Breast Cancer Now Forum

hi all, I havent been on here for ages, (I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and ME, so not had the energy to sit and type. Fibromyalgia is like having constant toothache from head to toe in all your areas in your body, not nice. ) They think my FM was triggered by a severe infection in my implants (bilateral), as a virus or accident is a common factor to triggering FM. Anyway, I am on painkillers and to do light exercises, which is all well and good, but some days I have no energy to even lift my head off the pillow without being in pain. Anyways, sorry to divert away from subject. I usually get Royce bras, as they are in my size 32DD/E, and fit my two prosthesis well. Womanzone has a great multiway bra, really secure and well fitted. At least I can wear strappy tops and dresses now. However, the other thing that I usually do, is I bought two pockets from Amoena, (just the pockets, they are about £5 each), and I searched our local habidashery and bought a load of coloured material (the ends of their rolls, for about 50p each), then when I saw a nice bra (non mastectomy, as the ones that are pocketed are still not very sexy and feminine colours, ), so I get a full cup bra, in say Jade Green, then I use the pockets I bought as a template pattern, and cut a pocket with the material in Jade colours, and sew it on, it is a bit tricky, but if you have a good seamstress that you know or your local hospital offers the service of pocketing your bras, then take it to them. But at least you get a nice sexy colourful bra, and matching pocket in same colour. for a fraction of the price you would be for a pocketed bra in shops or online. I have now got a range of colourful bras in my drawer that match the summer colourful tops I can wear. I often use a hair slide (the ones with the diamontees on them, and the narrow slide), and slide it down the centre of the bra so that it will give you a bit of bling and sparkle on your bra. These you can get from Clares or Primark for 50p each). You could also tie thin ribbons around the straps, to co-ordinate your bra to your top. again cheap alternative. Until the pocketed bra specialist companies start giving us bras that are the same selection of colours and styles as non pocketed then we will have to make do with limited ranges, but why do we have to do this for a bra, ? hope this helps, gentle hugs to you all xxx ... View more

Hi, I am back from holidays, and it was great although too hot, (the sea water was hotter than my bath water, which made my stick on prosthesis unstick, so a bit of a nightmare, as the pockets in the swimsuits are oblong or square and my prosthesis are both triangle shaped !! when will these companies learn that square and oblong does not fit a triangle !! Anyway, I have just read and caught up with the updates, so just still on to the case of getting this calendar moving forward. I have a meeting with the fundraising team in the BCC offices next friday, as they have contacts with the team that have done calendars in the past, so they are going to look out the information that is needed for us to do this. I have not heard from the various people that I had sent e-mails, accept from Trevor Sorbie, and a professional photographer who is willing to help on the photographs etc, I have also wrote to This morning, and various magazines, and all looking into how they can help us too. I will keep you informed. Taffy, I am in S Wales too, so if we needed to travel together this would be good. Hopefully I can get really onto it next week after the meeting with BCC offices. anything anyone else can think of let me know and I will try and see if they can help. thanks xxx ... View more

my info hi, I am 32DD (wearing two stick on prosthesis). in South Wales. travelling to London not a problem. Will keep you all uptodate when I have more information to give. I am not available from thursday 28th June for 8 days, so will speak when I get back. Lynn, keep it going , and speak soon c xxx ... View more

Updates Hi ladies, Just got an e-mail from Trevor Sorbies PR, he is very interested on helping us personnally, and to let him know how many women are doing this and what our requirements are. This is great news. Think we need to talk though about all of this. I will let you know when I have spoken to them as they have requested more info. speak soon carol xxxxxxxx ... View more

join in Elaine, You are welcome to join in, variety is the spice of life.!! I will let you all know what the updates are when I get them... xxxxx ... View more

Still gathering info Hi, I have sent contacts to various people that may be able to help us, so will await their contact back. I have also cheekily asked several companies to supply us with mastectomy bras (and swimwear), you dont ask you dont get!! I have said that we are looking at doing a callendar and could they provide us with some garments to wear.... it is worth a try... I will let you know when I get any more information carolxxxx ... View more

