Hi everyone,
Now that active treatment is finally over I am looking to start swimming again to regain some of the fitness I’ve lost over the last few months and to help regain my mobility (still using a walking stick! 
).
I know I need a mastectomy swimsuit, but do I need a special type of prostheses as well?
I’m too self-conscious to swim mono-boobed! 
Nymeria
hi
you can purchase a "sponge "prosthesesis from appliance office for regular swimmers [or on line] .however the appliance officer said that I should use my normal prosthesis for my holidays .
they have also put in pckets into my tankinis that I have bought myself- fraction of the cost of mastctomy swimsuits .however m&S do swimsuits post surgery on line which can help
good luck xx
Hi, were you issued with a sponge falsie on the day you left the hospital? I hope you were cos thats perfect for swimming with,as youre climbing up the steps of the pool,squeeze the water out with the inside of your elbow, or if no-ones watching, squeeze it with both hands, they dry in seconds. I hope you have a specialist underwear shop near you, these mx cossies are like hens teeth, Marks & Sparks only do them on-line and its all wasted time when we could be swimming. I would suggest a couple of painkillers after your first swim, and take it easy
Hi, I bought a swin prosthesis from women zone in warrington along with a custom made swimsuit. Having a cossie made is not as expensive as some of the online shops and you can choose your style and pattern. The prosthesis is a different weight to my ordinary one and looks a better shape than the foam one I had from surgery. I found it really usefull swimming as part of my recovery and very theraputic.Just realised in my picture i have my cossie on!!
All the best
Jane x
Thanks everyone!
I live somewhere semi-rural with virtually no decent shops within 50 miles so online shopping is pretty much the only option. Amazingly our independent department store in town is actually really good when it comes to mastectomy bras etc but sadly for me, they don’t stock swimsuits below a size 10. The fitter in our local M&S did say that I could order up a selection of swimsuits and have them delivered to the store but I think it’ll be just as easy to have some sent to my home address.
I was given a temporary prosthesis before leaving hospital but it’s filled with some sort of fluffy material (like furniture/toy stuffing) and my BCN says it would spoil it if I wore it swimming. I shall have to look into buying a sponge one online. Thanks for the tip about squeezing it out!
Nymeria x
If your going to swim quite often i would invest in the swim prosthesis mentioned by the previous poster.
I was put off swimming when i used a sponge foam as it moved about and squeezing the water out was a nuisance. I didnt go swimming for a few years after that experience. I had no choice in Feb as part of my daughters hen doo celebrations was a visit to a spa day at Nott Center parcs. Was so so pleased with the proper swim prosthesis which i got from woman zone, really relaxed and loved the day and forgot i had a mastectomy or prosthesis in.
Happy swimming.
Rx
That’s worth knowing thanks Liverbird.
I intend to start swimming again regularly so I think I will invest in a proper swim prosthesis.
Hi, A cheap and cheerful solution. After my double mastectomy I bought a tankini from Nicola Jane online sale which I’ve been very pleased with, but found the prostheses pulled the neckline of the top open. I’ve ended up using net shower sponges instead - picked up the tip online somewhere. First tried one each side but they were too large for me and didn’t look right, so cut one in half and used half on each side. It did mean it unravelled but the netting sits in the pockets, can be adjusted easily, and doesn’t hold water. Not sure it would work for bigger busts though! BB
Hi Nymeria (and everyone else too),
I think I got this idea from breastfree.org if I remember rightly. Instead of paying out for expensive swimforms, you could try something that’ll only cost you between 50p and £1.50. You know the net pom pom balls that you can wash yourself with in the bath or shower. They usually have a small cotton rope attached to them for hanging up afterwards.
Well, I use one of them, and it’s brilliant, cos they don’t hold the water. I’m only very small breasted in my remaining one - I’m a 34B, so I have to buy the miniature net pom pom balls. Just put it inside a post surgery swimsuit, and even though they’re made of net, they just dont show through, although you’d think the net ruffles would show through the fabric.
