Hi - my first post. Suggestions or comments very welcome. Had mastectomy/SNB/chest wall radiotherapy some months ago and not made much progress. The scar is raised up,hard,lumpy and painful, and now on meds for neuropathic pain. I’m very fed-up. Anything touching the front of my armpit triggers off pain, especially the edge of a bra as it goes round under the arm, plus I have some lymphoedema. Tum looks bigger than my chest. I haven’t been fitted for a permanent prothesis (BCN advised against for time being). I am not bothered at home, but am a droopy 36F on the good side - not a good look in anything! I have bought/been disappointed with bras, as something which seemed comfy in the shop turns out badly at home. Few times I’ve worn one on essential occasions, I’ve paid for it with several days of pain. Will this swelling/pain ever go away, and can anyone suggest a make/style of bra? Or indeed anything else! I realise this post may be just as much about the pain as the bra situation. Has anyone else had this problem?
Hi Karis
I’m 7 weeks post mx and lymph clearance and am still very uncomfortable in a bra. I have found the best solution is a nursing bra - maybe worth a go? They’re designed with thick sides and soft fabric, to be very supportive, don’t have any wire or hard-bits in them and come in large sizes. I still take mine off when I’m at home but it’s definitely the most comfortable solution for leaving the house.
Hope you find something comfy as I know it’s horrible wanting to look normal but being restricted by the pain. xxx Jane
Hi - not sure if you are going to like this… I’m coming up to 2 years since my first mastectomy in October and still don’t wear bras for exactly the reasons you describe… I also had a second mastectomy last Sept so at least I am now the same on either side…
Must admit I’ve never tried a nursing bra… But have tried others and like you say just a couple of hours of wearing one cause days of agony afterwards…
Theresa x
Hi
Have you tried going to a mastectomy specialist bra shop? I went last week and they were great with me- very patient etc and I am only 5 weeks post op. The bra that I ended up with does have a pocket for my prosthesis when I get it but is very high under the arms so it supports my swellings as opposed to cuts into them. I still de-bra in the house as that is most comfy but now don’t need painkillers for a trip out in my bra!
Hope this helps hon, as the pain is hard to deal with. Have a word with your BCN to see if she can suggest a lingerie specialist in your local area.
Big hugs
Sallyann XX
Hello Karis
I had WLE rather than mx but have lymphoedema in my breast and the skin under my breast is still sensitive from rads two years on.
During/after rads, the only thing I could bear was the top half of a swimming cozzie, you know the sort with foam cups, then I just cut it off at the waist, you would have to try one on to see if the cup brushed against your scarring on the mx side
Nowadays with the lymphoedema, I wear a crop top instead of a bra most of the time, and it is fine, even though I have a really big bust.
Hope you are soon more comfortable
Hello Karis,
sorry to hear you are in this situation. It sounds similar to what I had.
I now wear a crop top from BHS at home for some support (I am a 42DD) Or I wear a support vest or bra as I also have lymphodema in my armpit and extending to my back. Girlfromipanema have them.The control vest gives compession for the lymphodema.
Several people on this site Have talked about them so I am sure you should be able to find a thread.
Have you been referred to a lymphodema specialist? If not, then INSIST as the condition needs monitoring.
thinking of you
Margaret
Thank you for your replies. I don’t know quite what I was expecting, but in weeks since radiotherapy finished, mastectomy scar has got steadily worse (intact skin but puffed out and hard). GP said “its not very pretty is it”! Understatement. The lymphoedema appointment can’t come through soon enough. I’ve got cording, and my forearm is swollen.
In the meantime, there is this question of what to wear when out! Work in the public eye, which is probably what is worrying me about going back, which I need to do for sanity as well as pay! It has been depressing to realise that not even the BCNs think I could wear a bra. Thank you for your comments and suggestions, I do think a specialist shop would help, as clearly I am far from alone and need to find a working solution. But if anyone could tell me the radiotherapy swelling would settle down eventually that would be wonderful!!! K xx.
Asda do post surgery bras that are quite cheap (£6 to £8). I wore them with my softie for 8 weeks after my mx and they were very comfortable. They are very soft with hardly any seams and no underwiring. Buy a few different sizes, see which size fits you best then take the others back for a refund (as long as you keep your receipt of course!)
Specialist bra shops are always good too.
Good luck. I hope you get this sorted soon.
Maude xx
HI Karis,
I’ve been wearing vest tops with bra support which I got from Primark…not sure if they still have them as I bought them early summer. I haven’t had a recent mastectomy, but have had swelling due to pleurial effusion which has increased chest size considerably and bras are very tight and uncomfortable, even larger sized ones!!(Although not in a flattering way!)
I found them quite comfortable, but always pleased to get into PJ’s at the end of the day!
I also found that wearing a couple of layers helps disguise things, I’m a bit lopsided despite having reconstructive surgery.
