Question for the Non-Recon Ladies

I have 3 cotton tank-tops that came with built-in shelf bras.  Since I had a bilat, I got those puffy fiber-fill forms and sewed them in the tanks.  I just throw the whole thing in the wash, boobs and all.  I wear a t-shirt over the top.  I figure no one is going to be looking at the 44-year-old fat chick sweating on the treadmill.  I just went for comfort....could care less what I look like.

Good luck

Deb C

Donna-

It is so funny.  Before I had cancer I NEVER, not once noticed when a woman had one breast and didn't wear a form.  Since my Dx I know no less than 8 women in my little town who have had either one or both breasts removed and don't wear forms.  I never "saw" that before I was tuned in to mastectomy.  That is one of the things that has made me WAY less self aware.  One of the gals I have since gotten to know has one DD sized boob and doesn't bother to wear a form.  I have no idea how I knew her casually for years and never noticed until I had my own Bilat mast.  It gave me the sense of freedom....I doubt anyone but me notices my boobs, or lack there-of.  Have fun at the gym....

Deb C

Donna,

I had a right mastectomy and wear a form.  My remaining breast is large--DD or DDD and my form is size 11 or 12---big!  I also work out but i do not wear a sports bra, just a regular bra with a pocket.  The bras i wear are not the typical mast. bra tho, much less material and much more sexy, but still supportive.  I work out 3 times a week and have no problems.  I would have problems now with the sports bras that i used to wear in my double-girl days.  Have you tried using a regular bra instead of a sports bra?  I am too self-conscious to go out one-boobed since there is a huge difference between flat side and my other boob.

celia 

Donna, yes i do wear the fake boob when i work out.  Once the bra and boob is on me i feel totally normal, until i touch something with my fake boob (like lean against a table) and then i feel the difference.  I don't run on the treadmill but i walk quite fast on it and i lift weights and do other stuff and i don't bounce around because my bras are really good (fitted at Nordstrom's).  I am not aware of my fake boob at all.  I do wear baggy tshirts because tighter ones are much less comfortable when moving around.

edited to add:  I would rather wear my fake with a regular bra and no sports bra then go without the fake and be conscious of it. I exercise in a situation with men and women and they are friendly and come talk while you are on the treadmill,so I feel normal with both boobs and enjoy the socializing--makes the time go by faster.

edited again---judging from what you wrote, in my opinion you would be spending your exercise time adjusting your clothes and trying to hide your real boob and checking it to see if it looked ok.  That might be a big impediment to exercising..jmo

I bought softees, but I think the american cancer society sells something like them. They are bras with soft inserts that you can make as big or small as you want.  So comfortable and so natural looking. 

Kate

djd,

You might try posting your question on the prosthesis/no recon topic of these boards.  Everybody there is dealing with the same issue--what to do with a flat side?  There have recently been active threads about prostheses for heavy workouts, what to wear while swimming, stick-on vs. slip-in, mast bras vs. sports bras vs. regular bras with pockets, etc.  It's a really great place to go to get advice on those sorts of things.

otter