All about the Bewbies.

By Racuh Thursday, September 17, 2009

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Okay ladies... just because we are missing some boo-bees does NOT mean we are not still sexy... or interested in being sexy. I may be on the really young end of breast cancer at 26 but not EVERYONE that gets breast cancer wants to wear bras that look like they were shaped together out of waffle cones! I cannot imagine being 56 and wanting to wear ugly bras either. If you're having radiation and cant get reconstruction right away for whatever reason... the prostheses are HORRIBLE. They're heavy, squishy, don't cover the right tissue, pokey, sweaty, stupid shapes not made for women that have concave chests after a mastectomy.

Step one... dear boob and bra designers. These are boobs. They come in several shapes and sizes. boobshapes

Secondly... here is a graphic depiction of what I look like... other women may vary of course but the anatomy of a missing boob is pretty predictable. It's sort of concave... bewbage used to be there... but now it is not. Why on earth are you designing prostheses that don't fit our shapes? mybody

Thirdly... the bras. C'mon. We're done wearing the anti-sex 2000. Amoena and other bra makers, breast cancer patients aren't puritanical prudes. Women need to feel good about themselves... especially with all that we have to put up with with having breast cancer. ugly I drew all of these for you women on here. I hope you enjoy them. I hope they make you laugh at our shared plight and brighten your day.

-Tracey.

Naked mole rat.

Comments (14) | Add comment

PJ Hamel, Health Guide

9/17/09 8:06pm

Tracey, you're the BEST! I've always always admired artistic talent (of which I have absolutely none). I got a good chuckle out of this - although I couldn't quite find my own on there (one hanging in there pretty well for an old-timer, one new one a bit more upstanding...) And yes, I'm exactly 56 years old, and no, I don't want to wear an UGLY BRA, any more than I did when I was 26 years old! This is SO cool... thanks so much for sharing with us. Namaste- PJ

Racuh

9/18/09 12:56am

Thanks for liking it!

The light within me honors the light within you too!

jomo1960

9/17/09 9:27pm

I had a bilateral mastectomy so my concave chest looks the same on both sides, except the right one had radiation.

I did get a really nice set of prosthetics though. Very real feeling but you are right. They do not lay very flat on my chest and when I wear a shirt with a slight v, it doesn't look right. The bras were very nice though. I have 4, including a sports bra. Funny thing is, I do not wear my prosthesis when I work out. I only wear them when I'm going out with my family, or somewhere I want to look nice. I usually am braless and boobless on a daily basis. I don't mind but I have to do exercises to help the skin because it gets very tight. In fact, the breast surgeon told me today to have my PT massage the area to help smooth the area.

I just wanted to say thank you for your humor. They do need to do something about how the prosthesis lay. But, they are tucked into the bra so not sure what they can do.

Thank you. Johanna

Racuh

9/17/09 10:15pm

I don't technically have breast cancer so I only had to have the one breast removed with a simple mastectomy... there isn't lymphatic involvement with the kind of cancer I do have. There is no risk to the other breast. I can't get reconstruction for a while 2-3 years. The recurrence rate for angiosarcoma is very very high within the first 2 years. The doctors don't want to do a TRAM flap and have to undo it if the cancer comes back. I can't really do an implant either because I've had radiation to the chest wall... from what I've read it just seems like a nightmare.

I have a very nice prosthesis but too but honestly since I am a designer myself... its suuuuper annoying when you know you would have changed the design to fit better. I am seriously considering sending Amoena a letter asking if they'd like to have me design some proper bras that don't suck, and suggestions for making the prosthesis better. For one it would be awesome if they did what they do for podiatry. If you have to get orthopedic shoes they send you a home kit where you make an algenate mold of your foot and they send you a properly fitted shoe. How easy is that?! Here is my chest wall... make my fake boobie fit it please. Even if it goes into the pocket of the bra it would still be infinitely more comfortable to wear.

I can't stand the bras I've found. They're huge hideous and weirdly shaped. They end up making my shirts lumpy and bumpy and my boobs a very unflattering shape. I have been finding full coverage wireless nursing bras from victorias secret and rigging them to hold the prosthetic. They're much more comfortable and better looking. I don't like that its so difficult to find a mastectomy bra that looks good when so many women get breast cancer. I want to design better ones that actually look good!

I think I would probably give up on the falsies too if I had both breasts removed... but I'm sorta lopsided!