I also bought the self adhesive bust boosters which I wear on my mastectomy side to help even things out…it works with some clothes, but not all!!!
Hope this helps…Sandra x
Hi Karis,
I bought some super-soft stretchy bras online from a company called windsor products. I wore these for over two years and only recently could bear to wear a ‘real’ bra. They are NOT especially pretty but at least they’re comfortable!
Good luck,
AlexG
Hi
Thank you for your suggestions - I went back to the shops and tried something different, rather than getting over focused on the bras for the time being. Back home with crop tops and an M&S vest/bra contraption. A bit like the swimming cozzie idea. Jolly sore with all the trying on, but not so cheesed off, and at least if they don’t work out its not such a pricey mistake. Those lovely mirrors in the changing room show I am a bit swollen around and under my side, not just rolls of fat. Although there is that too! (Arimidex?)
K xx.
Two suggestions - for my pain I found my pocketed swimsuit from Eloise (online) really comfortable. My surgeon however got a pair of elasticated frilly granny knickers, cut off the legs and told me to wear it around my chest with a pad inside, and my bra on top. It certainly works, and from the fact that he had a supply of these frilly knickers I had to assume there are a lot of people with this problem (or he is not a very good surgeon!) and there is an army of us walking around with frilly knickers around our top halves! Hopefully it might make you laugh as well as ease your pain!
Now that’s hilarious!
K xx
Hi
Thank you for your comments once again. The “solution” for me (despite the attractive little number described above!)has been a 1 sizes too big crop top plus the softee I was given all those months ago. I can’t think why I didn’t think about crop tops before. The meds have calmed down the nerve pain just enough to wear it out, but when I’m home I shall just not bother. It’s all been going on such a long time now, that anyone who was going to be surprised, already has been. Not quite sure what I could wear at work, as the softee is quite tickly, but have a few more weeks to experiment, certainly couldn’t go without. No luck with the radiotherapy swelling at all - still there.
K
Hi ALex G
I am also using the Windsor Products comfort bras - even though I don’t have much pain any more (mine was from rads). They are decidedly unglamorous, but fabulously comfortable. The only problem I had is they took a long time to arrive - at least 2 weeks I think - so if any one is thinking of ordering I would use an express delivery option. finty x
i had 2 wle, and rads, chemo etc. Anyay, i cant wear 'traditional’bras either. I wear crop vest tops which i get in BHS. They are about £12-£16 for 2.
eva
Am so enjoying wandering down the high street wondering who is wearing frilly knickers with their bra on top. Thanks for that! and thanks for all other ideas - I have nothing clever to add, just thanks for ideas so far and knowing others are jumping into PJs as soon as reasonably possible at the end of the day really helps. Nicola
Hi
Thought I would add a bit of an update as nearly 3 months have gone by since my original post. Still having a smile about the frilly knicker glamour wear (see above).
Have had lots of appointments and people looking at the not very nice mastectomy scarring and swelling, but it has actually subsided quite a bit,and am now in a proper bra/prosthesis most of the day at work. The cording all down my arm hasn’t shifted at all. I have really upped the exercises, and with some support from a physio felt more confident. The big problem was all the pain around the bra strap area, and although its still there, its much more bearable. I don’t know whether this is all due to time passing, or some of the treatment worked, but hey, its not as bad as it was, the scar is much flatter. Thank you for all the helpful suggestions, the crop-tops saved the day, and time has helped. K xx.
butterfly bras in coventry is fab and gill is really helpful and kind,i think she has a website.Im 38 and had a left mastectomy in july.Im still really sore and wearing a bra can be painfull sometimes,but getting a proper bra will really help you.I do have shoulder pain too, i think your back tries to compensate for the loss of breast muscle, i have 3 kids and dont get to rest really.the best of luck to you xx
I went to Butterfly Bras in Coventry 2 weeks ago and can’t praise it enough! I live in Spain now but come from Coventry and went for a visit. I had a bilateral mx in October last year and wedon’t have anything like a bcn! I bought some softies from the internet after the nurse at the hospital stuffed my sports bra with gauze - very uncomfortable! I did get prothesis but had to ask for the prescription and then go to the orthopedic shop for a ‘fitting’! have to say I am impressed with the prothesis but they wanted 70 euro for the bra to go with them but thankfully my mum had sent me some over which she got from Matalan (lovely mastectomy bras) and then when I visited the Uk i went to the bra shop and spent about 2 hours in there - I must have tried on all the mastecomy bra’s she had in my size and ended up buying 2. It was so nice to be fitted by someone experienced and caring.
Post surgery I was told to wear sports bras but found most things uncomfortable to start with until I discovered camisoles with secret support which I popped the softies into. This worked fine for me until I got my prothesis which have made me feel alot better but I am looking forward to the time when I can have a reconstruction. xx