Ha ha!So glad I’m not the only one. Shown your comment to O H.
1.30 before I dropped off last night, and my dad insists on bringing me in a cup of tea at 7.30 every morning bless him… “anyone awake in here” he says as he goes over to open my curtains. I usually grunt and slide further under the covers…weird living at home again, I feel Iike a teenager who wants to stay in bed till midday. Kids going back to school on Thursday should soon bring me back to reality with a bump!
Maybe the reason everyone sleeps a lot following a chemo session is all the nights we didn’t sleep beforehand? Book, night light, glass of water…
Wish I’d bought myself an ipod or similar, instead of dropping hints and hoping for a present sometime. Still, I can turn the radio on softly.
The first proper night’s sleep I had since dx in October was after Fec1 almost three weeks ago - so maybe it was the thought of chemo more than worry over mx etc that had been keeping my subconscious busy in the small hours? Have slept fairly well since then - apart from one night with revolting mouth when I just couldn’t stop drinking to try to clear it, and then of course needed to pee all night long…lol.
Jan - glad your PICC went in easily - mine did too, which was a bit of a relief as had heard some uncomfortable tales on here - and even chemo nurses were surprised when I said it had been utterly painless, so I think we are amongst the fortunate ones! I had mine inserted the same day I started chemo - PICC in at 9am, chemo started at 10! Wore my new silicone boob all day today for first time, just tucked inside M&S camisole top, stayed put and behaved itself nicely. If your GP is approachable for a chat, then go for it - that’s great.
Peachez - too funny! So glad it was only a spot <grin></grin>
Sophie xx
Sophie are you pleased with new boob? its been 6 wks now since my op and im chomping at the bit to get a better boob than the softie. Does it feel realistic? will it go in your old bras or do we need pocketed from now on?
Deb xxxx
Deb - new boob is loads better than softie, you just can’t compare them! Because it is that bit weightier, it doesn’t migrate - and it is much more the correct shape than the bloomin beanbag!
You don’t necessarily need a pocketed bra, but what you will need is one with deep cups (balconette types are out, I’m afraid!), and with a decent amount of material in the middle, between the two cups - to hold things firmly in place. If your bra is well fitting, then the prosthesis will sit snugly anyhow.
Having said that, I am going to invest in a couple of good mx bras, just for the additional piece of mind, and because I don’t have any bras that fit me at the moment anyhow. I had my much larger boob removed, have always been totally lopsided, and am now realising that I may once have been a D cup, but will be fortunate to be a B these days…<grin>. So, in a week or so I will be visiting M&S to get fitted out properly.</grin>
Did you know that we do not have to pay VAT on bras, having been dx? I’m not sure if that just applies to mastectomy bras, or to any bra - worth checking out if it’ll knock 20% off the price.
I haven’t worn new boob all that much as haven’t really needed to - being winter, under layers etc, I just feel that really no one is going to notice - but when eldest son has had friends round, I have stuffed it in place to save their blushes… and it has been fine, easy to forget about, which must mean it stays put!!! Come the summer, and more revealing clothes, then it may well come into its own.
Sophie xx
Sophie your so right about time of year. Under numerous layers i dont worry about it but with t-shirt only id be v conscious. Gutted about the limited bra situation. I do wonder about the ability to wear strapless anymore. I assume not??!! Does the boob stick to the skin?
Will be interesting to find out if there is no vat to pay on all bras but i think it will just be mx ones. I have just ordered some mns ones to try at home. Vat was automatically knocked off and there was no delivery charge cause they were mx bras. Found their range quite limiting though. There are some lovely sites with pretty bras but would hate to order wrong size and not be able to return. I tend to vary in size depending on where i buy- from small to v small to why bother Haha.
Deb XXX
Some strapless might be ok - so long as the cups are deep? The NHS boob I got is not a skin sticking one, but I think they do do them… but I don’t know how long post-op you’d need to be to wear a sticky one?
BTW - you CAN wear underwired bras with a prosthesis/post surgery - I’d been told by a few friends that you couldn’t, but my bcn was very firm that it was absolutely fine - and actually, the prosthesis we ended up agreeing on for me is particularly good for underwired bras - so that opens up the choices a bit more on the pretty bra stakes!!!
I’ll prob. get measured in M&S, maybe get one bra from there, and then look at the online stores - amoena seem to get very good reviews from everyone, and I know you can order a couple of different sizes and return the ones that are no good.
Sophie xx
Oh, and small to v.small to why bother… that’s sort of the way my prosthesis fitting went!!! My bcn had a variety of different size bras to try on - just as well as the only one I could find that vaguely fitted me at home was one my fifteen year old had grown out of 
!! Anyhow, I might be a 36B, or poss. a 36A… or poss something completely different, but one thing for sure… I am no longer in need of a D cup!!!