I was quite sceptical when I first read the idea, but I already had one in my bathroom, so I went in the bath with it inside my swimming cozzy just to test it out (ok, you’re allowed to laugh at the idea of me in my bath in a swimming cozzie!!). It’s much cheaper than buying a swim form, and like Woody says about the foam ones, just give it a gentle squeeze with your inner elbow as you get out of the pool, although the net pom poms don’t even need much of a squeeze.
Whatever you decide to use, enjoy being in the pool again Nymeria!
Love to everyone!
Shelley xxx
PS If the net pom pom you buy is too big, you’re meant to be able to trim them with scissors.
Hiya Busybee!
“Snap” (you must have posted while I was still writing mine!)
Luv, Shelley xxx
Cor, what a brilliant idea, thanks Shelley!
I am so looking forward to getting back to swimming - I’ve really missed it. I’ve just been looking at Amoena and they have some really nice swimsuits in the sale, so I’m going to treat myself.
Thanks for all the great advice everyone!
Nymeria xx
Hi again Nymeria
My swimsuits are from Amoena, and I can really recommend them! I keep one of the net pom poms inside each, and then I know I’m ready for swimming each time.
Enjoy choosing your new swim-wear!
PS My humour might be a bit black at times, but knowing what I’m wearing as a swim form gives me a bit of a giggle inside myself, n also feels like I’m sticking two fingers up at breast cancer! Hope I’ve not offended anyone by writing that last bit. Shelley xxx
Hi Shelley,
Yep, Amoena are brilliant and I bought myself a swimsuit for just £12.00 in the sale! I’ll be investing in the pom poms as soon as I go shopping next.
Also anything that helps us stick two fingers up at cancer is alright in my book!
Nymeria
Hi Nymeria,
I’ve been swimming loads since my mx and got the £35 swimform which was well worth the money in my view - it looks pretty good and drains instantly. It’s also really comfortable, despite still having swelling and some sore bits!
I got an Amoena cossie which is great but slightly too low at the front. It doesn’t really bother me though, and the whole thing stays put when I swim front crawl. I’ve just got a Womens Zone tankini too which is also lovely, with a higher neckline that kind of stays in with no sagging. It’s also slightly gathered around the pockets so looks really natural.
Once I’m swimming I forget about the whole thing, and everything seems to just stay where it is which is encouraging…
Good luck with the swimming, I found it great for getting my strength, flexibility, fitness and general happiness back.
xx
Hi all, I’ve just gone back to swimming after mx last October, then chemo and RADS, and I have a slightly different question. Can anyone who has had a mx do back stroke now? I found it pulled on the scar. Will this get easier or do I have to stick to swimming on my front now?
To answer the original post, I got a swim prothesis through the fitter at the hospital and also a chlorine resistant costume and a Tankini. The prothesis doesn’t move about and it was great to be back swimming (other than back stroke)
Backstroke Yes, although it took a while to get there. Where I found it hardest was getting the stretch up my side where they had dug deep to get at my lymph nodes. Go at a time when the pool is quiet!
Shower scrubbies work brilliantly, I started with a home made sponge form but had a problem with it shifting around, particularly when I tried aquarobics and I also had a very embarrassing event with bubbles Current solution is a shower-scrubbie inside a crop top inside a normal swimsuit. This works, feel secure and prevents movement. My local M&S (which is a very large one in a regional shopping mall) has the mastectomy cossies on the rail, as well as a good range of post surgical bras, but they it’s like they have “M&S MASTECTOMY” written all over them…
My cossie is a decent age-appropriate black thing with a little skirty bit from Evans, they aren’t just for fat girls and if anyone has swollen feet it’s useful to know they have very wide shoes too, and lady-boots designed with wider calves for us who have walking-muscles not just stick-legs. I suppose if I wanted to push the boat out and look showy, I could go with a white crop top that would peep out at the edge, not a black one that disappears…