(no subject)

[derien]

I spent the day, yesterday, in an old bra while we were doing the laundry so that we could wash both the surgical bras (and after it was so nice to have a change that I couldn't make myself switch back). I dug to the back of my drawer and found an old C cup, probably the last one I bought before I had to cave to the realization that in fact I couldn't fit into a C cup anymore. I had to pad out to that with tissue even after the surgical pads, so I think I'm definitely in the B range, at the moment, though who can say what it will be after everything settles out.

Eor thought it wasn't a good idea to be wearing a regular bra, because he thought I might need the compression so that everything heals correctly. I'm looking around at sites to see what they say about that. It says on one site that the surgical bra should be worn for a month, but the Physician's Assistant who I saw the other day told me to get a sports bra to change into after only a week. The site says says the surgical bra should be 'very adjustable' - this thing is NOT so very adjustable, it doesn't even have the adjustableness around the ribs of a normal bra. It also says that they're designed so that the seams don't irritate the scars, but my old bra doesn't have seams anywhere near where the scars would be and at the moment I'm still using the surgical pads, so the seams should be a non-issue. The only thing similar to a sports bra which I was able to find at Sears was a sleeping bra which was adjustable only around the ribs - the shoulder straps were one size fits none - and had seams right where my scars are. Actually, there were things they're marketing as sports bras, but they didn't have any adjustability and didn't look as though they'd provide any support at all, so I can't imagine anyone would want to use them for sports.

Should I go to a sporting goods store and hope that they might have real sports bras? Champion has some nice looking stuff at a good price, and one zips in the front.

I found another site that sells bras, and I liked this one for the ability to wear the straps straight or crossed in the back but 'no cup measurement required' - how is that possible? I have a 38 inch ribcage, which seems to qualify me for a Large (estimating from the bras at Sears), or an Extra Large according to this site, yet I'm always having to pull shoulder straps up pretty tight because I'm short in the body. Even if all of that is irrelevant to their sizing process, how can a cup which provides compression for a D cup also provide proper support for a B cup? For a hundred bucks I want more assurance I'll be able to use it. the others don't look as adjustable.

But there is some indication that compression is the preferred form of support. I just can't figure out if this needs to be a really strong, tight compression or if it's intended to be gentle. Most of the pictures of surgical bras online look as though they'd be gentle, whereas the one I have is tight. But not all around each breast, which I'd think would be preferable. It would be to me, because when we go over bumps in the car I'm holding the middle of the bra to my breastbone trying to avoid pain.

This one looks promising, and not really more expensive than a regular bra.