Sophie xx
What a good reason to have a good clear out! Your shopping spree may have to include new underwear now. That site sounds good if you can return stuff. Once you know your size from a certain shop then we can shop away. I vary from 36c to 36a depending on the shop and wire/wireless. I dont mind investing in nice pocketed bras cause at the mo have no intention of having recon. Been through enough me thinks!!
Deb XX
Ps thats great about the wire situation cause i need it!! I had been told by friend no wire so glad thats wrong. XX
Funny isn’t it. When mx first raised as a probability, I was all for the recon - having never liked my lopsided boobs, thought that NHS boob job might be just the incentive to get through all this, end up with a better pair of knockers than I’d ever thought I’d own. OH still very keen on recon, unsurprisingly - but the more I look into it, the less convinced I am that I really want it - after all, recon boobs may look great in clothing… but not so great (imo) naked… well, same can be said for a prosthesis, surely, without all the additional pain?>
Easy to say in the winter… may well have changed my mind in summer when juggling fake boob and vest top… and then there’s running the dogs round the show ring to consider… that could be quite awkward… would def. need pocketed bra then to avoid potential disastrous situation…hehehe.
Sophie x
Your right. My final decision would have to be made after ive experienced every eventuality however my feeling now is that if i can make it work in clothing then why bother. Its another big op or maybe more -probably would need to do summat with remaining boob to make em match so where would it end? and then theres the issue of nipple or no nipple. Like you say its never gonna look right again even if you do it, other than to make underwear easier to contend with. I do feel that people make an automatic assumption that your young so its inevitable that your gonna do it. Chemo nurse looked at me shocked when she asked if i was gonna and i said probably not.
If id been given the option of doing it immediately then that may have been another story but due to needing radio they said it had to be done later. 2years maybe so if i dont know then if i can live with it as it is then ill never know. I sometimes wish theyd taken both so there was no future risk for other side and so id have symmetry but theres another story. Waffle over.
Deb XXXX
I had mx with immediate recon by tram flap surgery 7 weeks ago, and although the surgeon hasn’t quite managed to match me up with my remaining boob, I now have one boob still 30f and new one about 30dd I reckon, my surgeon is going to match me up later on in the year when i get my new nipple. but even only 7 weeks post op I am amazed at how natural looking my new boob is. It is still not as soft as it will eventually be but it is essentially a scarless mx other than round the nipple, and obviously the tummy scar and I have seen photos of women 2 yrs on and you can’t tell the difference between the boobs. I’m not saying it’s been a walk in the park, it’s pretty full on but I was prepared for it and I’m really glad I chose this option. My bs even has one patient who goes topless on the beach!!! It’s not for everyone I know but regarding the end result fingers crossed so far it’s pretty darn good. The weirdest bit for me is the fact I now have no tummy button, I had a hernia underneath it so it was removed, I can have a new one made as well if I want when I have my nipple done, bit like a bogof, ha ha… Might have got used to it by then though…
I went and bought some new bras which was heaven as I couldn’t wear anything for the first 4 weeks and it’s no fun walking round like Charlie dimmock with boobs my size and no support, they weren’t mx bras, just soft no wired ones and I got the vat off them, had to fill out a form basically to say I’d had surgery. I look a bit weird as one cup fits and one is about 2 sizes too big, could do with something to fill it out a bit!!
I was told definitely no wires though?? Maybe it depends what kind of surgery you’ve had?? Xx
P.s like. I said I had immediate recon, if I had had to wait I don’t know if I would have jumped straight into it. I got it out the way before the chemo luckily, psychologically it may be easier I don’t know…I feel like I’m half way there cos I went to sleep with 2 and woke up with 2… For that I count my blessings…x
…sorry to jump in, but had to add that my reconstruction (LDFlap) looks and feels really good. You have to be patient and I say this after a year - during which I had my panics. No nipple and don’t want one. Unfortunately, I’ll have to lose reconstruction due to recurrence in that breast - but cancer is often a journey and sometimes we all want instant results (well, maybe that’s just me)!
BTW, just had second FEC today - delayed for a week as ‘neutrophil count’ was too low - so I have the addition of having to give myself injections for 5 days to prevent it happening next time. I think we’re all going to be walking medical dictionaries at the end of this!
Belated happy new year to all
Annie
Today’s the big day for me. Kind thoughts and prayers, please.
This is really helpful. My chemo up front, so mastectomy to follow in early March. Good bra advice thank you! Can I also ask, and apologies if I have just missed this - i’ve been told no immediate recon, due to radio, but is it really as long as 2 years to wait?? Also, as I’m on the large side, particularly the one on the right, which is so far unaffected, do you think they would do a reduction immediately (ie at same time as mast), so I am not quite so lop-sided for all that time? Would just like to end up with a relatively neat matching pair!
Tracey
Think you posted as I was Cheryll. Of course, MILLIONS of lovely thoughts coming your way today. Let me know how it goes,
Tracey
Thanks Tracey.