Silicone Prostheses: Too Heavy!

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Katiejane
Katiejane Member Posts: 789
edited June 2014 in Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
Silicone Prostheses: Too Heavy!
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  • Katiejane
    Katiejane Member Posts: 789
    edited April 2008

    I had a bilateral mastectomy in June of 07.  About 3 months post op I was fitted with my bra and silicone prostheses.  To this day I cannot stand to wear my "boobs in a box" because the silicone boobs are much too heavy!!!  Is there anything out there that is extremely light weight that will work??  I was thinking of inflatable??  I remember when the gals were fitting me with prostheses they kept remarking how "natural" the silicone one's felt!!  Well, no one is feeling my breasts-I'm just looking for something to put in place of the prostheses that has the least amount of weight and could pass for something that looks acceptable.  Any suggestions would be welcome!!! And, I do not sew. Surely, there is something out there!

    Thanks---Chattie

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  • FrequentFlyer
    FrequentFlyer Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2008

    I only ever use the textile prothesis for initial use which they gave me at the hospital.

    It's this one

    http://www.anita.com/us/en/0,1,0,0,39059__products-detail.htm?brand=146&ovs_ber_wgr=105&ovs_ber_fgr=1491

    but I think US manufactures offer similar models.



    I even use mine with my old bikinis and no-one would ever know.



    Not sure if larger sizes work as well, but at least mine stays put in most of my old bustiers (same word in English?), so I don't even have to bother with mastectomy bras and the like.

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited April 2008

    FrequentFlyer,

    I have not been able to find your Anita textile breast form on any online sites in the US or Canada, even ones that sell other Anita products. I would love to try it as it looks as if the front clings nicely to your bra. If you or anyone else knows where to find this in the US, or how to order it from abroad, please let me know.

    Chattie, there are a number of products that I think would be helpful to you. The Amoena Leisure Form, Style 126, for example, or the Still You Illusions Breast Replacement. The Amoena form is non-weighted. The Illusions has a very slight weight so stays particularly well in a bra. Both are non-silicone and extremely comfortable and the Illusions feels soft like silicone, so even passes the "hug" test. The other good news is that breast form manufacturers are becoming more and more sensitive to the problem of too-heavy prostheses (also called breast forms), and are coming out with ever lighter-weight silicone versions. For example, ABC (American Breast Care) has a silicone form that's 50% lighter than regular forms.

    I have a non-profit website, BreastFree.org, intended to help women like you discover comfortable options. If you go to the Breast Forms section of my site, you will find information on Silicone Forms and Non-Silicone Forms, as well as Swim Forms. The forms I mentioned above are discussed, with links to photos, so you can see what they look like. Almost everything can be ordered online if your local fitter can't or won't order it for you. As new forms become available, I'll be adding them to my website. For example, there's a new company, called Silique, that is about to introduce a very lightweight form that's silicone in front and foam and fabric in back. Also, some women love contact forms, which adhere to your chest and can be worn in regular bras and don't add weight to your back and shoulders 

    By the way, if anyone reading this has suggestions for improvements to my website or would like to contribute a story to the Personal Stories section, please let me know. I couldn't have created the site without women from this board and I count on you for new ideas and information. Thanks. 

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  • Erica3681
    Erica3681 Member Posts: 1,916
    edited April 2008

    Chattie,

    Just a couple of other thoughts. Don't let a fitter tell you that your prosthesis needs to be heavy to balance your other side. While a little weight might be helpful for balance when you've had a single mastectomy, people who study this have realized that the fully weighted prostheses are unnecessary. That's why the newer lightweight silicone and other prostheses are so popular.

    Also, just wanted to add that I don't sew either, so I'm with you in trying to find great options that don't require sewing!

    Barbara 

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  • FrequentFlyer
    FrequentFlyer Member Posts: 15
    edited April 2008

    Barbara, we cannot even buy them on Anita's German website. Seems like they don't like selling their products online. (Here in Germany we get a prescription which we then take to spezialized shop, so we don't have to buy them.)



    But I did find a few online shops:

    German: http://www.shopland.de/shops/artikel5.asp?co=593&g=16&trk=0

    French (Switzerland), takes PayPal: http://www.swissorthoma.ch/Mamaires/Prothese/P15_1018/P15_1018_X.htm



    Gosh, they sure are expensive! 35 - 40 Euros for just ONE form. That's a lot of money for a bit of textile stuffed with a bit of medical fleece. :o(



    The front is covered with a thin layer of foam on the inside and those "goosebumps" on the outside seem to be of the same kind as those you can find on "anti-slippery" socks (no idea what you call them in English). The back has a small opening where you can adjust the amount of medical fleece or take it out for washing.



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