Vezza Hello Karen, I have sent an e-mail to Trevors PR team, to ask for his help, so we shall see what happens if he responds. I have also been contacted by Patrick an image consultant for women who have had mastectomies or breast surgery, he has offered to take me shopping to help me get clothes that are suitable for wearing prosthesis, with todays fashions. I have sent him a note to see if he can help on our callendar too. Hopefully he will come back to us this week. thanks again and yes Aroma, I am getting excited too. xxxxx ... View more

Sorry Moderator Sorry Moderator, I forgot, I only wanted to discuss this in more depth with the ladies that are wanting to do this callendar, rather than use up the forum space. Many thanks for this, Is there another way that we can get to communicate all together? Cxx ... View more

Still onto it, Hi Girls, This is fantastic and that we are up for it. I am still trying to find out where I can get a callendar done, so please bear with me, as it is taking a bit of time, trying to find somewhere to get this started. BCC have also been contacted and are searching their database for contacts, which is great too. Please contact me via BCC on my e-mail, so that we can get the full details of where each stays and availability to get this moving. it is getting exciting now,since there are loads of women wanting to do this too. We can show them that we will be better than Page 3 !! Any other suggestions or anyone else got contacts that would help this, it would be much appreciated. xxx ... View more

Getting info Hi, I am speaking to BCC community manager who knows where to get the details for doing a calendar. I will gather this information and pass it on. They are going to speak to someone that knows about doing calendars too. This is great. I think we need to get a list of things we need to do together, perhaps we could contact on e-mail via BCC or I can give you my e-mail address to contact me so that we can get this progressed. It is exciting. I too would have to have airbrushing on my thighs etc, we just need to know what we will be wearing... It will be so much fun. Let me know how you want to create this, and we will get it started. thanks carol xxx ... View more

Ok, lets find out Ok I am up for it, I will be looking for details on how we go about getting this done. I am more than happy to do any month, so how many have we got so far??? I live in South Wales but will travel, Does anyone else know how we go about this too? thanks for all the support and hopefully we can get somewhere soon. Look out Page 3, we are coming to get you with much more WOW factors....!! carol xx ... View more

Great Rewards Hello, I am a BCC volunteer and it is really rewarding, especially when you help someone get through it, and get their positiveness backup. I did training for it, over a period of time, then you have regular meetings and refresher training, and developments. You can attend information day/seminars, healthy living days, with the outreach team, and raise awareness to all types of environments on both female and male, and it is great fun too, you meet so much people and it is so relaxing talking too as you are all in the same or similar boat, and environment. I have met so much people doing this, it has kept me positive focused on life more. There is also a Partners Volunteer support too, so if your partner wishes to help other partners family members to get through this, then he/she can become a Partner volunteer too. I would definately give the helpline a call, and if you can go for it, and it does bring great rewards too. Perhaps you could ask to speak to one of the volunteers in your area and ask them more about it, and get all the questions and answers you need to ask and to know. let us know how you get on. xxxxx Carol ... View more

Yes definately Hi Lynn, I would be more than happy to do a calendar to show the world that we can look better than Kate Moss or Jordan except not so tacky as them!! I would like to be miss December, since it is my birthday, but since all I need to wear is a santa hat !! I would also be happy to do any month really, this would be fun, and will show the companies that we are just a glamorous as their 'non mastectomy' models and that we can model the lingerie and swimwear and look 100 times more fantastic. How do we go about this though??? I know a very good award winning photographer who did some fantastic shots of me. I live in Wales but can travel. Is there a protocol that you follow or does anyone know someone who has done it before so that we can follow their one..? I know there was a calendar out last year but not sure if it was for here or breakthrough?? Anyway I have my thinking cap on and I am up for it...if you are? xxxxx ... View more

scar tissue Hi I have had seven operations in my breasts (bilateral mastectomy also) in the past 5 years, and another lump removed in xmas just past (fibroidenoma). I have loads of scar tissue as you can imagine, but I gently massaged the skin area with Bio Oil (It is quite expensive £8,95 for a small bottle), but it is great on your scar and any scars or unevenness on your body skin. I rubbed it on daily for about 8 weeks, and it was softer and faided too. See how you get on. Carol xxx ... View more

