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December 14, 2007
Gina Andrews
A mastectomy bra is a specialty bra for women
who have undergone a radical mastectomy
surgery (removal of breast). A
mastectomy is performed on a woman after she
has been diagnosed with breast cancer. After
surgery, a woman would need to purchase a
mastectomy bra and prosthesis. A prosthetic
breast form is a silicone shaped like a breast
to fill the area where the breast was removed.
The mastectomy
bra has a sewn in pocket to hold the
prosthesis in place. Typically the mastectomy
bra will have pockets on both sides so you
don’t have to special order the bra with a
right side or left side pocket. Mastectomy bras
typically are not sold in department or a
lingerie store. You will need to find a
specialty store in your area that carry these
bras or search on-line. Keep in mind mastectomy
bras are more expensive than your normal bra
price. If you have insurance, most insurance
company will pay for the bras and prosthesis.
Check with your insurance company to see how
many bras and prosthesis is allowed each
year.
Nowadays, manufacturers are making these
mastectomy bras prettier and more comfortable.
Having breast cancer and going through the
surgery is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to
feel less feminine by wearing unattractive
bras.
Anita
International is one of the manufacturers
that have created beautiful, feminine
mastectomy bras. The Isabella style has a
beautiful embroidery design,
anatomically-shaped under the bust band for
added support (no underwire), and two pockets
to hold the prosthesis. It comes in four colors
– white, nude, black, and sexy red. This bra
will make you feel like a woman again. Anita
carries over 10 different styles of bras and
they do carry large sizes. Depending on the
style of bra, the size range from 32 up to 42
and cup size AA up to E. Anita is a little more
expensive than other brands due to their
quality, design, and size range.
Another manufacturer that is reasonable in
price is TruLife
by Camp. They have a wide range of bras to
choose from. Some of their specialty bras have
front and back closures. The front closure bras
are ideal for women with restricted mobility
due to lymphedema, arthritis, or surgery.
Trulife also carries a sports mastectomy bra.
This is a great bra for women who live an
active life. You can wear this bra to the gym
or during sport activities. The CoolMax
material is used for the pocket to manage
moisture and provide coolness to the skin. The
sports bra has front closures and adjustable
back
closures.
Another bra that TruLife carries is a three-way
convertible bra straps. The attached strap can
be worn over the shoulder (as a regular bra),
crossed in the back, or as a halter top style.
This bra would be ideal to wear with an evening
dress, summer tank tops, and backless
apparel.
Right after surgery, the ideal garment to wear
is a camisole. The
camisole is light and made of soft material
with pockets for your breast form. The camisole
can also be worn underneath clothing.
Women need to be aware and be educated on
choices of bras. A lot of women do not know
that they have a choice in choosing the right
bra for them. If you go into a specialty store
and they do not have the right bra for you,
request that they order the one that will fit
your needs.
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