Will I get a layer of fat?

mke,

I've been wondering that same thing.  I didn't have all that much breast tissue to start with, but once they took it out, my skin and chest muscle seem to be directly attached to my ribs. I thought the stretching exercises might help loosen things up, but maybe at 7-1/2 wks it's still too early?

otter 

I agree with nagem, physical therapy really helped loosen my skin so it doesn't feel attached to my ribs. But my ribs are prominent--not much fat there, especially on the side that was radiated three years earlier.

I'm a year and a half out and, though my scars are fading nicely, I can't really say I've filled in much, if at all. A year ago, during a checkup with my BS, I asked her hopefully if my chest would fill in over time. She said no, she didn't think so.

On the plus side, she is a renowned breast surgeon and very proud of her ability to remove as much breast tissue as humanly possible. So, I like to think about that when I look at my bony chest.

Nagem, I'm wondering if this is an issue for you when you go form-free. I find that when I don't wear forms, I feel somewhat vulnerable with so little padding on my chest. When I want to feel form-free, I wear non-weighted forms, which give me some protection. 

Erica/Barbara,

Thanks for the forecast about the chest fat not returning.  Ordinarily, I would be thrilled; can we figure out a way to do that for my thighs and butt?  I'm not worried about the fat being gone; I just feel lucky that the shape of my chest on the mast side is flat instead of concave.

It's funny, how small things can mean so much when you're in the middle of this BC journey.  Last Monday I was at my BC clinic for a recheck with my surgeon.  On the way home, I located a mastectomy/BC-specialty store that was on the list I was given by my surgeon's nurse last month.  All the clerks at this store are BC survivors.

I had no appointment, and I didn't intend to get fitted or buy anything that day.  No matter, they said--one of the ladies spent over half an hour with me, showing me the tremendous variety of prosthesis options and mast bras, and talking to me about what might work for me. I could not believe how compassionate and funny and patient she was....for free.  And, to top it all off, when I told her I had been using a cut-off piece of pantyhose to fill out my regular bra when I did wear one, she smiled, went out of the room for a minute, and came back with a puffy (puffie?) -which she wrapped in tissue paper, put in a sack, and gave to me for free.

A pouch of soft fabric stuffed with fiberfill.  I was so happy, you'd think she had given me a gold necklace or something. I didn't get anything at the hospital after my mast/SNB, so this was a seriously good find.

When I got home, I took out about half the fiberfill and stuffed the puffy into the bra I had just bought at WalMart (the usual cup size, but 1 strap size too big to account for some mild armpit swelling).  It works perfectly, and it is exactly the same size and shape as my "normal" breast on the other side.  The puffy is small and soft (same "feel" as my breast), and it does not move inside the new bra. I wore the combination to a social event yesterday, and I looked absolutely symmetrical.

So, Monday was a very good day. 

otter 

nagem,

I am still in Miami, returning north in May. A friend up north who's naturally flat-chested told me she loves to wear Hanro camis under her tops. They're hideously expensive, but last for ages. It sounds similar to the idea you describe, of wearing undershirts. I would do that, I think, if I went form-free. I actually find that I prefer tight fitting tees over my breast forms--somehow they make me feel more secure and I feel confident the forms won't move around at all. They don't move in looser clothing, either, but I don't feel as secure in looser tops. So it's a paradox--the tight-fitting, more revealing tees make me less self-conscious about my appearance.

otter,

I've occasionally wondered about fat injections like some of the reconstructed ladies get to fill in dents in their recons. I'm very averse to anything invasive, so I doubt I'd go there, but if others tried it and it worked, I might be tempted.

That's so great about the mastectomy shop you found. Where do you live? Every town needs a place like that! I, too, have found people to be very compassionate, but those women sound special. 

Barbara, I checked out the Hanro camis. But the only one I found on the website that was padded also had an underwire. Do you know of one without the wire?

Hmm, they look comfortable but don't seem to be padded. On the other hand they're on sale ...

Is there anyone out there that says no way, too bad, im not wearing false anything or do reconstruction. Ive had enough surgery and i am what I am. Everyone tells me to stuff my shirt, oh doesnt it look to flat, Too obvious. I had bilat mast, cancer in both breasts plus pagets disease of the nipple. Yes I sure do miss my breasts, but why do I have to go thru more pain to look "normal". Mad, angry & frustrated

Beatrice, if I'd had a bilateral mast, I'd be going flat (prosthesis-less) almost all the time.  Maybe all the time.  My breasts were so small before surgery that I doubt anyone would notice the difference.  I have never been interested in augmenting my small figure.  OK, maybe when I was 16 I hoped for better ...

OTOH, I had a left mast with no recon.  And, I'm not quite flat enough on the right side to get away with the prosthesis-less look.  In fact, I used to go braless quite a bit in casual situations, before my surgery.  Now, I clearly look lopsided.  One very flat side, and one side with a mound.  Oh, well.

I say, go for it!  You'll look like one of those fit, trim female athletes.

otter