ditto Hi Rowena many thanks for your response, I have been working with M&S, but seems to be falling on deaf ears, although I have had several long discssions with them in regards to the styles and colours. I have however been advised that there is to be more great styles in their winter range, more sparkle too. Hopefully this will be what we need. However I have expressed my views that we need bras now and not wait till xmas.... we dont only wear bras in winter we do in the summer, although some bra companies I have spoken with seem to think that you dont need a bra in the summer as the tops are strappy ones etc. But when you wear prosthesis, you need a bra.....! I have written again to loads of companies that all said they were not interested in changing their ranges when I spoke to them last year, and I am not giving up on trying to get them to listen to us so I will be constantly contacting them every few months so that they get fed up of me and might do something about it..... It is alright if I were a 34-38 A-D, because that seems to be the sizes that are readily available in a wide range of colours and styles,,, perhaps I should put on weight and ask for a smaller prosthesis so that I can get a bra, to which I say WHY SHOULD I CHANGE FOR THEM IF THEY WONT CHANGE FOR ME... Sorry for shouting but it makes my blood boil that we are so sheltered from the world, when we should be out there screaming I am me and I love it.... The saga and my campaign continues..... Never giving up...xxx ... View more

modelling Hi, I wondered if anyone would know where I can go to be a model for mastectomy products. I have tried registering with model agencies within the UK , but as soon as I say that I have had double mastectomy and wear self adhesive prosthesis, they just dont want to know. I have also tried to contact mastectomy product companies - amoena, nicola jayne etc, and they not interested on taking on 'real models', as it is really frustrating that mastectomy lingerie and swimwear companies use women that have not had breast surgery, and their cleavages are over the top of the garments...... Amoena do some articles using real models, but they dont do my size of bra, so they are not interested on me being one of their 'real women articles''' I have professional photographs taken in the hope that this might help, but again, as soon as they ask about glamour modelling, and I say well no, as I dont have 'real breasts', and cannot do topless, unless it is for a breast awareness or care magazine etc, then I will do topless, but when they say no, they want someone that can do topless etc, I fel let down that I cannot be the lingerie model for bras or swimwear, just like the other women are,,, except that I will be doing post surgery wear....and can look just as great as them, but with the reality of how it will sit whilst wearing prosthesis etc. I am so fed up with todays society where they cannot take women wearing prosthesis more seriously,., and help us get our confidence back up and make us feel like a million dollars too. Instead of they typical stereo type women that they seem to always want.... If anyone knows of any companies that will be interested or want to help me campaign for this, then let me know... thanks Carol xxx ... View more

It is a tough decision Hello Babyboo, Just thought I would reply to you, I had a bilateral mastectomy due to benign lumps all over my boobies. It was easier to get a mastectomy than get my small boobs (32C) chopped bit by bit to get rid of all the lumps on both of them. My nipples were discharging as well, and it was nerve racking. I am at present trying to get the government to assist women with making the decision on risk reducing surgery for what ever reason, be it lumps or familial. I dont have familial breast cancer, but do have familial benign lumps. my older 2 sisters are on to their 4th lump each on their breasts, might be the same as me, but not sure. My mum had a lumpectomy benign over 30 years ago. Unfortunately I had two failed reconstructions, now I am wearing two self adhesive prosthesis, and you know what I love them. I dont use my boobs for anything, so it doesnt matter whether they are permanent or stick on,,,,, I mean I still have my hands and feet, and my head,,, So I dont regret getting my mastectomy, and in fact I have bigger boobs now, and feel like Jordan or Pamela Anderson when I wear them (32DD), so it isnt half bad... Although I got a further lump removed in December just past, not sure why it was there, but got it removed and tested it came back as a fibroidenoma, but was really painful when my prosthesis was on it... Not sure if I will have any more lumps, but keeping an eye on them. I am also working with the Dept of Health on getting support for women who have had benign or familial mastectomy, as it has been limited for me, hence why I became a BCC Volunteer, and it has been good giving back to women what I didnt have, and that was someone to speak to that has been there ... So we are here if you need us and will help as best as we can. take care carol xx ... View more

I got a call from the BCC helpline nurse, and she also said that she hadnt heard of this, so she was going to find out from her colleagues... still searching for this answer. thanks though for your response. ... View more