One More Victory in the Cancer Battle
I finally went for a bra
fitting and got the correct size, my clothes fit better
and I was feeling good! Then came the diagnosis. You
have breast cancer and the tumor is too large to save
your breast so we suggest a mastectomy. What? Cut off
my beautiful breast? I was devastated. After getting a
2nd and 3rd diagnosis, I resigned
myself to losing my breast and comforted myself by
saying I would get new, perky ones in the reconstruction
that would stand up by themselves, something that had
changed with gravity and age.
While I
was being treated with chemo and radiation, I wore a
gel-filled prosthesis. You’re supposed to buy a
mastectomy bra with pockets to put the prosthesis in but
I had just purchased all these great bras so I decided
to just put the prosthesis in my regular bra. The
funniest times were putting the prosthesis in a sports
bra and having it drift to the middle of my chest during
a workout. Talk about getting strange looks! And don’t
get me started about a bathing suit! Yikes!
I had
the reconstruction and have the cute, smaller, perky
breasts that I wanted and fabulous new bras to house
them. Now the major department stores carry mastectomy
bras and have saleswomen who can help you find the right
fit. I found them to be sensitive and caring and even
helped fill out the paperwork so that the insurance
company would cover it! I’m a survivor, healthy and
happy again!
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By Pat Shields
Young Fashionistas Love the “Wire”
Five-inch heels. Low-riding jeans. Designer handbag. Under wire bra. These are a few of the wardrobe staples of today’s young fashion enthusiasts. Nothing surprising here, except the bra. Bras with underwires are more often than not, associated with Baby Boomers or those graciously endowed with a C cup size or larger. In this case, perception is far from reality. According to a Mintel/Greenfield Online Study, 81% of young women 18 to 24 have purchased an underwire bra in the last twelve months – a significantly higher percentage than any other age group.
These young women know that what’s worn inside reflects on the outside. Their concern about fashion, style and appearance, makes the lift and support benefits of the underwire a real “must have”.
