the brain tumor I had last week.

    I make sure to wear a tank top instead of a bra so there is no metal on my body and I don't have to put on a hospital gown and look lopsided.  It doesn't bother me when I go for mammos, but does for other tests if that makes any sense. 

    I will be glad when my tests are done and I see my onc for the results and then I hopefully will go back into happy to be NED mode.

    Liz

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited January 2008

    Hi, Liz,

    Yeah, I sure hear you. (Ativan is my drug of choice for "doctor week" Laughing) Please let us know how it goes. I'll be thinking of you.

    Be well! 

    Binney 

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  • LizFL
    LizFL Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2008

    Binney..."doctor week" is when I break out the Xanax.  Had my PET/CT to day and will have a CT with empahsis on the thorax on Thursday....that one I've never had and I didn't think to ask my doctor why he was scheduling me for one..so that one makes me nervous.  When he tells me I'm doing well...I tend to run out of the office before he changes his mind so I didn't think to ask. He was rattling off a bunch of tests...mammo, bone density, etc. and kind of snuck in the CT one.Wink

    I see him next Tuesday so I will know my results then.  I could try haunting them by calling...but if it is bad news, I'm in no hurry to hear it!

    Liz

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  • starzhere
    starzhere Member Posts: 162
    edited January 2008

    I've been on a 13 hour and 15 hour flight and wore my silicon breast form without any problems. I've worn mine for 18 years and never take the box when I travel. I just keep it in my bra and make a nest of towels to lay it in.

    ~elaine~

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  • geebung
    geebung Member Posts: 1,851
    edited January 2008

    This is the first time I have checked this thread since I flew to Canada. Lots of interesting answers! I think your reaction was very understandable Liz.

    Interesting to hear that many of you have worn your pros on board or left them in the luggage section with no bad results and yet Binney, your friend had hers rupture all over her! Eeooh!

    Well, I wore my fluffy in my camisole and took my pros in my hand luggage. Nobody questioned me about it at any of the airports. They must be used to seeing them. 

    gb 

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  • LizFL
    LizFL Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2008

    I did have one pros that started oozing silicone, but it was because my dog got hold of it and by dragging it with her teeth, put holes in it....I had a cover from when I used foam inserts right after surgery...so I put some duct tape on it and covered it before putting it in the bra pocket until I got a new one.  Now I am very careful about putting it away.

    Before I had LE I was comfortable wearing a pros for long periods of time, but now I tend to take it off as soon as I get home from work.

    Liz

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited January 2008

    Hi, Liz!

    Thinking of you today, and hoping it's all good news. So, what DID he want with the thorax CT?!

    Be well, 

    Binney 

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  • LizFL
    LizFL Member Posts: 377
    edited January 2008

    Thanks Binney.  All is well...PET/CT and CT normal.  Some scarring on my lungs from radiation treatments. Guess he just wanted to be thorough.  Tumor markers and BC markers in normal range....whew!  I was diagnosed IIIC, borderline 4 so the longer my scans are clear the better it gets!Smile

    Liz

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