Phyllis Johnson, Health Guide

9/18/09 5:54am

I love your drawings, and you are exactly right about the concave fake not fitting the concave chest. My prosthesis before this one tried to address that problem. It had a sort of gel/playdough part that was supposed to fill in your chest as it warmed to body temperature. But it made little noises that probably no one else heard, but that annoyed me.

Keep looking on the bras. I have sometimes been able to find prettier ones, but always just in white, beige or black. I always liked colorful underwear. If you live near a Nordstroms, they used to say they would sew pockets into any bra in the store for you. They probably still do, but I haven't been to a Nordstroms recently. You could probably also talk to someone at an alteration shop to do it for you if you don't sew.

I expect this situation is only going to get worse because as more people opt for reconstruction, the need for mastectomy bras is going to be even smaller than it is now. Small market equals no bras in turquoise or pink!

jomo1960

9/18/09 11:31am

I got my prosthesis and bras from The Women's Center at the hospital. The insurance paid for both, and pays for 4 bras per year. They are really nice. The prostheses is a new design to help move the lympthatic system but I think that was overkill because they go into the bra and do not lay next to the skin. It is a more natural looking breast than what I've seen before. But, it lays on top of the chest and doesn't fill in the concave. Someone that has gone through this should design a new prosthesis. That is a great idea. I just don't like the feel of anything on my chest anymore so I only wear them when I go somewhere nice or don't want to be looked at all night. People say they don't even notice when I don't have them on, but I no that many people do stare. I don't really care. That would be one reason I decided to have both removed, along with the fact I don't want to get cancer again. I'm told not to have breast reconstruction for 2-3 years also, because Inflammatory Breast Cancer is real aggressive and because of the radiation. I'm not in a hurry for more surgery though.

Johanna

peglove

9/18/09 10:13pm

Those are great drawings! Yes, you should design some boobies and make a buzillion $$$ from them if they are as bad as you say...I believe ya.

peglove

9/18/09 10:17pm

INCOMPLETE.... My very good friend Oscar/Desire, is a performer in Hollywood. He says the best fake boobies you can get are at the porn shop. So that's where I'm headed if necessary! yay for gay boobie shops. Hope they are better. And I think we should all wear sexy pretty bras, if we must wear one at all!

Susan G

9/24/09 10:48am

Right on - come on ladies - we can do better than this......

Racuh

9/24/09 12:13pm

I know right!? Ugh. I hate you boobie/bra designers. Learn the anatomy of a mastectomy!

radiation

9/24/09 11:15am

I thouroughly enjoyed your drawings and comments. They really made me laugh this morning! I did not have a mastectomy, but made a new friend in chemo and she did. Her complaint - they don't make bras big enough for her. The fitter told her she needs an E and "they don't come in that size." She and I have been discussing this at great length and like you, we said "we need to get involved". My problem now is that I have two different sizes. If I fit the small "sister", the big one is bulging over the edge. If I fit the big "sister", the small one is swimming.

I have consulted one reconstructive surgeon and she is a little reluctant to do any surgery on the radiated breast because she is worried about how it might not heal well.

I have an appointment next week to seek a second opinion. It is not so much about how I look naked, but how my clothes fit, everything pull to my right side.

Let's make the bra makers hear us!

Racuh

9/24/09 12:20pm

I'm very happy to have made you laugh this morning! That's the intent!

I have had radiation so I can't have reconstruction for a while. Something to do with both the skin being well... mangled by radiation and the strong possibility of my cancer coming back. I have some wacky cancer that has an unbelievable recurrence rate. Lucky meeeee. So no boobies until I hit the 2 year mark. Until then. I get to wear ill fitting stupid boobs and bras that make me want to never have sex again. Yaaaay! The fun and joy cancer has brought to my life... so awesome.

Your poor friend. I have really small boobs so I don't have such a hard time FINDING things... its another story all together finding things that look marginally nice on my body. Conical bras went out of style in the 60's.... I thought. Do they just not BOTHER making t-shirt bras?! I don't wear a moo moo to work guys I wear clothes... and most of those clothes are fitted!

Racuh

9/24/09 12:20pm

I'm very happy to have made you laugh this morning! That's the intent!

deaikin

9/25/09 4:17am

Yeah, your description of the fakes made me laugh. One thing tho, I had a masectomy and didn't have reconstruction. I had an apt to get fitted for a prothesis but dealing with medicaid means waiting for them to give the approval for the prothesis. I hope I have better luck with the fit. I like wearing colorful underwear too!

All about the Bewbies.

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