Hi
I’ve developed breast lymphedema and it’s mainly down the side of my boob I was just wonder if anyone had any good bra recommendations ? I need a big side panel and lots of bras I’ve looked at don’t have it. I’m waiting to see the Nicola Jane bra lady at our local hospital but the waiting list is a while and they’re quite expensive. Oh and ones for sleeping in too as I find I get very uncomfortable and with the night sweats I end up whipping my sport bra off
Love Clair xx
Hi
I also have lymphodema in the breast, I use a light crop top style bra in bed gives a little support without restricting, I had my breasts measured in M&S and went for full style bras with thick side panels and no seams as they mark your breast, very Bridget Jones, not at all sexy but the most comfortable and best support
L x
Thank you Lottie63 I’ll have a look in m&s after Christmas xx
Hi Clair, Did you find some relief? I would recommend Michelle Harrington, she has worked in the lingerie business for a long time, and does home visits, I think? I think she works out of Guys Hospital as well. She does a fitting, consultant service for post surgery. monicaharrington.co.uk/ Or else, Marks and Spencer has some post surgery bras, but go up a size or two. Megan
Hello JleeLotus
I went and got fitted at M&S and brought a couple of pre op bras it’s definitely helped I’m much more comfortable and I’m off to lymphedema clinic tomorrow so will see what they say there
thank you for replying xxx
Hi Peggy
The nurse was really lovely when I saw her and gave me lots of advice and massages to they really do help she also advised me to use a doublebase gel to keep my skin hydrated as e 45 cream can aggravate the skin . I hope you get some good advice tomorrow and look forward to hearing how you get on
Love Clair xxx
Hi Peggy and Tessa
I’m really lucky I got seen pretty quickly after referral, my first app was in Dec when I was told to use bio oil on the scar tissue as it was blocking the lymph tissue and they were also damaged already by rads it’s helped a lot I also got shown how to to simple manual lymph drainage massage I do it twice a day and use the gel once a day and on my check up today she said everything is looking good and I don’t have to back until 3 months time.
She was impressed with the bra fit as well so I’m very happy
Hope your appointment went well too Peggy xxx
Morning Peggy
I know except how you feel, I have good day and bad days or even weeks and it doesn’t take much to bring me down. I used to get very frustrated about not being the person I was and not having the energy to do the things I want to. Have you been to a moving on course through the bc team ? I went to a wellbeing day and it turned my thought process around I go embrace the new me although I do miss the old me sometimes and take each day as it comes with the thought it’s ok to not feel ok .
Definitely go and get fitted for a post op bra M&S do some very pretty padded bras and when you’ve got your size you can also look online , Nicola Jane are specialists and do some nice bras too.
I have breast and underarm lymphedema I didn’t have any lymph nodes removed my damage is through surgery 2 wle’s and the radiotherapy, I do have a lot of elbow pain that was first diagnosed as tennis elbow but it might be nerve damage nothing else though.
You’ll notice a difference in a few days after doing the massages try and do it twice a day.
I’m always here to listen it’s important to get it out and we all know how your feeling ?
Have a nice day love Clair xxxx
Hello both
i haven’t had any numbness in my hand as a result of my treatment, including 6 rounds of chemo. Some people do find chemo affects their nerves in hands and feet more than others. However a couple of years ago I had a repetitive strain in neck and shoulder due to the wrong set up of desk and chair when using my laptop for work. As a result I used to get numbness in my fingers on the affected side, especially if there was anything on my shoulder like a bag strap or bra strap pressing on that area. I suppose when you had surgery the nerves were affected, and depending on which ones were damaged it might affect sensation further down. I was told it can take 12-18 months for nerves to restore themselves.
Well I thought I’d try the foam padding inside my bra today. It isn’t too bad but the skin texture where the foam cubes have pressed looks extremely odd! Will be interesting to see if it’s made any more difference tomorrow.
i have heard that the compression vests are very effective and not too uncomfortable esp if you wear them at night rather than during the day, so might be worth giving it a go.
I bought quite a few m and s sports bras and they are quite supportive and comfy. Otherwise some of the shock absorber ones are very similar.
hope you’re enjoying your weekend
tessa
Morning
Peggy I haven’t had any cording luckily but I do get a tightness in my underarm and a painful shoulder so I try to do my exercises it’s supposed to be 4 times a day but with working it’s quite difficult to do, I also get to swim in my job once a week so that helps a bit.
I was going to have a prosthesis fitted as there was such a gap left in my bra but then everything swelled up with the lymphedema and now I’ve got this different bra it doesn’t seem so bad so I’ll leave it for a while.
It’s my day off today so I’m going to do a few jobs around the house have a lovely day whatever your doing
Love clair xxx
Evening Tessa and Peggy just popping in to see how your doing ? Hope you a lovely weekend love Clair xx
Evening Tessa and Peggy no snow in Somerset yet I’d quite like some though especially in the half term when I’m off ? I find my swelling gets worse in the evenings when I’ve been using my arm more especially when doing more handling at work or if I do to much in the garden. I find it very frustrating sometimes! Do ether of you get an achy pain in the fleshy bit just under your collar bone?
I had surgery in July and august 2016 had really bad seromas both times that had to be drained and had infections, radiotherapy in the Nov and got diagnosed with the lymphodema in Dec this year not sure what set it all off though.
The bras have really helped and the daily sld. I’m going back to see if a prosthesis will help as well.
Peggy any news on the moving forward course yet ?
Love Clair xxxx
Hi Peggy and Tessa
I’m so glad things are settling with the sld and compression garments it makes us feel so much better ? The collar bone pain comes and goes I think it might be where some fluid collects I’ll ask when I go next . I’m on my half term break now and so happy to be able to chill out ? no ice skating for me as I have no balance or coordination anymore ! although I did roller skating many years ago ? My local hospital does a spring exercise program for cancer recovery I wonder if you could access one through your breast care nurse ? I do use the wii fit at home mostly the yoga but there are some great stuff on there to do and it’s in the comfort of my own home. I do supported swimming with work but really need to do more but our local pool isn’t very nice.
Have a lovely weekend lots of love Clair xxx
I have breast lymphoedema and am a large lady … a 44c
I went to the amoena store in Southampton … appointment only but less than a week wait
They have a special lymphoedema range which is excellent. I got swimwear too