Hi , having recently been diagnosed with breast cancer I’m due to have a mastectomy tomorrow on my right breast , but due to the lockdown and the the fact that unfortunately shops aren’t able to offer this service during this time , I’ve been unable to go out to get measured for post opp bra so am worried about this and wondered if anyone else in same position or if anyone can recommend any online company’s that maybe still available for ordering please .
Hi daffodil
I found I really really didn’t want to wear a bra for quite a while after my mastectomy - wait till your scar settles - but I guess the size of your breast may dictate your need. I’m only 36C so this was my experience: fitting will be essential eventually but initially you’ll only have a softie which is a very rough approximation of a breast. No one ever mentioned these things to me - I had to ask for a softie even (and that was a private hospital!). You can wear your own bras (remove wiring) with a softie but I found they tend to rotate a little so they feel a bit off-centre and you need to adjust occasionally. You can also get knitted knockers for free at www.knittedknockersuk.com (including ones for swimming) which are great but lack weight. I know of women who have just stopped at that point - a softie is enough.
Once you have your proper prosthesis (I got mine about 8 months later) you need a proper post surgery bra with a proper fitting, but most prosthesis services at hospitals will also help with bras if you ask. Meantime, I went for sports bras, preferably without seams (Under Armour did a brilliant one with a good band round the ribs AND, most important, a removable protective padding). Supermarkets like Asda, stores like M&S all do them but make sure the padding is removable as it proves problematic sometimes.
Sadly, a lot of small businesses specialising in mastectomy wear have closed down in favour of online shopping. Crazy. However, a lot of sellers of bras now include ‘post surgery bras’ in their range. Even Stella McCartney gave away 10,000 for free last year! You get what you pay for. I have some great ones by Amoena which I bought through Amazon (note: they are not VAT-free - some crazy Amazon regulation which I’ve complained about to no avail). The good thing then is returns are free so you can order several sizes. The plain nylon and the plain cotton are a good comfortable fit. The temptation is to go for pretty stuff to make you feel feminine again but start by going for good old comfort and shape. As a small-breasted woman, I could wear anything. As a mono-breasted woman, these bras sometimes feel like fortresses but you do need good support underneath for anchorage, or your bra will rotate again.
Be wary shopping online. In fact, just be wary. Compare prices on Amazon - it’s often better to buy from Amoena direct rather than some of the sellers who charge ludicrous prices. A lot of post surgery bras simply aren’t suitable. They think if they add a pocket for a prosthesis, that’s it. It’s way more complex as you’ll learn. Recently I grabbed two post-surgery bras off the rack at Asda and they were useless - they had a preformed cup and a slot for a prosthesis. However, the inflexible outer part didn’t adapt to the prosthesis and I ended up with a puckered cup! How stupid can they get? But I’ve had good stuff from Asda too, especially sports or comfort bras.
Don’t buy too many. If you have hormone therapy, you may well find your bra-size increases!
I hope that helps. I still prefer to go braless and am building up my confidence with friends seeing me lopsided. It shouldn’t matter but it does. A good prosthesis is the right weight and you do feel and look balanced. But your scar is a constant reminder that your breast cancer is gone. Learn to appreciate it with gratitude, if not love it, rather than see it as a hideous deformity. It makes a huge psychological difference. I’m proud of my scar.
All the best tomorrow. Make sure your pjs are front-buttoning!
Jan xx
Hey Daffodil63:
hoping ur op goes ahead, good luck 
mini mad xx
any questions afterwards please ask.x
Hi Daffodil, good luck tomorrow.
I too didn’t wear anything other than a soft vest for a while and then Sainsburys crop top bras with a softee, but really only when I went out.
It took me over 12 months before I asked for a silicone prosthesis, and then found Nicola Jane a better fit for me than Amoena bras. Excellent online service (at the time) and exchanges and refunds were never a problem.
So I guess I’m just saying take it slowly, you’ll work out what you want to wear and when. Can I also just say about the exercises and radiotherapy…I really panicked when radiotherapy started as I didn’t think I’d have the range of movement they needed. However I was absolutely fine, so again just take it one day at a time.
All the best.
Butterfly